San Fran Night Tour/Activities
 

Hello fellow fodorites, hope you're all having a good start to the weekend!

Looking for suggestions for a night tour for mom and teenage daughter. I came across this link http://www.sftourismtips.com/san-fra...ight-tour.html which has some nice tours but honestly since we only have one night, I wanted to try to get a feel for the city by just walking around. (Alcatraz seems fun but I don't think it makes sense when we only have one night, Sunset tour I might consider, no interest in Segway). I'd rather walk around and get a feel for a cool neighborhood. We have no interest in bars obviously (age issue) and not knowing the city is hard to know what to ask exactly. But I guess we're looking for a fun area to walk around, grab dinner and possibly see some sites. Timeframe 4:30pm-10pm on a Saturday night!

I'm not sure -- but I'd think most evening (especially Saturday night) walking tours would be more geared to adults. Maybe not pub crawls as such, but w/ stops in various watering holes.

Where are you staying and how long total do you have in the city? Are you there only one day? Or is it just that Saturday is your only free evening?

oh, it's actually Friday night I just realized, visiting two colleges during the day which should put us in the city by around 5pm; so yes, one free evening to see San Fran. We were planning on visiting the Redwoods early Sat, spend as much time there as we wanted, then head down the coast to spend a night in Monterey. We wanted to do drive down the coast further Sunday ending up in downtown LA Sunday night. So I guess my point is, we're a little flexible Sat morning to Sun night as long as I get to LA.

Found one!
http://sanfranciscolovetours.com/san...o-night-tours/
Got good reviews and starts at 7:30 so we'd have 2 1/2 hours to walk around prior, maybe grab dinner.

Friday night would probably be even <i>more</i> adult-centric . . . but hopefully Stu will see your post -- his wife conducts walking tours and may know of some evening offerings.

You are only allowing yourselves two days/one night for the Redwoods, Monterey, the coast and getting to LA. That is one hella long slog.

Which Redwoods? If Muir Woods -- it is in the wrong direction for a drive to Monterey. Someone on your other thread suggested Calaveras County -- but w/ this schedule you simply don't have time.

The best way to see Redwoods on this lightening trip is to do it in the Santa Cruz Mountains en route to Monterey. But your Sunday is really difficult. Monterey to LA down the coast is a 7 to 8 hour drive (depending on where in the LA area) without a single stop. So about 12 hours w/ just one meal, rest breaks and a few photo stops.

If it was me -- I'd forget about driving -- I'd fly to the Bay Area, do the college visits, spend a little time in SF and maybe visit Muir Woods, fly back south.

You just don't have much time.

oh good -- you found a tour . . . however that doesn't solve the other issues . . .

Just looked -- I thought you wanted a walking tour -- that is a regular bus tour.

You do not have time for Redwoods National Park, too far north - you can see redwoods in Henry Cowell State Park outside of Santa Cruz en route to Monterey.
You also need two overnights on Highway 1 especially if it is before we go back onto Daylight Saving Time when it gets dark at 5pm. If you only have 1 night and cannot add more then get further south, such as Pismo Beach or Cambria and resign yourself that you do not have time for much sight seeing.

I agree w/ jamie99. That unless one has 2 nights (which apparently you don't) that is some really REALLY serious driving.

That is why I suggested you fly up and back. Otherwise your will be frazzled and not see much of anything. AND <i>if</i> your daughter ends up going to school in NorCal, you'll have plenty of opportunities for more leisurely visits/touring in the future.

>> but hopefully Stu will see your post -- his wife conducts walking tours and may know of some evening offerings.<<

Latest SFCityGuides.org offering starts at 2PM on Fridays - but not every Friday in the month.

Just wander around Union St (not Union Square) west of Gough, to Fillmore St, north on Fillmore to Chestnut St, then west on Chestnut St until the shops/restaurants disappear. You will have walked by over 40 restaurants of all types, hundreds of shops, and buildings with Victorian architecture (Union St) and Art Decco architecture (Chestnut). The area will be mobbed with people around your daughter's age (perhaps a little older).

Stu Dudley

We did a Naughty and Bawdy night tour with SF City Guides, but it is seasonal.

Hi Janis,
I have to drive so we were planning to get up early to go to Big Basin Redwood Park (an hour from where we are staying), and then on down the coast to Monterey so it sounds like it might make sense to stay a little further south, what do you think would be a better half way point along the coast say from Big Basin to LA? And i did say walking tour but I was thinking that particular bus tour is fairly short and we may be very tired by then being from East Coast time!

Stu, thanks I will note your suggestions, if we're up for some more walking, we may do just that.

Thanks!!

If you are looking at colleges, check out Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. It would be about half way for you.

Perhaps you are visiting in the spring, it matters not. I fyou get very pleasant weather and a clear evening ( that part is important) consider taking the ferry, or your rental car, or uber over to Sausalito, parking yourself at Scoma's and having dinner looking back over the lights of San Francisco. It's one of my favorite ways to enjoy the city. Walking around Sausalito is safe and easy.

>>Monterey so it sounds like it might make sense to stay a little further south, what do you think would be a better half way point along the coast say from Big Basin to LA?<<

South of Monterey is Big Sur - slow driving and Gorgeous. Big Basin to Monterey is nearly a 2 hour drive. If you head to someplace south of Big Sur instead - like Cambria, it would about 4.5 hours plus stops. So even if you only spend a couple of hours at Big Basin you will mostly miss seeing Monterey, Carmel and Point Lobos.

Where are you staying? Henry Cowell might make more sense than Big Basin since it is more 'accessible' being very close to Hwy 17. From Henry Cowell to Monterey is barely an hour and HC to Cambria about 3.5 hours.

Big Basin is sort of remote and it takes time to get in and out and back on the highway.

ok, good to know. Redwood City

Redwood City to Big Basin is about 40 miles and takes about 90 minutes -- to Henry Cowell only takes about an hour. HC is farther (about 50 miles from RC) but on faster roads. Plus the drive AFTER Henry Cowell will save you another hour.

If you head to HC early Sat morning (there will be some traffic over the hill on hwy 17 but it won't be bad early) you could be in Monterey by lunch time. The park is open as long as it is daylight so I'd plan on getting there maybe by 8AM.

Thanks Janis, that sounds perfect!