Emperor Norton's Fantastic San Francisco Time Machine
San Francisco, USA
Emperor Norton's Fantastic San Francisco Time Machine
Recommended by 100% of travelers
San Francisco, USA
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Meet one of San Francisco’s larger-than-life historical figures, Emperor Norton, for a walking tour that makes the city’s history come alive. Learn about the real Emperor Norton as you take in landmarks such as Union Square, Maiden Lane, Lotta's Fountain, Jackson Square, Portsmouth Square and more. Expect to walk at a leisurely pace for around two miles during your tour. You’ll hear stories about the Barbary Coast and the 1906 earthquake, and witness the city’s growth through the eyes of the emperor.
- Historical walking tour of San Francisco with Emperor Norton as guide
- Travel back in time to the Barbary Coast and 1906 San Francisco earthquake
- Learn the back story of Union Square, Maiden Lane and more
- Stroll around the city with a guide dressed as Emperor Norton, a San Francisco character who lived during the 1800s
What's Included
Meeting and Pickup
Itinerary
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 70 reviews
Linda_O, Nov 2022
So much information…we took his recommendations for lunch and also popovers at Neiman Marcus. Yum yum!
I loved that people shouted at the Emperor as if he was an old friend along the way. What a character!
ChrisS, Mar 2020
Learned a lot about the city we’ve lived in for ten years! “Emperor Norton’s” knowledge, the route and the history were fantastic. Especially fun to see where the city ended/bay started back then as we walked through the old Barbary Coast. Would highly recommend!
Betsy_C, Oct 2019
My husband and I decided to take Emperor Norton’s tour to celebrate our 30th year of living in San Francisco. We learned many wonderful new facts about this city we love so much. The Emperor was/is a perfect San Francisco ambassador—proud, public-spirited, and eccentric. :)
920vickid, Aug 2019
Funny and educational, if you like to learn about the history of San Francisco this is a must tour !
Phil M, Aug 2017
I'm so glad I started my San Francisco vacation with this tour. It was fun, informative, fascinating, and I came back later to many of the places we had visited on the tour. What a great introducton to the history and life of San Francisco!
Robert B, Sep 2016
Excellent tour. Guide knows everything about SF history, and provides the inside scoop on little known secrets of buildings and infamous individuals that you won't get without reading hundreds of books. Take two hours to go back in time a 120 years to the 1890's, and see why SF was place the unusual and eccentric migrated to. See insides of buildings that you didn't know existed, and are not on any tourist map.
Simone_B, Jul 2022
Es war eine tolle Führung und Kaiser Norton der Erste hat viele interessante Dinge erzählt. Wir waren begeistert.
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