san francisco self guided driving tour

I've used these in other cities too and they are great. London Our self-guided tour of Chinatown includes a map that you can . 2 hours. Between Carmel and Monterey, 17 Mile Drive affords dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean and Del Monte Forest along the Monterey Peninsula. About Us. This tour covers some of the most interesting sites in the historic Chinatown district of San Francisco. Or, if you are in the mood for ice cream, the Bi-Rite Creamery salted caramelice cream is worth waiting in line for. Visit its top attractions, see where the Beat Generation spent their days and nights and taste some of the best goodies in the district. We learnt tons about SF. Book your Alcatraz tickets to explore the infamous prison and enjoy two days of hop-on hop-off access to all of San Francisco. Choose from driving one of our GoCars, Arcimotos, Scooters, or Vanderhalls. Nob Hill and the next hill, Russian Hill, have splendid views to the city and to the bay area: A San Francisco city tour on Russian Hill. A main street facade in Chinatown San Francisco. If you have ever watched Full House, you will know what we are talking about. Miami, Orlando, Kennedy Space Center and more American National Parks 20 Day Self Drive Tour Explore San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Yellowstone National Park, The Rocky . San Francisco Skyline Sightseeing, Gray Line, and Tower Tours lead combination tours that include tours of Sausalito, Sonoma, and/or highlights of San Francisco. Without a doubt, one of the most enchanting things about this magical city is the neighborhoods. Alternatively, you may also want to consider taking our free, fully guided Chinatown walking tour. We provide customizable self guided driving vacations throughout United States, including car rentals, GPS, and hotel accommodations. The San Francisco Museum and Historical Society offers two self guided walks of the Barbary Coast Trail in San Francisco. Our app deals help you to save on trips so you can travel more and manage it all on the go. Note, this is a self-guided driving tour : You will need to arrange your own means of transportation; Our North Beach tour is close to stops in both Chinatown and Fishermans Wharf, so it might make sense to enjoy more than one outing at the same time. Such an interesting deep dive into the Castro and Mission neighborhoods, for which we had an incredibly sunny warm summer day. Nob Hill looks like a wealthy area, which it is. Zion; Bryce; Capitol Reef; Arches . Since 2012. All of these self-guided tours are designed to be easy to do using the San Francisco Metroor BART (for more information on navigating this sometimes confusing city read our articleHow to Use Transit in San Francisco). The SF self-drive tour follows a circular route through the city, so you can start at any point along the way. From there, youll hear about the citys unique history and how it became one of the most progressive cities around. During your walking tour, you will learn more about 20 of San Francisco's top attractions. Bring your walking shoes we started at 10 am and finished at 6 pm, I highly recommend you do this tour. From Chinatown we took California Street up to Nob Hill. Learn the fascinating history of this city from the water. San Francisco sightseeing by car: Alamo Square. Begin this self-guided tour in the heart of San Francisco. All individual tours come with lifetime validity. After that, buckle your seatbelts because youre heading down Lombard Street, aka the most crooked street in the world! A self guided driving tour we did with our friends.. read more Andrew H 10/26/2019. For first-time visitors discovering the lay of the land or those who can't leave until they've seen it all, the 49-Mile scenic drive is a fantastic way to get acquainted with all of San Francisco. The exclusive neighborhood on Pacific Heights. Alcatraz, the historic prison island of San Francisco. And our professional guides will help you find each of the most notable landmarks in the neighborhood. English. He gave us lots of fun facts along the way and the whole experience was very interesting. I found the one in the picture on the left in the North Beach neighborhood. GPS-activated audio app that plays on your phone. Buy now, travel whenevercoupon code on the next screen. These beautiful, colorful homes exemplify Friscos funky culture and are a great way to start your journey. Like Pacific Heights and Nob Hill, Haight Ashbury consists of large Victorian houses but thats the only similarity. Subscribe to our newsletter below. I found the one in the picture on the left in the North Beach neighborhood. We'll learn all about this building's strange history as we pass. San Francisco spreads out over 47 miles, so it's best to stick to one area at a time on your self-guided tour. Includes. It's like having a local show you around. Ferry cruises to the bay also start here. After that walk through Chinatown, which has some of the best food in the city, making it the perfect spot for lunch. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That post is about driving around Central San Francisco, but now: time for the Golden Gate area . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. This map is interactive. You can spot some of San Franciscos most famous landmarks from here. I want them all PLUS general travel tips. Next, travel through the famous 17-Mile Drive and see Pebble Beach Golf Course. One of the key features of this expo was the launch of the 49-Mile scenic drive, which showed off both of the bridges and ended at the Treasure Island fairgrounds. Starting Point Address (Northbound) - LA to SF: 81-99 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401. Easy to tell that this is an exclusive neighborhood. And I like the pretty flower beds in between. You can stop along the way to learn even more about each attraction - or even skip ahead if it's an attraction you already visited. The great thing about this drive is that it takes you through so much of the city that nearly any hotel youre staying in within city limits is going to be close to a portion of the drive. We definitely came away with much more of an appreciation for Castro and the Mission (love Dolores Park!) This is a walk through the past and future of San Francisco. The number of Pier 39 sea lions varies along the year, the record number of seals present at the same time being 1700. As the ground convulses, buildings disintegrate and fires are ignited. So we started with downtown San Francisco. Here you will find some of the best at night from scary ghost walks to night cruises around the bay. And very soon we got used to driving up and down San Francisco hills. No extra fees are applied to this booking. However, Nob Hill was rebuilt and today its a place where upper class families and urban professionals like to live. We also offer a new favorite spots map of San Franciscos downtown core. Photo stops will be made along this gorgeous drive. And even if you do have more time to spend in the city (or even if you live there) its worth it to take the drive at least once to see all that San Francisco is known for, discovering a few of the gems that people sometimes miss like Mission Dolores. This is Grant Avenue, the Chinatowns main street. City Guides, founded in 1978, is an independent 501c3 non-profit organization with more than 300 trained volunteers who lead FREE historical and architectural walking tours in San Francisco for over 35,000 locals and visitors each year. Driving down Lombard Street was great fun and we had to do it twice, and then walk one more time. Lisbon On especially foggy days you may not even be able to see key attractions like Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Transamerica Pyramid. We are a GPS-enabled app-based tour that narrates information based on your location right on your phone. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative result from a recent antigen or molecular test may be required, please check the local requirements before your visit. San Francisco highlights self-guided 3-hour driving tour, Sorry, we couldn't find any reviews based on your filters. Haight Ashbury got its name from the corner of its two major streets, Haight and Ashbury. Youll have access to the tour for 72 hours and can start and stop as often as you want. You can choose from either a self guided audio download or a printed map. Its like this, and will be. Opening hours: Fri 12:00am-11:59pm. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Probably the most comprehensive tour of San Francisco is the 49-mile Scenic Drive . Lined with low historic buildings this leafy alley is very different from the deep canyons all around it. We offer Escorted Motorcoach Tours, Self Drive Tours, Cruises and Vacation Packages in North America. You can listen to the audio on your iPhone, iPad, Kindle or any other MP3 player. Wine Tasting in Napa or Sonoma: If you love trying different wines, then a trip to either Napa or Sonoma is only an hour away. and areas we would not otherwise have known about. San Francisco: D Want to go back in time to the 1920's and 30's and the Golden Age of Hollywood? It should say Powell-Hyde (it has a brown sign). You can get a free, printable, detailed map of the San Francisco 49 Mile Drive right here for your trip. You dont want to miss out on seeing the Grace Cathedral on Nob Hill. As the name suggests, the tour uses GPS to provide directions to each stop. On weekdays the Financial District is hectic but on weekends theres simply nobody. This comprehensive self-guided driving tour of San Francisco covers everything from the Painted Ladies to the Embarcadero. We still want you to have a great time here, so weve prepared these free self-guided tours that you can do on your own. San Francisco City Self-Guided Driving Tour Through Golden Gate Bridge. On this San Francisco tour, drive down the very steep and crooked Lombard Street, and around neighborhoods such as the Mission. Some of the best hotels near San Francisco City Hall include Hotel Whitcomb, Renoir Hotel, and the Hayes Valley Inn. To make driving easier, the most curved section of Lombard Street was made a one-way street (only down), and there is a strict speed limit (5 mph, 8km/hour). Below are links to a few that might be helpful, and look for more on Google. This San Francisco city tour begins with the Painted Ladies, one of the citys top attractions. Join us! In the 1960s the traditional middle-class residential area suddenly became the hotspot of the Flower Power generation. The curves enable driving down but the turns are too sharp for any longer cars and buses. Plus, meet Claude the alligator, hang out with the African penguin colony and the 38,000 other live animals. Our guide Damien was so very knowledgeable about the area and history of SF. Here you can see our San Francisco driving itinerary marked on a Google map. Powell-Hyde Line: Cable Car Museum and Russian Hill. Optional Barbary Coast Trail. If you decide to add a few stops along the way, these cards will help you easily get back to your original route. What follows is 1 of 17 walks from their book, "Walking San Francisco's 49 Mile Scenic Drive", edited and condensed for our website. Our San Francisco self drive tour offers you complete flexibility and convenience. Explore all that San Francisco has to offer, from the twists and turns of Lombard Street, through the bustling streets of Chinatown, and to the top of Telegraph Hill! The audio tour's auto-play feature tells you the stories behind the attractions as you experience them. This is one of the self guided audio walking tours of San Francisco. Not only that, but you can also create your own walk with the attractions that interest you most and even set your hotel as . Fantastic how people keep up their traditions! Take in the open space - and famous St Francis Hotel - before heading down Maiden Lane, SF's old red-light district (now full of designer boutiques). On my self-guided walking tour, you will see where history was made for the LGBTQ community. If you are confident in your driving skills, you can even try navigating your way down Lombard Street, which is one of the windiest streets in the world. A graduate of the University of Maryland and University of Southern California, he has been leading tours for Free Tours by Foot since 2015. free, guided walking tours of San Francisco, free, fully guided Chinatown walking tour, self-guided tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, GPS-enabled audio tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, free walking tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, GPS-enabled audio tour of the Financial District, free walking tour of Downtown San Francisco, GPS-enabled audio tour of the Castro District. Copyright 2009-2023 by SFTourismTips.com. Big Island Tour Bundle. This tour has been developed by local guides, curated by creative writers, and narrated by professional voice artists. In particular there are certain areas of the city that are not very car-friendly, such as pedestrian-rich. Included with your San Francisco tour is a complimentary bonus tour of the Golden Gate Bridge. A San Francisco self-guided tour is a must-do on your . After some years the movement faded and the area decayed, but Haight Ashbury still retains much of its hippie atmosphere. He took into consideration our interests & made it very enjoyable. Everyone can listen at the same time! Take your time driving through Monterey Bay, artsy Carmel and more. Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Are you interested in exploring the city of San Francisco without a large group around you? 2022Outdoor Activities in San Francisco. Simply download the free TourCentric app, purchase your San Francisco self guided tour, and start anywhere along the route whenever youre ready! Your home, the capital of the West Coast, has been reduced to rubble in minutes: 28,000 buildings destroyed, 3,000 dead and more than . Our tour of SF brings us to one of the city's most active neighborhoods: Chinatown. Temporary new starting point address: Alamo Square Park, Steiner St, San Francisco. 3 Sausalito to Muir Beach. My tours are one full day in each district. San Francisco has water on three sides so you can imagine how useful the bridges were and still are. New York City The thing I love about these walks is that all 50 are printed on their own cards. Contact Me | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Site Map | Advertising Disclaimer. This tour doesnt include entrance to attractions along the route. Let California Tours take care of all of your accommodations on a self-guided driving road trip vacation. 7 Sites to Visit on a Driving Tour of San Francisco. If you're looking to explore some of San Francisco's most famous neighborhoods by pounding the pavement, try this self-guided itinerary from local authors Kristine Poggioli and Carolyn Eidson. Blacksmithing Youth Classes. View All . The residential area of Pacific Heights is on the next hill in order and offers great views to the city and the bay area. Lying in the sun side by side and diving into the waters when they get hungry. from. Discover the highlights of San Francisco at your own pace, on a self-guided driving tour available on your smartphone. Past members include luminaries like Imogen Cunningham and Ruth Asawa. This tour covers 14 stops in total, and almost all of them can be seen along Columbus Avenue as you walk North toward Fishermans Wharf. After driving down from the freeway we got into a deep gorge with super high skyscrapers on both sides. 2023 Routes and Trips. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Refund Policy. Fog. The city has a lot of it and it is not always predictable. Review of: Golden Gate Bridge Bike Rental - Near the Golden Gate Bridge! Simply download our app and enter your unique password. From Lombard Street its a short drive down to the North Shore of San Francisco and to Fishermans Wharf. Limantour Beach to Olema. Haight Ashbury is one of the places that made San Francisco world famous and represents for the people of that time the real old San Francisco Yet its good to know that today Haight Ashbury is an area with severe crime and drug problems. The Action Tour Guide app functions as a guide, an audio tour, and a map all in one. Its easy to find parking space and have an urban walk in the deep shady canyons protected from all sunshine. This trail connects important historical sites throughout the streets of SF. Haight Ashbury has another kind of history. Call 619-236-1242 for recorded information or to leave a voice message. Andrew H 10/26/2019. Check them out below! Chinatown: This is one of the most visited neighborhoods in SF, since there is so much to see and do. Dubai 3. We designed our self-guided walking tour of San Francisco to include several examples of that quirky San Francisco charm. No worries! POIPU AND KOLOA DRIVING TOUR $29.99. Local insider narration and special guest interviews. A San Francisco self-guided tour is a must-do on your tour of California, so be sure to visit our website for more information. You cant visit San Francisco without flashing back to the hippie-dippie days of the 1960s. Discover the iconic locations from Lombard Street and the Golden Gate Bridge to Pier 39. . Subscribe to new Routes and Trips posts directly to your email: Hi, my name is Liisa. We'll exit SF's Chinatown through the Dragon's Gate. You can buy these together or separately through Amazon. San Francisco Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Our Fave Spots, Zero Ads. Non-refundable. With an automatic car its easier. Locals call it the blast from the past, and for good reasons. With 12 tours across the state, our value-for-money California bundle (priced at just $39.99) gives you the flexibility to see all the top sights in the state at your own pace. There are only really 7 stops on this self-guided tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, and you can expect the whole tour to take around 1 - 1 hours. There was a lot more to see than we had thought, coming from Europe and being fist time visitors. If youd like to see jpg images of the 49 mile scenic drive map, you can find the downtown San Francisco route map, overview, and places to see at these links. Most San Francisco seals travel south in summer to give birth to their pups and to be back here for winter. There are a total of 19 stops to visit, and they are all in the same general location, so it shouldnt take longer than 1 - 2 hours to complete. Begin this self-guided tour at the Ferry Building, near downtown's Financial District (or you can shorten it by starting at Fisherman's Wharf), before taking in San Francisco's picturesque waterfront and the infamous Alcatraz, just across the bay. Finally, finish your self-guided tour at the beautiful, historic, San Francisco Presidio (ideally with an ice-cream). 2023 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. Classic Car Tours. After youve seen enough of Pacific Heights, turn south to see a totally different neighborhood. These signs themselves are part of the history of the scenic drive. There is a parking garage on Lombard Street if you're driving in, 2 mins from the shop. This tour takes you along to visit many of San Francisco's must-see places while you are in control behind the wheel of our own vehicle. Benefits Over Live Guides and Group Tours: Pick up right where you left off and continue your search for things to do, This information is provided by our partners. Thanks! You definitely have to include Pier 39 in your San Francisco sightseeing program. Theres a lot of history behind this area of San Francisco, and many notable buildings and sites to experience. This flexible, self-led tour works by sensing your location as you drive, The in-depth audio narration plays as you drive, Buy just one tour for the whole car, and use it as often as youd like, Once its downloaded, the audio tour never expires use it multiple times, Once its downloaded, the tour works completely offline, Tour your way: choose when to start, stop fast-forward, or rewind, Ask for help from a real person anytime over call, chat, or email, Vacation rentals in United States of America, Vacation packages in United States of America, Cancel your hotel or vacation rental booking, Alamo Square Park, Steiner St, San Francisco, 94117, San Francisco, California, United States of America. We loved it as it had been our first time visiting. 6 Your California: San Francisco to Point Reyes tour concludes. . This comprehensive self-guided San Francisco City Tour covers everything from the Painted Ladies to the Golden Gate Bridge. 7h. Changing travel date? Our next San Francisco sight: the hippie suburb Haight Ashbury. This tour is valid forever - from the moment of booking. SELF GUIDED AUDIO TOURS HAWAII. It wasnt just sightseeing it was a fun history lesson too. Next, we'll head up one of SF's famous hills: Theres a phenomenal view of the bay and of the city skyline once youre up there. Haight-Ashbury. To get the best views of the painted ladies come here in the evening and look at them from the Alamo Square Park. This is an excellent alternative if you prefer to interact with a professional guide rather than an app on your phone. The app knew exactly where I was each time. The start of your scenic drive celebrates San Diego as a seaport city as our massive bay is filled with aircraft carriers, cruise ships, historic sailboats and private yachts. You can take a ferry to Sausalito and Tiburon north ofthe bay, or to Oakland and Vallejo in the east. Be aware of this as you start the drive. Amsterdam This is based on an audio guide I did . Our post on walking the Golden Gate Bridge also includes several additional details about where to enjoy the best views of this landmark and things to do in the area. The app was super easy to use, and the content was really fun! Book your Explore California Academy of Sciences entrance tickets to explore its top sites (and hidden ones too): aquarium, rainforest, planetarium, and Natural History Museum all in one day. Hit the road whenever youre ready, stop as often as youd like, and just enjoy the journey! Market Street is the main street that cuts through Downtown San Francisco, running from the Ferry Buildingto thePowell Street Cable Car Turntable. Opening hours: Fri 12:00am-11:59pm. Even when the Americans insist on driving up and down the steep 44 San Francisco hills, one street turned out too steep even to them. You will only notice when walking through its neighborhoods. This means you only have to bring along the ones you plan on using that day. Stop off wherever you want for as long as you want, and then get started again at your leisure! Not bad, both tourists and locals like this. Night Adventures: Do you love seeing a city at night? Follow a live GPS map down a curated route. After driving a long while up and down the incrediblysteep hills (yes, they are steep) we left the car for a few hours in a parking garage (Beach Street close to Pier 39 on the map) and explored the Fishermans Wharf area by foot. Lombard Street was so steep that it needed eight turns to make it drivable: San Francisco by car: driving down the eight turns of Lombard Street. You can pick a topic that interests you, then find a walking tour that explores it more deeply. Learn More. Looking at them you could imagine being in China. Don't worry about other people - With the app, you can pause the tour, and check out the locations as long as you want. So most old harbor buildings have been transformed to restaurants and shopping malls. Changing travel date? The following health and safety measures are in place, so you can relax and enjoy your experience. No need to worry about driving in Central San Francisco. Scenery. However, we do suggest you download the tour at your home, hotel, visitor center, etc before you head out for a completely immersive experience. The heyday of the Haight was the 1967 Summer of Love when thousands or young California dreamers flocked to the place and filled all quarters. All tours are valid for a lifetime. Check availability. 2022 Outdoor Activities in San Francisco: Check out reviews and photos of the San Francisco City Self-Guided Audio Tour Through Golden Gate Bridge. Despite the bridges theres still a lot of ferry traffic on the bay. The place at the end of Pier 39 is just perfect for these water mammals, there is a lot of food in the water and the bay is sheltered from all winds and waves. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, having grown up in the area, and pointed out not only historical places, but beautiful murals, homes and fun nooks and crannies (like hidden stairways to streets) that we never would have seen on our own. It's also where Pebble Beach Golf Club is located, a legendary course that has attracted the likes of Teddy Roosevelt and Sir Winston Churchill. Good news! per adult. Here is the breakdown of the cost involved in this self-guided Muir Woods tour: ADULT Roundtrip Discount Ferry Ticket: $18 Shuttle to . Some of the key attractions on the drive that can easily be enjoyed without getting out of the car include: Here are some of the attractions that the 49-Mile scenic drive will take you past but which may be worth getting out of the car and exploring in more depth: The 49-Mile scenic drive is a great experience and a terrific way to see a lot of what the city has to offer. As we drive towards Chinatown, we'll pass a strange sight: a huge, glass pyramid. Start in San Francisco or LA, and simply follow the GPS guide to explore one of the most beautiful stretches of coastal road in the world. After booking, you can check your email before downloading the Action Tour Guide app, enter your unique password, and access your tour. So you need to watch up when walking here. >> Find additional self-guided tours plus some multi-day itineraries. Opened in 1924, Eastern is the United States' oldest Chinese bakery. DIY Muir Woods Tour Cost. Spend more time at Twin Peaks, visit the Coit Tower, and take time to explore all the hilly, historical neighborhoods of SF. Alternatively, we also offer a fully guided free walking tour of Fishermans Wharf. At that time the business people were miners that came here to weigh their gold and get a quote on it. The curves enable driving down but the turns are too sharp for any longer cars and buses. Its full of shabby-chic vintage stores, tattoo parlors, and beautiful Victorian houses for you to check out.

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