There are plenty of exceptional walking tours to take in SF, but SF City Guides is one of the best and most respected groups in the city. For 45 years, the non-profit tour group has led gaggles of tourists and history-loving San Franciscans on unforgettable walking tours across the city, free of charge.
Each of their 80+ walking tours typically takes 1.5-2 hours and ranges from “1850s San Francisco: The Paris of the Pacific” to “Mission Murals” which explores this beautiful and ever-evolving street art, and everything in between.
Don’t let the price tag fool you, these tour guides are some of the best in the business and go through a rigorous training program to guide. Each guide has to attend at least eight training sessions, six tours, and study with numerous subject matter experts. By the time they’re finally leading the tour, these guides have logged some serious hours and have a passion for what they do.
On a given Saturday, they lead up to 24 walking tours per day in every corner of SF. Their tours can be searched by date, location, or topic, with categories like neighborhoods, architectural/art, social history, Landmarks, Uniquely SF, and more.
Considering the wide range of topics and locations covered by the group, it’s fair to say that there’s a tour for everyone. Even though the walking tours are 100% free, a $20 suggested donation helps them to keep offering these incredible tours. Guides do not accept personal tips, and all money collected will go back to the non-profit.
Explore SF City Guides’ full tour schedule on their website.