SF North Beach & Hill
San Francisco
1.8 km · 30 min · 8 stops$4.99
San Francisco Audio Walking Tours
Self-guided, narrated walks through San Francisco. Buy a tour once, download it, and let the story play at each stop while you walk at your own pace.
Tours from $4.99
5.0 on Google Play
What to expect on a San Francisco audio walking tour
A San Francisco audio walking tour takes you either up into the hills of North Beach and Telegraph Hill or along the flat curve of the waterfront, and both routes feel like a different city entirely. You'll get the neighborhood's history in your ears while you climb steps, duck down alleys, and watch the bay open up in front of you.
The North Beach and Telegraph Hill route is short but steep, just 1.8 kilometers and about half an hour, starting at Washington Square and the twin spires of Saints Peter and Paul Church. You'll wander down Columbus Avenue past City Lights Bookstore and Jack Kerouac Alley before climbing the Filbert Steps, a garden staircase that leads up to Coit Tower and the wraparound views from Telegraph Hill.
The Waterfront walk covers more ground, about 4.5 kilometers and just over an hour, starting at the Ferry Building and following the Embarcadero past Pier 7 and Pier 39. You'll keep going through the crowds at Fisherman's Wharf and the old chocolate factory at Ghirardelli Square before the route settles into the quieter stretch of Aquatic Park and Fort Mason.
Between the two tours you get San Francisco's whole personality: the bohemian, hilly charm of North Beach and the working harbor turned waterfront promenade. Both are easy to do in a single day if you start early, with plenty of spots to grab coffee or seafood along the way.
Where to walk in San Francisco
A few of the stops you will pass, and why they are worth slowing down for.
North Beach
North Beach is San Francisco's Italian heart, and walking through it means espresso smells drifting out of old cafes, laundry strung between apartment windows, and Washington Square framed by the twin spires of Saints Peter and Paul Church. Columbus Avenue cuts through the neighborhood at an angle, lined with bakeries and City Lights Bookstore, the famous shop that helped launch the Beat movement. Duck into Jack Kerouac Alley for a quick literary detour before continuing on. It is one of the most walkable and atmospheric pockets of the city, small enough to explore in an hour but full of character.
Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower
The climb up Telegraph Hill rewards you with Coit Tower and one of the best panoramic views in San Francisco, taking in the Bay Bridge, Alcatraz, and the packed rooftops of the city below. The real treat is the descent down the Filbert Steps, a narrow wooden staircase that winds through lush private gardens, past cottages covered in flowers, with wild parrots often calling from the trees overhead. It feels more like a hidden hillside village than a big city block. Few walks in San Francisco pack this much scenery into so short a distance.
Embarcadero and the Ferry Building
The Embarcadero is San Francisco's grand waterfront promenade, running along the bay with the Bay Bridge stretching out to one side and the clock tower of the Ferry Building anchoring the scene. Inside the Ferry Building you will find a marketplace of local food stalls and a farmers market that spills outside on select days. Palm trees line the wide sidewalk, cyclists and joggers pass by, and the ferries themselves come and go from the piers. It is an easy, breezy walk with constant water views and plenty of spots to stop for a bite.
Fisherman's Wharf
Fisherman's Wharf is touristy, sure, but it earns its popularity with a lively waterfront full of sea lions barking at Pier 39, chowder bread bowls, and views straight across the bay to Alcatraz Island. Walking the piers you get street performers, souvenir shops, and the smell of fresh seafood drifting from the crab stands. Ghirardelli Square nearby adds a historic red brick backdrop and, of course, chocolate. It is unapologetically festive, and a great place to end a day of walking with the bay lit up in the evening light.
Golden Gate Bridge and Crissy Field
Walking along Crissy Field toward the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most scenic strolls in the country, with a flat waterfront path, kite surfers on the bay, and the bridge's rust orange towers growing larger with every step. On a clear day you can see all the way to the Marin headlands, and on a foggy one the bridge disappears into the mist in a way that feels almost cinematic. The path is easy underfoot and popular with cyclists and dog walkers, so the energy is relaxed and social. Getting up close to the bridge and feeling its scale in person is something photos never quite capture.
San Francisco audio tours
Each tour is a mapped route with narration at every stop. Buy it once and it is yours to keep, no subscription.
Start your San Francisco audio tour in three steps
No group to keep up with and no departure time. Get set up in a couple of minutes and walk whenever suits you.
- 1
Get the app
Download Walk With Me free on iPhone or Android, then open the audio tours for your city.
- 2
Pick your tour
Choose a San Francisco tour, sample the free intro and first stops, then unlock the whole route with a one-time purchase.
- 3
Press play and walk
Head to the first stop and start walking. The narration triggers by GPS as you arrive, and it works offline once downloaded.