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San Francisco free walking tours<\/h2>\n
Coit Tower Murals\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Start your Saturday or Wednesday morning with an in-depth guided tour of Coit Tower\u2019s stunning murals, honoring the working people of 1930s California. This SF City Guides walk is a great way to learn about the 26 contributing artists, the legendary Lillie Coit herself and the heroes who\u2019ve been charged with preserving the artwork over the years.<\/p>\n Starts at: the main entrance of Coit Tower<\/em><\/p>\n RSVP required? Yes<\/em><\/p>\n California Wayfaring: Pacific Heights<\/strong> This one\u2019s for the history nerds \u2014 specifically, the ones who aren\u2019t too indoorsy to tackle a few hills. This self-guided walking tour points out the most historically significant landmarks in Pacific Heights, including the Haas-Lilienthal House, the Whittier, Spreckels and James Leary Flood mansions, Cottage Row and Mary Ellen Pleasant<\/a>\u2019s home. But it\u2019s up to the walker to dig into who and what made these homes so significant. Which, if you are <\/em>a history nerd, is a thoroughly absorbing treasure hunt of an afternoon. Take the tour, figure out the facts!<\/p>\n Starts at: Van Ness Avenue and Jackson Street<\/em><\/p>\n RSVP required? No, self-guided<\/em><\/p>\n Gold Rush City<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n You\u2019ll never look at downtown San Francisco the same way after taking this trip back to the Gold Rush in all of its messy, fiery, gang-fueled chaos. Tales of lawlessness, corruption and filth fuel the tour, but this jaunt is also a great way to learn the truth about city icons, including Emperor Norton and Levi Strauss. You\u2019ll even find out where some of the clipper ships are buried\u2026<\/p>\n Starts at: the Transamerica Pyramid, on the north side of Clay Street<\/em><\/p>\n RSVP required? Yes<\/em><\/p>\n Walk Walnut Creek<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Thanks to a very cool collaboration between the Walnut Creek Historical Society and the local Public Art Commission, there are a ton of self-guided tours of downtown Walnut Creek that are as inspiring as they are educational. Six free heritage walks are available online, but we particularly recommend trying one (or more) of the six art walks<\/a>. The website provides audio for most stops explaining the origins and inspiration behind the art, many of which include interviews with the artists.<\/p>\n Starts at: Varies according to tour<\/em><\/p>\n RSVP required? No, self-guided<\/em><\/p>\n Lone Tree Cemetery<\/strong><\/a>, Hayward<\/strong><\/p>\n At 10:30 a.m. on sporadic Saturdays, guided tours are given around Hayward\u2019s fascinating Lone Tree Ceremony. There\u2019s a tour about historic figures who are buried there (including city founder William Dutton Hayward himself), another about Hayward\u2019s earliest settlers and a third tour exploring the grave-marker iconography that can be seen around the site. The cemetery was established all the way back in 1870, so there\u2019s much to learn.<\/p>\n Starts at: Location varies according to tour<\/em><\/p>\n RSVP required? No\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u2018Once Upon a Time, Happily Ever After \u2026\u2019,<\/strong><\/a> Oakland<\/strong><\/p>\n This self-guided walking tour of Lake Merritt is accompanied by audio clips that can be found on the tour\u2019s website \u2014 some of which are delightfully strange. There are 21 stops around the lake, including the pergola, Cleveland Cascade stairway, McElroy Memorial Fountain, Pine Knoll Park, the Edoff Memorial Bandstand, the Camron-Stanford House\u2019s boat house foundation and [checks notes] the Kaiser Center\u2019s storm drain. Included are interviews with relevant experts, musicians and artists. Organizers recommend breaking the walk-up into three separate visits.<\/p>\n Starts at: Wherever the heck you want<\/em><\/p>\n RSVP required? No, self-guided<\/em><\/p>\n San Jos\u00e9 Walking Tour<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Available in Spanish and English, these two-and-a-half-hour tours of downtown San Jos\u00e9 happen between May and November every year and are led by local guides who are passionate about their city. If you\u2019re not already in love with San Jos\u00e9, this journey around Chinatown, Democracy Plaza, the national park, Colegio de Se\u00f1oritas, the National Museum and more will leave you smitten.<\/p>\n Starts at: Delta Hotel by Marriott San Jos\u00e9 Aurola<\/em><\/p>\n RSVP required? Yes\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Discover Los Gatos<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Warning: these self-guided tours of Los Gatos are only available if you\u2019re willing to download an app \u2014 and that app is not exactly a joy to use. But if you can deal with the tech, there are three short but enlightening outings to enjoy. \u201cThe Heart Of Los Gatos\u201d tour is perfect for railroad buffs, \u201cLos Gatos: The Gem City\u201d offers some history about the land and the architecture and \u201cThe Cradle Of Los Gatos\u201d explores the earliest days of the town. Los Gatos is an oft-forgotten historical gem, and you\u2019ll appreciate it more after these walks.<\/p>\n Starts at: Varies according to tour<\/em><\/p>\n RSVP required? No, self-guided<\/em><\/p>\n Pigeon Point Light Station<\/strong><\/a>, Pescadero<\/strong><\/p>\n Before the Pigeon Point lighthouse existed, this windswept patch of California coastline sank many a ship: the Carrier Pigeon in 1853, the Sir John Franklin in 1864, the Coya in 1866 and the Hellespont in 1868. Scores of men, women and children lost their lives in these wrecks before lighthouse construction was finally completed in 1872. These 45-minute tours around the historic 115-foot structure take place every two weeks, transport you back in time and share tons of information about the shipwrecks, bootleggers and other tough characters that once lived and died in the area.<\/p>\n Starts at: \u201cthe sign in front of the first cottage,\u201d according to organizers<\/em><\/p>\n RSVP required: Yes, but you can also just show up<\/em><\/p>\n
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East Bay free walking tours<\/h2>\n
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South Bay and Peninsula free walking tours<\/h2>\n
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North Bay free walking tours<\/h2>\n