RELATED LINKS Return to San Francisco City Guide

Given its relatively compact geography and rich patchwork of distinct neighborhoods, San Francisco is a great city to explore on foot. For a particularly enlightening urban trek, set aside a few hours to hike the Barbary Coast Trail, a self-guided historical walking tour established by the San Francisco Historical Society and modeled after Boston's famous Freedom Trail.

The 3.8-mile route begins at the corner of Fifth and Mission streets, a block south of the cable car terminus at Powell and Market, and follows a circuitous path through some of the city's most historically significant neighborhoods, including Union Square, Chinatown, North Beach and Telegraph Hill. Make a day of it and you'll have time to linger in atmospheric local cafes and explore several small museums along the way. The walk ends near Fisherman's Wharf, where you can catch a cable car back to Powell and Market.

For the most part, the route skirts the city's notoriously steep hills, and directional bronze plaques embedded in the sidewalk mark the way. The plaques do not provide interpretive information, however, so to get the most out of your walk, pick up a copy of the 32-page Barbary Coast Trail Official Guide or the more detailed Walking San Francisco on the Barbary Coast Trail, by Daniel Bacon. Both guides are available from local or online booksellers. For more information, including an online guide to the trail, see www.barbarycoasttrail.org.