15 History Tours in San Francisco Worth Booking

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

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

Spend about four hours walking from Chinatown’s Dragon Gate to North Beach, with dim sum, tea, a Chinese meal, chocolate, cannoli, pizza, and local stories along the way. Guides may include Brian, Isabella, Andre, Andrea, or Scott. Expect generous portions, hills, and a small group capped at 15.

“Great tour, lots of walking up and down the hills. Lots of Chinese, not as much Italian food as we would like. Where is the tiramisu”

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

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

Walk San Francisco’s North Beach with a local guide such as Brian, Ryan, Andre, Scott, or Isabella. Taste coffee, cannoli, deli meats, focaccia, arancini, pizza, fudge, and more while hearing about Italian immigrant life, Beat poets, family businesses, and Saints Peter and Paul Church.

“Informative and interesting walking food tour of North Beach area with lots of organized tastes from local shops and restaurants. Our knowledgable guide Brian who also was a local resident gave lots of insider tips and history on the local district which made the time go very quickly. An excellent tour to get the feel of Little Italy.”

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3.Chinatown Walking Tour: Food, History & Flavor

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

Start at Dragon Gate and walk Chinatown’s alleys, markets, tea shop, and food stops with a local guide such as Ryan, Andre, or Scott. Tastings include dim sum, BBQ pork buns, pastries, fortune cookies, tea, and possibly Peking duck. The three-hour route serves as both lunch and neighborhood introduction.

“This was more a history and culture tour than a foodie tour. Our guide, Scott, was a wealth of information and was able to weave history and pop culture together in a single tour. Scott was exceptional at keeping our attention and involving us in the questions and answers. I would say that some of the food stops had great food (e.g. "Scott's noodles" - these are off-menu, the Vital Tea Leaf Shop) whereas the rest was just okay. I would definitely recommend you go for the history, but if you're only interested in food, I might forgo a tour and find places on your own.”

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

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

At Gold Bar Whiskey Distillery on Treasure Island, a bartender such as Nick, Will, Weston, or Johnny leads a small class of up to eight. You taste three whiskies, make a Whiskey Sour, Old Fashioned, and Paper Plane, and hear stories about San Francisco and the art deco building.

“Sooooo fun!!! Weston was our bartender and he was absolutely amazing!! So fun and professional and knowledgeable. 10/10 reccommend!!!!! Beautiful venue, great cocktails. I honestly didn’t even like whiskey before. I’m a fan now!”

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5.Chinatown Food & History Walking Tour – Small Group

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

Walk San Francisco Chinatown with a guide such as Joseph or Robert, stopping at Dragon’s Gate, Eastern Bakery, Delicious Dim Sum, and a fortune-cookie factory. You’ll taste dim sum, cookies, and bakery treats while learning how Chinatown shaped San Francisco. The small group has a maximum of 12 people.

“Super competent and friendly guide! Nice Food, Places that I would have missed without the tour. Thank you!”

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6.Chinatown Food and History Walking Tour

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

Meet at Dragon's Gate for a 150-minute Chinatown walk with an English-speaking Gray Line guide. Visit Stockton Street, Old Saint Mary's Cathedral, Portsmouth Square, Eastern Bakery, Delicious Dim Sum, and a fortune cookie factory. Groups are limited to 12.

“Tour was comprehensive. Better than we could have hoped. Joseph had an encyclopedic knowledge of the area and history. Outstanding job all the way around.”

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

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

Join Blandina Farley for a three-hour, small-group walk through North Beach, San Francisco’s Little Italy. Sample treats, visit Biordi Art Imports and Z. Cioccolato, see historic churches and working art spaces, and add Chinatown for a broader neighborhood tour.

“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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8.San Francisco Ghost Hunt: Haunted History Walking Tour

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

Walk about a mile through Pacific Heights with guide Christian Cagigal, hearing researched stories tied to San Francisco’s haunted past. The easy-paced route includes one steep hill, Victorian streets, earthquake history, and a close-up magic finale. Meet at 1801 Bush Street.

“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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9.North Beach & Chinatown Food History Tour

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

Join San Francisco native Stuart for a 4.5-hour, small-group walk through the Financial District, Barbary Coast, North Beach, and Chinatown. Expect 15+ tastings, from dim sum and pizza to chocolates and fortune cookies, plus local history and introductions to small business owners.

“Stuart als ortskundiger Guide war einfach genial. Er kannte viele Leute im italienischen, chinesischen Viertel persönlich. Die verschiedenen Verkostungen waren einfach nur lecker. Jeder hat noch eine Tüte mit Essen mitgenommen da es einfach zu viel war. Mein Favorit- „Molinari“. Diese Tour mit dem Guide kann ich nur empfehlen.”

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10.Mission District Food & History Walking Tour

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

Spend 210 minutes walking the Mission District with local guide Joseph, visiting Mission Dolores, the Golden Fire Hydrant, Mission Street, Café de Olla, and Balmy Alley. Expect history, architecture, murals, coffee, tamales, tortillas, tacos, and a practical taste of one of San Francisco’s most distinctive neighborhoods.

“Our tour guide, Joseph, was fantastic! I highly recommend him and this tour. Get off the beaten path and learn and about the rich history, culture and great food stops of The Mission. Joseph is a local to that particular area and taught us so much about the area!”

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11.Castro District LGBTQ+ History Tour

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

Walk through the Castro with Eric, a sixth-generation San Franciscan, historian, queer organizer, and activist. In 90 minutes, you’ll visit Harvey Milk’s former camera shop, the Pink Triangle Memorial, Hibernia Beach, Jane Warner Plaza, and other landmarks tied to LGBTQ+ rights.

“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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12.Castro District LGBTQ+ Historic Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $39

Walk through San Francisco’s Castro District with local guide Eric Curry on a 90-minute tour limited to 10 people. Visit Harvey Milk Plaza, the Castro Theatre, Pink Triangles Memorial Park, Twin Peaks Tavern, and the GLBT Historical Society Museum exterior before ending at The Mix.

“Took the LGBTQ+ Castro tour with Eric, who was so amazing and showed so much passion for San Francisco. I learned so much, and have a deeper appreciation for the city’s history! Eric made it super fun and engaging, and did a good job smoothly transitioning along the timeline of events down Castro.”

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13.San Francisco Technology and History Tour: South of Market

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 1h 10m · from $30

Walk from South Park to Salesforce Tower with Wes of Heck Wes Tours. You’ll connect venture capital, shipping, urban renewal, LGBTQ history, and tech while seeing Yerba Buena Gardens and the rooftop Salesforce Park. The route is flat and wheelchair-accessible.

“We learned so much on this tour! Wes lives and works in the neighborhood and is passionate about urban history and development. He covered so much history with personality and flair. We loved comparing historical photos of the neighborhood to sights on the route. SoMa is such a revealing microcosm of San Francisco. Highly highly recommend if you're local or a visitor interested in getting a feel for the city's history!”

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14.Woodside: Filoli Historic House and Garden Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 3 reviews · from $36

Spend a full day at Filoli, touring its early 20th-century Georgian Revival house, formal English Renaissance gardens, estate trail, and Clock Tower Shop. Daily 15-minute talks add seasonal insight, while the Vegetable Garden Bar offers a pleasant spring stop.

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15.Golden Gate Bay Voyage on Historic Boat

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 1h 30m · from $64

Join Captain Sal Alioto on a 90-minute cruise aboard his original 1928 Monterey fishing boat. This small-group trip offers personal stories about his Sicilian fishing family, views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, and a close look at San Francisco’s working waterfront.

“This intimate bay tour was fantastic! We really enjoyed learning the historical significance of this particular fishing boat. Captain Sal was a great tour guide and I highly recommend this tour.”

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