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Offered languages
- English
Join your expert, local guide at Chinatown's Dragon Gate to explore two of San Francisco’s oldest and most culture-rich neighborhoods – Chinatown and North Beach (Little Italy). Hear unique stories that feature the rise of North America's oldest Chinatown in the Gold Rush, the ingenuity of Chinatown’s madams and struggles of its gang history, the Beatniks' free-lovism that challenged 1950s American ideals, and the controversial club where Carol Doda inspired the adult entertainment world on this casual walk around the neighborhood. See some of the famous local watering holes, art spaces, and places of great rebellion that still stand today. Only the adventurous – those who wanted to forge their own path and weren’t burdened by cultural norms – went west. This anything-goes spirit is the thing that shaped San Francisco, and we'll immerse ourselves in it on this ~1.5 mile mostly flat walk. This tour is ideal for those wanting more than typical tourist sights and has adult themes.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Meet your guide (who will be wearing a bright pink hat) in front of the Dragon Gate at the corner of Grant Avenue and Bush Street.
Itinerary
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1
Learn the history of Chinese culture in San Francisco during the heart of the Gold Rush as well as the impact of the 1906 earthquake on Chinatown and the ingenuity that allowed them to survive and thrive.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2Chinatown
See the stunning architecture and artistic details of Chinatown’s Waverly Place while learning about SF’s first Chinese madam and seeing a neighborhood inspired and plagued by a long history of gang wars.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3
Experience the first buildings of east-meets-west architecture in California and learn how these came to stand under the shadow of the elite mansions on the hill.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4
Visit infamous City Lights Booksellers; immersed in art, culture, and controversy as the original home of free-lovism and a public obscenity trial. Learn how the Beats movement challenged 1950s American ideals.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5
Experience this famous, art-filled San Francisco watering hole central to the Beatnik movement as it challenged 1950s American ideals with free-lovism and drug-encouraged enlightenment.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
6
Stand in the art-ladden Jack Kerouac Alley that today is still home to cutting edge performances. Hear the stories of how Kerouac inspired musicians of the 1960s. Experience the notorious watering holes like Vesuvio where Beats wrote and smoked and wrote and drank and wrote.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Additional info
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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