Victorian Home Walk

This was a fun and informative tour. I have been staying in San Francisco for business and did the tour on a Saturday afternoon. Jay, the tour guide, was right there on the corner of Union Square by the big heart statue holding his yellow sign — right on time. You take a bus to Pacific Heights, which he pays for as part of the fees for the tour. He knows the city’s history and the architectural styles of the homes and buildings. The tour route is designed so that you don’t have to walk up hill. The walking was at a slow pace and he stopped to discuss many houses and buildings. There is a also a stop at a Victorian bed and breakfast where we were allowed in and could explore, including going into one of the empty guest rooms. I would definitely recommend this tour.

Had a great time on this tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable and we got to see a lot of the beautiful historic San Francisco architecture both inside and out. It is a lot of walking so put on your best walking shoes!

Outstanding! Jay was an excellent guide — knowledgeable, funny, well paced, clear. We did the tour with friends who have some mobility issues and had no problem keeping up. Jay has designed the tour so that you avoid almost all the hills. I would highly recommend for anyone wanting an up close and personal view of SF’s Victorian houses.

Painted ladies are so pretty. Bring a light jacket even on a sunny day the wind really whips around the corners. Tour guide was friendly and told some jokes to keep us entertained.

Outstanding! Jay was friendly, spoke clearly and loudly enough, has a vast knowledge of the local culture, and the walking was easy, with frequent stops. Oh, and it was incredibly interesting. We have lived in the Bay area for more than 30 years, but Jay added tremendously to our knowledge of these fascinating homes and their neighborhoods. Even his recommendation for lunch was spot on. One tip: Be on time; he starts promptly. Highly recommend!

The tour was interesting and enjoyable! Jay is a wonderful guide, easy to talk to and full of knowledge. Great way to be introduced to Victorian SF, and a super fun morning.

This was a very enjoyable experience. I took the tour with the friend on Monday, Memorial Day. Jay shared lots of interesting information. The two hours flew by. The houses, views and neighborhoods were wonderful. I would recommend this tour. We took the 45 bus back to the start and that was a nice ride with great views.

We went on a Monday. It was so much fun. He was there on time holding a yellow sign. Jay is so knowledgeable about the city & houses history. It was a leisurely walk, no hills or climbing. We got to see the inside of the queen Anne inn. That was super cool & we got to ride the bus back to China town & have lunch. Highly recommended. Must see tour if you’re in SF.

A perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon! I learned so much about San Francisco.

Really glad we went on this tour! It’s worth every penny. Jay is an excellent guide — very approachable. I learned so much about the city today and saw some beautiful, one of a kind homes.

I spent last week in San Francisco and I was able to catch this tour on a Thursday morning. Our guide Jay was great! He was very informative, friendly and made the entire experience fun and welcoming. He knew loads of information about San Francisco’s history as well as answering questions in regards to the historical accounts that we hear so much about while visiting the city (fires of 1906 for example). I left the tour with an abundance of information about this city I adore so much. I had a great time!

Isaac was an excellent tour guide — it was fun, informative, and the walk was quite easy. We hardly noticed we walked over 2−½ miles, it was so easy! The homes were so beautiful…

Took this tour on a whim&found it to be amazing. Jay was very informative&had a great sense of humor. Very detailed&knowledgeable. Highly recommend this tour to everyone out there both locals&tourists.

Jay was dynamic and fun. The information was clear and interesting to both a beginner (like me) and a seasoned Victorian lover (my mom). He did a good job of re-​emphasizing things he’d taught so the information really stuck.
Beautiful way to see SF. Will definitely recommend this to other friends.

Great Tour! I completely recommend this tour to visitors and to locals (the tour provides a lot of history locals probably don’t know!)
Highlights:
Extremely Well Planned.
* Your guide will picks you up in a location that is easy to get to (Union Square)
* You will be dropped off in a location that is perfect to grab lunch, go shopping and get back to Union Square
* No Hills! It was amazing – I was prepared to walk up some strenuous hills but the tour was plan so well that we bypassed all of them
Interesting and Informative!
* This tour provided just the right amount of fun facts and information
* Moreover, you will be allowed to enjoy a part of the city that you might not venture into otherwise
* One will certainly come away with a real appreciation for the architecture and history of San Francisco

I’m an SF local, but I took this tour with my mom last Friday, which was led by the guide Jay Gifford. Our tour group had only 7 people in it, so it was a great size. The 2-​hour tour feels like the perfect length. We were fortunate that we had great weather, so the whole experience was very relaxing and pleasant.
Jay is a very engaging guide who can provide a lot of interesting information not only about architecture, but also about local horticulture, and San Francisco cultural trends and history.
You do get to go inside the historic Queen Anne B&B, which is quite interesting, but that’s the only structure you can go inside. It would be great if the tour company could make arrangements to peek inside a few other homes, if possible.
Regardless, I would definitely recommend it!

I live in the City, but did this tour today as my mom was in town visiting and is very interested in architecture. The tour started promptly at 11am in Union Square, and we jumped on the bus (45 I believe) to Japantown. We then took a very scenic route through Pacific Heights, and Jay passionately and patiently explained the different types of Victorians we were seeing along the way. We somehow avoided the major hills but saw some great views.
The walk was a few miles and ended on Union street in the Marina, where he made recommendations for lunch and pointed everyone in the right direction to get back to Union Square via Muni.
In summary: Walk was healthy but not strenuous, Jay was funny and knowledgeable, price was right. Would recommend!

A great tour led by Jay Gifford. As stated in the information section of the website, the tour begins promptly at 11:00AM, so I would recommend getting to the meeting point 5 – 10 minutes early. Jay mentioned that the size of the tour can be as small as one, to as large as 30. A person going on this tour will immediately recognize Jay’s passion and knowledge not just of Victorian homes, but San Francisco in general.
Jay provided some great insight into the history of SF Victorian architecture, teaching our party how to distinguish some of the prominent features of different Victorian homes. I also really enjoyed the wealth of knowledge he shared regarding the history behind some of the neighborhoods as well as specific houses; brief stylistic preferences that came and went with each era, neighborhoods that were once not the most desirable that later became some of the most expensive to live in, and current/​former famous residents of San Francisco. He was able to provide an answer to every single question I had and I never got the sense that any of it was b.s.
I would consider this tour fun whether you’ve lived in San Francisco your entire life or you’re a tourist; you’ll learn a lot!

My father and I did this tour last week — (he is 70+ years old and has been on way way too many tours in his life). My dad says this was the best tour he has ever done ANYWHERE — and mind you he has been visiting San Francisco every year for the past 40+ years and didn’t think he had anything else to learn/​see about the city.
Jay is fun and friendly without being frivolous. He provides lots of interesting background and «Why?» along the route, without it being a mindless drivel about random facts and figures. it is immediately obvious that jay loves San Francisco and its architecture and this walking tour is a result of his passion and interests rather than «just a job».
Well done Jay!
PS — My dad was nervous about a walking tour in pacific heights due to a) hills and b) he is older, but the route is extremely well planned to be as flat/​downhill as humanly possible through this part of the city. Anyone able to walk for 90 minutes should be fine — don’t stress about the hills!

Take this tour! I love learning about architecture, and my boyfriend came along to humor me — and ended up loving it! Jay is a super-​friendly guide, and you feel as if you’re walking around a beautiful city with a very informed friend. There were all ages of people on our tour, and Jay has found a way to navigate the «Painted Ladies» in such a way that you have to deal with very few hills.
Jay is easy to find, across from Sak’s Fifth Avenue in Union Square with his yellow sign, at 11 AM sharp.
Jay also suggests some great restaurants in the area at the conclusion of the tour — the man knows his city! This is a great way to spend part of your day, and I would encourage locals and vistors alike to take advantage!
Going during Christmas time is especially great — the Queen Anne Hotel gets decked out to the max!