Top San Francisco Historical Tours

Combine three of the Bay Area's top attractions—Alcatraz Island, Muir Woods, and Sausalito—in a single tour from San Francisco. Enjoy comfortable transportation in a luxury tour van, which includes a trip across the Golden Gate Bridge, allowing you to focus on the scenery instead of driving and directions. Your Alcatraz admission includes the ferry ride and the audio tour, and independent travelers will love the free time to explore both Muir Woods and Sausalito. 8:30am option will start with Muir Woods and Sausalito then go to Alcatraz 9:10am option will start with Alcatraz then go to Muir Woods and Sausalito

Hop on a ‘70s-era VW bus and get to know the hippie past and hipster vibe that make up San Francisco today. Starting and ending at Fisherman’s Wharf, this 2-hour sightseeing tour takes you around the city, including Chinatown, North Beach, the Castro, the Mission, downtown and more. See the homes of The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, while listening to ‘60s classics. So settle into a neon-blue seat and dig your shoes into groovy shag carpet. Each bus accommodates up to just six people.

You get to see everything in one day! All the main sites in San Francisco, a lunch break in Sausalito, and a walk around Muir Woods. If you have selected the Alcatraz option, you will take a ferry ride to Alcatraz Island in the afternoon for the Official Alcatraz Tour. 8am – Depart Fisherman’s Wharf 8-9:30am – Explore San Francisco’s BEST neighborhoods! You will be treated to entertaining stories about the neighborhoods and several photo stops. 9:30-11am – Explore Muir Woods You will have 75 minutes among some of the last remaining coastal redwoods in the world! 11am-12pm – Lunch in Sausalito Enjoy lunch in the quaint town of Sausalito where you can shop and explore! 1:30pm - If you have selected the Alcatraz option, you will be dropped off at Pier 33 for the Official Alcatraz Tour! For those not going to Alcatraz, you will be dropped off at the same location as your meeting point.

Stroll the narrow streets and back alleys of San Francisco's Chinatown on this walking tour with a small group. Stop by shops selling authentic Chinese crafts and pottery, as well as hard-to-find herbs and produce. A variety of tastings add up to a full lunch, including tea, fortune cookies, dim sum, and other treats. Listen to guided commentary and ask plenty of questions as you explore.

On this San Francisco bike tour, you’ll cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge from the city to the waterfront town of Sausalito. With a guide, ride from Fisherman’s Wharf to Marina Green and Crissy Field, and stop at Fort Point and Vista Point for photo ops of the bridge and San Francisco Bay. The 3-hour guided tour ends in Sausalito, where you are free to bike more on your own and return to the city at your leisure (either bike back or purchase a ferry ticket). This tour includes use of the bike for the full day.

Take a journey around San Francisco's top sights in a retro way with this "painted ladies" tour by vintage Volkswagen bus decorated with long gorgeous eyelashes so you can't miss your tour vehicle. You'll pass by neighborhoods like Chinatown, Union Square, Pacific Heights, North Beach, Haight-Ashbury, the Marina, and Hayes Valley, plus see the Palace of Fine Arts, Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, Civic Center, and more.

If you fancy yourself a foodie or culture enthusiast, don’t miss this walking tour of San Francisco’s Little Italy—the neighborhood of North Beach. Voted one of the 15 best foodie tours in the USA by U.S. News, join an insider guide and experience a slice of the top things to do in North Beach, such as tasting coffee and witnessing bread being freshly made. Soak up the lively atmosphere of one of the city’s most popular districts as you learn about its cafes and bakeries and see landmarks like Saints Peter and Paul Church.

Discover San Francisco’s dark side on a ghost-hunting tour, using a provided, personal EMF detector to scan haunted alleys, neighborhoods, and street corners. It’s not just ghosts. Exploring with a ghost-hunter guide means you’ll learn the city's scariest secrets and stories, too. As you walk through its nighttime streets, hear about everything from Gold Rush cemeteries to paranormal activity and unexplained deaths in the heart of San Francisco.

San Francisco is home to so many enchanting neighborhoods that it can be challenging to explore them all. On this small-group walking tour, visit Chinatown and North Beach, two of the city’s most storied districts, in about a half day of sightseeing. Learn about culture and traditions from your local guide, and stop for generous food tastings—from tea and dim sum in Chinatown to fresh cannoli in one of North Beach's oldest bakeries.

With its iconic hills, architecture, bridge and bay, it’s no wonder so many movies have been filmed in San Francisco. See filming locations from more than 55 productions—from blockbusters like ‘San Andreas’ to family favorites like ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’—on this movie sites tour from Fisherman’s Wharf. Watch clips on the tour bus as you pass by the real locations with an informative actor-turned-guide who shares stories about the city and cinema history.

Secure two top San Francisco activities with a single booking, combining an Alcatraz Island visit with a same-day Golden Gate Bridge boat cruise. If time is limited, coordinating the two experiences can be a challenge. This double ticket takes the hassle out of planning, featuring a self-guided audio tour of Alcatraz and a waterfront cruise with the chance to spot San Francisco Bay marine wildlife in a natural environment.

Guarantee your visit to Alcatraz when you book in advance. Relax aboard your ferry transportation and return at a time of your choosing. Afterward, use your food voucher at a preselected restaurant in Fisherman’s Wharf.

Enjoy an insider overview of San Francisco on this excursion that includes a trip across the Golden Gate Bridge to the Muir Woods National Monument. You are driven around the city in a small group to see its diverse neighborhoods and geography, stopping several times for breathtaking photo ops of famous sites and memorable stories. This local-led tour visits culturally significant neighborhoods like Chinatown and the Little Italy, as well as the large homes of Pacific Heights. After crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, guests will visit the towering redwood trees of Muir Woods and the beautiful waterfront town of Sausalito for lunch (own expense).

Explore San Francisco and Alcatraz on this 2-in-1 tour. Hop aboard a ferry for a scenic ride to Alcatraz and enjoy the award-winning audio walking tour. Plus, enjoy a coach tour with a knowledgeable local guide. Learn about the City by the Bay through visits to top attractions such as Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, the Presidio, and the Palace of Fine Arts.

Take an open-air fire truck tour of San Francisco aboard a shiny red vintage fire engine. Be the talk of the town as you suit up in a firefighter jacket and hat for a fun ride with the whole family. Your professional driver narrates the tour from Fisherman's Wharf through the Presidio and across the city's world-famous Golden Gate Bridge to charming Sausalito. Fasten your seat belt for the drive of a lifetime on this small-group San Francisco fire engine tour, limited to 13 passengers.

Dive deep into one of San Francisco’s most historic neighborhoods on this Chinatown walking tour. From paper lanterns to medicinal herbs to a fortune cookie factory, explore both popular and lesser-known gems in this bustling district with an in-the-know guide. Learn about Chinatown's fascinating history and culture from your expert insider guide.

Ride a double-decker sightseeing bus to San Francisco's most famous landmarks with a choice of 2 different passes. Explore the city's 49 square miles, including stops at big-name attractions like Pier 39, the Palace of Fine Arts and Union Square. Go at your own pace, hopping off at any of 16 stops, exploring at your leisure, and then hopping back on when you're done. Choose the Premium pass to include a night tour or a Deluxe pass for an additional 24 hours of hop-on-hop-off and a night tour.

Harken back to San Francisco’s days as a Gold Rush boomtown on a 2-hour walking tour of the Financial District, once known as the rowdy Barbary Coast of California. Hear tales of buried ships, fortune hunters, and Wild West saloons as you explore the city’s former waterfront, and learn how it transformed into the business hub of modern-day San Francisco.

Spend the day exploring San Francisco’s vibrant neighborhoods on a small-group tour. Walk the bustling streets of Chinatown and North Beach and feel the groove on Haight Street. Leave the urban grid behind and relax under the towering redwood trees in Muir Woods National Monument, then stop in Sausalito for free time to admire waterfront views, peruse upscale boutiques, and have lunch (own expense).

Step aboard a vintage Volkswagen bus for a San Francisco city tour. Travel down streets a typical tour bus can't access while your guide fills you in on the history of the City by the Bay, from the Gold Rush to Silicon Valley. Get views of landmarks such as Twin Peaks, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Painted Ladies as you travel through distinct city districts.

Ride a GoCar all over San Francisco as it navigates for you and provides a guided tour. Take as long as you like to explore the city with a storytelling car as your guide — what Time Magazine has called "one of the coolest inventions of the year." Let this tiny car show you what the city is all about, learn about its history and visit sites like the Presidio, Coit Tower, Chinatown and Lombard Street. Pick up your car at one of two convenient locations: Union Square or Beach Street near Fisherman's Wharf.

Avoid the crowds, confusion, and limitations of large buses and discover San Francisco by luxury minivan. This half-day tour takes you to numerous parts of the city for the perfect overview. Enjoy fascinating facts provided by your guide's live commentary. Stop for photo opportunities at some of the city’s most popular attractions, including the Golden Gate Bridge and Twin Peaks.

Experience some of the Bay Area’s top attractions on this Alcatraz and Muir Woods tour that also includes a stop in Sausalito. At Muir Woods National Monument, stare in wonder at the coastal redwoods, some of the tallest trees on Earth. Soak up the charm of seaside Sausalito, and experience Alcatraz in one of two ways—admission to the prison, which includes the ferry ride to Alcatraz Island and the audio tour.

- Explore the city with San Francisco's most hilarious, imaginative and EXCITING storyteller! - Enjoy original FOLKLORE and FAIRYTALES told by Clyde Always: a professional storyteller, published poet and decade-long resident of the City by the Bay. Hear about witches & wisemen, hobos & hipster-emperors. Bring your imagination! - Get to know these three famous neighborhoods: the Mission, the Castro and the Haight. - Get insider knowledge of the best restaurants, bars, coffeehouses, parks, shops and more. See beautiful street-art, landmarks and architecture. Experience the City like a local. - BEWARE! Some of the information presented will be highly UNBELIEVABLE. Have fun sorting the fact from the fiction. -A 2.2 mile (3.5 km) walk with no hills. One public restroom along the way. - Please note: this tour is NOT for the whole family. Script includes profanity and you might see a nudist or two. - Guaranteed to entertain, enliven and uplift. An experience you'll always remember.