San Francisco FREE Walking Tours

City Guides volunteers are serious about sharing the fun of discovering San Francisco and its neighborhoods. Their purpose is to preserve and perpetuate the history and folklore of San Francisco and to celebrate its rich history of cultural diversity. In the spirit of their primary sponsor, the San Francisco Public Library, the provide this service free of charge. They have 70 different tours to choose from all over the city. Here are a few of my favorites: 

Haight-Ashbury

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.

Golden Gate Park: East End Flowers & Tunnels & Bears, Oh My!

It was the 1860s, and everyone had heard about New York City’s Central Park — a spacious plot of green that contrasted sharply with the metallic landscape beyond. To recreate such a space in San Francisco, city officials looked west and by the turn of the century, Golden Gate Park had developed into an enormous playground for a recreation-starved city.  Breathe deep and enjoy a natural oasis on the Pacific.

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.

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