Circling the Square: A Walking Tour of Union Square
Wednesday, November 2, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
$45 per person.
Meeting time/point: 9:50 am at the southwest corner of Union Square (Powell and Geary Streets) under the Canary Island palms at the top of the stairs. Tour begins promptly at 10:00 am.
Join veteran tour leader Monika Trobits for an exploration of the heart of Union Square, its development and its transformation over the last century and a half. This walking tour includes the works of prominent architects and local artists plus a literary landmark. Learn about films made at the Square, a 1920s-scandal at a nearby hotel and “crib alley.” Discover the area’s connections to Dashiell Hammett as we wind our way down to Market Street.
Monika Trobits is a long-time, local docent/guide, historian and published author of non-fiction works about San Francisco (www.sanfranciscojourneys.com). Her presentations are engaging, comprehensive, witty and as historically accurate as she knows how to make them. She leads visitors and residents alike on enjoyable and insightful journeys through the city, highlighted by vintage photographs and stories about old San Francisco. Please note that her tours require mobility, i.e., for small to moderate hills and stairs.
For more information please see this page.
Maximum tickets: 15
Walking Tour of San Francisco’s Chinatown
Wednesday, November 2, 2:00 – 4:30 pm
$45 per person
Meet at: Starbucks - 359 Grant
Corner of Bush Street and Grant Ave (Across the street from the Chinatown Dragon Gate)
Come early as tour leaves on time.
Learn about the extraordinary history and culture of the nation’s oldest Chinatown with local tour guide Rick Evans.
- Experience The “Street of Painted Balconies” with its many upstairs temples and nationalist flags
- Learn how early Chinese immigrants faced discrimination which led to Associations, Societies and later Tongs.
- Visit the interior of the First Roman Catholic cathedral on the West Coast - completed in 1854 during the Gold Rush - With a hidden surprise inside that few people know about
- See the oldest Chinese herbal shop in the neighborhood
- Discover the oldest Chinese Temple in the United States! (You will have to climb three flights of stairs to see it but I promise it will be worth the hike!). You will receive in-depth instructions on the rituals of this sacred site, the most authentic Taoist temple in the country (which many say, is worth the price of the tour alone!)
- Tour includes a custom map of all the visited sites on the tour, allowing you to return and experience it all again!
The walk covers almost 1 mile of city blocks and is recommended for people who like to walk and are in good physical shape. The walk is brisk (not a stroll) and moves quickly through the congested streets of Chinatown. You will encounter some hills and 3 flights of steep stairs at a Chinese temple that we visit! Tour is not recommended for slow walkers or for people that have difficulty keeping up with a group.
For more information please see this page.
Maximum tickets: 20
Financial District Architectural Walking Tour
UPDATE 11/2/16: THIS TOUR HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO LACK OF REGISTERED PARTICIPATION
Thursday, November 3, 10:00 am - 12:30 pm
$45 per person
Meet at: Mechanics’ Institute, 4th Floor meeting room
Experience the city from a unique perspective! Veteran tour leader Rick Evans will take you on a memorable two-hour walking expedition of the Financial District. Discover the architectural beauty of landmark buildings, hard-to-find rooftop gardens, and unique open spaces that you’ve probably never noticed! The tour will meet in the 4th floor Meeting Room of the Mechanics’ Institute and end South of Market.
The tour is not a difficult walk - no hills to climb (but there are some steep stairs that may be encountered). We actually only go about 4 blocks from the Mechanics’ Institute (but note that at many of the stops on the tour we will be standing for up to ten minutes at one time with no seating available) Good shoes are recommended and best to always dress warmly because of the always changing San Francisco weather.
The tour is presented in a “lecture style”, so there is actually more standing than walking (warning: anyone with a short attention span, this may not be the best tour for you).
For more information please see this link.
Maximum tickets: 25
San Francisco’s Mid-City
Thursday, November 3, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
$50 per person (price includes public transport during tour and entry to the Mission)
Meeting time/point: 9:50 am at the northeast corner of Market and Montgomery Streets (in front of the Fidelity building, near the Mechanics' Institute). Tour begins promptly at 10:00 am.
Take an autumn journey from the Financial District to the Castro District while learning about and enjoying San Francisco’s architecture, history and vistas along the way. This tour includes riding on San Francisco’s streetcars, a visit to an old Spanish Mission, 1850's cottages and Monika’s favorite cityscape of San Francisco.
Monika Trobits is a long-time, local docent/guide, historian and published author of non-fiction works about San Francisco (www.sanfranciscojourneys.com). Her presentations are engaging, comprehensive, witty and as historically accurate as she knows how to make them. She leads visitors and residents alike on enjoyable and insightful journeys through the city, highlighted by vintage photographs and stories about old San Francisco. Please note that her tours require mobility, i.e., for small to moderate hills and stairs.
For more information please see this page.
Maximum tickets: 15
From the Golden Gate Bridge to the Beach
Monday, November 7, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
$45 per person.
Meeting time/point: Meet Monika in front of the Golden Gate Bridge Pavilion Visitors’ Center at 9:50 am, across from the Bridge Café/snack shop. (Note: There are restrooms in this plaza area across Merchant Road, south of the café.) Tour begins promptly at 10:00 am.
Our excursion begins at the Golden Gate Bridge. Learn about the bridge, past and present, while soaking in the surrounding vistas of the bay where it meets the ocean. Bring your walking stick for our walk/hike along San Francisco’s northwest coast, enjoying its natural geological splendor as we explore the shoreline of the Presidio and continue through Land’s End to the ruins of the Sutro Baths. Tour ends at Ocean Beach.
Monika Trobits is a long-time, local docent/guide, historian and published author of non-fiction works about San Francisco (www.sanfranciscojourneys.com). Her presentations are engaging, comprehensive, witty and as historically accurate as she knows how to make them. She leads visitors and residents alike on enjoyable and insightful journeys through the city, highlighted by vintage photographs and stories about old San Francisco. Please note that her tours require mobility, i.e., for small to moderate hills and stairs.
For more information please see this page.
Maximum tickets: 15