We came back home to San Francisco, I haven't been here in 15 years and my wife has never been. I'd told her how great the food is here and how interesting the neighborhoods are, but because its been 15 years I didn't feel confident showing her around. So we booked a couple tours with ExploreSan Francisco, a friend had taken them and was quite impressed. For starters, they are not your typical regimented tour company and the guides have complete autonomy on their respective tours. But on the site you get the contact info for the guides for tours you are considering. We actually were able to call and speak to ours before we even booked anything. We opted for the Chinatown-North Beach tour first. The guide was gracious, friendly and smart as a whip.She had previously asked us and the other guests what we liked and catered the group's tastes. In Chinatown we had dim-sum, crab, moon cakes, tea, egg drop soup, and egg foo young! We also went to the fortune cookie factory, the open air markets, a Buddhist temple. We learned a lot of history as our guide has previously worked at the historical society and City Guides. This lady knew her history! Next up was North Beach,! We started in the Barbary Coast and went in a secret tunnel, she talked about beatniks but then the focus turned to food. We learned the food history of North Beach, most Italians here are from Northern Italy so the food is different than the Italian in your home town. We went to Cafe Macaroni for Pasta Puttanesca, yum. Then we went to Molinari's, for a meat platter,but split sandwiches instead. We went to an incredible pizza place, went and tried olive oils and and crusty bread, had cannoli at Cavali and co, a fudge place, an artisans market, finishing with XOXO Truffles and coffee at Cafe Trieste. Those of us who had paid for the alcohol upgrade then went and had drinks at a cute place but don't recall the name. We took the Mission North Food Tour the next day and it was also stellar. I've run out of time but let me just say that the Mission Tour was the best food tour we have ever taken. It was incredible. read more

I must say I am a bit confused about some of the negative reviews appearing here. About six months ago my husband and I were visiting our daughter who lives in Mountain View. She got unexpectedly called in for a big work project so we decided to take advantage and go into the city to explore on our own for a couple of days. We are serious NY foodies, so we were definitely excited to go on the Mission North Food Tour with ExploreSF. We have no complaints at all. First, we were able to easily call them up to make a reservation for the next day, (which was very convenient for our limited schedule.) The guide David was extremely friendly and funny, but he also was able to provide a lot of interesting information as we walked around the neighborhood. He explained a lot about the local culture, which was great for those of us who are not from the area, and the restaurants we were eating at. AND DID WE EAT! The food was really eclectic and a wonderful variety of flavors and ethnic cuisines. In about 3.5 hours we ate delicious Chilean empanadas, a unique Burmese tea leaf salad (never had anything like that before and it was yummy!), tapas from Spain with homemade Sangria, foods from the American South, a burrito made by the self proclaimed restaurant that invented burritos, a Japanese tea ceremony AND my favorite part, the sweet treats of handcrafted chocolate direct from the factory and hand churned ice cream! Highly recommended and a wonderful afternoon! read more

Explore San Francisco's walking tour of North Beach and Chinatown was truly the best part of my latest trip to the city! After a day of talking business, I was entertaining a prospective new client, and really wanted something that would impress. Michael, our tour guide, did not disappoint! His knowledge of the architectural, historical, and pop culture facts - which he happily and delightfully shared - was wonderful, and his enthusiasm and love of San Francisco was truly infectious! It was like having a good friend guide you around his hometown. We nibbled our way through the neighborhood, enjoyed a wonderful dinner, marveled at the sights and sounds, and giggled like school kids at the charming stories of bygone days. When I dropped my client off at her hotel, she gave me a big hug and said, "Excellent choice! That was so much fun! I'm really looking forward to working with you! Please send me the contract and I'll get it signed right away." BOOM! Nailed it! Thanks, Michael! read more

I was just in San Francisco on business and am training for numerous marathon's this fall. Hoping to keep up my training I reached out and found Explore San Francisco. During our Email exchange, I mentioned to Deanna that I was hoping to run the Golden Gate while I was in town. She offered that if I had a little flexibility she would actually take me on a private run tour of the Golden Gate area and the bridge. What a great run leader. She knows the area, knows the history and is so accommodating to anyone's pace. Not only did she show me the trail system but also the Battery to Bluff's area and the Presidio. What a run, finishing on an out and back across the Golden Gate Bridge. What a fabulous experience. I can't thank her enough. She did a fantastic job and I would gladly recommend any running friends or colleagues to sign up for a run anytime they are in the Bay area. What a great run. Thanks Deanna for the run and good luck to you on your trails. read more

I very much enjoyed our visit to North Beach as our guide Dan was so accommodating and very knowledgeable about the area and the food. He took us to several different Italian restaurants delicatessens and bakery shops that I did not know about (I lived in San Francisco for 6 years). As our time schedule was fairly loose, we went for close to six hours and he showed us quite a few things that we would not have seen otherwise. He also took us into Chinatown to see a few things there such as the fortune cookie factory and a tea shop. I really appreciated that he had the leeway to go into Chinatown as well, because what he showed us there was really quite interesting and added another level to our tour. Afterwards he also sent us a review of all the places we visited for future reference which was a very nice gesture. All in all, I would rate this tour as excellent and would highly recommend it. read more

I visited San Francisco for a few days to see my sister and she set me up with the Chinatown tour, the Art Deco tour and a food tour in the Mission District. What a great experience. My guides were so knowledgeable and even though it rained the two days of my tours I had a great time! Just seeing the old buildings like the Shell Building gave me a little idea of what this city was like at the turn of the twentieth century. My Chinatown tour included going up to the top floor of one of the clubs to see a Buddhist temple and see the great architecture of this part of SF. My food tour was really a great experience, with about six different stops, starting with appetizers and a fusion drink and ending with - ice cream! If you want to explore the city this is a really fun and interesting way to do it. My thanks to Michael for some great memories. read more

Ah! The Ferry Building Food Tour! I have been to S.F. countless times and the only tour I ever took was to Alcatraz. This last trip I decided to search out professional help and was most impressed with the tour packages at Explore San Francisco. What a glorious adventure and besides being entertaining the tour provided great insightful knowledge. The foods were splendid and so diverse and all delectable. Just when I thought I could eat nothing more we went to the "New Tree Cafe" via the F-Line Historic street car where the chocolates and wine tasting was waiting to top off a fantastic day. I have plans to return soon and do another several tours. Thanks to the Wonderful People at EXPLORE SAN FRANCISCO ESPECIALLY Michael.. read more

Recently visited SF and took the China Town/North Beach walking food tour. Our tour guide Jeanne asked if were interested in the history of SF and we said yes. Wow, was she extremely knowledgeable! Hint: Don't eat before hand because on this tour you will eat! Lots of delicious and interesting options. One of the most delightful things was the flexibility of our guide. Since there were only 2 of us she gave us a little latitude to meander through various shops. In fact she cancelled her own plans and stayed with us for an extended tour. We felt as though we had our own personal guide of SF. Beautiful City and we will definitely come back to SF and exploresf.biz will be one of the first calls when we plan our next trip. read more

We participated in the China town/ North Beach night tour on 11/16. Dan Chew is by far the very best part of this experience. His knowledge of China town and North Beach as well as his friendly and casual approach to making a group of strangers feel at home in San Francisco is a gift. The night tour lasted for more than 5 hours and Dan made every moment count. The food was varied and interesting and the range from dim sum to pizza appealed to every palate. We have had many gourmet experiences around the world where the food was superior to this adventure but nowhere have we been treated so well ....Dan made the experience from beginning to end. Take the tour but ask for Dan he alone is worth the price of admission. read more

I recently moved to San Francisco for work. One of my first assignments was to find a different venue for our office Holiday Party. I found Explore San Francisco and was thankful I did. Michael and his team help me craft a special food tour of Chinatown and North Beach. My co-workers and my boss loved the creative solution of a food tour. Michael gave a running commentary on the history of the neighborhoods and the owners and an overview of each eatery we visited. I highly recommend Explore San Francisco. I have already started planning the next event with for the office with the good people at Explore San Francisco. read more

After Boudin bakery, we went on a food tour...i think it was called the Mission tour. WOW did we have a lot of food for the tasting! Yummy smackerals that i would have never tried in an area i didn't know much about. Our tour guide was a kick in the pants and our fellow tourists were so fun. We got history, exercise and a lot of wonderful multi-cultural tastings. OMG and everyone must check out "the pie lady", forget Marie Callendars i am going to be dreaming about that lemon pie. We will absolutely be booking another tour with these guys. read more

We had been trying to book a tour for quite some time but our different schedules never worked out. Finally we were able to get it together and Explore S.F. scheduled a special tour for my sister ,sister-in-law and myself. We had the best tour guide , Michael , who led us on a walking tour of the Mission district. He was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. This is the second tour we've been on and both have been great. We definitely will be return customers . Thanks Explore S.F. for a fun afternoon ! read more

I took the Ferry Building Food Tour last week. Alex was fantastic guide. He brought us to some very interesting food booths. We got to sample from a large variety of food choices including empanadas, olive oils, truffle "caviar", cured italian meat cones, all beef hot dogs, macaroons, and gelato. The tour ended with a fun streetcar ride to a Belgian chocolate shop in the financial district. We sampled a variety of wine and chocolate pairings. By the end of the tour, I was super full and satisfied! read more

I was very impressed Anyone looking for a great tour this is it. You learn so much about the city and it's hidden history. The stories behind the scens, streets and they're connection and impacted on how they were named. Local bars, hot spots and all the fun places San Francisco has to offer. Funny, knowledgable and good company.You learn more about the edgier side of SF. I recomend this for tourist and locals. Thanks again Micheal, guide read more

Incredibly comprehensive, knowledgeable, insider information. Dan felt like a friend, showing us his personal Chinatown as he recounted stories of his youth and juxtaposed them with the here and now. Buildings and alleyways we had walked past a dozen times are no longer anonymous sites, but now carry history and intrigue from the past. We are seeing Chinatown through new eyes. We recommend Dan highly. read more

Had a really great run through the Presidio park and along the front near Golden Gate bridge. I originally booked one of the stock runs, but the guide Deanna was able to customize it to my interests in trail running and based on the parts of SF I had already seen. Hotel pickup made the whole thing completely painless and very enjoyable. This is a superb way to see the city with a really excellent guide! read more

A colleague and I hired Deanna Micros to lead us on an early morning sunrise run over the Golden Gate Bridge and trough the Presidio. She was willing to get up EARLY and took us on an unforgettable run that included laughs, history and a tailored workout. She's a lot of fun, very considerate and accommodating. I will definitely contact her again for another scenic tour the next time I'm in town. read more

Excellent tour - exceeded our expectations. Even though we live in the SF Bay Area - we learned a ton about the wonderful Mission District. We covered many neighborhoods - and even got to taste chocolate at a new chocolate factory on Valencia St. Our guide, Michael, lives in this area - and was saying "hi" to many folks as we walked the Mission. Definitely an insiders tour! read more

Mike (MIchael) took my wife and me on a superb tour of the Mission, or small parts of the Mission, over two hours. We saw and learned a whole lot even though we've been in the Mission probably hundreds of times in our 40+ years of living in San Francisco. Mike was knowledgeable and friendly, and made the tour speed by with interesting anecdotes and places to see. read more