Best of San Francisco: The San Francisco Vampire Tour

No trip to San Francisco is complete without a few key things: seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, spending time in Chinatown, riding the cables cars and last but not least taking the Vampire Tour of San Francisco. Now before you ask, "the what???" you should know that the Vampire Tour is a great way to spend two hours on your Saturday or Friday night.

The San Francisco Vampire tour takes you around Nob Hill. You will start in Huntington Park and from there you will see the many land marks the neighborhood has to offer. You will take a look at Grace Cathedral, The Union Pacific Club, The Fairmount Hotel, and other locations in a way you never have before.

The tour is guided by Mina Harker (Kitty Burns), as she gives you the history of Nob Hill from the undead perspective. The neighborhood history is 100% factual, the rest is pure fun. The tour starts every Friday and Saturday night at 8:00 at the corner of California and Taylor streets. If you are coming from Union square, picking up the California line in China town might be a good idea. The walk up Taylor is a steep one! The tour costs $20.00, and it is money well spent.

When I took the tour, I was very impressed with the presentation. It was a great crash course in San Francisco history. It wasn't boring, drawn out, or bland as other tours of the city. I keep hoping one of my return trips to the city will fall on a weekend so I can take the tour again. I would gladly hear all the stories again! Despite the name of the tour it is not scary or too dark. It isn't just for goth kids and freaks. It is fun for everyone.

As the website states, people are welcome to dress in costume (sadly all I had for my tour was bat barrettes). The website also brings up a good point about the weather. The tour goes on rain or shine (unless it is really raining hard), so be ready to face the elements. Also remember that San Francisco is not in southern California. It does get chilly there at night. Wearing shorts and a tank top on the tour would not be advisable.