Urban Trek 1 - Guided San Francisco Sightseeing Tours.
Walking tours are combined with public transit to see sights in more detail than a bus tour alone.
Meeting Place and Time:
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 (by the cable car turntable) down to the lower level. Meeting time will be 9:30 am.
Included with price of the Urban Trek
An Urban Trek Leader with informative commentaries about the sites you will visit.
Not included with price for the Urban Trek
Cost of fare for Muni Estimated cost for entire Urban Trek is $6.00 ($2.25 for seniors, 65 years old, and minors, under 18 years old).
Cost of meals and snacks during the Urban Trek. Trekkers are free to choose where to have a meal within the boundaries of the trek vicinity. Meals can cost from $6 to $25 depending on the place the trekker chooses. There will be a variety of places to choose from.
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San Francisco
Urban Trek 1 - Ferry Building, Pacific Heights Landmark Mansions, Cow Hollow & Union Square
(Offered Tuesdays & Thursdays 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 1 focuses on the Ferry Building, the Pacific Heights district and its grand landmark mansions. Learn about their history and experience the breathtaking views that make Pacific Heights the premier neighborhood in San Francisco. This trek also includes historical information on the Bay Bridge, Yerba Buena & Treasure Islands, Embarcadero Center, Cow Hollow and Union Square. Lunch will be at (upper) Fillmore Street where there will be a variety of restaurants to choose from. As an added bonus, guests will get a brief history about the cable cars, Muni and other historical events that occurred in San Francisco.
Summary of points of interest included with San Francisco, Urban Trek 1: (Click here for details)
Rides on Muni Metro & electric buses
Ferry Building and view of Bay Bridge, Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island
Embarcadero Center
Pacific Heights
Lafayette Park
Landmark mansions
Alta Plaza Park
City views
Fillmore Street – lunch break
Cow Hollow
Victorian houses converted into commercial establishments on Union Street
A neat neighborhood with a bunch of boutiques and restaurants
Union Square
Estimated end time will be 3:00 – 3:30 pm
Please note that reservations are not guaranteed until a confirmation number has been provided to you.
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 #1
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 Embarcadero station. The Trek Leader will explain the Muni Metro
system and give a brief history of Muni.
Upon exiting
the Embarcadero station, we will proceed to the Ferry Building where
the Trek Leader will provide some history about it and tell a short
story about what that area was before. There will also be information
about the Bay Bridge, Treasure Island, and Yerba Buena Island which
will be in view from the Ferry Building. (Click here for link to photos)(Click here
for link to videos)
We will then walk through the Embarcadero Center. The Trek Leader will give some information about this complex.
We
will then take a Muni electric bus to Pacific Heights. Along the way,
we will pass Nob Hill where the Fairmont Hotel and Grace Cathedral can
be seen.
The first stop in Pacific Heights is
Lafayette Park. This park offers one of the best views of the City. On
a clear day, we will be able to see Twin Peaks, Alcatraz Island, Angel
Island, Nob Hill, and San Francisco Bay among other things. The Trek
Leader will give a brief history on
how the City expanded westward. There will be a short break to take
photos. (Click here for link to photos)(Click here for link to videos)
Before
we leave the park, the Trek Leader will tell a story about the first
mansion we will see. After that we will walk through the neighborhood
and see more mansions. The Trek Leader will give information about two
other famous houses along the way. Just before lunch, we will stop at a
location for a photo opportunity where the bay, the Marina District,
and Golden Gate Bridge can be seen.
At approximately
12:30 pm, we will reach Fillmore Street were we will enjoy our lunch
break. Our lunch break will be about an hour to also give time to enjoy the atmosphere of this neighborhood.
After
lunch, we will proceed to Alta Plaza Park where on a bright day we will
have another panoramic view of the City. The Trek Leader will provide
information on more homes that are
located across the park. There will be a short break to give time to
take more photos. (Click here for link to photos)(Click here for link to videos)
We will walk to the Cow Hollow area. Along the way, we will walk past the house used as an exterior shot for a famous movie.
At
Cow Hollow, we will walk on Union Street where we will see old
Victorian houses that have been transformed into commercial
establishments: boutiques and restaurants.
We
will then take our last Muni bus to Union Square. On the way, we will
pass Russian Hill, North Beach, and Chinatown.