A+ to my Bestie for finding out about these port of Oakland Harbour tour tickets…read more We arrived at 5:45-ish and they were already about 100 people in front of us so we were a bit iffy on if we would be able to make it onto the ship or not... but to my surprise, we were able to. Of course, with stand-up space only (some seats were still available on the inside) This cruise was very informative on what's going on in the harbor... really enjoyable and I can tell that The tour speakers love their job. Great views! Does get a bit chilly, but you're in the bay so of course. Got much closer to the Baybridge than I was expecting. Great experience and I would love to go again

Every season, the Port of Oakland offers free 90-minute tours if the port in the Red and White…read moreFerry. I just happened to go on the dirt one this year. The weather was perfect and it was a fun, engaging experience. They narrate most of the ride out, pointing out significant ships and places along the channel. You pass Alameda, sail over BART, glide under the Bay Bridge, and cruise by Angel Island. If you listen, you will definitely learn something new. The best place to sit or stand is on the right (facing Oakland). I was inside, because I needed to sit, but there was easy access to the back of the boat. I got some great pics. There is also easy access to the snack bar. They have candy, chips, soda, and other snackables. The surprise offering was cup of noodles, which seemed really popular. They did a brisk business the whole trip. The best parts for me were the cranes, seeing the bridge up close, and check your the lighthouse on Angel Island, particularly the cranes. Shout to George Lucas. He claims the cranes weren't the inspiration for the imperial walkers on Hoth. We all know better. Anyway, be prepared to stand in line a bit before boarding (like at least 1/2 an hour), lots of people, and lots of kids. It seemed popular with families. Time seemed approximate. The tour started "late" and ended a bit late. Nothing too obscene, just don't plan anything immediately following. The tours are popular, so sign up early. Again, it's free, and it's pretty delightful. Definitely recommended.

Didn't know what to do for my birthday, and came across this beer bike tour. I don't drink, but I…read morefigured it would be fun and my friends can do the drinking. It was very easy to book online on their website. We were a group of 12. It was $27.5 for each of us. If you have 14 people you would get a deal for $25 a person, and the whole bike would be yours. Our "driver," Travis was real nice and laid back. We didn't go too far, but it was more for the experience. It lasts about 2-2.5 hours. We biked to 3 different breweries, and hung out at each for about 30 mins. It was fun! I would definitely do it again!

My friend booked this tour for her birthday outing, and we all had a great time! We had 11 people…read moreon one vehicle. The only downside is that the two seats above the back wheels don't have pedals, so only 10 people can bike at a time (5 people on each side). This may not be a bad thing if you get tired and want to take turns pedaling. It was $27.50 a person, and every individual is required to sign a waiver. The vehicle has shelves inside where you can store your belongings and there are cup holders on the table for you to place your water or phone. There are seatbelts for each chair, but none of us really used them (oops). They also have an aux cord, so you can play your music while pedaling! We met our tour guide at Independent Brewing Company. He was very friendly and considerate that we were a little late. Before we got started, he asked what type of drinks we were interested in. He took us Seawolf first, then Slainte and we finished at Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon. All were great choices although Slainte was my favorite. Neat Irish tavern with people playing live music inside. Heinold's was a little small and claustrophobic, but they are known for their beer. When we returned to our vehicle after the second bar, our tour guide came in clutch and stocked our cup holders with pretzels and water. Please don't forget to tip your tour guides! The tour was about 2 hours long. No, drinks are not included in the fee. But this was a fun way to get around the neighborhood, drink, laugh, dance, sing, and overall just be together with friends. Highly recommend!

Bay Area Green Tours is an authentic touring company! BAGT is thorough in their quest to research…read moreand identify locations, people, and events that are consistent with their mission of educating around localism and a cyclical ECO-nomy. They provide the connections between the local context and the bigger picture and inspire action towards a sustainable, regenerative future. Marissa's on-the-pulse connections create unique and non-"tourist" experiences that are organized and professionally delivered. I'm honored to have been a visiting guide on a custom tour we developed around the local textiles and maker community in Oakland. The tour included personal studio visits with local makers, a lunch stop at a local artisanal eatery, wine tasting and ended with a sewing workshop where the participants created a collaborative wall hanging as a keepsake for the honoree's birthday. Hiroko Kurihara Co-Founder Oakland Makers Hiroko Kurihara Designs

For those looking for something truly unique to do in the bay area, I highly recommend this tour…read more I'm not going to try and butter this review up here. Let's be honest - I am not a farm person. I appreciate a good meal but am not one who normally spends much time worrying about where my food comes from. So I expected to be bored on this trip, frankly. Boy was I wrong. This trip blew my expectations away. It was a great mix of different farms and different ways of doing things, and I felt like a kid again on a super-fun field trip where you got to explore and touch and watch the makings of where your food comes from. The farmers were genuine, down-to-earth people and were serious farm-fresh foodies. We literally had meals prepared for us by the farmers right in front of us and they were SO DELICIOUS. I got to pick my own tomatoes right off the vine. I even learned about fruits and vegetables I'd never even heard of. Oh, did I mention I got to try them out, too? The environment was relaxed. The guides were very knowledgeable and interesting. And the design of the event was really mellow but well planned. Did I mention the views? These properties are just amazing. What awesome country to get to go hang out in. Between all the exploring, wine, food and learning, the day went by fast and I got to take in a ton of beautiful sites. This tour was a find. After having my parents visit the bay area regularly and running out of creative things to do with them, I know where I am taking them next. What a great and unique thing to do on your weekend.

We had a great time on the Bay this weekend on the USS Potomac for Opening Day. Not only did we get…read moreblessed we were second in line behind the fireboats in the Parade of Ships. An experience I truly recommend!!

Delightful positive excursion to set foot on a naval officer vessel. It may be from the earlier…read more20th century during the time of Roosevelt. I am not sure. It says World War II. It shows old radios and it uses beds for family members of the naval officer. Nice view of Jack London Square and the ferry from Oakland. It was nice outing and walkable near Chinatown and the Bart station. The railroad is nearby and desolate. Interesting history option near San Francisco. They showed the submarines and this old naval officer boat. It was positive and neat. There's a gift shop and topics. The theme is presidential and I bet it was used by a naval officer.

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.

What an incredible experience! I expected to see a few sights and get some pictures - this was so…read moremuch more. it was so fascinating learning the history of the city. Jack was so friendly and personable. I loved riding in Poppy!! She was so beautiful! Thank you Jack, for our tour. We loved it so much!! We will definitely do it again!! (loved his personal touch's about his history of San Francisco and his adventures and seeing where he was married!! Love live lived the personalization and his personality. He was fantastic!!)

I had a great time on Chris' Mission District Food Tour with my work team this week. He's an ideal…read moretour guide--fun and fast paced, but leaves plenty of time for you to enjoy. Enthusiastic about food and local history, and knowledgeable about the unique people and places we visited. Our group spanned all ages and dietary restrictions; a consideration when looking for a "team building" off-site, and he was very accommodating to make it a fun experience for everyone. He did little contests and raffles throughout, and we had a mural tour with a really nice souvenir photo of our group. I organize a lot of these kinds of group activities, and not all food tours are created equal. I highly recommend this one, whether you're organizing a work thing, having visitors from out of town, or are newcomers to SF. You won't be disappointed.

Three words: BOOK THIS TOUR!…read more If you want an unforgettable SF experience, this is the activity to do. Take their helpful tip of coming with an empty stomach because by the end of the tour you'll definitely be stuffed. On top of amazing food, you'll learn so much fascinating history about the local SF food culture. I've done both the Mission and North Beach/Chinatown tours and each were incredible. From a corporate team bonding event to a fun experience to share with friends, this is a great activity for all occasions. Chris is top notch and the best storyteller! His passion and love for food, the community, and its people are what truly creates the magic of these tours. I'm so grateful for all that he's done!

Extremely entertaining and spooky! We really enjoyed learning about places on and around campus,…read moreand exploring haunted buildings. Ying has so much knowledge and has really done her research, so by the time you're done, even skeptics may find their minds have opened just a bit. I appreciated hearing about Ying's own journey from simply documenting others to experiencing phenomena herself. Highly recommended!

This is a really fun tour of San Francisco and there's a Berkely tour! She is a great story teller,…read morehas done her research, and has experienced paranormal activity herself! The stories are true and the experiences are real! Bring a flashlight and your ghost hunting gear! I have been on the SF tour many times, so far my favorite experience is the Marine that refused to go into a famously haunted area.

As part of a small contingent of Yelp Elites, I was fortunate enouh to go on Savor Oakland Food…read moreTours' tour of Oakland Chinatown. For anyone not hardcore Chinese, like myself, this tour is a necessity for braving the Andrew Zimmern-like delights of Oakland Chinatown. I mean, let's face it. Many of us are are going to have at least some amount of trepidation about diving right into the restaurants & markets of Oakland Chinatown. But with Carlo's trusty & knowledgable guidance, we were all able to relax & really enjoy the wonders that this non-touristy Chinatown has to offer. & it wasn't all about food. Though there was more than enough downright delicious food at each our 4 restaurant stops to stuff all of us, even with plenty of walking during the tour. The Oakland Chinatown tour also had a healthy helping of history mixed in that deepened the understanding & appreciation of this neighborhood. Savor Oakland Food Tours' tour of Oakland Chinatown was truly a mouth-watering & eye-opening experience. Knowing what a great tour this is, I know I'll have to check out their Jack London Square tour sometime.

This was one of the events from Yelp's 10th Birthday celebration weekend. The tour I went on was…read morethe Jack London Square tour with Geneva as our tour guide. Here were all our stops, which took 3 hours: 1. Home of Chicken and Waffles, 2. Oakland Supply Co. 3. Blue Bottle 4. Authentic Bagel Company 5. lOAKal 6. Rosenblum Cellars 7. Baia Pasta 8. Forge 9. Bocanova 10. Miette And there were other stops along the way where we learned the history of the area, including who Jack London was. Geneva was an awesome tour guide! She's so passionate about showcasing what Oakland has to offer in hopes to shed the negative image. And the tour was evenly paced, not too fast, not too slow. More importantly, the food was delicious and I was quite full at the end! If it wasn't for Yelp, I would never, ever heard about this tour, let alone be in Oakland. I hope to go on their other tours soon, and perhaps discover Oakland on my own!

Amelia was our gondolier, she was so knowledgeable and easy to chat with. Very friendly and…read moreexcellent service. The whole experience was very well thought out and we left wanting to go again. It reminds me of wanting to go back up to jump again after skydiving. Highly recommend a sunset booking with Amelia, although I'm sure the other gondoliers are also great. The bucket of ice and glassware was a nice touch. The provided water was delicious. I don't write many reviews, but this was truly a standout experience that my partner and I look forward to doing again.

What a fantastic experience! Not only are the boat and lake beautiful, but the people running it,…read moreLeah and George, are fabulous. Very relaxing on the water at dusk. I would love to go again at night, when the gondola is lit with candlelight. A unique way to enjoy the city. The atmospheric lounge was humming with a lively birthday party while we were there, and it just added to our experience. I think you can rent the lounge apart from the gondola ride. It's in the same building as Lake Chalet, but is a separate space. What a spot for a party!

Walt from Walt's Adventures adventuring at the Menagerie Hill Ranch in Vacaville, California…read more Life can be interpreted as more fulfilling when filled with adventures. It is wise to step outside your environment and, in the case of this current venture, go visit an Alpaca farm. The Menagerie Hill ranch has beautiful animals. The host was awesome and knowledgeable. We increased our knowledge of the animals and of the farm but also got to feed them. We also had the opportunities to get close and personal with them for pictures. They were all friendly and fluffy. I recommend this unique experience for all because if you do not just break your usual pattern to stop and smell the roses or to pet and feed an Alpaca, life will pass by before you know it. Put your life on pause just for a few hours and go see the Alpacas. They would like to share peace with you. You can find them at the Menagerie Hill Ranch

This was a memorable trip. We were originally slated to visit in late June before my birthday but…read moreboth Deb and Kirk were recovering from surgery. We stayed in touch over the next several weeks before settling on an August date. We braved the high temps and winding roads to arrive at the ranch. It's a beautiful space on a hillside and you can see the herd and their guardian llama as you pull into the parking lot. We learned a lot about the alpaca life cycle, fed the boys, and my daughter got to hold and carry a cria. We bought two cute alpaca shaped soaps. I didn't experience any of the negativity others have complained about. It is a working ranch so it's not a petting zoo or a tourist attraction. Go with the flow and you'll have a great experience.