My husband and I enjoyed today's Original San Francisco Walking Tour with Britt as our guide. We have been to San Francisco many times over the years but still learned much about its interesting history thanks to Britt's enthusiastic and knowledgable presentation during our tour. Tidbits, such as the existence of a watering hole in the 19th century called the Fierce Grizzly (so named because it had a grizzly chained next to the door) and how today's Chinatown architecture came about after the 1906 earthquake, made our walk memorable and our time with Britt go by fast. The only (slight) disappointment came when we stopped by Caffe Trieste but didn't have time to enjoy their delicious espresso even though a coffee stop was mentioned in the tour description. We highly recommend this walking tour. read more

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I had a free afternoon one Tuesday so I booked the Secrets, Scandals & Scoundrels Tour. Britt was fantastic! He was engaging and related the stories to us vividly so we could see and almost hear and smell the times. This tour started in front of the Ghirardelli chocolate store, so that was easy to find and very tantalizing. We got a sample of chocolate too. We walked about a mile and a half or so in and out of buildings and around courtyards. You get a great view of the Transamerica building and even learn about POPOS (privately owned public open spaces) which was the best insider tip for the tour IMO. (Note, you don't end up where you started. You're just a few blocks from where you started but ask Britt for directions and he'll set you in the right direction... or call Lyft/Uber.) San Francisco is filled with so much history that this tour is just the tip of the iceberg. But it gives you an interesting perspective of the Gold Rush times and how San Francisco and its people evolved through that time. read more

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My bf and I thoroughly enjoyed the Original San Francisco walking tour with Vicky. We received an email the day before from her stating where exactly the tour started, her contact info, and additional logistics. She was very kind, informative, and engaging. She checked in with the group often to ensure we could hear and understand her and provided clear directions to the next stop on the tour. The tour was really interesting and a pretty flat 2-mile walk, given the slope of some of the hills in SF. There were noteable stops along the way like the SF's first saloon and "the living room" of Chinatown. These tours are pay-what-you-want at the end. We didn't have cash and the website said they'd accept card; we ended up paying Vicky via PayPal. read more

Had a great time on the Secrets, Scandals, and Scoundrels tour! I was in San Francisco for a conference that had several sessions held in the Palace Hotel, so it was really interesting to learn more about the original builder, William Ralston, and how he stole from his own bank to finance the elaborate hotel, then shortly after he got caught, he drowned under mysterious circumstances during his daily swim in the bay. Ralston was also a key player (victim, really) in the Great Diamond Hoax of 1872, which was a fascinating tale about a "mine" brimming win uncut diamonds. Our guide Britt is an amazing storyteller with a lot of knowledge and enthusiasm. Other stops on the tour taught us about a polite stagecoach bandit, how abandoned ships were used to build some of the city's early bars and hotels as the land around the harbor got filled in, and how the proprietor of Kelly's bar would "Shanghai" sailors and impress them into service on ships by luring them in with pretty girls, drugging their drinks, and handing them off unconscious to less-than-scrupulous captains. Really enjoyed the tour and learning more about the city, especially the "Emperor" who became city royalty and printed his own currency after getting swindled on a rice deal. Highly recommend--my only feedback is that for a two hour tour, even though the stories were great, there were really long stretches of walking with no information being shared and no sense of how long we would be waiting until the next stop. Maybe it's possible to add in two mini-stops with some city tidbits so that there is an opportunity to share more stories. read more

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One of my most favorite things to do when I travel is to do a guided waking tour. It changes your entire experience of a city when you learn a bit of it's history. We did the SF in one day, five-hour tour, learning about the Gold Rush-era buildings, Nob Hill mansions and palaces, the history of Chinatown, North Beach/Little Italy, the biggest cathedral in the city, and the modern day downtown skyscrapers. We also took an obligatory cable car ride and learned how those came to be! My most favorite part of travel is taking back with me a little bit of the history. Thank you to our very wonderful and funny your guide Britt for taking us on such an adventure! People, do what the company recommends and dress in layers and wear comfortable walking shoes. Afterall, it is San Francisco and there will always be funny weather and a bit of hill climbing. Was sad to see folks on my tour struggle on a five hour with heels/wedges. read more

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I randomly Googled walking tours and came up with this one. Myself and about 15 other people were walked around downtown San Francisco by Brett. He was an awesome tour guide. Very knowledgeable. He kept a decent pace. I was a bit worried about that because I am not a fast walker. But he would stop every couple blocks make sure everyone was together again before continuing. He showed us all the major sites and a few off the beaten path. I highly recommend this if you're on a budget. The 7 dollars charged is for the trolly ride. And then you pay what you want at the end. I tipped 20. Well worth it and a huge savings compared to other tours I looked up charging 60+ read more

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This past Thanksgiving, a friend and I decided to be tourists in our own city. I knew that there was much I didn't know about SF, but I didn't expect to learn so much about it! Ted (our tour guide) was an encyclopedia of random SF facts and was able to answer all of our questions. If I could be half the tour guide Ted is, I could die a happy man. Seriously. He even showed us a secret spot with a beeaauuuutiful panoramic view of the bay. And I do mean beautiful. It almost looks like Santorini. If you take off your glasses and absorb the view in all its magnificent blurriness, you might even forget that you're not in Greece! read more

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These are fabulous. My husband and I had a wonderful tour through several neighborhoods in San Francisco.. Britt was a wonderful guide enhancing our tour with the rich history of each neighborhood. read more

Britt is an awesome guide, and I really love what Free Tours by Foot is doing to spread knowledge about the city in an affordable way! We did the All-In-One city tour, which starts and ends at the Transamerica Pyramid. We walked through a tiny bit of FiDi, then Chinatown and North Beach. The recommendation sheet (plus map) for lunch ideas was a really nice touch on an already amazing tour. Reserving tickets online is super easy, and instructions on finding your tour guide couldn't have been clearer. I'd happily recommend this company for any tour, and hope to take another one with them very soon! read more

I HIGHLY recommend taking one of these tours! I did the Chinatown Walking Tour with Britt and all I can say is FANTASTIC! Britt was a phenomenal tour guide. He gave us so much insight into the history of Chinatown that I left with so much great information to share! The "pay-what-you-can" feature is what caused me to choose this tour over the many other (expensive) options out there. However, by the end of the tour, you'll end up leaving a great tip for the VALUE that you get! I am so excited to use Free Tours by Foot again in the future! Definitely book with them!! read more

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Fantastic tour and tour guide. Vicky, our tour guide, was knowledgeable and helpful. The info from this tour and so many questions answered, made the rest of our stay in San Fransisco considerably better than it would have been without it. Highly recommen. read more

I did the Financial district, Lombard st, Fisherman's wharf tour today! Ted Bagaman, our guide was very informative of the history of these places. Even if the tour lasted long, it wasn't as tiring because Ted made sure we were comfortable. Loved all the foodie insiders and the views. Will definitely recommend to all of my friends coming to San Francisco. Thank you Ted and Free tour by foot! PS loved the Stella pastry stopover so much that I'm bringing lots of the sacripantina with me to LA. read more

What a FUN way to spend a Saturday. As a local, this is a great way to learn about the city. Our tour guide, Ted Bagaman was so knowledgeable of the area. He was so impressive, he even memorized each of our names ( mind you, there were a lot of us). I recommend for everyone, even the locals, to join these tours. The best part, you name your price. read more

Free Tours by Foot - Walking Tours Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here as part of a company retreat and it was definitely a memorable experience. I left with many takeaways about the planning, execution and history surrounding the Golden Gate Bridge. Our tour guide, Reigh, was extremely dynamic and kept our tour fun throughout the beautiful sunny day we were there. I'll definitely be sharing with my local friend back in LA for the next time they're in town. You'll leave with tons of fun facts! read more

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Great tour by Britt, a one man tour company who handles all aspects of the business. Kudos to Britt. He's a great story teller, very knowledgeable about the area and it's intriguing past, captivating, and capturing your attention despite the noisy traffic and birds which sometimes threatens to drown him out him. Thanks, Britt! . read more

Free Tours by Foot - Thanks for an awesome walking tour, Britt! - Walking Tours Near Me - San Francisco, California

Last week, I took my dad to SF for the first time and I wanted to start off our visit with a way for him to see different parts of the city. Since he loves to walk, the All-In-One city tour was perfect! During the 5 hour tour, which included an hour for lunch, we were able to see and learn so many unique things in SF! Our tour guide (Britt) made sure that our tour was extremely well planned out and had a nice amount of people (about 7 or 8 people total). I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone! read more

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Me and my friend took our first tour in San Francisco and loved every minute of it. Our tour guide Britt was very informative, and even texted us the tours location to meetup with them since we were running a bit late. We did the Lombard street/Little Italy/ Fisherman's Wharf tour and had a blast. The bakery stop in little Italy was a nice touch, and we even made two new travel friends. My favorite part was Lombard street even though the hills were unforgiving. We all have great calves now!!! read more

Did this tour with Britt on 11 May. Highly recommended and would do it again. Britt is very friendly and knowledgeable. He was able to answer all our questions and made excellent restaurant recommendations for the rest of our trip. It was a beautiful day and I wish we had brought sunscreen! read more

I'd previously taken a few Free Tours by Foot in Washington, DC, which was fantastic. I was happy to take three San Francisco tours in December 2019. I went on The Original San Francisco Tour with Britt and The Castro Tour, also with Britt, as well as the Billionaire's Square Tour with Vicky. My favorite was the Billionaire's Square Tour, chiefly because the tour stops are all within a couple blocks of each other, and you consistently see memorable sites and learn interesting info within a short time and compact setting. I've been to San Francisco in the past, so The Original San Francisco Tour was a bit too generic for me, but I still enjoyed it, and I'd still recommend it. I learned more over the first hour than the second two hours. The Castro was a new area for me, and it was touching to learn more about the neighborhood's devotion to Harvey Milk. I hope to take more of their tours the next time I'm visiting San Francisco. In fact, I'd do the Billionaire's Square Tour again myself. Highly recommended. Go!! read more

Awesome. Did SF in a day and it starts talking about the birthplace of SF and then the gold rush with crime ridden bars. Took the cable car to the top of Nob Hill to a cathedral and then off to Chinatown and Little Italy. Very interesting, and Britt (our guide) was very knowledgeable. If you are staying in SF for any appreciable amount of time, I would say do this first and then figure out what you want to focus on the rest of your time here and use the tour to help figure that out and revisit. My only complaint is that there isn't enough time to stay in any one place long enough on the tour because it covers so much in a short time. read more

FTBF is my favorite walking tour company! We have done their tours in Boston, twice in Washington DC, and twice in San Francisco. Each time the tour is interesting, well-organized, and fun. The tour guides are great at giving you the big picture and history of the city, as well as fun little anecdotes and specific stories that stick with you. Each tour guide has been friendly, personable, knowledgeable, and kind. We've also arranged two group tours - one private - and both were very easy to set up. I'll keep using FTBF for all the new places I visit! read more

Learnt so much on this tour. Love hearing the stories of the past and reimagining what had happened underneath the modern glamour. The past is difficult but history is fascinating read more

I took the amazing Soho, little Italy and Chinatown tour in NYC . The tour guide ,Erik ,was excellent !! Hearing stories about NYC and learning about each neighborhood was lot of fun for me. I would definitely recommend and would definitely take another tour in the future. Already signed up for a tour in San Francisco read more

Britt gave an excellent tour of downtown SF. He has many interesting anecdotes to share along an engaging 5 hour experience. Our party consistented of 5 individuals with the oldest being 50 years old and the youngest 14. Everyone enjoyed the tour. We have taken similar tours in Europe and found the passion of the tour guides to be part of what makes these tours so memorable. Britt truely loves SF and it shows. Be aware, there are several 5-10 min breaks along the way and the tour will leave without you if you do not get back to the meeting spot in a timely manner. read more

he Secrets and Scoundrels tour was excellent. Britt is an excellent tour guide. He knew the history well and he's a great story teller. I've been living in the Bay Area for almost 20 years including a few years in SF and I never would have know the stories about these Financial District Landmarks. This adds a new layer of depth and enjoyment. I'm definitely going to try to do the other walking tours. TIP: I had my 10MO baby in a carrier so this is doable with a baby. (A carrier is much easier than a stroller in downtown SF.) There weren't any bio breaks, but each stop is 5-10minutes long so you can slip away and rejoin if needed. The only thing that was disappointing was that many of the 20 or so people who had been following Britt around town for over two hours, scattered like sewer rats without paying anything a the end of the tour. C'mon people this company is doing a cool thing letting people pay whatever they can afford, if you stayed for two hours it was clearly worth something to you. A movie in SF is $15 a cocktail is $15, if you can afford these things maybe start with that... read more

Simply put, it was fantastic. Our group of four did the San Francisco in one day tour. We actually were the first who did the tour since it was brand new. Britt runs the business and does all the tours by himself. He also designed the routes all on his own. He told us a lot about the beginning of San Francisco, about the big earthquake and the resulting fire and what happened afterwards, about the gold rush and the Chinese and Italian culture. All in front of the very places where the stories happened. He was very enthusiastic and told the tales in an entertaining and interesting way. We also did a cable car ride, which was also nice. Bear in mind, that this tour is about 6 hours and 5km long, so wear comfortable shoes and bring some water with you. Absolut recommendation, everyone who comes to San Francisco should do one of his tours. read more

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My boyfriend and I have done tours in NY & New Orleans and loved them! We're from the east bay so thought we'd try the SF ones to learn more about the city. First one we picked was Secret, Scandals & Scoundrels. Britt was so good!. First tour guide to incorporate pictures as he's telling you stories. It put a ice visual in our heads as we walk through the city. Loved his tour so much we booked the north beach/little Italy tour. Can't wait :) read more

I took 2 different walking tours while I was in San Francisco . "China town" with Reigh and "Little Italy" with Britt. Both guides were absolutely fantastic, knowledgeable and had great respect for the city. We had rest stops on a way and did not feel rushed at all. Thank you very much for such a great afternoons! read more

Plan ahead. Booked Chinatown tour a week in advance and it was full even before the day of the tour. The Chinatown tour was just all right for me. Overall, not the best walking tour I've ever been on but the information provided and the sights seen were adequate. I suppose some points do stick out, ie. visiting the Portsmouth Square Plaza was cool to see. It was basically a backyard for all the residents of Chinatown who live in their 100 sq ft apartments. Brit was a good guy and does his best to communicate the facts. I believe the main theme he conveyed on the walking tour is that the Chinese, although a poor community, have a lot of power in the community. That said, I don't feel like Brit was engaging as some other tour guides I have had the pleasure of meeting. I see a lot of 5 star reviews but for me it was average so a 3 star A-OK review and I will leave it at that. read more

On Saturday, December 29th, at 10:00 am I took an AMAZING tour of Billionaire's Square, at the corner of California Street & Powell Street, next to the Stanford Court Hotel, with tour guide Reigh, from Free Tours by Foot. Free Tours by Foot is an amazing name your price tour experience for locals and visitors. As a resident of San Francisco, I've never considered the fact that there is So MUCH about the city that I just don't know. If you love the city you live in, love learning about the rich cultural history of that city, and enjoy walking, these city tours are for you. Our tour guide, Reigh, explained that she was new to the company, but no one could tell. She was funny, professional, and engaging! If you can be on one of her tours, I highly suggest you do. The registration process was quick and easy! You get a follow-up email a day or two before the tour with critical information (tour guide name, location, contact number, etc...) This was my first tour but it will not be my last! read more

Britt is great! I took the Secrets, Scoundrels, and Scandals tour, and it was really unique and engaging. Although we didn't cover too much ground, I learned about some of the stories and was reminded that SF was indeed once part of the "Wild West". Super engaging tour-guide; I would highly, highly, highly recommend it! Try out all his tours - I plan on it! read more

I highly recommend you to take one of these tours while vacationing in SF. Britt was super friendly and enthusiastic throughout the tour and very helpful in providing us with suggestions/tips for the Big Sur, the cable cars and much more! He really knows a lot about SF! As hilly as SF is, Britt customizes his tour so that it isn't too strenuous and exhausting. The tour is about 2 hours (10-20 minutes per stop), with seats in half the stops. Definitely bundle up if you are going during the colder days in SF, as it can get really windy and cold. We took the Secrets, Scandals & Scoundrels Walking Tour and ended up at a park a few blocks from Ferry Building Marketplace (so definitely recommend checking that out afterwards). read more

best walking tour that I have ever taken. Britt was a highly informative and entertaining guide, as well as a talented and passionate storyteller. i took the Scoundrels tour, where you learn a great deal about some of SF's most colorful criminals and cheats. not physically strenuous, you walk less than two miles and stop multiple times. highly recommend! read more

Free Tours by Foot - Learning about the history of San Francisco - Walking Tours Near Me - San Francisco, California

Super friendly and informative guide, two hours was a great length. We did this to learn more about a city we live near and have spent lots of time in, and really appreciate it and learning the history. read more

I've lived near SF most of my life but had never taken a city tour. We learned so much and gained great insight into the history of the city. Without a knowledgeable guide, you'll miss a lot. The city tour is a perfect length and covers the most interesting neighborhoods. Britt does a great job! read more

I signed up for five tours with Britt before I arrived in San Francisco and I am so glad I did. This was my third time visiting the city but it was the best time. I went all around town with Britt and learned a ton about the history, important figures, and the significance of many buildings in the city, etc. He was so engaging, knowledgable, and helpful, he's just an awesome person to be around with. I joined the tours alone, but I never felt out of place. In fact I made a friend through Britt's tours. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS TOUR to anyone who is interested in doing more than just sightsee, but to really understand and appreciate San Francisco as a wonderful city. read more

This is a really good tour. I highly recommend it. Britt knows his city very well, his tour is not too long and not too short, you won't get tired. A lot of stories from Britt make this tour amazing. I would love to join it again read more

I'm not sure why this had such great reviews. I've taken free walking tours all over the world (Prague, Seattle, etc.) and this was by far the most boring experience. I did the Secrets, Scandals & Scoundrels tour, and I took my mom explaining these tours are always so interesting and a great way to get insights to a city you wouldn't otherwise know. Well, we ended up ditching halfway through. I'm a history minor, but I still found the stories too long and just overall boring. The sites weren't that impressive either. Just overall would not recommend wasting your time. read more

We did the Secrets, Scandals, & Scoundrels tour with Reigh. She was very knowledgeable and provided a great tour. Despite growing up in SF, I knew very little of the beginnings of the city in the 1800's, and now I feel like I have a much firmer grasp. The nice thing about the name-your-own-price concept is that there's absolutely no pressure to tip, but you can still take advantage of this tour and tip whatever your budget will allow. I strongly recommend Free Tours by Foot in SF. read more

We had a great time with Reigh. She is really knowledgeable. She answered all questions asked by my kids too . Best part is the chocolates she gives. We had the best time today and also learnt so much about SFO. It's worth a trip . I am going to do other walk in tours too. read more