By Nicholas Katers
San Francisco Walking Tours
hosts dozens of walking tours that explore the city's rich history and quirky culture. The city has an ethnically diverse population and a blend of modern and 19th-century architecture that's difficult to find elsewhere in the
United States. San Francisco's hilly streets and bay views create an idyllic backdrop for photographers. Travelers can reserve tickets for walking tours that explore the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, the Market Street District, Chinatown and other haunts without busting their budgets.
Wok Wiz Walking Tours and Cooking Center
Shirley Fong-Torres founded Wok Wiz Walking Tours and Cooking Center to show tourists the importance of Chinatown in San Francisco. The company's Wok Wiz Daily Tour takes visitors through herbal shops, farmers' markets and places of worship that represent Chinatown. This daily tour costs $35 per person for the walk or $45 per person for the walk and lunch. For $90 per person, you can opt for the more extensive I Can't Believe I Ate My Way Through Chinatown! tour.
Wok Wiz Walking Tours and Cooking Center
250 King Street, Suite 268
San Francisco, California 94107
(415) 981-8989
wokwiz.com
San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour
The San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour is run by Jim Fassbinder and takes visitors through and around the haunted Queen Anne Hotel. This three-hour tour runs every day of the week except Tuesday and costs $20 per person. You'll start by exploring the Queen Anne Hotel for an hour as Fassbinder tells stories of ghost sightings in San Francisco going back to the 19th century; then you'll discover the ghostly ambience of Victorian San Francisco by exploring streets and buildings surrounding the hotel.
San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour
1590 Sutter Street
San Francisco, California 94109
(415) 922-5590
sfghosthunt.com
Haunted Haight Walking Tour
Get a different perspective on the famed Haight-Ashbury neighborhood by visiting at night on the Haunted Haight Walking Tour. This two-hour tour costs $20 per person, and reservations are required to secure complimentary maps and guidebooks. The tour ends at a supposedly haunted tavern that has been maintained by local businesses and residents. Tourists tired of climbing San Francisco's notorious hilly streets will be pleased to know that the Haunted Haight Walking Tour is run on flat ground.
Haunted Haight Walking Tour
1206 Masonic Avenue
San Francisco, California 94117
(415) 863-1416
hauntedhaight.com
Victorian Home Walk
The Victorian Home Walk takes visitors past 200 Victorian homes in the Pacific Heights and Cow Hollow neighborhoods of San Francisco. The tour runs every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, and it starts at 11:00 a.m. from San Francisco's Union Square. The $25 ticket for the Victorian Home Walk includes a bus trip to Pacific Heights before disembarking for a two-hour stroll past restored Victorian homes. The tour guides place the restoration of Victorian homes in the context of San Francisco's revitalization after the 1960s.
Victorian Home Walk
2226 15th Street
San Francisco, California 94114
(415) 252-9485
victorianwalk.com
Resources
About the Author:
Nicholas Katers has been a freelance writer since 2006. He teaches American history at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wis. His past works include articles for "CCN Magazine," "The History Teacher" and "The Internationalist" magazine. Katers holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in American history from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, respectively.
Photo Credits:
Photo by Victorian Home Walk
