On this fun-filled historical city tour, hop aboard the Magic Bus that will transport you to 1960s San Francisco. Become a part of the Beatnik generation, see Haight-Ashbury in the Summer of Love and visit San Francisco’s Chinatown, from which eastern philosophy spread in the 1960s. Discover the iconic neighborhoods as they are now with your own eyes, and see the past come alive with retractable projection screens that cover the windows, giving you a look back in time.
Board the brightly colored Magic Bus in central San Francisco and begin your journey through time as you are transported from Union Square to Chinatown, a culturally vibrant pocket of San Francisco that is home to the largest population of Chinese in America. Chinatown was a significant part of America’s exposure to Eastern philosophies in the 1960s and beyond.
Next, visit North Beach, where you will see the City Lights bookstore. City Lights was the epicenter of profound social change in San Francisco, where many famous Beat-generation poems were published and Beatniks like Jack Kerouac hung out.
Continue your Magic Ride and watch modern San Francisco blend with the past as you travel through the Financial District and up central Market Street en route to the crossroads of Haight and Ashbury streets – the home of the Summer of Love.
After you’ve experienced the famous Haight-Ashbury district through the bus’s windows of time-altered perception, your next destination is the lush gardens of Golden Gate Park, where you’ll stop at the Conservatory of Flowers. Hear how America's largest urban park hosted the Human Be-In event in 1967 and the first Earth Day in 1970. If the weather is nice, you may join a drum circle!
The '60s-era video, music and costumed staff of the Magic Bus will have you feeling present in the past as you are immersed in one of the United States’ most memorable cultural movements. It’s not just a sightseeing tour – it’s a trip!
IT'S MAGICAL....one of the best things I did in San Francisco during my visit in October. I remembered the times, 1967. It was good to physically connect with the place where a movement flourished. It's Spring 2018 now and the memory and feelings are still with me. Take the tour...wear a flower in your hair and spread the Word LOVE throughout the city.....
Review by: Kim C, November 2017
Very fun. The guide was perfect.
Review by: David D, October 2017
It was a MAGICAl TRIP. We had a great time on 10/21 AM. The Video was informative. But, the tour guide, Serene Rain, and the driver, Tipsy, made our day with their pure hippie spirit. THANK YOU and All The BEST. Well worth the time and money was this MAGIC BUS. Definitely a 6 STAR TOUR
Review by: BARRIE B, October 2017
Tour guide was brand new. Didn’t know monuments we were passing. Very frustrating. Drove by historical sites with no mention or comment. Nice guy, but definitely not worth it.
Review by: Carol H, September 2017
Unique and fun way to experience San Francisco
Review by: Barbara K, September 2017
This was a fun trip. We went to the old neighborhood which we would not have gone to except on this bus ride. It has changed of course. We are old so we remember when this occurred. I think I would remember more as I write this review if it was great._br/_ The seats were not so comfortable. Thank goodness the bus was not full.
Review by: Henry K, August 2017
Great we enjoyed it
Review by: Kris H, August 2017
Really fun and a great guide and driver. Well done movies. I thought they could have included more 60's related sites, such as urban commune sites, band's houses Jefferson Airplane, or co-op or head shops, but iI was glad I went.
Review by: Julie C, August 2017
This was our very first morning in San Francisco and what a morning! So much fun and such a brilliant change from the 'boring' sight seeing tours. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute and is so worth the 'trip'. Thank you! Julie, Chris, Isaac, England.
Review by: Dewey M, August 2017
This was a great tour. It made our visit to San Francisco. Great music, videos and tour guide. I highly recommend it.
Review by: Mario P, August 2017
Fun tour!
Review by: GRAHAM J, July 2017
We had such a great time, staff was very fun and entertaining. Thank you so much!
Review by: Marsha R, January 2017
Oh my goodness! I was bragging about this tour, or excuse me trip, to my friends on facebook. I don't know when i have had more fun with a group of strangers. We all sang every word to every song that was played and surprisingly enough even this ole hippy learned something about that summer of love and winter of discontent. Our trip guide was over the top great I just can't say enough. Same thing for the bus driver. We were eco frindly as our bus blew bubbles instead of exhaust as we caught the attention and envy of the other tourist on the street. I am not one for city tours but this one is well worth the time and the money. Highly recommend! I plan to return to SF one day and I will again take this magical mystery tour. Betsy Griffith Mississippi
Review by: Lisa M, December 2016
Best part of the entire trip.. other than Alcatraz! I highly recommend it.
Review by: Volena, October 2016
We loved it!!! When we were finished with the tour we felt happy we went and had such a magical time!!! Give it a 10!
Review by: DJGARMER, September 2016
Definitely, worth doing. Guide and driver did a great job. The video component is nice but they need to upgrade resolution and monitors. If they would make it more karaoke style I think people would get more into it.
Review by: Richard C, August 2016
Very fun way to see relive the flower power time with a great tour. Would not recommend as an overview tour do a hop-on/hop-off tour first for the full experience. Then this trip puts it all into perspective. Fun time!
Review by: Gail K, June 2016
Fun and different. Could have been improved with an actual stop to look around Haight Ashbury. Video on the bus was interesting but could have been less - would prefer more music and less video. Driver and guide were very good
Review by: peabody_jr, June 2016
Trip started 2 1/2 hours late. Bus is very uncomfortable to ride in. Our guide was excellent, cute and a very funny hippie. She gave good trip details of various sites. Loved the music.
Review by: Kay, March 2016
It was great - a lot of fun and really made you feel the 60's again. Bus is cute, guide is perfect - I'd recommend for anyone who wants to do something a bit different.
Review by: Kay, February 2016
It was great - a lot of fun and really made you feel the 60's again. Bus is cute, guide is perfect - I'd recommend for anyone who wants to do something a bit different.
Review by: Brian A, October 2015
The tour guide and bus driver were absolutely phenomenal!
Review by: Karen B, August 2015
Fantastic tour! I loved the guide and the multi-media presentation. Very creative!
Review by: Emily C, August 2015
If you are going to visit San Francisco, this tour is a must! Educational, entertaining, and whimsical are but a few adjectives I would use to describe this tour. You will truly feel like you took a step back in time!
Review by: Thomas B, October 2014
Great tour of the city. Lots of fun!
Review by: MelitaG, September 2014
This tour was something I had really looked forward to. Our tour guide was really into it and the concept has potential. But there are some rough spots like the screens being so close to your face and the lack of participants. I think this is a great idea just needs some tweaking.
Review by: gingerpa, August 2014
It's been awesome and I had a blast! A highly recommended tour of San Francisco!_br/_
Very interesting tour of this amazing city, including history, events, music and a great sense of humor! I loved it!
Review by: carolyoung, August 2014
Tour was good! I enjoyed the experience. It was a great around town tour and both the driver and guide were fantastic. Loved the technology used for the tour as well! Haven't experienced anything like it! I would recommend it to a friend and have! Totally good vibes the entire trip :)
Review by: D Duane O, August 2014
it was a fun tour! Brought back good memories.
Review by: Evelyn D, August 2014
This tour was amazing!
Review by: DEANNE G, June 2014
Very entertaining with some good history. GaGa our tour guide was the best. Very funny!!! It would be nice if we could have stopped in one of the areas to go through some of the shops etc. Just to have a bit of a break._br/_
But still recommend the tour!
Review by: Roland M, April 2014
This was a truly great and unique trip...literally!!!! We have told so many people about this as not a traditional tourist booking for San Fran._br/_
Our guide was wacky, kind and upbeat for the whole experience......the ideal host!!!_br/_
If you are of a certain age and want to experience again the changing times of the 60's this is for you!!!
Review by: Stefanie B, March 2014
Great!!!
Review by: Penelope H, February 2014
Best event of our vacation!
Review by: Dustyd, January 2014
Really fun! Interesting look at the city with some groovy people!!
Review by: Christie D, December 2013
We had a great time. It is not really a tour of the city - although you do see some of it. It is more of an experience. Would have loved more time at the GG Park, which was the only stop and it lasted 15 minutes. We laughed and enjoyed TreeFlower - but we were all from the 60's so that worked for us! PEACE
Review by: kazza24, December 2013
A super fun trip with a very lively guide. Great listening to all the music and seeing videos
Review by: mrs kathleen b, December 2013
Absolutely fantastic 'trip', enjoyed every minute of it. Much more fun than the 'normal' city tours, Tree Flower was brilliant, she really made the tour, creating a fun atmosphere. The music was great, brought back many pleasant memories.I would highly recommend the Magic Bus and look forward to 'tripping' again if ever in San Francisco._br/_
Kate Brady_br/_
Newtownabbey_br/_
N Ireland
Review by: Douglas H, December 2013
I was really looking forward to this tour and it didn't disappoint me. We 'dropped acid' with our groovy guide, TreeFlower, and blasted back to the 60's with flowers in our hair. OK, so the 'acid' was a breath mint, doesn't matter the trip was great.
Review by: Sharon W, December 2013
Goyar made my day excellent tour guide lots of fun
Review by: Sharon H, December 2013
The crew was awesome! Loved the energy and history.
Review by: Kristie Zimmer, December 2013
It was great, but I think if they stopped at Haight - Ashbury and let people check out some of the stores and the area say for 30 to 45 minutes it would be even better!
Review by: Eddie H, October 2013
We took this 'trippy' trip in September, travelling with another mature couple from the U.K. We all LOVED it! Our guide, Gaiai, was brilliant! Witty, fun, exuberant, quick-witted, welcoming, fun, perfectly dressed, generous, loving, peaceful and did I mention, fun! She really cared for us, her tribe! The coach is very authentic in it's psychedelic colour schemes (inside and out), bubbles blowing out to the rest of the world, spreading the message of peace and love. The music was great, the film clips apt, amusing and sometimes also poignant and moving. The souvenir book is really good too... What a great experience! Thoroughly recommended!
Review by: Kimberly W, October 2013
After having taken 2 different Hop on Hop Off bus tours just 2 days earlier for much less money, this tour was way too expensive for the lack of quality. The tour guide was fun and full of energy, but half of the time the videos played, and I have seen those videos on tv before, reflecting back on the 1960's. Concept of the video was ok, but blocking the view out the window for about 50% of the time was just wierd. I cannot say I could recommend this tour to a friend. We got off of the bus kinda shaking our heads, and feeling ripped off.
Review by: Ann B, October 2013
Brilliant tour. Great mix of fun and information about SF in the 1960s. The music and fantastic guide made this a memorable trip. Highly recommended.
Review by: Kimberly P, September 2013
set your reality aside. this trip is for lovers of the 60s hippies era from beginning to end! it was great to see the transition from old to main generational love to new edition. it was hilarious to hear the jokes and see the videos. it was a history lesson with videos from beginning to end. it was interesting to see the places and landmarks that mattered in the 1960s and now and some are the same. it was great to hear those stories intermixed with current ones. sit back, smell the flowers, sample the candies, don't freak on the 3D, enjoy the mood.
Review by: Clifton M, September 2013
Gaya our tour guide was fantastic. So full of energy. I loved the tour. I wish they had gone a little slower or even stopped in the Haight Ashbury area as the history their was very good and it seemed like it went a little fast through there. This tour would've been five stars if there had been more people on board. Overall, we really loved it and would recommend it for anyone interested in the history of the 60s.
Review by: Rayls, October 2012
Wow, it took me back to the 70's when I lived in SF singing along to the music. The tour guide was fantastic with her rose coloured glasses and vintage clothing, the tour was a "trip" _br/_
Golden Gate park even looked the same except the Hippie's have been replaced by the homeless people, but with some imagination you can pretend it's the same as it was back then. Highly recommend this one if you're over 50 years old. My 23 year old daughter struggled to understand what it was all about but she went along for the ride and particpated with the vibe of the tour
Review by: Martha C, September 2012
Peace,love and grooviness abound on the magic bus, whose window shades work like eyelids.
Review by: Donna R, September 2012
All baby boomers need to take this walk/ride down memory lane; 1967 the summer of love. Absolutely enjoyed it to the max. Enjoyed the singing, the memories and the tour gal, Ms. A...she was awesome! I plan another trip with other friends in Sept 2013; will book this tour again. Hip hio hoorah for the bus driver too! Nice guy; great driver. Donna, Spfld, IL
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