Emperor Norton's Fantastic San Francisco Time Machine

Recommended by 100% of travelers

San Francisco, USA

2 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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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

Professional guide
All taxes, fees and handling charges

Food and drinks
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Union Square, San Francisco, CA, USA
We meet under the Dewey Monument in the center of the square. If that is blocked, we meet of the corner of the square at Powell and Geary.

End point

Old Saint Mary's Cathedral
660 California St, San Francisco, CA 94108, USA
Old St. Mary's Cathedral

Operating hours
.11:00 am

Itinerary

Barbary Coast Trail

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Union Square

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Jackson Square

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Maiden Lane

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Lotta's Fountain

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Portsmouth Square

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Old Saint Mary's Cathedral

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Masks and social distancing required.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

5.0

based on 70 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Great way to spend an afternoon

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!

Playing tourist in our hometown

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!

Informative and entertaining

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. :)

Must Do

920vickid, Aug 2019

Funny and educational, if you like to learn about the history of San Francisco this is a must tour !

I'm so glad I started my San...

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!

Excellent tour. Guide knows...

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.