San Francisco Architecture Walking Tour

Fantastic tour! Rick is riveting from start to finish. It’s clear he’s passionate about the history of SF architecture and urban planning. Make the time to take this tour — you won’t be sorry!

Rick was a great tour guide; highlighting the details of history and infusing it with story while describing how the juxtaposition of old and new architecture make such a visible impact on our behavior. There were so many interesting aspects described I look forward to taking more walks with him in other neighborhoods.

This is a very good tour that takes you through the different styles of architecture in SF. Rick is very knowledgable and discusses how air rights and city planning have shaped the City and its architecture. Very enjoyable and worth the money.

Whether you are a local or a tourist, Rick Evan’s Architecture tour should be a must on your list — this came as one of the surprise activity planned by my friends for me. We did a 2 hour walking tour in the financial district. San Francisco has so much history that everyone should learn about. And Ricky has amazing sense of storytelling, going back in history and giving a picture of what future SF would look like. He’s truly passionate about sharing his knowledge with everyone. Definitely would recommend it to all.

Rick’s architecture tour is awesome! As fun as it was, everyone should consider this tour part of their civic duty. You will learn about the history, zoning, culture, POPOS, and of course, architecture of San Francisco. In just a few blocks’ radius of Market St., Rick uses architecture to show you the history of San Francisco from the Gold Rush all the way through the future of the area, with the tour ending in front of the soon-​to-​be-​completed Salesforce tower.
The walking is very laid back and you don’t travel far.
I will definitely be taking Rick’s tours in other parts of the city in the future!

One of the best tours I’ve ever had — for 2 hours I forgot about everything and just inhaled new information. To say that I’ve seen San Francisco as I didn’t see it before is an understatement. Rick’s passion and love for San Francisco architecture is contagious. I’m going to bring all my visiting, but also local friends to this tour by all means — there is no better way to understand a city than by understanding its design, layout and people that build it.

This guy knows his stuff! I decided to take Rick’s tour with my parents as it was there first time visiting SF and I live in Los Angeles and don’t know that much about the city. It was just the 3 of us on the tour and we had a fantastic time! Rick is super knowledgeable and well spoken. We learned about the past, present and future of San Francisco in 2 hours and we just couldn’t get enough. The walking tour was great since there is so much fascinating history so close together it is really easy to access by foot. I can’t tell you how much we enjoyed ourselves. This was about a year ago and we still talk about it when I visit with them.

I’ve worked and visited S.F. dozens of times over the years and I never knew about POPOS! Now I can’t wait to come back and figure out how to say, «SHOW ME YOUR POPOS!» as many times as possible. Out of all the things I’ve seen and done in S.F., this tour with Rick is my absolute favorite. I’ve been on architectural and walking tours all over the country and this is one of the best. Rick is passionate about his subject and his unique perspective allows for a fun, exciting, and totally worthwhile experience. This tour is great for visitors, but definitely do this tour if you’re a local too.

Rick is truly an enthusiastic and very knowledgeable guide. I never knew about air rights or POPOS before. When we come back to San Francisco we will surely book another of Rick’s tours!
If you are interested in American architecture — or architecture in general — and you are in San Francisco I would deem this tour a must.

Rick’s tour is awesome. I’ve been on over a dozen architectural walking tours in several different cities and this is as good as it gets. Rick is the consummate guide, with a clear passion for San Francisco, its buildings, and the personalities that made it all happen. I’ve lived in this city for two years and almost everything I heard was news to me. Stop reading these and go book your tour!

In this age of everyone staring downward at their phone this tour would be worth it if the only thing you took from it was the emphatic admonition of its leader to «Look up!».
Look up, people, it’s where everything interesting is happening.
Rick Evans is an architectural historian passionate about the subject. I imagine he’s led this tour hundreds of times but the enthusiasm he brings to it hasn’t waned. He speaks emphatically and precisely and with animation and is fully engaging for the entire tour length (just under 2.5 hours).
The distance you’ll travel isn’t far but what you’re exposed to will cause you to see and appreciate the City from a historian’s viewpoint. You’re given the tools to understand what you’re seeing and the information needed to return and enjoy some of what you’ve experienced on your own time. Even if this doesn’t sound interesting to you I’d bet you’ll be proven wrong; the tour has a well-​deserved 5 star rating on Unilocal and an «excellent» rating on tripadvisor.
The tour is right-​priced at $ 40 per person and has wide appeal. Of the 18 participants in my group many (self included) were Bay Area residents. With Downtown currently experiencing its biggest development boom ever, now is a perfect time to learn where the City has come from and see first-​hand where it’s headed. This tour is the perfect vehicle to do so.
* The tour is not recommended for children.
* The tour requires you to stand and walk and for this reason might not be great for those with mobility issues. Contact Rick directly if you have concerns.
* Despite the large group size Rick Evans is extremely good at projecting his voice for all to hear.
* C’mon, you routinely throw away 40 bucks at happy hour. Break up that routine.

I’ve taken many tours, and Rick Evans is the best guide I’ve ever had. He’s eager to share, intelligent in his perspective, and attuned to his audience. The architecture tour went for more than two hours and we were never bored. I’m determined to take his other neighborhood tours, which include ‘back alleys of Chinatown,’ Nob Hill, and Waterfront. Rick is a real gem!

Very informative and enthusiastic. The 2 hour tour went by in a flash. Rick is excellent.

I have taken this architecture walking tour three times and enjoyed it every time. There is something new to learn about the city at every turn. The walk itself is easy. Rick is enthusiastic about his city and it is obvious that he enjoys enlightening and educating his tour group to as many things as he can fit into 2 hours.

A fantastic way to spend a sunny afternoon! I felt like I was being let in on secrets; it was all the more satisfying because these «secrets» were in plain sight. I gained an appreciation of several buildings I pass on a regular basis but never took the time to examine. After the tour, I felt closer to the city and will pay more attention when I’m out and about. Thank you, Rick!

Excellent! Informative! comprehensive! It’s a wonderful tour. Rick is a great knowledgeable tour guide.

I really enjoyed the tour. GREAT information. Rick was wonderful. Be sure to take the tour on a nice day. The tour did a great job of covering in detail the areas you walk through. Tour should be called the Financial District Tour of San Fran.
The cool thing was learning about the POPOS. Great little spots to chill out and read a book or eat a quiet lunch.

The reviews here are pretty spot on. It’s a good tour. I probably won’t be able to tell you anything you can’t read from another review. The only things I can tell you that might be slightly different is thatl while this tour is really great and interesting, it’s pretty expensive for what it is and the entire tour is about architecture within a block or two in the financial district. By no means is this tour one I would consider diverse and all inclusive for architecture. The price of $ 40 which is a lot to pay when there are yours that include bus routes and multiple locations for cheaper. I’ve done yours in many different cities that are walking historical tours so I thought it would be much more walking. But if you love this neighborhood and don’t think much of $ 40, go for it!

This is a must do in San Francisco! A trip highlight for us, for sure. Rick is so knowledgeable and passionate about the architecture in this city. Those are such rare qualities but they shine through so brightly in him. He really loves this job and the admission is absolutely worth a few hours with him.
We covered a small section of the city but the information and knowledge gained were huge. We weren’t just given boring facts and figures. We were told a story about the past, present, and future of SF. Rick has a way of building up to a big reveal even when the everything is already in front of you. He is very dramatic in his approach which made the experience so rich.
Architects and non-​architects alike will enjoy this tour. I am most certainly not an architect but nothing felt over my head. In fact, I was even more impressed that Rick can throttle his architect chops back for the everyperson and still remain as passionate and informative. True talent!
I would highly recommend this tour to anyone!

I’ve been visiting SF once or twice a year for close to 20 years and it’s amazing to find out just how much I don’t know exists here. Rick’s tour of the financial district really opened my eyes to the beauty and history of the city’s architectural treasures and the hidden spaces that are accessible to the public. Rick’s knowledge of the city is incredible but what really made the tour captivating was his passion for the subject. His love of architecture and the history behind it really shines through.
The tour is 2 — 2 ½ hours and covers about a 4 block area. The walk was very easy and well paced. Rick covers a lot of information and it was nice that he gave a handout at the end of the tour with the information on the buildings that he talked about.
I’m so glad we had the chance to have taken this fantastic tour. I’m hoping to take the Chinatown tour on our next visit.
Thanks Rick!