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Free audio walking tours of San Francisco
Itinerarly has 4 self-guided audio tours of San Francisco, United States, from 1 h to 2 h 20. Each one walks you between the stops in order and plays a short narrated story when you arrive. The narration is available in English, French, Spanish, Italian and Chinese, and the tours are free.
SF Classics
Golden Gate, Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39
- Golden Gate BridgeWelcome to the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco's most recognizable icon and a true marvel of modern engineering. This majestic suspension bridge, completed in 1937, spans 2.7 kilometers across the strait connecting the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean.
- Fisherman's WharfWelcome to Fisherman's Wharf, the historic waterfront district and one of San Francisco's liveliest tourist hubs. What was once the primary fishing port for Italian immigrants has evolved into a vibrant area filled with attractions, shops, and maritime museums.
- Pier 39This is Pier 39, a former pier transformed into a must-visit shopping and entertainment complex. Since 1990, its greatest attraction hasn't been a shop at all, but a noisy colony of California sea lions that have laid claim to the marina's docks.
Iconic San Francisco
Cable Car, Lombard, Chinatown and more
- Cable Car Powell-HydeWelcome aboard a San Francisco Cable Car, the world's only manually operated cable car system and a designated National Historic Landmark. Since 1873, these iconic cars—which have no engines and are gripped to an underground moving cable—have been climbing the city's steepest hills.
- Lombard StreetYou are standing on Lombard Street, affectionately known as 'the crookedest street in the world' for its famous section on Russian Hill. This unique block features eight sharp hairpin turns, designed in 1922 to reduce the natural 27-degree slope that was far too steep for early automobiles.
- Coit TowerWelcome to Coit Tower, the concrete sentinel that has dominated Telegraph Hill since 1933. This 64-meter-tall Art Deco tower was built using a bequest from Lillie Hitchcock Coit—an eccentric woman who loved San Francisco and the city's heroic firefighters.
- ChinatownWelcome to San Francisco's Chinatown, the oldest and largest Chinese community in North America. By passing through the Dragon Gate on Grant Avenue, you enter a vibrant cultural enclave founded in 1848 by the first Chinese immigrants who arrived during the Gold Rush.
- Fisherman's WharfWelcome to Fisherman's Wharf, the historic waterfront district and one of San Francisco's liveliest tourist hubs. What was once the primary fishing port for Italian immigrants has evolved into a vibrant area filled with attractions, shops, and maritime museums.
Art & Nature SF
SFMOMA, Painted Ladies, Golden Gate Park
- SFMOMAWelcome to SFMOMA, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art—the West Coast's premier epicenter for contemporary art. Reopened in 2016 following a spectacular expansion by architecture firm Snøhetta, the museum features seven floors of light-filled galleries housing one of the most comprehensive modern art collections in…
- Painted LadiesHere are the Painted Ladies, the most photographed Victorian and Edwardian houses in the United States. Located on Steiner Street and famously known as the 'Seven Sisters,' these elegant residences with their colorful facades were built between 1892 and 1896.
- Golden Gate ParkWelcome to Golden Gate Park, a massive green lung covering over 400 hectares, stretching from the city center all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Conceived in the late 19th century from arid sand dunes, the park is actually larger than New York's Central Park.
Complete SF Experience
From Golden Gate to Painted Ladies
- Golden Gate BridgeWelcome to the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco's most recognizable icon and a true marvel of modern engineering. This majestic suspension bridge, completed in 1937, spans 2.7 kilometers across the strait connecting the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean.
- Alcatraz IslandYou are looking at Alcatraz, the sandstone island famously known as 'The Rock,' home to the most legendary prison in American history. From 1934 to 1963, this high-security federal penitentiary held the nation's most notorious criminals, including Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly.
- Pier 39 Sea LionsThis is Pier 39, a former pier transformed into a must-visit shopping and entertainment complex. Since 1990, its greatest attraction hasn't been a shop at all, but a noisy colony of California sea lions that have laid claim to the marina's docks.
- Cable CarWelcome aboard a San Francisco Cable Car, the world's only manually operated cable car system and a designated National Historic Landmark. Since 1873, these iconic cars—which have no engines and are gripped to an underground moving cable—have been climbing the city's steepest hills.
- Lombard StreetYou are standing on Lombard Street, affectionately known as 'the crookedest street in the world' for its famous section on Russian Hill. This unique block features eight sharp hairpin turns, designed in 1922 to reduce the natural 27-degree slope that was far too steep for early automobiles.
- ChinatownWelcome to San Francisco's Chinatown, the oldest and largest Chinese community in North America. By passing through the Dragon Gate on Grant Avenue, you enter a vibrant cultural enclave founded in 1848 by the first Chinese immigrants who arrived during the Gold Rush.
- Painted LadiesHere are the Painted Ladies, the most photographed Victorian and Edwardian houses in the United States. Located on Steiner Street and famously known as the 'Seven Sisters,' these elegant residences with their colorful facades were built between 1892 and 1896.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a free audio walking tour of San Francisco?
- Yes. The Itinerarly app has 4 free self-guided audio tours of San Francisco: SF Classics (3 stops, about 1 h); Iconic San Francisco (5 stops, about 1 h 40); Art & Nature SF (3 stops, about 1 h 40); Complete SF Experience (7 stops, about 2 h 20). The narration is available in English, French, Spanish, Italian and Chinese.
- Which sights do the San Francisco audio tours visit?
- Stops include Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, Cable Car Powell-Hyde, Lombard Street, Coit Tower, Chinatown, SFMOMA, Painted Ladies, Golden Gate Park.
- How long does a walking tour of San Francisco take?
- The San Francisco tours take from 1 h to 2 h 20, including time at each stop. Pick the shortest one if you only have an hour.
- Do I need to pay or book?
- No. The tours are free and you start them whenever you want. Some monuments charge their own entry ticket; the app links to the official ticket page where there is one.
- Does it work offline?
- You need a connection for the map and directions. A stop you have already downloaded can be replayed without a connection.
- What do I need?
- The free Itinerarly app on iPhone (App Store) or Android (Google Play), and a free account.
- Can Itinerarly plan the rest of my day in San Francisco?
- Yes. In Plan mode you add the places you want to see and Itinerarly puts them in the best order, with travel times that account for live traffic.
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