City Guides Mission Statement

City Guides volunteers are serious about sharing the fun of discovering San Francisco and its neighborhoods. Our purpose is to preserve and perpetuate the history and folklore of San Francisco and to celebrate its rich history of cultural diversity. In the spirit of our primary sponsor, the San Francisco Public Library, we provide this service free of charge.

Are your tours really free?

Absolutely!! San Francisco City Guides is a non-profit organization with roots in the San Francisco Public Library. We welcome all walkers, free of charge. All our tours are led by volunteers who love to share their knowledge and passion for our city with walkers like you, and who do not accept tips. At the same time, we depend on the generosity of our walkers to keep City Guides running — more than 80% of our budget comes from your donations! So if you like your walk with us, please consider supporting us with a donation of $20 (or whatever amount you choose). Every donation will help keep our tours going for another 40 years!