Clarion Alley

San Francisco’s pioneering activists and counter-cultural forces have powered societal change for over five decades, shaping the modern city and modern America. Walk around the Castro and Mission Districts, famous for the anti-war protests of 1967, Harvey Milk’s civil rights campaign of the 1970s, and more recent protests against gentrification in one of the most attractive and exciting cities in the United States.

On your private guided tour, you will:

• See Harvey Milk Plaza and the LGBTQ protest grounds, the Pink Triangle Memorial, and the Rainbow Honor Walk;
• Enjoy sweeping downtown views from leafy Dolores Park;
• Admire the bold political murals and urban artworks in Clarion Alley;
• See the Old Spanish Mission, the Bay Area’s most historic building with tickets included;
• Enjoy the stunning city views from Dolores Park;
• Stroll the hottest destination eateries, cafés, and food joints on Valencia Street;
• Finish your tour on Valencia Street, lined with shops, cafés, and food joints.

This Private Tour of Castro and Mission will introduce you to the city’s hippest neighbourhoods, notable for their LGBTQ community and cool, artsy vibe. In the Castro, learn about the extraordinary accomplishments of SF residents in halting demolition, stopping four-lane freeways and affecting positive change in feminism, peace, and LGBTQ rights. The neighbourhood’s many spirited LGBTQ bars range from brewpubs and bustling dives to ritzy drag shows.

You will hear how, today, America has elected more than 500 LGBTQ politicians into public office - from city council members, mayors and members of Congress to state legislators and governors - yet, 40 years ago, the tally was just a handful of gay men and lesbians, of which Harvey Milk was one. On the Private Tour of Castro and Mission, explore Milk’s Ground Zero and immerse yourself in the legacy of California’s first openly gay elected official - and the role Castro played.

In the Mission District, you will venture down Clarion Alley and see the fabulous urban graffiti and satirical political street art as you stroll in the footsteps of feminists, Latinos, artists and activists who continue to fight for the soul of San Francisco. Pop into the Mission Dolores to see the oldest building in San Francisco, along with shrubbery and a garden reflective of the mission in the early 1790s.

With a buzzing cultural mix and sizzling street food, Mission is famous for its galleries, neon-lit clubs and basement bars and is blessed with the leafy greenery of picturesque Dolores Park. 

Experience the famous Latin culture and cuisine of the Mission District in San Francisco, known for its vibrant artsy and bohemian lifestyle on this delicious food-tasting tour of this historic district. 

On your private tour, you will:

• Enjoy the personalised attention of your private guide;
• Explore the trendy and historic Mission District of San Francisco while tasting its culinary delights, with its Spanish and Mexican influences and traditions;
• Begin in the lush and verdant Mission Dolores Park, popular with locals, and learn about the origins of the city dating back to the 18th century;
• Enjoy a piping hot Spanish empanada, or a delicious pupusa, a thick griddle cake from El Salvador;
• See the Mission’s Saint Francis of Assisi building, the oldest intact building in the city, dating back to the Spanish era;
• Walk around the Clarion Alley Mural Project - a public space dedicated to socially engaged and innovative art, founded by a collective of resident artists;
• See one of San Francisco's largest and most well-known street art installations, MaestraPeace at the Women's Building;
• Rest your legs at a seated tasting at a taquería, where you will enjoy a variety of tapas-style bites;
• Your tour finishes at a local panadería (bakery) where you will learn about Mexican sweetbreads and other baked foods popular with the locals of the Mission District.

Experience the vibrant arty, bohemian lifestyle and delicious culinary gems of San Francisco's trendy Mission District, where you’ll learn about the first peoples who lived in the area for two thousand years prior to Spanish colonization, and how the area developed from the 18th century. Enjoy contemporary, colourful art installations and murals, and of course indulge in several delicious tastings, to get a real 'flavour' of the neighbourhood!

You’ll begin with a stroll around Mission Dolores Park – one of San Francisco’s most popular parks with 16 acres of lush lawns and tall palm trees. It is the vibrant heart of this culturally diverse area. Your first tasting will be a delicious option of a piping hot empanada, a breaded pastry turnover with filling (it means em-breaded) or a delicious pupusa, a thick griddlecake from El Salvador and Honduras.

Wander around the district – see the Mission St Francis of Assisi, the oldest building; walk down Clarion Alley with its flamboyant mural project for socially engaged and innovative art, and the Women’s Building, a veritable institution in the Mission District, featuring the MaestraPeace, one of San Francisco's largest and best-known murals.

For the last century, the neighbourhood has continued to evolve, and you will see the evidence of it in the architecture and street art - both of which continue to attract travellers and locals to it. Admire the amazingly colourful and famous Balmy Alley murals, and absorb the incredible Latino Culture of the Mission District and its rich variety and traditions of cuisine. Enjoy the trendy shopping streets and outdoor pavement cafe culture – and rest your legs with a sit-down stop at a local taquería, for a delicious tasting of a variety of tapas-style bites.

Your guide will show you the 24th Street corridor, with the most beautiful examples of local Chicano public art, import stores and authentic panaderías (Mexican bakeries) – where you will of course stop to sample a local favourite sweet bread and end your tour.