North Beach Culinary Experience (with optional Alcohol Pairing)

Meet in the Jackson Square neighborhood – a 10-minute walk from Downtown San Francisco – in the late afternoon to start your walking tour. Come hungry, as you’ll be getting lots of food on this 3-hour tour, which follows a flat, easy route.

Following your expert local guide, delve behind the scenes of Little Italy’s food and restaurant scene, hearing fascinating historical facts and stories along the way, like how this neighborhood was once part of the Barbary Coast – San Francisco’s red-light district in the 1800s during the California Gold Rush. You'll also visit hidden Prohibition-era tunnels where booze was smuggled into the city.

Though you’ll learn a lot of interesting history, this tour is about the food. Enjoy a wine and cheese pairing at a trendy wine bar – your glass will be poured directly from the barrel. Then, indulge in an Italian wood-fired pizza made in the oldest pizza oven on the West Coast; built in 1935, this treasured tool was copied by Wolfgang Puck at Spago and Alice Waters at Chez Panisse. Pair your slice with a glass of private-label Syrah.

Pop into a gourmet boutique shop for a sweet-and-savory treat such as artisan agave caramel drizzled over popcorn -- yum! Top your culinary journey off with a visit to a historic Italian bookshop-turned-café, where you'll fill your own delicate cannoli with an Italian cannoli maker.

You’ll find that all the tastings add up to a satisfying meal. Your tour ends in the evening a few blocks from your original departure point, where you’re free to continue exploring this fabulous San Francisco neighborhood bustling with vibrant nightlife.

Please note: Places visited and tastings are subject to change based on availability.