Top San Francisco Art & Culture

This tour of Alcatraz and Chinatown lets you explore two quintessential San Francisco attractions without worrying about complicated travel logistics. Ideal for busy travelers who want to fit in the top sites without spending time booking tickets and arranging details, this tour includes pre-booked ferry and cable car tickets, plus a walking tour of Chinatown.

Save time and money with the San Francisco CityPASS, which gives you admission to top area attractions, a cruise on San Francisco Bay, and discounts for shopping and activities. You can choose to visit science and art museums like the Exploratorium or the Walt Disney Family Museum. You’ll have important details like hours of operation right in your pocket with the provided mobile ticket.

Explore two of San Francisco's most distinctive neighborhoods side-by-side on a walking tour of Chinatown and Union Square. Learn the fascinating history behind the oldest Chinatown in the United States, and be immersed in the city’s contrasting cultures as you stroll alongside cable cars through Union Square’s chic hotels, architectural landmarks, and luxury boutiques.

Grab a photo with your favorite celebrity lookalike at Madame Tussauds and get your adrenaline pumping at the San Francisco Dungeon. Head over to Fisherman’s Wharf and wander through the six interactive areas of incredible wax figures, from the Oval Office to Hollywood. Then experience the dark past of San Francisco during the actor-led experience of The Dungeon, featuring two rides.

With its iconic hills, architecture, bridge and bay, it’s no wonder so many movies have been filmed in San Francisco. See filming locations from more than 55 productions—from blockbusters like ‘San Andreas’ to family favorites like ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’—on this movie sites tour from Fisherman’s Wharf. Watch clips on the tour bus as you pass by the real locations with an informative actor-turned-guide who shares stories about the city and cinema history.

SF Ghosts Walking Tour is the best choice for newcomers to learn more about San Francisco's rich history. Our guides will safely conduct you around the darkened streets, unfolding tales of mystery, terror, and tragedy. You will have plenty of opportunities to see with your own eyes the otherworldly power of the Golden City.

Dive deep into one of San Francisco’s most historic neighborhoods on this Chinatown walking tour. From paper lanterns to medicinal herbs to a fortune cookie factory, explore both popular and lesser-known gems in this bustling district with an in-the-know guide. See sights including a Buddhist temple, and upgrade, if you wish, to include a 9-course lunch of dim sum for an even more memorable experience.

Visit two world-famous San Francisco attractions, Alcatraz and Muir Woods, in just one day. Venture into the Cell House of Alcatraz for an award-winning audio tour of the notorious former federal penitentiary. Then stroll under towering old-growth redwood trees at Muir Woods National Monument before walking around the waterfront town of Sausalito. Enjoy admission to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum or the San Francisco Dungeon as part of your package. Hotel transport plus ferry to Alcatraz Island included.

Discover the famed architecture of San Francisco on an architecture walking tour with a guide. See the Painted Ladies and other Victorian gems as you learn about the Queen Anne style and more. Plus, pass by homes where celebrities such as Robin Williams and Francis Ford Coppola have lived and homes you may recognize from movies like "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "The Princess Diaries."

Harken back to San Francisco’s days as a Gold Rush boomtown on a 2-hour walking tour of the Financial District, once known as the rowdy Barbary Coast of California. Hear tales of buried ships, fortune hunters, and Wild West saloons as you explore the city’s former waterfront, and learn how it transformed into the business hub of modern-day San Francisco.

Uncover the scandalous, high-society history of San Francisco's most illustrious hill on a walking tour of Nob Hill. Hear the stories behind the grand hotels and stately mansions built by the city's powerful 19th-century business tycoons and politicians, and learn how the advent of the cable car and the disastrous 1906 earthquake shaped one of the city’s most affluent neighborhoods.

Experience the supernatural side of one of the city’s most famous neighborhoods on this San Francisco ghost tour. During this evening walking tour, you’ll explore the streets of Chinatown with a guide, who fills you in on the spirits said to haunt this historic area. Hear chilling tales and mysteries, and enjoy an alternative way to discover Chinatown.

You're in a special city. Why take an ordinary tour? This is the ONLY convertible MINI Cooper tour in the country! This tour is totally customizable – you choose the length of the tour, what time you want to be picked up, and what you want to see. I love San Francisco and have spent 20 years studying and exploring the city. I’ll work with you to plan your tour so you can see the famous sites and the hidden gems other tours can't go to or don't know about. I’ve designed this to be the type of tour I would take if I visited San Francisco, but where you go is up to you. I make suggestions along the way, but how long you spend at any site is up to you. You're never rushed, and never have to wait for other people. It's all about you! Plus, it's fun! In the convertible MINI Cooper, you see everything up close and personal as we drive along. I love showing guests San Francisco, and talking about the history and culture of this unique and special city.

Every Thursday evening, one of San Francisco's premier museums opens up its doors for an After Dark gathering of the coolest kind. The Exploratorium transforms into an adults-only intellectual playground, welcoming everyone 18 and older to dance, mingle, and explore while sipping on cocktails (added cost) and participating in the museum's ongoing advances in art, science, and technology while enjoying spectacular views of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco Bay. With mobile tickets, skip the line and simply scan your phone for direct entry in the Exploratorium.

Explore San Francisco with a local insider and experience an extraordinary afternoon. This half-day tour takes you sightseeing around the city with a guide to offer commentary. Neighborhoods include Fisherman's Wharf, Presidio, Haight-Ashbury, Golden Gate Park, the Castro, and North Beach plus the Golden Gate Bridge. Free Wi-Fi is available aboard the vehicle so you can post your snaps to social media en route.

Hop on a ‘70s-era VW bus and get to know the hippie past and hipster vibe that make up San Francisco today. Starting and ending at Fisherman’s Wharf, this 2-hour sightseeing tour takes you around the city, including Chinatown, North Beach, the Castro, the Mission, downtown and more. See the homes of The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, while listening to ‘60s classics. So settle into a neon-blue seat and dig your shoes into groovy shag carpet. Each bus accommodates up to just six people.

Explore one of San Francisco’s most prominent art collections with admission to the Legion of Honor Museum. Set in the headlands above the Golden Gate Bridge, the building’s stunning neoclassical exterior is modeled after the Palais de la Légion d’Honneur in Paris. Inside, discover an impressive collection of ancient Mediterranean art, European paintings and sculptures, and the most extensive assemblage of works on paper in the American West. Upgrade your ticket to include entrance to the Special Exhibits or the insightful commentary of an audio guide. Your ticket also allows you to enter the de Young Museum at no extra cost.

Enjoy easy access to the California Academy of Sciences with this skip-the-line pass. Walk right in with this pre-paid ticket to enjoy the museum's 4-story rain forest, planetarium, and aquarium. Avoid wasting your precious vacation waiting in the long lines to purchase tickets for this exhibit-packed museum. Your admission includes all shows and exhibits, and is a perfect activity for families.

Engage your senses and delve into a world of discovery at San Francisco’s Exploratorium. With a fantastic new location on Pier 15 overlooking San Francisco Bay, the revamped museum offers more than 650 interactive exhibits for the whole family. Explore the amazing realms of physics, anatomy, emotions, and Earth’s ecosystems through hands-on displays that delight and inform visitors of all ages. With mobile tickets, skip the line and simply scan your phone for direct entry in the Exploratorium.

Our tour guide, Barry, has studied and experienced this fascinating area of San Francisco extensively and has tremendous passion for it. We will relive 1967, the Summer of Love and the heart of the hippie movement. Among other highlights in this fascinating historical, artistic and cultural journey, we will visit the homes of, and explore the lives of, many rock legends, including The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix. But the Haight has so much more to explore. We’ll learn about Golden Gate Park, the history of baseball in Haight-Ashbury, and the many famous (and infamous) people who have lived here. And, of course, what would a tour of Haight be without visiting several “Painted Ladies” (San Francisco style Victorian homes) and discussing what makes them so charming? Throw in a brief but fascinating history of Haight-Ashbury, and you’ll have an experience to tell your friends about when you go home. You may even find yourself saying words like “groovy”.

See the best of San Francisco in one day on this guided tour that includes all transportation and admission to Alcatraz. Visit multiple locations in the city, including Castro, Presidio, Fisherman's Wharf, and Twin Peaks, with plenty of stops for photo ops. Then take the ferry to Alcatraz Island where you can explore with an award-winning audio-guided tour of the former federal prison.

Purchase your ticket ahead of time for guaranteed admission to Madame Tussauds San Francisco. See famous figures from San Francisco and around the world at this popular attraction including Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and George Clooney.

If you’re a fan of live theater, take in an afternoon or evening show at the San Francisco Playhouse, a nonprofit theater company located in the city’s entertainment district near Union Square. This intimate venue puts on an array of performances, from Broadway musicals to gripping plays. When booking, simply select a date and time to watch the show of your choice.