Urban Trek USA is an excellent resource for your San Francisco visit; providing self-guided directions for visitors to explore San Francisco like a long-time resident would, plus tips on whatever would be helpful to those who are visiting San Francisco.
The Presidio has a whole lot of excellent vistas and now everyone has to definitely add Battery Bluff Park to the must things to do in San Francisco as the video below shows:
How to get to the Presidio (eco-friendly way):
Coming from downtown, the best way to get to the Presidio is to take the FREE PresidiGo Downtown shuttle from one of the three stops: Howard & Beale, Drumm & California (near Embarcadero BART station), Van Ness & Union. The PresidiGo Downtown shuttle departs every 30 minutes.
The most convenient PresidiGo shuttle stop downtown is the one on Drumm & California at shown in this photo:
(Click on photo to enlarge)
How to get to Battery Bluff from Presidio Terminal:
Disembark at the Presidio Terminal (last stop in the Presidio).
Follow the Presidio Promenade by walking in between the two buildings as shown in the arrow in this photo:
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The Presidio Promenade will lead to the Presidio National Cemetery. Once you get there, you will see the entrance to Battery Bluff as shown in the video at the bottom of this page. (Note: The video at the bottom will show you exactly what you will see if you follow these directions.)
Follow the paved path when you enter Battery Bluff. You will immediately see an awesome view as shown in the video.
After a little bit of walking, you will see a paved path to your left (as shown in the photo below):
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Turn left and follow the path (shown above) until you see steps on your left leading to the picnic tables at the top. This is a panoramic view from the area where the picnic tables are located:
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(Click to enlarge photo)
Follow the path where the picnic table are located and walk towards the direction of the Golden Gate Bridge until you see the bench shown in the photo below:
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The spot shown above is another vantage point. Walk back to the picnic tables and when you see steps on your left leading to the lower path, go down the steps and make a left at the bottom and follow the path as shown in the photo below:
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Follow the path shown above towards the Golden Gate Bridge until you get to the overlook as shown in the photo below:
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You can make your way back to the entrance by taking the path at the lowest part of Battery Bluff. From the overlook, turn left as shown in the photo below:
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The path shown above will lead you back to the entrance on Lincoln Blvd.
Do not miss:
The views are definitely the main attraction. However, do not miss reading the story boards along the path:
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If you follow the directions above, this video shows what you will see:
Public toilets: The closest public toilet is at the Transit Center near the Main Post, which about a 10-minute walk from Battery Bluff. For a list of other public toilets around the Presidio, click on this link to the Presidio website.
Tips:
Even though it is sunny, this area can get windy and that means the temperature will be much cooler than other parts of San Francisco (e.g. downtown).
It is always a very good idea to dress in layers so you can add or remove pieces of clothing as the temperature changes. A hooded sweatshirt can be your best friend in San Francisco.
As a rule, it is usually windier in the afternoon than in the morning. However, when there is fog, is is usually foggier in the morning and the fog burns out in the afternoon after 12:00 pm.
Enjoy!
Coming next will be how to walk to the Pet Cemetery and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Alamo Square is famous because of the beautiful Victorian houses commonly called the "Painted Ladies" and the panoramic view of the skyline of the downtown buildings. However, the Westerfeld Mansion is also a stunning Victorian house with an interesting history. Revolving art by local artist is another interesting aspect not well-known by most tourists. You will learn about the history of the famous "Painted Ladies" Victorian houses (e.g. listing on how much they were originally sold) and more current sales (at outrageous prices) of the famous houses. Also learn about the Westerfeld Mansion and, when available, some information on the local artists that have their art on display.
There will be a short walk-through the NOPA neighborhood (North of the Panhandle). This neighborhood has evolved (still evolving) into one of the places where the people in their 20s and 30s have moved and hang out especially during the weekends. Today, there are a whole bunch of very good places to dine, have coffee & desserts, cool bars and other forms of entertainment. You will get some information on the evolution of this neighborhood and why the long-time locals are not quire sold on the NOPA name.
Although Alamo Square has been written about in all the tour books on San Francisco, it is likely that you will still get some interesting information about this area that will enhance your appreciation of this neighborhood.
Pacific Heights is considered by most as the elite neighborhood where the socialites and the well-connected residents of San Francisco live because of the awesome view from this neighborhood.
Highlights of what you will experience here:
View of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz and a little bit of the Golden Gate Bridge
Well-preserved Victorian houses
Homes (mansions) worth multi-millions
Other things you can expect:
History on how this neighborhood evolved (i.e. why the wealthy moved to this neighborhood)
Brief historical information about a couple of Victorian houses and mansions in the neighborhood
See the house used in the movie, "Mrs. Doubtfire"
Note: On a whole-day private urban trek, this neighborhood is a good place to stop for a lunch break because there is a wide variety of good food and cuisine to choose from along Fillmore Street.
When you do an urban trek with Pacific Heights as part of your itinerary, you will experience a part of San Francisco that is not a popular tourist destination, but knowledgeable locals know this neighborhood is a gem if they know the best spots to visit.
Every year in February, new heart sculptures are unveiled as part of the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation's Hearts in San Francisco. This year, the hearts are on display at the Ferry Building until February 28, 2022. In my opinion, the hearts this year have very nice designs. Below are photos and videos of the hearts.
Note: If you want to learn more about the artists who created the hearts, click here.
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.
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 toanton@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.
The year 2022 begins with the prospect of new possibilities and opportunities. As the year unfolds we take hold of the promise that the new year brings. And seize the moments that will have true and lasting meaning. Hopefully, when 2022 ends, we will have a panoramic view of what we contributed to humanity.
What is so special about doing a private "urban trek" vs. exploring on your own or joining another tour? (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.)
I think the most important way to communicate this is to convey what my concept is for providing this service:
I want visitors to experience the San Francisco, where I have lived for decades, that well-informed locals know about The City.
I want visitors to see the best parts (some "secret spots") of each neighborhood they visit. Even at the best known places like the Golden Gate Bridge and the crooked street, Lombard Street, there is at least one spot with the best view that a lot of people don't know about (including some locals).
I don't want to get bored doing what I do so I share only the places I myself enjoy going to even if I have to go there frequently.
I want visitors to learn something about each neighborhood they visit because, for me, people will have a better appreciation if they have some knowledge about its history and current circumstances.
I want visitors to experience San Francisco vs. simply do sightseeing in San Francisco. San Francisco is best enjoyed when experienced, not just seen.
So what I mentioned above sums up what my urban trek is all about and why I believe it is the best way to experience San Francisco.
For inquiries, send an e-mail to anton@urbantrekusa.com
