If you want to discover Haight Ashbury from a true “insider,” then consider the Flower Power Tour created and given by the ebullient Izu Interlandi. Izu is not a native to the hippie district of Haights Ashbury in San Francisco, but she could very well write a book about it. Her love for the area and the joy of meeting and personally connecting with the legends of the area –including the Grateful Dead, Allen Ginsburg and Janis Joplin — bubbles over like champagne. She will take you through it all--from the Grateful Dead house to where Janis Joplin lived, and leave you feeling sad you are not from that era. She’s an original and one of San Francisco’s best. I discovered Izu through Trafalgar’s distinctive insider experiences guided vacation of San Francisco and Napa Valley, and have been a fan ever since. Walking tours don’t get more fun or memorable than this!
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Hippy Free Love: San Francisco's Flower Power Tour
If you want to discover Haight Ashbury from a true “insider,” then consider the Flower Power Tour created and given by the ebullient Izu Interlandi. Izu is not a native to the hippie district of Haights Ashbury in San Francisco, but she could very well write a book about it. Her love for the area and the joy of meeting and personally connecting with the legends of the area –including the Grateful Dead, Allen Ginsburg and Janis Joplin — bubbles over like champagne. She will take you through it all--from the Grateful Dead house to where Janis Joplin lived, and leave you feeling sad you are not from that era. She’s an original and one of San Francisco’s best. I discovered Izu through Trafalgar’s distinctive insider experiences guided vacation of San Francisco and Napa Valley, and have been a fan ever since. Walking tours don’t get more fun or memorable than this!
Vibes of the Haight
As “trendy” as this neighborhood has become, it is still definitely worth a cruise through when you are visiting SF. There are great restaurants and fun bars if you don’t mind pushing through the panhandlers here and there or the crowds. There are also some great shops and a killer second hand store called Buffalo Exchange. If the crowds get to you just move a few blocks up to the quiet sunny neighborhood of Cole Valley, with it’s quaint shops, health food stores and coffee shops (as well as the infamous Zazie’s) it is a nice escape from the busyness of the Haight. There are also some great B&Bs tucked around this neighborhood, which are often much nice and more affordable than staying downtown.
Step into the past in Haight Ashbury
Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco is chalk full of history. From “Turn in, Tune in and Drop Out” to The Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin and other iconic persons and phrases this tiny are of the city pulses with stories. One way to experience them is to do a tour with Flower Power Walking Tour, specifically with tour guide Izu, who grew up here and talks the talk and walks the walk. It is a must do for locals and tourists alike.