When we decided to visit San Francisco, I knew I wanted to do some kind of tour. I researched a…read morebunch of options and even considered one of the hop-on, hop-off buses, but then I came across the Painted Ladies Tour. I watched several videos, read reviews, and quickly realized this was a completely different kind of tour.
The tour takes place in a vintage VW van that looks like something straight out of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine. Honestly, even the vehicle itself makes the experience fun! It's also a much more intimate experience than a large bus tour, which was exactly what I was looking for. It ended up being one of our absolute favorite things we did in San Francisco.
Our guide, Clay, met us just a couple of blocks from our hotel, which was another huge bonus. We didn't have to take any additional public transportation to get to the tour. It was my daughter and me, another mother and daughter, and their aunt, so we had a really small group. Clay made sure we rotated seats throughout the tour so everyone got a different perspective and everyone had a chance to sit up front for the best views.
One of the first things Clay did was explain what actually makes a "Painted Lady" a Painted Lady. We got to see so many examples throughout the city, and one of our favorites was the Four Seasons. It was really interesting learning the history behind the homes rather than just driving past them and taking pictures.
We drove through the Haight-Ashbury area, where Clay explained how housing costs and the population have changed over the years. We even saw the iconic home with the legs sticking out of one of the windows, which is a pretty funny representation of just how packed some of the homes became.
We also got to see the former homes of Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix. Being able to see those places in person and hear the history behind them was really cool.
Our first stop where we actually got out of the van was Alamo Square Park, where the iconic Full House opening scene was filmed. This was probably the number one thing my daughter wanted to see, so she was thrilled! We got out, took pictures, and Clay was kind enough to take pictures of both of us together so neither of us had to be the person left out of the photos.
Next, we drove by the house from Mrs. Doubtfire. Clay actually happened to see them filming part of the movie when he was younger, which made the stop even more interesting. Then came another major highlight for my daughter--we got to see the school from The Princess Diaries!
From there, we headed to the Palace of Fine Arts, where we learned about its connection to the World's Fair. We stopped to take pictures, and I have to mention one of my favorite random moments of the entire tour: seeing a Golden Retriever riding in a convertible, absolutely living his best life. It was one of those completely unexpected San Francisco moments that made the day even better.
Since we were already in the area, we also stopped to take pictures with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.
But the absolute highlight of the tour came next.
Clay took us to Lombard Street, turned the music way up, blasted "Born to Be Wild," and let us cruise down the famous winding street with the windows down. We were all singing along, laughing, and taking in the experience. It was honestly one of the most iconic and memorable moments of our entire San Francisco trip.
The tour was also perfectly timed. We spent the morning seeing so much of the city, but we were finished early enough to walk back to our hotel, have some downtime, and regroup before lunch. We never felt rushed, but we also didn't lose an entire day to the tour.
I would absolutely recommend the Painted Ladies Tour to anyone visiting San Francisco. It's such a fun and personal way to see the city and learn about its history. Instead of sitting on a huge bus with dozens of other people, you're in a small group, getting to interact with your guide and really experience the city.
And Clay was fantastic. He was knowledgeable, personable, and made the history fun for both the adults and the kids in our group. He took pictures for us, made sure everyone got a chance to experience the best seats, and really made the entire morning feel special.
If you're looking for something more personal than a traditional sightseeing bus, I can't recommend this tour enough. Between the Mystery Machine-style van, the history, the movie locations, the Golden Gate Bridge, and singing "Born to Be Wild" down Lombard Street, this was easily one of our favorite memories from San Francisco.
