Things to do in San Francisco - Historical San Francisco Private Walking and City Tour #HistoricalUrbanTrek #HistoricalSanFrancisco

Things to do in San Francisco - Historical San Francisco private walking and city tour by Urban Trek USA. (Note: Urban Trek USA is a one-man operation and takes only approximately 3 reservations a month so making a reservation in advance is a plus.)

Our goal is to provide you with San Francisco's a very interesting history. This private walking and city tour includes six diverse neighborhoods that are rich in history and some awesome views:

We start in Union Square, which is considered the heart of San Francisco today. You will learn how this neighborhood evolved from its beginnings as a huge sand dune and the great earthquake and fire of 1906 and a woman associated with Union Square and her rags to riches story. You will also walk through an alley lined with high-end boutiques and learn of its seedy past. Click here for a more detailed description of the itinerary for Union Square.

Chinatown is next on the itinerary. Mostly everyone thinks of Chinatown as the neighborhood where the first Chinese immigrants settled. However, the most interesting aspect of Chinatown is this is the location where San Francisco began as a trading village to the heart of San Francisco during the gold rush era. You will see the location of the oldest street in San Francisco, where the first house was built and the old town square. Also learn where the one block of the original Chinatown started and a brief history of how/why the Chinese came to San Francisco and see the "Alley of the Painted Balconies" and learn the current living conditions in this neighborhood. Click here for a more detailed description of the itinerary for Chinatown.

Next up is Jackson Square Historic District. This part of San Francisco was spared from the great fire of 1906. Therefore, buildings that date back to the 1850s are still standing so you can get a glimpse of what this area looked like back then. Also learn where the old beach used to be and where some buried ships are located. Click here for a more detailed description of the itinerary for Jackson Square.

Onward to North Beach. Known as San Francisco's "Little Italy" but there are so much more interesting aspects about this neighborhood. For one, this neighborhood is one of the few neighborhoods that has not changed much since the 1950s even though the Italians have moved away a long time ago. There is also a concentration of legacy businesses (50 years and older). Learn how this neighborhood as evolved, get tips on places to check out on your own (for food and cocktails) and a brief history about the Beats and their old hangout. Maybe the best part of the itinerary is the coffee break at one of the legacy businesses (my favorite cafe) with excellent selection of Italian pastries and one cake that they are famous for. Click here for a more detailed description of the itinerary for North Beach.

Next is Telegraph Hill. Coit Tower and the fresco murals inside are the most popular attractions in this part of The City. However, there are more interesting historic aspects like homes dating back to the 1850s that survived the great fire of 1906, the uniqueness of this neighborhood and what some residents have to endure to live here, as well as the awesome views. Click here for a more detailed description of the itinerary for Telegraph Hill.

The last stop is the waterfront area around the Ferry Building. However, first you will walk through Levi's Plaza where the corporate headquarters of Levi Strauss & Co. is located and you will get a brief history on the Levis jeans (i.e. how it came to be). The Waterfront area has some awesome views of San Francisco Bay and the skyline of San Francisco's Financial District. This is also a good place to end the urban trek because the Ferry Building is a foodie Mecca with a bunch of excellent options for food, wine, beer, coffee, desserts, etc. A perfect spot to relax and enjoy the view after you have enjoyed your Historical San Francisco private walking and city tour.

How to make a reservation:

• Send an e-mail to anton@urbantrekusa.com
• Include the date you want to reserve and the private urban trek you want to do

 

Additional information:

• Start time: 9:00 am (or mutually agreed upon time)
• Approximate length of urban trek: 4.5 hours which includes 20-minute coffee break.
• To make a reservation, send an e-mail to anton@urbantrekusa.com or WhatsApp and Viber 1-415-265-8229
• Price: 1 to 4 people $204 (total) plus $15 for each additional person (Note: Price does not include the cost of your meals, but it includes the cost of Muni fares <no cable car rides>)

Fitness level for this urban trek:

This is the easiest urban trek even though it is mostly a walking tour because the uphill walks are less steep and you have the option to take public transportation up to Telegraph Hill and to the Ferry Building. For some people with knee or leg issues, it might be difficult to go down the stairs with about 380 steps. Everyone has to be fit in order to walk uphill for at least one city block and can spend hours on their feet. Of course, walking will not be constant since there will be a whole lot of standing stops while you hear historical commentaries and there will be about a 20-minute stop in Chinatown where you will be able to sit down and short breaks to take photos and admire the views. Resting will be fine but it will be hard for people who cannot walk for about 10 minutes without stopping to rest to do this urban trek and enjoy it. Each stretch of walking will be approximately 10 minutes before a short standing break while the Urban Trek Leader explains or says something about the place. There will also be approximately 20 minutes for a relaxing coffee break in North Beach, which is approximately 2.5 hours after the start of the urban trek.