![]() |
City Guide - San Francisco - Tours of the City | ||
![]() |
||
Tours of the City An enviable public transport system has made walking more a pleasure than a necessity and yet there is a walking tour for every taste. For those interested in discovering the gay community and environs, Cruisin' The Castro (tel: (415) 550 8110; website: www.webcastro.com/castrotour) is a four-hour tour that includes a brunch break and a look at an AIDS memorial quilt. Tours depart 1000-1400 and cost US$40. The Foot! (tel: (415) 637 5453; website: www.foottours.com) tour explores some of the city's most famous areas, including Nob Hill, Union Square, Chinatown and North Beach, but has a light approach as it is led by a professional comedian. Regular two-hour tours cost US$20. The Haight Ashbury Flower Power Walking Tour (tel: (415) 863 1621) takes the nostalgic visitor back to the 1960s and the famed Summer of Love, but also further back to the Haight that was a Victorian resort destination. Departures are Tuesday and Saturday at 0930; cost: US$15. For those serious about their walking and with money to burn, Footnotes Walking and Hiking Tour (tel: (925) 672 5908; website: www.footnotestour.com) takes tourists over the Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin Headlands hiking trails on a six-day tour. First-class bed and breakfast is promised en route as hikers get to grips with the Mount Tamalpais trails, Muir Woods and Stinson Beach. Departures are monthly throughout the summer at a cost of US$1850. Bus Tours Gray Line (tel: (415) 558 9400) offers the 'Deluxe City Highlights' four-hour tour, which takes in many key sites, including the Golden Gate Park and the bridge. It costs US$31 and reservations are required. There is a free shuttle pick-up service from centrally located hotels at 0900, 1000, 1100 and 1400 (plus 1500 April-October). Tower Tours (tel: (415) 434 8687) offers a similar tour for the same price, which includes shuttle service, with daily departures at 0915, 1100 and 1400. Other Tours A tour of the Bay by boat is a must and provides perhaps the best view of the city and a unique view of the Golden Gate Bridge. A number of tour operators offer departures from Fisherman's Wharf. Blue and Gold Fleet (tel: (415) 705 8200) offers a daily narrated cruise with regular departures from Pier 41. Tours last around one hour and cost US$17. San Francisco Seaplane Tours (tel: (415) 332 4843) depart daily between 0900 and sunset from Pier 39 or from Sausalito. They cost from US$89. Cable Car Charters (tel: (415) 922 2425) provides daily shuttle and tour departures from Fisherman's Wharf and Union Square. |