San Francisco City Guides - Free Walking Tours — Attraction in San Francisco

We did 3 tours one on Saturday June 8: cable car, one on Sunday, June 9 2023: the Palace Of Fine Arts/Marina , and one on Tuesday: city hall. All 3 tours were fantastic. Very informal and fun. What a treat this was! The cable car tour with Bruce was was jusy about 1 hour. We wished Bruce would have given time for questions. The best tour was the palace of fine arts. Our guide was Mary M. She was the best! Gave out chocolates when answering a question correctly. The tour was very informative and fun. Eye opening and surprising history. We highly recommend this hidden treasure. The last tour was city hall with Michael on Tuesday at 11:30am. So much history! Michael was great. He told us stories. We went inside city hall and witnessed 3 weddings and a chance seeing the mayor's office. Every time we visit San Francisco we book at least one tour with them. This is all free but don't hold back on tips which support the organization. In fact most of their income is from tips. The tour guides are all volunteers. They deserve 6 stars or at least 5 plus, plus, plus. Update 2024. We are sf city guide addicts. This year, Salesforce transit center park; making waves on the waterfront; presidio. Wow wow wow. Paul Fisher at Salesforce transit center park: a low-key dude but eye opening, we would have passed by all the artwork inside. These secrets need more promotion. Sarah Wolfish at Ferry Building: an unexpected tour visiting the former waterfront. Well narrated by a local. Finally, the Presidio. Butch Byers: we enjoyed his fun perspective and great views of Alcatraz, GG Bridge, and downtown. Do not miss. Use the Presidio...

My husband and I enjoyed two walking tours, both with very knowledgeable and welcoming guides who each shared their experience and love of the history and people of San Francisco. Our first tour, Halfway to the stars, was with SF born Kenn Sparks. Kenn shared the fascinating history of the famous cable car network on this tour with interesting facts and anecdotes about the system, it’s founders and it’s up and downs along the way. We finished at the cable car museum (which is free!) and decided to take the line to fisherman’s wharf, with our new heightened knowledge of how it all works! Our second tour, the following day was with Jeff and focussed on the architecture of the South Of Market area. Again, Jeff provided a wonderful insight to the city with added stories from his experience living in SF. He recommended a few things to do as well, which we may have to do another visit! Both guides were great and we would highly recommend them and any other SF City Guide tour if this standard is anything to go by. It’s fantastic that the tours are free, with a suggested donation, making them really accessible- you’ll definitely want to contribute once you’re ready...

I recently went on the Victorian San Francisco tour with Tania, and it was an absolute delight! Tania was an incredible guide—knowledgeable, engaging, and full of fun facts that brought the history of Victorian architecture to life.

We began at the southwest corner of Octavia and Bush, where I learned about the fascinating life of Mary Ellen Pleasant. From there, we strolled along Laguna Street and other charming streets, marveling at the intricate details and unique stories behind the stunning Victorian homes. Tania’s passion for the subject was infectious, and her ability to explain the different types of Victorian houses in such an engaging way made the experience truly memorable.

One of the highlights was our stop at Lafayette Park, where we discovered the origin of the term “sugar daddy” (a tidbit I’ll never forget!). We ended the tour there, but not before making new friends along the way and soaking in the beauty of the park and its surroundings.

This tour was an enriching blend of history, architecture, and community, and I couldn’t recommend it more. Thank you, Tania, for such a wonderful experience! I’ll be raving about this to...