FREE BOAT TOUR?? Say less…read more Scored tickets on Eventbrite by sheer luck and fast fingers--like, Hunger Games fast. I clicked "register" and two minutes later the entire thing was sold out. The site was lagging so bad it felt like I was trying to buy Taylor Swift tickets, but for a ship. They handed out free Oakland Harbor pins like it was Halloween, which honestly made me feel very official. The tour itself? A+ vibes. The guides were funny, informative, and clearly living their best sea-loving lives. Fun fact: apparently most of the giant shipping boats cruising in come from Asia, and somehow I've passed them for years without noticing the country names literally written on the sides. Who knew? Now the downside: the snacks were a crime. No garlic fries. Just $10 tea and peanuts combo that somehow made my "free" boat ride feel bougie. If you sit outside (which I did because I like wind and pretending I'm in a dramatic movie scene), just know the speakers are basically whispering. But hey, vibes over volume, right? Totally recommend--just bring your own snacks and your best clicking finger.

Every season, the Port of Oakland offers free 90-minute tours if the port in the Red and White…read moreFerry. I just happened to go on the dirt one this year. The weather was perfect and it was a fun, engaging experience. They narrate most of the ride out, pointing out significant ships and places along the channel. You pass Alameda, sail over BART, glide under the Bay Bridge, and cruise by Angel Island. If you listen, you will definitely learn something new. The best place to sit or stand is on the right (facing Oakland). I was inside, because I needed to sit, but there was easy access to the back of the boat. I got some great pics. There is also easy access to the snack bar. They have candy, chips, soda, and other snackables. The surprise offering was cup of noodles, which seemed really popular. They did a brisk business the whole trip. The best parts for me were the cranes, seeing the bridge up close, and check your the lighthouse on Angel Island, particularly the cranes. Shout to George Lucas. He claims the cranes weren't the inspiration for the imperial walkers on Hoth. We all know better. Anyway, be prepared to stand in line a bit before boarding (like at least 1/2 an hour), lots of people, and lots of kids. It seemed popular with families. Time seemed approximate. The tour started "late" and ended a bit late. Nothing too obscene, just don't plan anything immediately following. The tours are popular, so sign up early. Again, it's free, and it's pretty delightful. Definitely recommended.

Didn't know what to do for my birthday, and came across this beer bike tour. I don't drink, but I…read morefigured it would be fun and my friends can do the drinking. It was very easy to book online on their website. We were a group of 12. It was $27.5 for each of us. If you have 14 people you would get a deal for $25 a person, and the whole bike would be yours. Our "driver," Travis was real nice and laid back. We didn't go too far, but it was more for the experience. It lasts about 2-2.5 hours. We biked to 3 different breweries, and hung out at each for about 30 mins. It was fun! I would definitely do it again!

My friend booked this tour for her birthday outing, and we all had a great time! We had 11 people…read moreon one vehicle. The only downside is that the two seats above the back wheels don't have pedals, so only 10 people can bike at a time (5 people on each side). This may not be a bad thing if you get tired and want to take turns pedaling. It was $27.50 a person, and every individual is required to sign a waiver. The vehicle has shelves inside where you can store your belongings and there are cup holders on the table for you to place your water or phone. There are seatbelts for each chair, but none of us really used them (oops). They also have an aux cord, so you can play your music while pedaling! We met our tour guide at Independent Brewing Company. He was very friendly and considerate that we were a little late. Before we got started, he asked what type of drinks we were interested in. He took us Seawolf first, then Slainte and we finished at Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon. All were great choices although Slainte was my favorite. Neat Irish tavern with people playing live music inside. Heinold's was a little small and claustrophobic, but they are known for their beer. When we returned to our vehicle after the second bar, our tour guide came in clutch and stocked our cup holders with pretzels and water. Please don't forget to tip your tour guides! The tour was about 2 hours long. No, drinks are not included in the fee. But this was a fun way to get around the neighborhood, drink, laugh, dance, sing, and overall just be together with friends. Highly recommend!

For those looking for something truly unique to do in the bay area, I highly recommend this tour…read more I'm not going to try and butter this review up here. Let's be honest - I am not a farm person. I appreciate a good meal but am not one who normally spends much time worrying about where my food comes from. So I expected to be bored on this trip, frankly. Boy was I wrong. This trip blew my expectations away. It was a great mix of different farms and different ways of doing things, and I felt like a kid again on a super-fun field trip where you got to explore and touch and watch the makings of where your food comes from. The farmers were genuine, down-to-earth people and were serious farm-fresh foodies. We literally had meals prepared for us by the farmers right in front of us and they were SO DELICIOUS. I got to pick my own tomatoes right off the vine. I even learned about fruits and vegetables I'd never even heard of. Oh, did I mention I got to try them out, too? The environment was relaxed. The guides were very knowledgeable and interesting. And the design of the event was really mellow but well planned. Did I mention the views? These properties are just amazing. What awesome country to get to go hang out in. Between all the exploring, wine, food and learning, the day went by fast and I got to take in a ton of beautiful sites. This tour was a find. After having my parents visit the bay area regularly and running out of creative things to do with them, I know where I am taking them next. What a great and unique thing to do on your weekend.

Bay Area Green Tours is an authentic touring company! BAGT is thorough in their quest to research…read moreand identify locations, people, and events that are consistent with their mission of educating around localism and a cyclical ECO-nomy. They provide the connections between the local context and the bigger picture and inspire action towards a sustainable, regenerative future. Marissa's on-the-pulse connections create unique and non-"tourist" experiences that are organized and professionally delivered. I'm honored to have been a visiting guide on a custom tour we developed around the local textiles and maker community in Oakland. The tour included personal studio visits with local makers, a lunch stop at a local artisanal eatery, wine tasting and ended with a sewing workshop where the participants created a collaborative wall hanging as a keepsake for the honoree's birthday. Hiroko Kurihara Co-Founder Oakland Makers Hiroko Kurihara Designs

We had a great time on the Bay this weekend on the USS Potomac for Opening Day. Not only did we get…read moreblessed we were second in line behind the fireboats in the Parade of Ships. An experience I truly recommend!!

Delightful positive excursion to set foot on a naval officer vessel. It may be from the earlier…read more20th century during the time of Roosevelt. I am not sure. It says World War II. It shows old radios and it uses beds for family members of the naval officer. Nice view of Jack London Square and the ferry from Oakland. It was nice outing and walkable near Chinatown and the Bart station. The railroad is nearby and desolate. Interesting history option near San Francisco. They showed the submarines and this old naval officer boat. It was positive and neat. There's a gift shop and topics. The theme is presidential and I bet it was used by a naval officer.

We had a great time on the Pained Ladies tour. Caio was very knowledgeable and helpful. Highly…read morerecommended.

Jim the driver gave an enthusiastic, fact and lore filled tour of San Francisco - complete with a…read morefew trivia musical challenges! Super interesting to learn about San Francisco Super fun to ride around in an old VW van! Jim and his anecdotes made the tour extra fun

Had the BEST experience with Foodie Adventures (led by the phenomenal Chris!) on a food tour…read morethrough SF's Mission District. I took my work team, hoping to do something unique, fun, and delicious--and this exceeded every expectation! From start to finish, Chris curated an unparalleled journey WITH SO MUCH FOOD! In addition to the food, it was a fully immersive cultural experience. Chris gave us a ton of rich history and fascinating stories about the neighborhood, the incredible art/murals, and its iconic eateries. As a team of serious foodies, we came in with high hopes--and Chris delivered in every way possible! I could NOT recommend this tour more--it's an absolute must-do whether you're a local or just visiting. We're already counting down the days until our next adventure with Chris!

What an amazing experience! I am definitely doing this again. I loved hearing the history of China…read moreTown and trying all the delicious food! Chris did an amazing job, the perfect tour guide! I hope we get him for the Mission tour I plan to go with my husband.

Extremely entertaining and spooky! We really enjoyed learning about places on and around campus,…read moreand exploring haunted buildings. Ying has so much knowledge and has really done her research, so by the time you're done, even skeptics may find their minds have opened just a bit. I appreciated hearing about Ying's own journey from simply documenting others to experiencing phenomena herself. Highly recommended!

This is a really fun tour of San Francisco and there's a Berkely tour! She is a great story teller,…read morehas done her research, and has experienced paranormal activity herself! The stories are true and the experiences are real! Bring a flashlight and your ghost hunting gear! I have been on the SF tour many times, so far my favorite experience is the Marine that refused to go into a famously haunted area.

As part of a small contingent of Yelp Elites, I was fortunate enouh to go on Savor Oakland Food…read moreTours' tour of Oakland Chinatown. For anyone not hardcore Chinese, like myself, this tour is a necessity for braving the Andrew Zimmern-like delights of Oakland Chinatown. I mean, let's face it. Many of us are are going to have at least some amount of trepidation about diving right into the restaurants & markets of Oakland Chinatown. But with Carlo's trusty & knowledgable guidance, we were all able to relax & really enjoy the wonders that this non-touristy Chinatown has to offer. & it wasn't all about food. Though there was more than enough downright delicious food at each our 4 restaurant stops to stuff all of us, even with plenty of walking during the tour. The Oakland Chinatown tour also had a healthy helping of history mixed in that deepened the understanding & appreciation of this neighborhood. Savor Oakland Food Tours' tour of Oakland Chinatown was truly a mouth-watering & eye-opening experience. Knowing what a great tour this is, I know I'll have to check out their Jack London Square tour sometime.

This was one of the events from Yelp's 10th Birthday celebration weekend. The tour I went on was…read morethe Jack London Square tour with Geneva as our tour guide. Here were all our stops, which took 3 hours: 1. Home of Chicken and Waffles, 2. Oakland Supply Co. 3. Blue Bottle 4. Authentic Bagel Company 5. lOAKal 6. Rosenblum Cellars 7. Baia Pasta 8. Forge 9. Bocanova 10. Miette And there were other stops along the way where we learned the history of the area, including who Jack London was. Geneva was an awesome tour guide! She's so passionate about showcasing what Oakland has to offer in hopes to shed the negative image. And the tour was evenly paced, not too fast, not too slow. More importantly, the food was delicious and I was quite full at the end! If it wasn't for Yelp, I would never, ever heard about this tour, let alone be in Oakland. I hope to go on their other tours soon, and perhaps discover Oakland on my own!

i've been doing things that add more novelty to my life. This fit the bill perfectly. My cousin and…read moreI took our gondola ride on Lake Merritt, at 6 pm just as dusk was setting in. If you live in the Bay, this is a must. It's a very romantic experience, soft and feminine. I absolutely loved it. You can bring your own wine and food. The dock that you take off at is located directly outside of a restaurant with excellent food. We had the privilege of being the last ride of the day and meeting the owner who was an absolute magnificent human being. He even played a song for us on the guitar. All around great Service and great experience. Loved it.

We had the most magical time celebrating my boyfriend's birthday with Dolce Vita Gondola this past…read moreSunday! From start to finish, everything was charming, and full of joy. Our guests enjoyed enchanting gondola rides through the water--everyone was blown away by the experience! The gondolier, Amelia was friendly, fun and engaging- she added the perfect touch of Venetian romance to the afternoon. The venue also allowed us to live music by the incredibly talented Rob Reich--his performance created the perfect addition for dancing and celebration. There's something unforgettable about dancing by the water, surrounded by friends, music, and the glowing warmth of the sun.

This was a memorable trip. We were originally slated to visit in late June before my birthday but…read moreboth Deb and Kirk were recovering from surgery. We stayed in touch over the next several weeks before settling on an August date. We braved the high temps and winding roads to arrive at the ranch. It's a beautiful space on a hillside and you can see the herd and their guardian llama as you pull into the parking lot. We learned a lot about the alpaca life cycle, fed the boys, and my daughter got to hold and carry a cria. We bought two cute alpaca shaped soaps. I didn't experience any of the negativity others have complained about. It is a working ranch so it's not a petting zoo or a tourist attraction. Go with the flow and you'll have a great experience.

Ive been here a total 3x and its been a great experience. Id totally recommend coming here for the…read moreexperience and knowledge. Such little cuties there