• Portsmouth Square - This was the center of the original city of San Francisco, before California was even part of the US. Legend has it that the California gold rush officially began here.
• Old Chinese Telephone Exchange - Discover the true story of the struggles Chinese people faced during the gold rush, which even included a fee for the privilege of mining at all.
• Wentworth Place - Learn more about the Six Companies that governed Chinatown, and the Tong Wars, here.
• The Devil’s Acre - San Francisco is a city of contrasts, where a short walk can take you to a completely different place. Learn the history of the area known as The Devil’s Acre, once such place in San Francisco, here.
• 580 Pacific Ave - Learn the history of the Sydney Ducks, a team of arsonists, in this, the area they controlled.
• The Old Ship Saloon - In San Francisco, as ships were grounded with the changing shoreline, they were simply repurposed into buildings. This saloon is an example of this.
• Sydney Walton Square - At this square, learn about “The Hounds” and the massacre that was the tipping point in creating an official police force for San Francisco.
• Shanghai Kelly’s - Discover the legend of Shanghai Kelly, the region’s most famous “crimper”.
• Pier 7 - End your tour with the tragic tale of James and Belle Cora.

• Professional and knowledgeable local guide
• Thoroughly researched and accurate history

• Food and drink

Join us for a History Walking Tour of San Francisco!

Step back into the San Francisco of the late 1840s and early 1850s with our Gold Rush History Tour. Discover key sites that shaped the early history of San Francisco and California. Wander through Portsmouth Square, Sydney Town, and Pier 7, uncovering the stories, characters, and myths that reveal the darker aspects of San Francisco’s early days, filled with greed, discrimination, feuds, and rampant violence.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.