My husband and I enjoyed today's Original San Francisco Walking Tour with Britt as our guide. We…read morehave 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.

I had a free afternoon one Tuesday so I booked the Secrets, Scandals & Scoundrels Tour…read more 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.

Second review for City Guides - still love these tours after 20+…read more City Hall with Michael was great.

The SF City Guides are great. But for most tours, a YouTube video tour would be better. For tours…read morelike The Castro, 90% of the tour is showing old pictures, and talking about old events in history. Only 10% is actually looking at something in person, and only from the street. A Ken Burns style video documentary would be better than an in-person tour.

Came there late night on Saturday the 10th. Was a gift for my 16 year old son. We loved it and the…read moreguide Alilyi (?) was remarkable. I will tell everyone I know locals (like me) or others asking what to do in SF!

I've been on a lot of ghost tours, and this one was fantastic! Great mix of history and light ghost…read moreinvestigating. Not gimmicky or fake. Aliya was our tour guide and very knowledgeable about the area and tools for ghost hunting. Definitely recommend this tour!

My husband and I took Rick's walking tour on Oct. 12 and it was even better than expected! We both…read morelearned so much about buildings we'd passed by often and not realized were symbolic to the architecture of the era. We also loved how Rick pointed out the privately owned public spaces (POPOs) nearby that we never knew about. He also provides lots of information about how to find these in every city. I highly recommend this tour to SF locals and tourists alike- you won't be disappointed.

This was so interesting!! We took my in-laws when they were in town visiting, but us locals learned…read morejust as much. You tell Rick is very passionate about what he does. We were shown buildings we walk by regularly in a whole new light and loved being shown all the privately owned public parks hidden throughout the city!!! He even sends a map of all the parks after the class. Highly recommend for tourists and locals alike!

This was one of the best things. I love walking tours. The host was knowledgeable and…read moreentertaining. The group was small enough to make it seem cozy. It's a must do.

Christian our guide was amazing! Awesome presentation of stories; you could tell he had done his…read moreresearch and really enjoys sharing what he's learned and heard. Along with the 4-5 ghost stories you hear, you will also get some San Francisco history and architectural tidbits. What was challenging on our tour, specifically, was just the other people in our tour group. One was a loud, over enthusiastic 18 year old who seemed to have never learned volume control or any kind of social graces. I would expect this kind of behavior from someone younger - it was distracting for us and from the slamming of neighborhood windows, it was just as annoying to the residents. I'm not sure how many people are allowed in the walking group, but just know you dont get to pick the maturity level of strangers. All in all, I would recommend!

The Emperor's tour is informative, fun, funny, and memorable…read more He is a delightful, knowledgeable gentleman.

All hail Emperor Norton and his Fantastic Time Machine! One of the best things I've ever done in…read moreSan Francisco -- and the way I came across this tour was by total chance! I happened to be walking through Union Square one weekend morning and saw a gentleman dressed as Emperor Norton. I thought he was a street performer, but boy was I surprised to find out he was about to lead a walking tour! Being a history nerd and someone who was already familiar with the Emperor, I bought a ticket for the downtown tour on the spot, and had such a good experience the next day I bought a ticket for the waterfront tour. It's an enjoyable, leisurely stroll through San Francisco -- full of fun facts and trivia about the city, and Joseph is a delightful host and guide. I feel he lives up to the ideals and sentiments of both Emperor Norton and the city of San Francisco itself, and this is my #1 recommendation whenever a friend tells me they're going to visit SF (although, of course, I'm always sure to NEVER refer to it as "Frisco").

This was a Birthday gift from my 2 amazing friends. Jay was such a great guide. He knew so much…read moreabout the architecture of the Victorian houses. He told us all about the neighborhoods as we strolled along. He showed us a few homes that some famous actors previously owned. We had a great time and would definitely do it again with him.

This was a wonderful tour given by Jay. He is thoughtful and thorough of his knowledge of Victorian…read moreArchitecture and I was writing down notes because I knew I couldn't remember it all! I really enjoyed learning about different architecture styles and how the uber rich lived back in the day. Highly recommend this tour if you are a local or a visitor. It is 1-2 hours long and goes at a very doable pace. No hills!

I accompanied some of my company's new hires on a tour yesterday. Because I'm a native of San…read moreFrancisco, I contemplated lying about where I'm from just to see if I could catch our guide sharing inaccurate or exaggerated stories. Suffice to say that I was completely blown away by Stuart's deeply researched knowledge, family history in the city, and passion - so much so that I am planning to recommend this tour to my own friends and family who have also lived here their whole lives. My colleagues even commented afterwards that they probably know more about San Francisco now than their own hometowns.

Great tour by Stuart this past Saturday. I was impressed with his friendliness and deep knowledge…read moreof San Francisco, but esp with his 'our of the box' thinking when it comes to how he runs his tours. I also loved the small group size and that he provides some pictures of what this city looked like at specific points in time. Highly recommend it!

Our Vantigo Tour with Chad was the BEST way to spend our first day in SF! We hit all the hot spots…read morewhich gave us a better lay-of-the land for the remainder of our trip. The VW bus Lillie is a fully restored gem. The tour was a great mix of history, pop culture and humor all told by a life long local. Highly recommend and would even do it again!!!

Vantigo Tours was honestly the coolest way I could have ever imagined to explore San Francisco…read more Cruising around the city in a classic Volkswagen bus just hits different. It's not your typical tour--you're not stuck behind glass or packed into a big group. The city is right there around you, and everything feels more alive; almost cinematic. The whole experience was super easygoing and fun! We covered a lot without it ever feeling rushed, and there were plenty of chances to stop, take photos, and just enjoy where we were. Some of our favorite moments were actually the unexpected spots we never would've found on our own, like the beautiful, yet uncrowded overlook on Telegraph Hill. Everything felt really natural--nothing scripted or forced. Just a great mix of interesting stories, local insight, and a lot of laughs along the way. Chad made the tour phenomenal. He brought brought great energy and enthusiasm to the experience, which made it even more enjoyable without ever feeling over the top. And the bus itself is half the experience! It's such a vibe--people smiling, waving, even taking pictures as you drive by. It adds this extra layer of fun you just don't get anywhere else. By the end, it felt like we experienced San Francisco in a way you can't do anywhere else. So if you're even thinking about it, just book it. Totally worth it!! -Mark & Gina, Kansas, USA.