Find Your Tour
Tuesday June 16
- 10:30 am

Gardens in the Sky: Salesforce Transit Center and Rooftop Park
Visit a destination that is a hub for San Francisco and its environs -- and one of the most elegant gathering spaces in the region. Glide on a gondola to a rooftop retreat of trees and plants from around the world. The transit center and its gardens will have you marveling at trees, towers, and tales that recall its past as one of the oldest neighborhoods in San Francisco -- and boldly asserts the city's promise and potential for its future.
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Restroom Stop11:00 am
When Harvey Milk won his historic 1977 race for the Board of Supervisors, he ran the campaign out of his humble Castro District camera shop. A vibrant gay community took root in the Castro — one that would come to transform San Francisco politics out of sheer collective willpower. You’ll learn about the evolution of the Castro’s architecture, historic businesses and the people and places that played a role in making the Castro one of the epicenters of the gay rights movement —a tradition that continues today. And it is a neighborhood that continues to evolve.
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Hill
Stairs12:00 pm
For much of the early 20th century, nobody traversed the Bay without going through the Ferry Building. At its peak in the 1930s, it was the second-busiest travel hub in the world, shuttling more than 50,000 people both to and from San Francisco each day. When the city built its famous bridges, ferry travel dropped dramatically, and the building suffered for decades. In the ‘90s the Ferry Building transformed into a world-class food market focusing on local artisan creations. Today, it remains an iconic landmark of the waterfront (and a popular establishing shot for movies set in San Francisco). Join us on a wondrous trip through the centerpiece of the shoreline.
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Indoors1:00 pm
After the successful 1894 Midwinter Exposition San Francisco decided to keep the Japanese Village exhibit. Makoto Hagiwara was hired to be the new manager of the Garden and immediately set about expanding the Garden three-fold to its size today. An impressive variety of flora greets you as you enter a Japanese inspired wonderland of small scenes created throughout the Garden. The peace and quiet of the Garden encourages one to slow down and be mindful of the surroundings - A perfect walk for those seeking a peaceful afternoon...
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Stairs
Fee Involved1:30 pm
City Hall and the Civic Center
After the original City Hall perished in the 1906 earthquake, San Francisco had a chance to think bigger the second time around. Civic Center is a campus that houses some of the city’s most important governmental and cultural institutions. Minimal walking — but maximum awe.
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Restroom Stop1:30 pm
Historic Market Street: Path Of Gold
When surveyor Jasper O’Farrell completed his 1847 proposal for Market Street, an abnormally wide boulevard cutting diagonally through the heart of the city, it wasn’t popular. Landowning pioneers accused him of “wanton disregard” for their rights. But over time opinions changed. Come and stroll the street that unites San Francisco. Learn how Market Street has evolved with the times, always remaining relevant. Hear epic tales born on the Path, from Gold Rush stories to cable cars, vintage street cars and the construction of BART.
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Bring LayersWednesday June 17
- 9:30 am

After the successful 1894 Midwinter Exposition San Francisco decided to keep the Japanese Village exhibit. Makoto Hagiwara was hired to be the new manager of the Garden and immediately set about expanding the Garden three-fold to its size today. An impressive variety of flora greets you as you enter a Japanese inspired wonderland of small scenes created throughout the Garden. The peace and quiet of the Garden encourages one to slow down and be mindful of the surroundings - A perfect walk for those seeking a peaceful afternoon...
View Tour Details >
Stairs
Fee Involved10:00 am
San Francisco’s Chinatown rose from the ashes of the 1906 earthquake to evolve into a Chinese community holding fast to its traditions amid a rapidly changing cityscape. Discover the local alleys where this community has continued to flourish for over 150 years, in spite of harsh racial discrimination. Family associations and temples, dim sum, herbal apothecaries and jade jewelry shops built by the local community, all contribute to the vibrancy of this place, one of the oldest Chinese communities outside of China.
10:00 am
Tucked away in an unpainted tower on a hill, one of the greatest works of Social Realist art in America lies hidden away. A set of murals created by 26 of California’s best artists, it documented California life in the 1930s from a socialist perspective: romanticizing workers, illustrating inequality, and sometimes even winking at the Soviet Union. It was controversial, sure. But as a work of art? Nobody could deny that it was stunningly gorgeous.
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Indoors
Stairs10:00 am
The 1915 Panama-Pacific Exhibition was a momentous occasion for the city of San Francisco. Only a decade removed from the most disastrous earthquake in the state’s history, city officials felt it was the perfect time to showcase what San Francisco had in store for the future. Architect Bernard Maybeck had a brilliant vision for its centerpiece structure: he wanted to invoke the imagery of Roman ruins, creating “a sense of sadness, modified by the feeling that beauty has a soothing influence.” Learn everything about the extravagant 1915 exhibition and the work that went into its preservation as we saunter through the Palace’s grounds.
View Tour Details >
Rain May Cancel10:30 am
1850's San Francisco: Paris Of The Pacific
Everyone in France heard the rumors. Or saw the news reports "of gold mines...fabulous riches awaiting only the hands of miners to be picked up." Some packed their bags and set off for California. These French left their mark on the culture of the booming city. The French influenced society, especially in food and fashion. Without them, it's hard to imagine San Francisco becoming our sophisticated, cosmopolitan metropolis.
11:00 am
What more is there to say? It’s an international symbol of San Francisco, a mind-blowing feat of engineering, and one of the most-photographed places in the entire world. The iconic Golden Gate Bridge has captivated locals and tourists alike since it opened in 1937. It was the world’s longest and tallest suspension bridge at its opening, and almost a century later, remains one of the most impressive structures ever built by humans.
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Stairs
Bring Layers11:00 am
It’s 1967 and the sun is shining on San Francisco. You’re walking down Haight, weaving through groups of long-haired kids smoking joints and laughing. As you pass the legendary Straight Theater, you hear Jerry Garcia and the Dead letting loose a psychedelic storm of sound. You’re in the Hippie Capital of the world.
11:00 am
From muddy tidal estuary inhabited by the Yelamu, to a rail and shipping nerve center for the city, to what is now home to emerging biotech companies and San Francisco's newest residential district, Mission Bay offers a glimpse of the future but doesn't forget its past. From house boats to high-rises, development isn't over yet, with more buildings and housing planned.
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Restroom Stop1:00 pm
After the successful 1894 Midwinter Exposition San Francisco decided to keep the Japanese Village exhibit. Makoto Hagiwara was hired to be the new manager of the Garden and immediately set about expanding the Garden three-fold to its size today. An impressive variety of flora greets you as you enter a Japanese inspired wonderland of small scenes created throughout the Garden. The peace and quiet of the Garden encourages one to slow down and be mindful of the surroundings - A perfect walk for those seeking a peaceful afternoon...
View Tour Details >
Stairs
Fee Involved1:00 pm
Presidio: From Military Base to National Park with Tunnel Tops
See where San Francisco began exactly 250 years ago! Explore the Presidio, a place shaped by Indigenous roots, military history, and bold reinvention. This guided walk reveals how a former Army post became one of the nation’s most remarkable national parks, blending history, community, and spectacular natural beauty.
View Tour Details >
Bring Layers
Wear Sturdy Shoes1:30 pm
"Gold! Gold from the American River!", shouted San Francisco businessman Sam Brannan, as he ran down Montgomery Street in May,1848, waving a jar filled with gold over his head, sparking the Gold Rush. As word spread rapidly around the world, the tiny village of San Francisco, tucked amidst massive sand dunes by the Bay, and frequented by grizzly bears and mountain lions, was transformed virtually overnight into a booming instant city.
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Restroom Stop2:00 pm
1840s San Francisco and the Astonishing Legacy of America’s “First Black Millionaire” (No Tour Today)
How did he do it? A biracial sea captain named William Leidesdorff played a central role in the American conquest of San Francisco, created multiple essential institutions, and amassed one of the most enormous fortunes in California… all while passing as white. Revered by his neighbors, many of whom openly despised the race he kept secret, Leidesdorff became America’s “First Black Millionaire” while still in his thirties. Come discover San Francisco in its earliest days and learn about this fascinating individual.
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Hill
Stairs
Rain May Cancel2:00 pm
In the late 1800’s, what is now known as San Francisco's Japantown hosted a vibrant Jewish community. Japantown per se dates from the earthquake and fire of 1906. During World War II, Japanese American residents were sent to internment camps and replaced largely by African Americans, whose thriving businesses included many jazz clubs. Beginning in the 1950’s, a decades-long urban renewal project reshaped both the neighborhood's population and its physical landscape. Today we see classic Victorians next to Japanese-style architecture, as well as the ghosts of historic jazz clubs replaced by modern structures of glass and steel.
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HillThursday June 18
- 10:00 am

Gardens in the Sky: Salesforce Transit Center and Rooftop Park
Visit a destination that is a hub for San Francisco and its environs -- and one of the most elegant gathering spaces in the region. Glide on a gondola to a rooftop retreat of trees and plants from around the world. The transit center and its gardens will have you marveling at trees, towers, and tales that recall its past as one of the oldest neighborhoods in San Francisco -- and boldly asserts the city's promise and potential for its future.
View Tour Details >
Restroom Stop10:30 am
City Hall and the Civic Center
After the original City Hall perished in the 1906 earthquake, San Francisco had a chance to think bigger the second time around. Civic Center is a campus that houses some of the city’s most important governmental and cultural institutions. Minimal walking — but maximum awe.
View Tour Details >
Restroom Stop11:00 am
1850's San Francisco: Paris Of The Pacific
Everyone in France heard the rumors. Or saw the news reports "of gold mines...fabulous riches awaiting only the hands of miners to be picked up." Some packed their bags and set off for California. These French left their mark on the culture of the booming city. The French influenced society, especially in food and fashion. Without them, it's hard to imagine San Francisco becoming our sophisticated, cosmopolitan metropolis.
11:00 am
You are jolted awake in the morning of April 18, 1906 to a horrific scene. The San Andreas Fault has unleashed a shockwave felt from Los Angeles to Oregon, with the epicenter just off the coast of San Francisco. As the ground convulses, buildings disintegrate and fires are ignited. 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 200,000 homeless. What followed that disaster, though, was one of the greatest stories of resilience in history
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Bring Layers11:00 am
Beat Generation in SF: Rebels, Writers, and Visionaries
The Beat Generation wasn’t just a literary movement—it was a cultural rebellion. Writers like Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti found refuge in San Francisco’s North Beach in the late 1950s, rejecting conformity and embracing raw, unfiltered truth. Their bold, spontaneous work challenged post-war America and set the stage for the counterculture movements that followed. On this tour, we’ll explore the world of the Beats: the places they wrote, performed, and pushed boundaries. We’ll visit legendary haunts like City Lights Bookstore and Caffe Trieste, tracing the journey of a movement that sought meaning in jazz, Zen Buddhism, and the open road.
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Bring Layers
Restroom Stop11:00 am
Cable Cars: Halfway to the Stars
Since Andrew Hallidie introduced Cable Cars in 1873, San Francisco’s cable car lines changed the landscape of San Francisco, making hilly neighborhoods accessible. The cable cars survived the 1906 earthquake and fire as well as outlasting political attempts to modernize transportation. Today the cable cars have gained worldwide attention to become what is seen today as a San Francisco icon.
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Bring Layers
Wear Sturdy Shoes11:00 am
The 1985 Downtown Plan was one of the most important piece of red tape in San Francisco history. With accelerating downtown development, city officials laid down some ground rules: If you’re going to build here, you’re going to have to pay a little extra to cover the necessary infrastructure improvements. Oh — and you have to devote a portion of your project to a publicly accessible open space. Thus, Privately-Owned Public Open Spaces (POPOS) were born.
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Stairs11:00 am
here’s a small rocky outcrop jutting into the bay that has been a vital part of San Francisco’s history, from its very beginning right up to today. Bring your camera to capture stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the Bay Bridge, Aquatic Park and the Hyde Street Pier. You’ll see historic buildings, a hidden oasis, outsized art and the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill.
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Bring Layers1:00 pm
After the successful 1894 Midwinter Exposition San Francisco decided to keep the Japanese Village exhibit. Makoto Hagiwara was hired to be the new manager of the Garden and immediately set about expanding the Garden three-fold to its size today. An impressive variety of flora greets you as you enter a Japanese inspired wonderland of small scenes created throughout the Garden. The peace and quiet of the Garden encourages one to slow down and be mindful of the surroundings - A perfect walk for those seeking a peaceful afternoon...
View Tour Details >
Stairs
Fee Involved1:00 pm
Presidio: From Military Base to National Park with Tunnel Tops
See where San Francisco began exactly 250 years ago! Explore the Presidio, a place shaped by Indigenous roots, military history, and bold reinvention. This guided walk reveals how a former Army post became one of the nation’s most remarkable national parks, blending history, community, and spectacular natural beauty.
View Tour Details >
Bring Layers
Wear Sturdy Shoes2:00 pm
Walk the streets where railroad barons, silver kings, and other wealthy San Franciscans built lavish mansions. Hear stories of the success and scandals of the high society men and women who lived on Nob Hill, the place that locals call Snob Hill. Experience the splendor of a world famous hotel where Tony Bennett first sang "I left my Heart in San Francisco". Visit a cathedral whose stained-glass windows honor scientists as well as saints, whose memorial chapel displays sections of the AIDS quilt, and whose labyrinth is the site of both meditative walks and candlelit yoga classes.
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Hill
Restroom Stop3:00 pm
1840s San Francisco and the Astonishing Legacy of America’s “First Black Millionaire”
How did he do it? A biracial sea captain named William Leidesdorff played a central role in the American conquest of San Francisco, created multiple essential institutions, and amassed one of the most enormous fortunes in California… all while passing as white. Revered by his neighbors, many of whom openly despised the race he kept secret, Leidesdorff became America’s “First Black Millionaire” while still in his thirties. Come discover San Francisco in its earliest days and learn about this fascinating individual.
View Tour Details >
Hill
Stairs
Rain May Cancel3:00 pm
The 1915 Panama-Pacific Exhibition was a momentous occasion for the city of San Francisco. Only a decade removed from the most disastrous earthquake in the state’s history, city officials felt it was the perfect time to showcase what San Francisco had in store for the future. Architect Bernard Maybeck had a brilliant vision for its centerpiece structure: he wanted to invoke the imagery of Roman ruins, creating “a sense of sadness, modified by the feeling that beauty has a soothing influence.” Learn everything about the extravagant 1915 exhibition and the work that went into its preservation as we saunter through the Palace’s grounds.
View Tour Details >
Rain May Cancel6:00 pm
Alamo Square and its Painted Ladies
While standing in Alamo Square park across from the iconic Painted Ladies, famously known as Post-card row, visitors will see the incredible views of the San Francisco skyline. Beyond the Painted ladies, this official Historic District Neighborhood is home to countless other examples of Victorian architecture; including, Italianate, San Francisco Stick and of course the elegant Queen Anne homes. It’s a historic district that's more than meets the eye—come along on a journey through time.
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Japanese Tea Garden (No Tour Today)
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Victorian San Francisco (No Tour Today)
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Wednesday June 17
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