Very informative walking tour, even for a San Francisco native. Our group was very small (8 total,…read moreincluding our docent, Lois) compared to the other Chinatown walking tour groups that we saw along the way. Our docent customized the tour to what each person of the group wanted to hear/learn more about which I thought was very cool. Our tour was also accompanied by print outs of articles and photographs which were helpful aids. Though they say to arrive 10-15 minutes prior to the tour to check in, on Saturdays, when the tour begins at 10am, it is not quite as necessary to arrive earlier. The Chinese Culture Center is not open until 10am and the docents don't arrive until 10am either. We parked at Portsmouth ($4/hour) since we wanted to arrive earlier to check-in, but we actually had enough time to park at the (farther) garage that the Chinese Culture Center validates.

Fun and Informative! We're San Franciscan natives and some friends decided to take this tour…read morethrough the Chinese Culture Center. Esther, the docent, had in-depth knowledge of the history, culture and struggles of Chinese in America! She provided us with many "gems" and "tidbits" of history that we were not even aware of, i,e., learning what living in an *'8x8ft" Single Room Occupancy (SRO) would be like (-wow), visiting the oldest temple in Chinatown, various plaques in and around and on the streets in Chinatown. We had a great time and we recommend taking the 2 hour Chinatown Walking Tour through the Chinese Culture Center!!

Amazing tour! My husband and I live in San Francisco and were looking for fun staycation…read moreactivities. We learned SO much and had a great time walking and chatting with Jay. Highly recommend to anyone visiting the area or anyone in SF who wants to learn more about our lovely city.

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!

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").

This is a great place to spend about an hour learning about the history of San Francisco. If you…read morehave friends or relatives visiting who like museums or learning about local history, this is the place to bring them. The museum was renovated about a year ago. Displays from the Wells Fargo museum, which is now closed, are now shown here. Many people don't know that during the Gold Rush, sailors left their ships so that they could prospect for gold. This left many abandoned vessels in the Bay, which became landfill for many areas of the city. There is a picture that shows the abandoned ships and a map of where many known ships are buried today. The docents are really nice, and do a great job of explaining this and other interesting historical information about the City and the Mint that was located at the building. Admission is free, and donations are encouraged. If you like learning about the City, this is a great place to visit.

We went on a tour of the Palace Hotel by the SF Historical Society and it was great. Very informed…read moreand interesting. We knew a fair amount about the hotel but definitely learned more. A lot of SF history there. We also heard a lecture two weeks ago about the Ferry building that was excellent. I definitely recommend joining this group and visiting their museum and events. Informative and fun.

Rooftop Tour- Exceeded my Exceptions! We went to 5 different places, each one with breathtaking…read moreviews of the city and easy walking distances from one location to another. I had no idea that some of these places even existed. Jonathan was a great host, always making sure that everything ran smoothly, while providing us with interesting historical facts. The tour was fun, upbeat, and the afternoon flew right by before we knew it. Can't wait to go back again!

From the owner: Visit hidden rooftop gardens. Tours are every other Friday. Our acclaimed SF Rooftop History & Lore…read moretours have been leading groups to the city's hidden rooftop gardens since 2016. All ticket income goes to support our 501c3 nonprofit organization.

This was one of the best things. I love walking tours. The host was knowledgeable and…read moreentertaining. The group was small enough to make it seem cozy. It's a must do.

Christian our guide was amazing! Awesome presentation of stories; you could tell he had done his…read moreresearch and really enjoys sharing what he's learned and heard. Along with the 4-5 ghost stories you hear, you will also get some San Francisco history and architectural tidbits. What was challenging on our tour, specifically, was just the other people in our tour group. One was a loud, over enthusiastic 18 year old who seemed to have never learned volume control or any kind of social graces. I would expect this kind of behavior from someone younger - it was distracting for us and from the slamming of neighborhood windows, it was just as annoying to the residents. I'm not sure how many people are allowed in the walking group, but just know you dont get to pick the maturity level of strangers. All in all, I would recommend!

Went on two tours in sf with us ghost adventures ...bar crawl and one that went through old ship…read moresaloon. ..wild West old days ..super cool activity ...in so many us cities ...Chinatown and Jackson square ...new lens on SF ..90 mins ...heard and saw things I had never seen ...creepy place ...old times are so cool

Big shout out to Erin, for being so accommodating. Booked this tour through Expedia, to which…read moredifferent areas of the confirmation email have different addresses to meet up. Of course, I ended up at the wrong place. To meet this guide, find them amidst the craziness of Union Square wearing a ghost t-shirt, and holding a lantern. Erin called me, and met me with the group at our first spot, and the rest was smooth sailing. Walking tour, wear comfy shoes. There are parts where we needed to go uphill as well, the guide did take adequate stops, to ensure that we were still all following, because no one gets left behind. I got way more than I expected to from this experience and even got some food recommendations of where to eat afterwards. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this particular tour and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

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!