Urban Trek 3 - Enjoy Eco-Friendly San Francisco City Tours.

 
San Francisco
Urban Trek 3 - Civic Center Plaza (City Hall), Hayes Valley, Alamo Square, Cow Hollow, North Beach & Union Square

(Offered Wednesdays only, starts at 9:30 am and ends around 3:00 - 3:30 pm. At this time, all urban treks are in English only.)

Urban Trek 3 focuses on the architecture of the Civic Center's best examples of  Beaux Arts style buildings (e.g. City Hall) and the best examples of Victorian houses around Alamo Square. On a clear day,  you will witness the magnificent and panoramic views of San Francisco's skyline, the bay and Golden Gate Bridge from the various neighborhoods you will visit. The farmers market in UN Plaza is an added bonus. At North Beach, San Francisco's "Little Italy," there will be an opportunity to taste one of the best cakes in San Francisco when we have a coffee/tea break at one of the neighborhood cafes. Lunch will be at Union Street in Cow Hollow where there will be a variety of restaurants to choose from. As an added bonus, guests will get a brief history about the UN Plaza, Union Square, the cable cars, Muni and other historical events that occurred in San Francisco.

Summary of points of interest included with San Francisco, Urban Trek 3:
(Click here for details)

• Rides on Muni Metro & electric buses
• U.N. Plaza Farmers Market
• Civic Center Plaza

HELPFUL TIPS

The Urban Trek for San Francisco is done in a way to make it as easy as possible for anyone to complete the Urban Trek. Most walks are done at a normal pace for approximately 20 minutes before a rest period. Uphill walks are made as infrequent as possible. However, most parks are atop a small hill to get the benefit of the best views of the City. Lunch break is about an hour to give the group time to enjoy a relaxing meal. Most stops have public rest rooms available.

What to bring for the Urban Trek

• Exact Muni fare ($2.00 each ride for adults, $.75 for those under 18 years old/seniors). The Muni fare for the entire urban trek will be approximately $6.00 for adults.
• Money for snacks and/or a meal.
• Your mobile/cell phone, if you have one.
• Snack or fruit in case you get hungry before lunch.
• Sunscreen and a small bottle of water.

What to wear for the Urban Trek

• Comfortable and sensible walking shoes because there will be a lot of walking.
• Dress in layers. San Francisco weather can vary greatly from morning to afternoon and from neighborhood to neighborhood. You can remove or add a layer as needed. A hooded sweatshirt will be your best friend.

Other helpful tips

• Have a good breakfast before the Urban Trek
• Anything you carry should not be too heavy that it will become a burden over the duration of the Urban Trek.

Physical requirements
To be able to complete the Urban Trek for San Francisco, you must be in good enough physical condition to do all of the following without assistance:

• Walk at a normal pace for at least 20 minutes before resting.
• Walk uphill (10-18% grade) for at least 1 city block.
• Walk down stairs.
  
• Must be at least 18 years old. Minors should be accompanied by an adult.

Detail of Urban Trek – San Francisco #3

• We will meet at 9:30 am next to the painting across from the San Francisco Visitor Information Center entrance located at 900 Market Street, on the lower level of Hallidie Plaza, next to the cable car turntable at Market & Powell Streets. Take the escalator in front of the Forever 21 store down to the lower level.

• After a brief orientation, we will take the Muni Metro from the Powell Street station to the Civic Center station. The Trek Leader will explain the Muni Metro system and give a brief history of Muni.

• Upon exiting the Civic Center station, we will walk through U.N. Plaza which was constructed to commemorate the drafting and signing of the U.N. Charter here in San Francisco. The Trek Leader will provide some information about that event. The best thing about going here on Wednesday is the farmers market. You will have some time to look around and, if you want, buy some fresh and delicious fruits, nuts, etc.

• At the Civic Center Plaza, we will see the Public Library, the Asian Art Museum, and City Hall. We will stop to take photos and the Trek Leader will give some information about the buildings. We will then enter City Hall and walk through its magnificent rotunda. As we exit the other side of City Hall at Van Ness Avenue, we will see the War Memorial Opera House, Veterans Memorial Building, and Davies Symphony Hall. The Trek Leader will explain the role Van Ness Avenue played in the 1906 earthquake. (Click here for link to photos) (Click here for link to videos)

• We will take a Muni bus to our next destination, Alamo Square. On the way, we will go through  the Hayes Valley neighborhood, which is one of the city's hip neighborhoods with lots of trendy boutiques, bars, and restaurants.

• At Alamo Square, we will see the “Painted Ladies” which are probably the most photographed row of houses in the City, if not the world. On a clear day, we will also have a spectacular view of San Francisco’s skyline and other parts of the City. The Trek Leader will give some information about the area. There will be ample time to take lots of photos. (Click here for link to photos) (Click here for link to videos)

• We will take another Muni bus to our next destination, Pacific Heights, where you will see a fabulous view of the bay and Golden Gate Bridge on a clear day.

• We will then walk down the hill to the Cow Hollow neighborhood. At approximately 12:30 pm, we will reach Union Street were we will enjoy our lunch break. Our lunch break will be about an hour to give time to enjoy the atmosphere of this neighborhood.

• At Cow Hollow, we will walk on Union Street where we will see old Victorian houses that have been transformed into commercial establishments.

• We will take another Muni bus to North Beach where we will visit Washington Square.  We will explore the neighborhood a bit and then enjoy a coffee break here in San Francisco’s “Italian neighborhood.” (Click here for link to photos)  (Click here for link to videos)

• We will take our last Muni bus ride to Union Square. On the way, we will go through Chinatown.

• We will end at Union Square. (Click here for link to photos) (Click here for link to video)

• This Urban Trek should end at approximately 3:00 – 3:30 pm.