Notorious SF: Scandal and Crime Tour

Overview

On our Notorious SF: Scandal and Crime tour we visit the sites of Hollywood scandals, red light areas, opium dens, gang violence, Gold Rush era lynchings and kidnappings – and enjoy cocktails in one or two historic bars.

We start with the Fatty Arbuckle affair at the St Francis Hotel. A huge scandal that changed the public's perception of celebrity forever. Then we walk down Maiden Lane, which is lined with designer boutiques now - but a hundred years ago was the city's main red light district.

After that we visit Chinatown, which was the site of opium dens and other criminal activity in days gone by. Next you'll learn about Gold Rush era SF, as things got so out of control that public lynchings were held on Portsmouth Square.

Then we dive down to Barbary Coast San Francisco, with its brothels and dance halls - and shanghaiing. During the tour we stop at a couple of historic bars, so guests have the chance to get a drink. We finish at the oldest bar in San Francisco.

City: San Francisco

Sun 23 Feb

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $55.00

Make a reservation

Sun 23 Feb

Starting at $55.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

We donate $1 for every guest to a non-profit, Climate Cents.

Tour Guide

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Aim to get to the meeting point 10-15 minutes early. If you’re late you may miss the tour.
Not recommended for children under 15 years old (adult content).
By making a booking for this tour you agree to be bound by Real San Francisco Tours terms of service.
We can go into two different bars for cocktails on this tour, each for 15 minutes. You do have to be over 21 y.o. to order an alcoholic drink – but you don’t have to be over 21 y.o. to do this tour.
This is a walking tour and we move at a reasonable pace. Please book a private tour if you have mobility issues.
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
COVID-19 vaccination required for guides

What To Expect

Westin St. Francis (hotel)

If the hotel is open there's the option of having a drink in the very nice bar in the lobby.

Maiden Lane

Learn how this lane - which is now a beautiful pedestrian street, was once the heart of San Francisco's red light district.

Chinatown

SF's Chinatown is the oldest in the U.S. and for many years the Chinese immigrants here were strongly discriminated against. Criminals also preyed on them - opium dens, gangs and murder was prevalent here. Learn of some of the personalities and crimes as you walk the streets.

Portsmouth Square

Learn how the Gold Rush made SF what it is today. In those early years it was the Wild West, murder, robbery, kidnapping - and lynchings - were commonplace in this neighborhood.

Columbus Avenue

One of the few buildings not to burn down in the Great Fire were the Hotaling warehouses. Is that because the whiskey inside was too important to lose?

Jackson Square

This neighborhood used to be called the Barbary Coast and there wasn't a more dangerous place in the world. Robbery, assault, shanghaiing - it all happened here (but not anymore, don't worry :-).

Show 3 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (4)

Lisa_W

Oct 2022

Such a fun night! Learned so much about the city that I never knew. Guide was friendly and excited to share his knowledge.

Abigail_B

Sep 2022

We really enjoyed the tour a lot! Very interesting information and the best tour guide. Highly recommend!

Snigdha_agarwal

Jan 2022

The guide was very informative and I discovered new things about the city. The guide was friendly and tried to cater the tour to our needs. However the price point is a little high when you compare it to tours like Alcatraz or big bus which include motorized travel and other costs in it. Reduce the price and this would be a perfect deal!

Response from Host

Dec 2022

Thanks so much for coming on a tour with us and so glad you liked Kevin. In terms of the price Alcatraz is a completely different scale of operation, often with huge groups, and it's a non-profit. The Big Bus is more of a transport operation - it's not an experience like ours. As I'm sure you discovered, San Francisco is an expensive city, dropping the price is just not an option - it's doubtful any tour companies here are making any money at the moment. Another (better :-) way of viewing your experience is that you got a private tour for your whole family with one of the best guides in SF. It certainly seems like a good deal when viewed in that light.