Barbary Coast Trail (original) (raw)

Welcome to the Barbary Coast Trail

The Barbary Coast Trail® is a San Francisco walking tour that connects the City’s most important historic sites.

Bronze medallions and arrows set in the sidewalk guide you along the trail, drawing you into a world of gold rushers and railroad barons, writers and visionaries, shanghiers and silver kings.

Three ways to Walk the BCT

Audio Tours

Our downloadable audio tour and map features historic reenactments and dramatic sound effects.

Audio Tour sample!

Printed Guides

Our printed guides include maps and tips of cool things to do and see along the trail.

Guided Tours

Trail creator Daniel Bacon is your personal guide. His stories and anecdotes are a treat for anyone from eight to eighty.

Weekend Sherpa

Walks the
Barbary Coast Trail

Trail Overview

Where to Begin

The southern end of the Barbary Coast Trail begins downtown at the Old Mint at 5th and Mission streets. From there it heads north, weaving its way through San Francisco’s most vibrant and historic neighborhoods. The northern end of the trail is located near Fishermans Wharf at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

Each end of the trail is connected by the Powell-Hyde cable car line. This allows you to begin anywhere along the trail and make you way back to where you started.

What to See

• 20 historic sites • 5 history museums
• Historic sailing ships • Lively pubs and cafes
• Victorian and Edwardian architecture
• Panoramic views

Included in our

Barbary Coast Trail pocket guide.

Latest Reviews

An excellent introduction to historic San Francisco! Order the guidebook online or get a copy at the Tourist Information Office at the Moscone Center. This is near the beginning of the Barbary Coast Trail. Once you find the trail, you’ll see very clear markers – big bronze plaques more than a foot across embedded in the concrete sidewalk – that indicate every turn of the trail. This is a 3.8 mile walk so get your mind (and feet) ready. It will take you three times as long as you think because every stop is worth spending time to read, study and absorb. And there are 15 significant stops along the way. There are plenty of cafes, coffee shops, and restaurants along the path so you could take time off your tour for lunch.

Ronald Snyder

SF's Official Trail

The Barbary Coast Trail is San Francisco’s official historical walking tour. The trail is marked with 180 bronze medallions and arrows embedded in the sidewalk, making it easy to follow from one end to the other.

Along the way you’ll discover San Francisco’s dynamic history from the Gold Rush to the 1906 Earthquake and Fire to the present.