It was the perfect birthday gift! An informative tour of Victorian architecture in my hometown--…read moreSan Francisco. Jay knew the answers to all of my questions too. It made a big difference to me having a private tour. It was self-paced which was helpful as I was wearing a knee brace. I would highly recommend taking this tour. You won't be disappointed!

Jay, the founder of Victoria Home Walk, has the perfect personality to be a tour guide. He clearly…read moreloves his adopted city of San Francisco and we learned so much about the architecture and history of the neighborhoods. We lived in Silicon Valley for five years and used to come into the city for events, dining, and live music. This tour gave us an appreciation of the flair and vibe of one of our great American cities. Highly recommend this tour. Jay is generous and knowledgeable and you won't be disappointed.

This was so interesting!! We took my in-laws when they were in town visiting, but us locals learned…read morejust as much. You tell Rick is very passionate about what he does. We were shown buildings we walk by regularly in a whole new light and loved being shown all the privately owned public parks hidden throughout the city!!! He even sends a map of all the parks after the class. Highly recommend for tourists and locals alike!

I highly recommend this to anyone visiting SF, and even locals…read more.. We gifted this tour to our son, who is studying urban development. This tour provides a unique insight on the City. You start with some of the oldest buildings and work your way to the newest. You also learn about international historical trends and their influence on the San Francisco architecture. Low level activity, nice slow pace. Rick Evans is the tour guide. He is informative, friendly and passionate. Excellent at giving perspective about the importance of preserving the past, and the necessity of bringing the new and modern into the fold. A great way to spend three hours.

The Emperor's tour is informative, fun, funny, and memorable…read more He is a delightful, knowledgeable gentleman.

All hail Emperor Norton and his Fantastic Time Machine! One of the best things I've ever done in…read moreSan Francisco -- and the way I came across this tour was by total chance! I happened to be walking through Union Square one weekend morning and saw a gentleman dressed as Emperor Norton. I thought he was a street performer, but boy was I surprised to find out he was about to lead a walking tour! Being a history nerd and someone who was already familiar with the Emperor, I bought a ticket for the downtown tour on the spot, and had such a good experience the next day I bought a ticket for the waterfront tour. It's an enjoyable, leisurely stroll through San Francisco -- full of fun facts and trivia about the city, and Joseph is a delightful host and guide. I feel he lives up to the ideals and sentiments of both Emperor Norton and the city of San Francisco itself, and this is my #1 recommendation whenever a friend tells me they're going to visit SF (although, of course, I'm always sure to NEVER refer to it as "Frisco").

I have been on quite a few SF City Guides tours and I have learned some pretty cool stuff about San…read moreFrancisco and all the different neighborhoods. My favorite tours have been Chinatown, The Haight, the Fairmont Hotel, and the Rincon Center. I like that the tour guides bring their own flavor and experience to the tours. How cool is it that we can go on all these different tours for free? I like to donate online before I go on the tour. They give you the option in person but I have never felt like they were pushy or annoying about it. They have a very robust schedule with days of the week and times to fit with your life. Get out of the house and enjoy one of these tours!

Our guide Michael, wound us through the history of San Francisco's Civic Center, the surrounding…read morebuildings and plaza, and then took us through City Hall where there were several weddings (always!) happening as well as some quinceanearas with gals in their big wide dresses. The view from the 4th floor looking down toward the center was fun to see. It was also great to see pictures of Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio's marriage, as well as bronze busts of slain supervisor Harvey Milk, and former Mayor Dianne Feinstein. Michael does this tour every Tuesday @1:30pm so make sure to catch the next one!

Really entertaining evening with great guides who kept it engaging and just the right balance of…read morespookiness. We learned a lot of SF history too.

I've been on a lot of ghost tours, and this one was fantastic! Great mix of history and light ghost…read moreinvestigating. Not gimmicky or fake. Aliya was our tour guide and very knowledgeable about the area and tools for ghost hunting. Definitely recommend this tour!

I have sailed on the bay often and of course taken the ferry many many times. The Matthew Turner is…read moreby far the best, way more interesting. It is amazing to see the work that goes into making sail. It's very impressive how the crew goes aloft to unfurl and furl the sails. The boat is very stable but there is some boat motion and it does heel a little but this adds just a bit of excitement. The crew is super helpful and as glad as everyone else to be on the water sailing. The views of the city, the islands and Alcatraz were great. No matter what the weather is on land it will be cool and windy on the water so bring a windbreaker and a thermal layer.

I've done two sails with them: an afternoon one in the spring and overnight in the fall. Both were…read morea joy. The ship is amazing, the crew completely friendly and upbeat, the view of SF, and the perspective on the Bay and the Bridge was different from anything on land. The overnight was spectacular: instant friends with the other folks, restaurant-quality food, and just a great adventure in less than 24 hours. Highly recommend it.

I took 12 of my friends to this ghost hunting tour for my birthday this past October, and we had…read morethe BEST time! It was so cool using the EMF readers, talk box, and SLS camera to speak with the ghosts. And we loved learning about the ghostly history of all the places we visited. But I think my favorite part of the tour was talking with Tommy while walking from one location to the next. He is so knowledgeable about the paranormal, and it was fun bouncing off ideas with him. He definitely inspired me to get my own gear, and do my own ghost hunting! 10/10 great time for a great price, would highly recommend!

We did a private tour for my daughter's 13th birthday party this March. The walk was a modified one…read morefor teens that left out the serial killer houses, and it was such a hit with her and her friends! The right amount of scary. They loved the ghostly stories of the area but also getting hands on with the ghost detecting equipment themselves. Everyone got their own detector, so they didn't have to share, and they had so much fun seeing what signals they could pick up with their devices. It made it so much more than just a ghost walk. I am so glad we plumped for this. It was a unique birthday experience at a price that was manageable. That it was 2 hours long meant it didn't feel rushed and gave them time to have a real go with the equipment. The guide, Tommy, was great - incredibly knowledgeable, deeply committed to authenticity, and super responsive on email. There were also prizes which made it even more fun for them. We live in the Haight and this is a real gem that has been right under our noses for years! I would thoroughly recommend it, and particularly to parents who are looking for birthday ideas. My daughter is looking forward to going again now on the regular tour (she wants to see the serial killer houses).

So clean and so fresh. Everyone here was so helpful and its basically all volunteer based…read more Come during the week because is closed on weekends Hard to find parking but the garage always has spots

I was born with a Japanese experience in USA..schoolmates and Kristi Yamaguchi..eating Japanese…read morefood..Japanese and Chinese etc.. Read some reviews about this San Francisco organization...in Japantown. I was visiting the Presidio on the weekend..found a notecard..it's quaint and nice...I didn't know about this organization until I visited the Presidio within the last month..I had to Google to find the address..showed up and had a nice visit on a Saturday.. read some posts and you will feel more acquainted with the community in Japantown Showed regional artwork and served refreshments..held a meeting..inside..brings you back to 1990...first time for things Bye Bye Yelp.com---So Long Farewell Auf Wedersehn Goodbye...My father's birthday today and I am 40...this concludes my Yelp notes...Japanese Historical Society in San Francisco, CA. Goodbye folks...that's my story and I am sticking to it...bless you The end..goodbye...

Despite living in California for about 40 years, my siblings and I had never visited Alcatraz, Muir…read moreWoods, or many of San Francisco's iconic landmarks. So, instead of our usual family trip to another country or state this summer, we decided to become tourists in our own backyard and booked an eight-hour San Francisco Alcatraz + City Tour, including Muir Woods and Sausalito. The tour cost $179 per adult (nine of us) and $169 for one child, and we even booked a hotel nearby the night before to make sure we'd be on time for our 9am start. We all met beneath the iconic Fisherman's Wharf sign, where Patrick was our guy! Patrick was knowledgeable, witty, and engaging--he kept us entertained with fascinating facts about San Francisco, fun trivia questions, and even handed out Ghirardelli chocolate as prizes. My man and I answered so many questions that we ended up with almost half the bag! Even though we were a bit hungover from pub crawling the night before, Patrick's energy kept us awake and involved. He thoughtfully included the three kids in our group, telling them to count Priuses on the street and quizzing them with their own set of trivia. Along the way, he pointed out some quirky facts, like there being more dogs than babies in San Francisco, and made sure everyone felt part of the experience. Patrick pointed out several billionaires' homes, as well as highlights like Chinatown and Japantown. We made a memorable stop at the Presidio and Fort Point for stunning views and photos of the Golden Gate Bridge. Patrick even volunteered to take group pictures for us and made sure we had time for restroom breaks. After crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, we made our way to Muir Woods. Though we only had an hour and a half--just enough time for my older siblings--my man and I left wanting more, wishing we could explore beyond the designated paths. The towering redwoods, some between 400 and 800 years old, were awe-inspiring. I'm sure there were even more breathtaking sights we didn't have a chance to see. Next, Patrick took us on a drive through Sausalito, pointing out popular restaurants and an old recording studio once frequented by celebrities. After dropping off a few tourists, he guided us to the starting point for our Alcatraz Tour and left us at Fisherman's Wharf for lunch. We felt a little sad knowing it was the last time we'd see him--at that point, we were on our own for the rest of the adventure. Although I've visited San Francisco many times--unlike my siblings--I still learned so much from the tour. We all had a great time, even my man who lived in the city for several years. While I initially thought the price was steep, by the end of the day, it felt completely worth it!

Our little Family of 4 booked a trip with Dylan's Tour. Not fully knowing what it would be like we…read morewere excited nonetheless. We met at Fisherman's Wharf and our tour guide was Jules. He thoroughly explained to us what we'd see, how long it'd take etc. Let me tell you... Jules knows San Francisco inside and out. We were really happy to see things that on our own would've missed. He took us to some very iconic spots and some of the views were just amazing. The scenery. The bridge. Muir Woods. All stunning. If you're skeptical about taking a tour, do it. You won't regret it. You'll be much happier you did vs doing it on your own. Thank you Jules for showing us around and for the "little drop off". We greatly appreciate it! We can't wait to go back and try all those food locations.