Golden Gate Park Walking Tour With California Academy of Sciences Ticket
Famous landmarks and hidden gems in SF’s favorite park
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Local experts
Personal stories and insider travel tips -
Top-rated
Thousands of reviews averaging 4.9 stars -
Worry-free booking
Flexible scheduling and refunds
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Local experts
Personal stories and insider travel tips -
Top-rated
Thousands of reviews averaging 4.9 stars -
Worry-free booking
Flexible scheduling and refunds
Highlights
- Admire the blooms in the Shakespeare Garden and outside the Conservatory of Flowers.
- Learn how a circle of stones connects to a Spanish monastery, a grizzly bear, and the California state flag.
- Briefly relive the 1967 Summer of Love at the top of Hippie Hill.
- Snap a pic of the Instagrammable mid-1890s McLaren Lodge.
- Get the scoop on SF landmarks like the de Young Museum and the botanical gardens.
- Visit the world’s only attraction with an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, and natural history museum under one roof.
- Upgrade for a hop-on hop-off bus ticket with a stop at Golden Gate Park.
What you'll do
Golden Gate Park is huge, and it’s easy to almost get lost exploring it. Our local guide is here to save the day, showing you the must-see landmarks as well as the true hidden gems you might otherwise miss.
We’ll pass by popular ...
Golden Gate Park is huge, and it’s easy to almost get lost exploring it. Our local guide is here to save the day, showing you the must-see landmarks as well as the true hidden gems you might otherwise miss.
We’ll pass by popular attractions like the de Young Museum, the Japanese Tea Garden, the Conservatory of Flowers, the Music Concourse, and the sprawling San Francisco Botanical Garden as we learn about why they’re so famous.
But we’ll also see the historic McLaren Lodge, an Instagrammable 1896 Moorish-Gothic retreat that looks right at home amid the lush greenery. And we’ll climb Hippie Hill — not a very steep climb, mind you — to enjoy the views as you find out its connection to the 1967 Summer of Love. Pause for a somber moment in the peaceful AIDS memorial. Stroll the Shakespeare Garden and be inspired by the herbs and plants mentioned in Will Shakespeare’s poems and plays.
And why are those stones scattered in a half-hidden part of Golden Gate Park? Your guide will tell you. It has to do with a Spanish monastery, a grizzly bear, and the California state flag — naturally.
Your tour ends at the California Academy of Sciences. Your ticket is included, so you can check out all the exhibits, animals, planetarium, and much more in this vast indoor attraction. The California Academy of Sciences also has a lot of great lunch options, so it’s a nice place to grab a meal before you explore.
If you choose, you can also upgrade to add on a Big Bus Tours hop-on hop-off ticket. This includes two days of hop-on hop-off access at 16 stops around San Francisco — one of which is Golden Gate Park. Other popular stops include the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, Union Square, and Haight-Ashbury.
If you select this upgrade, we recommend continuing your tour after the Academy of Sciences by hopping on the open-top bus and riding over the Golden Gate Bridge and then on to Fisherman’s Wharf before returning to your hotel. It’s a great overview of San Francisco in just one day!
Itinerary
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McLaren Lodge
A Romanesque 1890s lodge with 18-inch thick walls, once the home of the park superintendent.
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Conservatory of Flowers
Views of the blooms outside this gorgeous greenhouse
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Hippie Hill
The focal point of the 1967 Summer of Love counterculture movement
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National AIDS Memorial Grove
A 10-acre memorial in a peaceful green setting
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Monarch Bear Grove
A mysterious circle of stones related to the California state flag
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Shakespeare Garden
Planted with trees, shrubs, flowers, and herbs from the Bard’s plays and poems
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Music Concourse
An open-air plaza with world-class museums on either side plus a turn-of-the-century “Temple of Music”
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De Young Museum
A fine arts museum with striking modern architecture you can admire from outside
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California Academy of Sciences
Your ticket to explore one the largest natural history museums in the world, housing over 46 million specimens and a four-story rainforest
Plan your trip
Upgrades
Add on a Big Bus Tours hop-on hop-off ticket for $65 per adult. This includes two days of hop-on hop-off access at 16 stops, including Golden Gate Park.
Tickets
Your ticket to the California Academy of Sciences is included. This is also a great place to grab lunch.
Tour ending point
This tour ends at California Academy of Sciences.
Refund policy
We offer a 100% refund up to 48 hours before the start time.
Meeting point
Meet your guide on the west side of Stanyan Street where Haight Street comes to an end.
FAQs
How much walking is there?
This tour covers 1.6 miles at a leisurely pace. If mobility is an issue, please arrange for a private tour.
Is this tour wheelchair accessible?
Yes, this tour is accessible for both wheelchairs and strollers.
What is the rescheduling policy?
We understand plans change. We offer a 100% refund or the option to reschedule up to 48 hours prior to your tour start time. Within 48 hours of your tour, we would have incurred hard costs and therefore cannot allow rescheduling or cancellation without costs.
When should I get there?
Plan to show up 15 minutes early. The tour starts promptly, and you may not be able to catch up if you arrive late.
What if it rains?
Our tours run rain or shine. If there’s extreme weather and we have to cancel, you’ll get a full refund.
Are gratuities included?
Tips aren’t included but are always appreciated by our guides. If you think your guide did an outstanding job, a tip is a great way to show that.