Half Day by the Bay: North Beach, Fisherman's Wharf & Scenic Bay Cruise

For many, the beating heart of San Francisco lies within a generation of artists and activists known as the ‘Beat’ poets, and it’s at one of their regular watering holes that our tour begins. Shining a light on the counterculture movements of the 1960s, and the immigration and activism from which San Francisco sprang, your guide will delve into the nuances that make this offbeat city so unique, as we explore the birth of The City by the Bay.

Following a deep dive into the city’s artistic roots on Jack Kerouac Alley, our walking tour moves up Columbus Avenue - the main strip through San Francisco’s North Beach District. Here your guide will uncover more of the hidden gems the lie beneath the usual hotspots. Hollywood titans dreamed up some of their most iconic ideas in this area - understandable given the palpable artistic undercurrent that ebbs and flows through the city’s veins.

Further north, we’ll climb two blocks to "the crookedest street in the world", before heading into the San Francisco Art Institute. Inside, your guide will take you through some of the museum’s most important pieces, including Mexican artist Diego Rivera’s ‘Making of a Fresco’ - a fresco within a fresco that depicts the construction of San Francisco itself. Then it’s up to the roof for a view of the city and the bay beyond.

At Ghirardelli Square we’ll stop by the legendary Ghirardelli Chocolate Company to try a piece of chocolate (complimentary, of course), then wander on down Fisherman's Wharf. It may be one of the city’s busiest tourist areas, but your guide will show you how to navigate the popular area so that you can avoid the major tourist traps before heading to Pier 39 to meet the real stars of the city: San Francisco’s resident sea lions.

We leave you here but that’s not the end of your tour! You’ll round out the afternoon with a cruise across the bay, taking in some of the city’s best sights from the sea. Your boat sails along the waterfront past Marina District, on to the Presidio, and even travels under the Golden Gate Bridge. A loop of Alcatraz Island is a welcome addition to the hour-long jaunt - the closest you can get to it without Alcatraz tickets. Afterwards, you’ll return to Pier 39 where you can spend the evening exploring the area for yourself, and musing over everything you learned on your tour.