Gold & Guns Waterfront Walking Tour with Cocktail Tastings by Walk SF Tours

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Duration: 3h
Location: San Francisco, CA United States | San Francisco, United States


Category: Food & Drink

Highlights:
Behind-the-scenes look at San Fran's historic waterfront
Tales about the wharf's seedy past & notorious criminals
3 authentic cocktail tastings in storied taverns & infamous bars
Terrific Street, buried ship Niantic & 1850s brick façades
Passionate local guide shares anecdotes about Gold Rush era

Inclusions:
Guided walking tour of old San Francisco and the original waterfront before the cove was filled in
3 cocktail tastings

Description:

Journey back to the days of the Wild West, when San Francisco was a lawless outpost of fortune-seeking gold rushers, shanghaiing bandits, and gun-slinging miscreants of every persuasion. Sip on classic cocktails as you explore the storied bars and boardinghouses of the city’s notorious waterfront.

The seedy and sordid Barbary Coast—as San Francisco’s waterfront was called during its Gold Rush heyday—welcomed ‘49ers to California’s dodgy shores throughout the 19th century. Boats like the fabled Niantic arrived in Yerba Buena Cove and were abandoned or sunk as prospectors headed to the hills. Along the wharf, an underbelly of rough-and-tumble saloons, vice-ridden brothels, and criminal-packed bars thrived.

Follow your guide between 3 different drinking establishments as you uncover the secrets and stories of this fascinating pocket of the city, checking out old-timey brick façades from Jackson Square and the one-time entertainment district of Terrific Street. Learn about the violent reign of the Sydney Ducks, who pillaged, murdered, and even set fire to San Francisco, and hear about Joshua Norton, who proclaimed himself Emperor of the United States and had his own currency issued—specifically for use at his preferred taverns.

You might pull up a stool at a bar where the crimper James Kelly sought his victims, sit under the Prohibition-era signage in a moody steakhouse, or head to Mark Twin’s favorite watering hole to sample his cocktail of choice—a potent Pisco Punch. Tour stops vary, but this exploration of San Francisco’s historic buildings, dangerous past, and authentic period cocktails is sure to intrigue you at every turn.