I have been to SF many times and have enjoyed these free walking tours in many cities. This tour with Filip did not disappoint. He was informed and engaging. The tour was filled with a lot of interesting history. Well worth our time and money! read more

Everywhere I travel I always look into going on a tour of the city. I love it even more when its free or donation suggested. I feel like those tours are the better one because I have been on tours where you pay upfront and felt it could have been better, anyways. Our tour met us at the square, was on time and easy to spot. She went on an overview of the things we would see/do and told us to feel free to ask for questions/suggestions. She mentioned that it was gonna take about an hour and how much distance we would cover etc. I don't remember the ladies name but she has been a local for almost her whole life and you can tell she loved telling people the history of her city. Chinatown was beautiful, that was probably my favorite part and also getting to go into a paper store where they buy paper goods to 'send them to heave' for the loved ones that have passed away was pretty cool. I got to see the narrow alleys of Chinatown and hear about the opium dens, I saw the original fortune cookie factory. It was all amazing. I for sure would go on this tour again read more

So even you are a SF resident born and raised in this city or you moved here many years ago, you really don't know all there is to know about San Francisco and so you should embark on this fun free tour and if you think your tour guide it worth to tip, you can do it at your discretion. The website is https://freesftour.com Filipe is a great host and fell in love with this city and as you say, he left his heart in SF and been here for quite a while soaking in the sights and sounds of this bustling city and exploring different neighborhoods. He is a friendly and knowledgeable host and leader. Our group was small under 10 people for our Saturday walk where we met at 10am in Union Square. It was a nice leisurely walk. Most were tourists either in USA coming from as far as Maryland or San Jose, CA to those coming from Germany and South America. So it was a good balance of young adults, including myself. I have near appreciation of Maiden Lane and the Spreckles family name and what they represent. We walked part of the Barbary Coast Trail because we passed by a couple of the bronze medallions on the ground. It was a nice walk walk through Chinatown and Filipe is a very informative and talked about the history of San Francisco and Chinatown. The walk ended in Embarcadero 4 that overlooks the lovely Ferry Building. We all tipped our tour guide for her did a good job. He really loves San Francisco and been here for quite awhile. Even that is an interesting story! So go join one of his tours and you will have good time and will learn something new. Also great views to take photos of! Free tours like these in SF, Portland and Seattle have all been great and I really enjoyed them. I wonder if these tour guys know all each other because they all do Similar things in their own cities. :) read more

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Pierre was a wonderful tour guide. He seems to know the city really well and had a bunch of interesting stories. I learned a lot. Highly recommended! read more

Our tour guide Filip Todd gave the best city tour I have ever been on and I have been on many. His knowledge of the city and his passion for its history and politics was very moving and made for an informative and enlightening experience. I would definitely go on another tour led by him. Thank you, Filip for a most pleasurable experience. read more

The walking tour with Filip is the best one I have ever had. We got to know so many stories about SF history. It was so much fun when he showed us the fortune cookie factory and bought fortune cookies for us and we played a little game. He is very knowledgeable and have great sense of humor. He also showed us the secret rooftop garden. We enjoyed the tour very much and it was the best part of our trip to SF. I highly recommend his tour even for local people! I'm sure you will learn a lot! read more

Free SF Tour - Walking Tours Near Me - San Francisco, California

This was the best tour I've been and I have been on many! The walk starts at Union Square, goest through the old Red Light district, Chinatown's small alleyways, the Fortune Cookie Factory where the guide was so nice and bought us fortune cookies! After that he blew our mind with the stories about the Financial District and how San Francisco is built. This is the best introduction to the city but even if you're a local I doubt if you know all the history and people that built this city! Definitely go check this tour out! read more

I would like to say that this is by far one of the best tours I've taken, Filip has developed such an engaging story and made me realize this city is even more interesting than I ever knew after living here for so long. I really recommend this tour if you want to have a great time while learning all the things that make San Francisco such a fantastic city! Vk read more

Filip was a wonderfully entertaining and knowledgeable tour guide. His tour starts in Union Square and goes to Chinatown, the Financial District, and ends at Embarcadero. We had a really great time hearing all the stories that makes San Francisco unique... Most of the details Filip mentioned were things we never would have noticed ourselves. It made our appreciation for SF that much stronger! Sugar daddies, Shanghai-ing, gold rush fever, buried boats, hidden gardens - - what's not to love? It was also a really nice treat to have some surprise fortune cookies in the middle of the tour. Thank you Filip for a great tour!! read more

Spent my first morning in San Fran walking around the city and learning about its history with this group. Such a great experience! It was definitely a good way to learn some facts AND meet other people who are also visiting. Our tour guide was energetic and knowledgeable even though it was only the fifth tour he had given ever. I won't ruin any of the surprises here, but if you're looking to spend 2 hours exploring the city, this is surely the way to do it. Yes, the tour is totally free AND they send you a list of must-go-to spots in the area for no cost, but you'll love the experience so much that you'll want to give a little $$$ to your guide. Cool tip: if you didn't bring cash, no worries. You can send over gratuity via Venmo. read more

Was starting off good but towards the end got very political and didn't get to see as much when we were standing and listening to him talk for 30 minutes. Then was the only couple that got approached about leaving a tip after I had already sent him money. I would've rather stuck a fork in my eye then do this tour again. read more

Ireland, Germany, Australia, Yugoslavia/Macedonia, Canada, Tennessee, SF, Los Angeles/ CA represented. This wasn't a UN convention though, it was our tour group. You realize how beautiful and diverse SF is that can bring people from so many different backgrounds to one special place. If you're looking for a fun, informative tour THIS IS IT!! FILIP is the one to go to! He is a wealth of knowledge about his beloved city that'll you'll fall in love with it too. This is not your touristy 'Fisherman's wharf kinda tour,' it's a 'look in detail at a few places that grew into this beautiful city experience.' Even if you've been to the city a million times, there's still something interesting you will learn on this tour. Bring your walking shoes, it is a walking tour afterall. it's a leisurely pace. Ask anything you want, Filip knows it all! I won't give too much away. But if you've got 2-2.5h to spare, meet at the Tony Bennett heart in Union Square (10a or 2p) and look for the happy guy holding an Orange sign. Enjoy! Say hello to Filip for me! read more

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Excellent tour in San Francisco! Our tour guide, Franco, was very knowledgeable and friendly. I highly recommend the tour

I'm so glad I did this tour on Sat/23 April 2022.  Entertaining, insightful, interesting route, and I learned about hidden gems.  At the end of the tour Filip e-mailed participants his custom, superb "The Manual of San Francisco." Thank you so much and I hope you continue doing this tour as long as possible, Filip. (note: masks were optional in SF and on the tour the day I did it). read more

I only had 3/4 of a day left in San Fran and I was turned onto Free SF Tour by a coworker of mine and wow, am I ever glad I went. I messaged Filip, who started up the business to see if I could bring my suitcase along with me and head out just before the end of the tour, so that I could make my flight with ample time. He was extremely receptive and even offered to alter the tour to accommodate my schedule. Wow! When I arrived at Union Square, the starting point of the tour, I met up with Kevin, as he was the one leading the tour on the day I went. We got to chatting before the full group arrived and wow, what a nice guy!. He was relatively new to the city (moving to SF from Holland "for love" in April of 2017) but through running the tour and learning from Filip, he's become extremely knowledgeable about all the local tips, tricks, and history of the city. We had an extremely interesting and history-filled tour, going through Union Square, Maiden Lane, Chinatown, back out through the Financial District, and then finally to the Transamerica Pyramid, where I had to take my leave. There are a few more spots along the way that other reviews mention and I definitely think that you should check out the tour for yourselves to go experience them, this awesome way. Kevin was hilarious and knowledgeable, telling us stories that were both historical and extremely amusing. We learned about quite a few little insider stories, such as: the story of Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, the Grandmother of San Francisco, who modeled for the statue atop the Dewey Monument; "crimping" in Maiden Lane, where bartenders kidnapped men to put them aboard ships; Joshua Abraham Norton, the self-proclaimed Emperor of the United States; where the fortune cookie originated and how it was created by a Japanese man in America, for its later use in Chinese restaurants; and much, much more. Truly, this trip is amazing and you HAVE to go check it out! read more

Free SF Tour - My tour group in SF, with Kevin on the left! - Walking Tours Near Me - San Francisco, California

Do NOT MISS this tour! It was so informative - we learned more about San Fran in 3 hours than we did during any other visit to the city. Filip is so knowledgeable and passionate about his city! He engages everyone in the group and is pretty darn funny too. We had the best time - thanks Filip! Highly Recommend! read more

Filip is amazing! There are very few people I have met in my life that seem as genuinely kind as this man. His love for San Francisco certainly shows through his knowledge of the city. Being an East Bay native I learned so much from this guy about things I always had questions about regarding the city. He provided information in a very engaging way as well. Highly recommend this tour and more importantly to tip him well because the man deserves it! read more

Without a doubt, this walking tour was the highlight of our trip. The tour founder, Filip, was an encyclopedia of knowledge about this city. Filip took us all over downtown and Chinatown. It was an excellent experience. I highly recommend this tour for anyone interested in seeing San Francisco by foot read more

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Filip provided our tour today of the area around Union Square, Chinatown, and the Financial District. He was knowledgeable, thoughtful, engaging, and energetic. We learned a great deal of San Francisco history in under 2 hours. Keep in mind that this is San francisco- there are hills, so one must be able to manage them. That said, it's very easy to recommend this tour highly! read more

Booked the tour because I saw it on someone else's San Francisco recommendations. Filip's tour was fun and packed with cool information and sights. Definitely worth your time to experience! read more

My first encounter with this company was with Filip when I filled out the form on the site requesting help with directions to the tour. I was totally impressed with his quick response. We were coming from Newark so we took the BART to Powell Street and walked a few blocks to the site. It was so much easier than trying to find parking in San Francisco! Filip was the "flag holder " for the tour and knows SF with exceptional detail. Sidney was our outstanding tour guide. She was so knowledgeable about the city and brought it alive for my daughter and I with many interesting facts and her friendly personality. We met people from Germany and Turkey which I thought was really awesome. We walked for about 2.5 hrs yet it didn't feel that long. We did take breaks to take in sites or use the bathroom. I highly recommend this tour, you won't be disappointed! read more

I would not waste your time with the Mission/Castro tour. Our guide Peter missed the most iconic murals near 24th street. He walked us down the worst streets and just lacked the knowledge needed to be a tour guide. I think the City guides through the library vet their guides and require training and commitment. read more

We loved Filip and the tour. It was such a delight to walk around the high sky crapers, Chinatown and financial district with someone so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the city! Totally recommended. They're doing such a great job. read more

Sebastian was awesome! So entertaining and full of interesting history and fun facts about several spots in San Fran. read more

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Drove 40 miles for the tour. Showed up early. Waited until 2:20. No one showed up. Very disappointed :( I'm changing my 1 star to 4 stars...Filip personally and immediately responded. I understand he has no control over Bart and traffic. He offered to arrange another tour for me and promised to do it personally, which is extremely kind of him. Thank you, Filip. :) read more

This tour was informative, entertaining and super fun! Got to visit some great and historic parts of San Francisco, hear some amazing stories and truly appreciate this wonderful city and how it got to be that way. Loved the pace of the tour and the fact that our stopping points were always close to restrooms. While the tour did take a few hours the time just flew by! None of this would have been possible without our outstanding tour guide, Filip, who was born to do this tour. So knowledgeable, engaging, enthusiastic, patient, a great storyteller and he just loves the city of San Francisco. The tour was interactive with questions going both ways and I could not believe that he remembered all of our names (there were 12 of us)! Definitely recommend this to anyone visiting San Francisco for the first time or anytime -- you will surely be more informed, entertained and happier than when your day started. read more

We were a group of 4 in the tour so it felt semi private. We stopped at the union square monument, maiden lane, Chinatown Gate, the fortune cookie factory, the oldest temple, a Chinatown park, Transmerica Building, a bank, a public outdoor garden, and finally the ferry marketplace building. Our tour guide was friendly, accommodating, and entertaining although some of the stories were quite long and anticlimactic. The tour lasted 2.5 hours and we ended up walking ~5km. We stayed until the end because you can give him your email to receive a free 20 places to see in SF list, along with tips about what places are free at certain days/times. That was really useful! read more

Our tour guide was fantastic. I learned so much about SF. He had great stories and was very entertaining. I have been on paid tours that did not offer as much as this free tour (not counting the tip for our awesome tour guide). I highly recommend this tour company. read more

Great quality tour! Filip is very friendly and easy to talk to! Pros: - Knowledgeable about history of city - Tour is cohesive and well thought out. As a whole it ties together well - Filip genuinely enjoys the city and is passionate about his tours - Interactive - Fun stories Cons: - none Overall, 10/10 recommend read more

FilIp was our fun and informative tour guide . He definitely knows his stuff and has great tidbits of information to tell us about the things he pointed out to us . If you have a couple hours to spare , have fun with this tour . I was happy to tip him for his friendly and interesting tour of the area The tours begin at 10 am and 2 pm in the Union Square area near Geary and Powell read more

Filip was absolutely amazing! Im new to living in the city and his tips of things to see and do included some not so public hidden gems. His historical knowledge of the city was also on point. Highly recommended tour. Tip him generously as the tour was amazing!!!! read more

I have been on dozens of free walking tours through the US and Europe and this is one of the best tours and guides I've ever had. The tour route wound through several different neighborhoods and ended on a rooftop with a view! The guide, Filip, was friendly, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable about San Francisco's culture and history. He did a great job of telling the history of the city through stories that kept my attention. He also gave great recommendations of things to do in the city after the tour. Thanks Filip! I hope to see you again in Chicago! read more

Free SF Tour - Walking Tours Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Today we took the 2 o'clock tour with Jason. Such an awesome storyteller! We were a kinda large group. Jason knows his history and was willing to answer all of our questions. If he doesn't know the answer, he is honest about it. He shook hands with each and every one of us at the beginning of the tour. This is one of the best kept secrets of San Francisco! Take the tour, it's a great way to learn about the history of this fantastic city. Oh, and free fortune cookies too! read more

Not sure how to leave 4 1/2 stars...... The tour started a bit slow and the reason I think we lost one couple. However, it soon proved very informative, enjoyable, and went at a perfect pace with well-planned stops. SF has so many areas to visit and see! This tour was well-rounded, gave us the highlights on SF history, and covered enough of the downtown area, Chinatown, and even some interesting info on buildings and architecture. Thank you Jose Reyes for your energy and animated delivery. The only suggestion would be to clearly inform where the meeting point is on the square. For us it was by the "red heart" where everyone stops to take pictures. read more

Flip was so knowledgeable! And made the beautiful San Francisco come even more to life!!

I now understand why Filip gets perfect ratings. He has earned them. Filip took my work team and I through the looking glass and back. He enthralled us with his stories and engaged our minds. The team was getting together for its first post-covid offsite event and naturally we were skeptical. But within the first 5 minutes, Filip had the team onboard and buckled up for what would be a two hour wonderful ride into the past, present and future of his favorite city, San Francisco. The history, the characters, the culture all melted into our minds as he brought to life individuals and groups that have shaped the history of this town and at the same time he took us on a walk through its secret nooks. Filip explained things like no one could, unless they truly loved this city from the inside out. DO NOT MISS THIS TOUR. A cultural education, a reminder of our humanity. I asked Filip to give us a "SF CIty Tour". He decided that was just the beginning. Thank you Filip. From the bottom of my heart! read more

Great time with Sydney. She takes you thru some of the most interesting parts of the city, teaches you about the history and uncovers fascinating facts along the way. Well worth the time. read more

Free SF tour is awesome! I moved to SF 4 years ago and have never explored the city by foot. Few of my friends who were visiting from Europe, told me that walking tour is one of the best thing to do on a sunny day like this Sunday was. We have heard about Phillip and Free SF Tour through a mutual friend of ours, and decided to give it a try. Phillip kept feeding us with unique history and facts about San Francisco , and we barely noticed that it's been a 3 hours tour from union square , through china town , to the embarcadero. It was so much fun! If you want to see San Francisco through the eyes of the locals, and learn a lot about its history , this is the tour that I will highly recommend you to do. read more

This tour was incredible. Philip is so passionate about San Francisco and it shows in his knowledge and energy. We learned so much about the city's history in two hours and Philip took care to make sure everyone was enjoying themselves and getting their questions answered. I couldn't believe this was a FREE tour. Go on this tour, even if you live in this city. read more

Free SF Tour was a blast. Filip, the guide, did a great job of showing me and my friends around the city. It was great to be able to explore the city with an actual local (for free). I definitely suggest doing this when/if you're in San Francisco. read more

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