San Francisco · SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY TOURS

15 San Francisco History Tours to Book This Trip

23 tours  ·  from $25 a head

Visitors usually get three or four days here, and these 15 san francisco history tours justify a slot in them. Prices and durations are on every entry.

Chinatown & North BeachLittle Italy: 7 Tastings & History - North Beach’s Italian flavors
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Chinatown & North BeachLittle Italy: 7 Tastings & History

1.Chinatown & North BeachLittle Italy: 7 Tastings & History

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,070 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $96Our pick

Walk from Chinatown’s Dragon Gate to North Beach with a local guide, sampling dim sum, tea, a Chinese meal, chocolate, cannoli and pizza along the way. The four-hour tour costs $96, includes food and non-alcoholic drinks, and caps groups at 15. Guides include Brian, Isabella, Andre and Scott, though your guide is not guaranteed.

“Don’t make dinner reservations. The tour is 4+ hours long and you won’t be hungry when you’re done. The guide loves the sound of his voice.”

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North Beach & Little Italy Walking Tour: Food, History & Flavor - Molinari and Stella: old neighborhood favorites
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North Beach & Little Italy Walking Tour: Food, History & Flavor

2.North Beach & Little Italy Walking Tour: Food, History & Flavor

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,044 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $86

Walk North Beach with a local guide, sampling espresso, cannoli, deli meats, focaccia, pizza, and chocolate while hearing about Italian San Francisco and the Beat generation. Guides include Brian, Ryan, Scott, Andre, and Isabella, though your guide may vary. The tour lasts about three hours, includes food and non-alcoholic drinks, and meets near Washington Square Park.

“Great experience! Tons of food and lots of culture and history! Stops in Little Italy and Chinatown.”

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Chinatown Walking Tour: Food, History & Flavor - Alleys, side streets and stories beyond the main drag
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Chinatown Walking Tour: Food, History & Flavor

3.Chinatown Walking Tour: Food, History & Flavor

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 575 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $86

Walk from Dragon Gate through San Francisco’s Chinatown with a local guide and a group of no more than 15. Expect stories of immigration and neighborhood life, tastings such as dim sum and BBQ pork buns, a visit to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, Stockton Street markets and a tea tasting. Guides have included Ryan, Andre and Scott, but your guide may vary.

“Do it. I’ve been to China town before but had missed so much history on my own. Andre did a great job at showing us hidden gems.”

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#1 Sonoma Walking Food, Wine Tasting & History Tour (Public Tour) - Mission history and the Bear Flag story
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#1 Sonoma Walking Food, Wine Tasting & History Tour (Public Tour)

4.#1 Sonoma Walking Food, Wine Tasting & History Tour (Public Tour)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 457 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $189

Walk about 1.25 miles around Sonoma Plaza with a local guide such as Abby or Caroline, stopping for local cheese, olive oil, chocolate, a Mexican lunch, a margarita and one wine tasting. Along the way, hear about Sonoma’s Spanish and Mexican past, early wine industry and Bear Flag history. The three-hour tour starts at 11 am and is capped at 10 people.

“Cheese, lunch with a cocktail, ice cream, chocolate, wine and Abi made this a great experience!!!!!!”

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San Francisco Whiskey Cocktail Class: Views and City History - Getting to Treasure Island
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San Francisco Whiskey Cocktail Class: Views and City History

5.San Francisco Whiskey Cocktail Class: Views and City History

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 206 reviews · 1 hour 20 minutes (approx.) · from $69

On Treasure Island, a bartender leads you through three Gold Bar whiskey tastings and hands-on lessons for a Whiskey Sour, Old Fashioned, and Paper Plane. The 80-minute class also covers San Francisco, Treasure Island, and the art deco building. Expect a small group of up to eight, with guides such as Nick, Will, or Weston. Reach the venue by car or a six-minute ferry from the Ferry Building.

“So much fun and Nick was an excellent teacher with an abundance of patience! We made three cocktails and did some tasting in between as we learned about the whiskey we were using.”

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Chinatown Food & History Walking Tour - Small Group - Old St. Mary’s links the walk to Chinatown
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Chinatown Food & History Walking Tour – Small Group

6.Chinatown Food & History Walking Tour – Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 36 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $85

This 2.5-hour Chinatown walk starts at Dragon’s Gate and ends at Portsmouth Square. Expect neighborhood history, bakery cookies, an individual dim sum box, and a visit to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookies Co. Guides including Joseph and Robert have led the tour, though your guide may vary. The group is capped at 12.

“Our tour guide was so great! He's a native of San Francisco and truly gave us more than what we expected. We felt more connected in the city where we work.”

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History Walking Tour of Healdsburg - The Healdsburg Museum and its current exhibit
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History Walking Tour of Healdsburg

7.History Walking Tour of Healdsburg

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $45

Join Healdsburg guide Linda Cook for a 90-minute walk from Harmon Guest House to the Healdsburg Museum. You’ll see a current museum exhibit, visit century-old Costeaux French Bakery, hear local history and get tips for exploring town. Tea, chocolate and local favorites add a tasty pause. Groups are capped at 10.

“What a fabulous walking tour in beautiful downtown Healdsburg! Our tour guide Linda, sure was so wonderful with her smile and she was so excited to share history about Healdsburg. I highly recommend this tour!”

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San Francisco: Chinatown Food and History Walking Tour - Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral adds a different perspective
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San Francisco: Chinatown Food and History Walking Tour

8.Chinatown Food and History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 27 reviews · 2h 30m · from $85

Spend 150 minutes walking San Francisco’s Chinatown with a local English-speaking guide and a group of up to 12. Visit Stockton Street, Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Portsmouth Square, and a fortune cookie factory, with tastings at Eastern Bakery and Delicious Dim Sum. Joseph is a guide whose history storytelling has drawn particular praise, though guide assignments may vary.

“The Guide was very experienced, friendly and fullfilled all our needs. We have got a lot of Information and insights into the history. Thank you!”

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North Beach Food & History Walking Tour - Small Group - Saint Francis of Assisi and its murals
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North Beach Food & History Walking Tour – Small Group

9.North Beach Food & History Walking Tour – Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 25 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $89

Walk North Beach with a guide such as Joseph, stopping at Saint Francis of Assisi Church, Stella Pastry, Washington Square, Golden Boy Pizza, City Lights, and The Stinking Rose. Tastings include pastry and coffee, a pizza slice, and a drink or garlic dish. The tour lasts about two hours and takes up to 12 people.

“Joseph was engaging and informative; we learned a lot and ate delicious iconic local food. It was a wonderful experience! Thank you!”

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Delicious Fun Food and History Tour of North Beach and Beyond! - Biordi Art Imports and Italian ceramics
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Delicious Fun Food and History Tour of North Beach and Beyond!

10.Delicious Fun Food and History Tour of North Beach and Beyond!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 22 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $79

Join North Beach resident Blandina Farley for a three-hour food and history walk, with Italian sweets, neighborhood shops, churches, and working art studios. The group is capped at 12. You can add an exploration of nearby Chinatown, and the tour starts and ends at 412 Columbus Avenue.

“Blandina takes pride in her North Beach Little Italy neighborhood in SF. She knows so many details of a lot of the stores, restaurants, churches that have been around for 100 years. Everyone knows her! She is very knowledgeable about the music scene and all our local celebrities like Santana, Grateful Dead, Joplin, jack kerouac, etc. There are a few treats to indulge in at a few places like Stella bakery, Palermo Deli, Mario’s Bohemian cigar shop, Z Cioccolato. It was great to see the inside of St. Peter’s and Paul’s church and St. Francis church to see the marble from Italy and the stained glassed windows. It was also…”

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#1 Sonoma Walking Food, Wine Tasting & History Tour (Private) - What makes this Sonoma walk worth considering
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#1 Sonoma Walking Food, Wine Tasting & History Tour (Private)

11.#1 Sonoma Walking Food, Wine Tasting & History Tour (Private)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 3 hours (approx.)

Take a private, three-hour walking tour of Sonoma Plaza, with food and wine tastings that add up to lunch. Your local guide weaves in stories about the town’s Spanish and Mexican heritage, Italian immigrants, wineries, and Bear Flag Revolt. Guides Abby and Caroline have led tours, though your guide may vary. The tour starts at 11:00 am and serves groups of up to eight.

“What a memorable day in Sonoma. Abby was a great tour guide. She shared a lot of knowledge, history and fun facts about Sonoma. There was so much to enjoy, cheese, a special margarita and delicious Mexican avocado, chicken entrée, the amazing flavors of locally made ice cream, olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting, wine, tasting, and delicious chocolate to top off the day. Sonoma’s charm will be a beautiful memory forever because of this tour. I highly recommend this for a new adventure.”

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San Francisco Ghost Hunt: Haunted History Walking Tour - What the 90-Minute Walk Is Like
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San Francisco Ghost Hunt: Haunted History Walking Tour

12.San Francisco Ghost Hunt: Haunted History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 1h 30m · from $30

Join magician and actor Christian Cagigal for a 90-minute ghost walk through Pacific Heights. You’ll hear researched tales of San Francisco’s haunted past, see Victorian architecture, learn about the neighborhood’s survival of the 1906 earthquake, and finish with close-up magic. The route covers about a mile, includes one steep climb, and starts and ends near Bush and Octavia.

“Our tour guide k eww his stuff! Weather was nice and learned alot about the history of San Francisco when it came to their past.”

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San Francisco: North Beach & Chinatown Food History Tour - North Beach: Gold Rush stories, Italian food
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San Francisco: North Beach & Chinatown Food History Tour

13.North Beach & Chinatown Food History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 11 reviews · 4h 30m · from $99

Follow a small-group route from the Transamerica Pyramid through the Barbary Coast, North Beach, and Chinatown. Sample 15-plus foods, from Italian pastries and pizza to dim sum and fresh fortune cookies, while a local guide connects the stops to San Francisco’s Gold Rush and jazz age. Stuart, a San Francisco native, has led the tour.

“Phenomenal tour. A must do when in San Francisco. You think you know North Beach and Chinatown not until you have experienced this tour from this perspective. Stuart is meant to lead this tour. The passion, the enthusiasm, the knowledge and the beyond kindness of this human being is what you wished all tour guides could possess. I truly feel as if I met a long time friend from California. Money well spent.”

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San Francisco: Mission District Food & History Walking Tour - A park, a statue, and one golden hydrant
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San Francisco: Mission District Food & History Walking Tour

14.Mission District Food & History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 10 reviews · 3h 30m · from $99

Join a local English-speaking guide for a 3.5-hour walk from Mission Dolores to Balmy Alley, with Mission District history, street art, architecture, and food tastings. The route includes the chapel, its gardens and cemetery, Mission Dolores Park, Café de Olla, and Mission Street. Joseph has led some tours, though your guide may vary.

“Joseph was exceptional and the tour was so much more than my friends and I had expected. He is from the community we toured and knew so much about its history, art, music, food, people and architecture. He brought us to places I never would have discovered on my own and I live in the Bay Area. I highly recommend it!”

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San Francisco: Castro District LGBTQ+ History Tour - FAQ
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San Francisco: Castro District LGBTQ+ History Tour

15.Castro District LGBTQ+ History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 1h 30m · from $39

Spend 90 minutes in the Castro with Eric, a sixth-generation San Francisco native, historian, queer organizer, and activist. Visit memorials and sites tied to Harvey Milk, while learning how military policy, the White Night Riots, and a 1979 rights ordinance shaped the neighborhood.

“Eric was a great tour guide. Very knowledgeable and very passionate about discussing the history of the Castro district. But highly recommend him.”

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