Walking Tours
We provide fun and informative walking tours of historic and contemporary downtown San Luis Obispo (SLO) designed to maximize your enjoyment and minimize the “yawn factor.” We do this by making sure to avoid such phrases as “This nondescript pottery shard is thought to have been used as a grooming device for the mules of Spanish conquistadors”.
The tour lasts approximately one hour, sometimes a little longer, depending on which turns (literal, historical and conversational) we take.
We start at the Mission, since that’s where San Luis Obispo got its start, then progress through Old Chinatown (now the site of America’s first solar-powered movie theater), enjoy a sky-high view of Bishop’s Peak and Cerro San Luis (part of the “Nine Sisters” chain of volcanic peaks) and explore the oral-history of Bubble Gum Alley.
Along the way you'll see and hear how fires, earthquakes, bears, immigrant labor and William Randolph Hearst have shaped today's San Luis Obispo.
You'll also hear stories about the places where folks like Jack Kerouac, Timothy Leary, Marion Davies and Tony Curtis spent time in San Luis Obispo, and you’ll learn which cafes, restaurants and bars are frequented by the locals today.
Tours are available 7 days a week between the hours of 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tour times vary. We try to be flexible to work with your schedule - tours can be arranged days or weeks in advance, or with as little as 30 minutes notice. Call us at 805-215-3228 to arrange a time. If we’re out on a tour and unable to answer the phone, please leave us a message and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
Tours are $10 per person, payable in cash at the start of the tour, or payable online in advance via the PayPal button below. Groups of two or more receive a discount when paying online. Before paying for a tour online please call to arrange a date and time.
To pay online, select the number of people of people you are purchasing a tour for from the “How Many People?” drop-down menu, then click the yellow “Pay Now” button. This will take you to the Pay Pal site to complete your transaction.
Directions
Our tours begin at the intersection of Monterey and Chorro Streets, where Monterey ends and Mission Plaza begins. Tour guides show up 5 minutes before tours begin.
There are many public parking lots in San Luis Obispo. The best choices for the walking tour are either of the two public parking structures on Palm Street (at 842 and 919 Palm St, San Luis Obispo, 93401). Both locations provide 60 minutes of free parking, with additional parking for .75 cents an hour.
From 842 Palm: Walk west on Palm to the end of the block, cross Chorro, then immediately cross Palm and walk down Chorro. The Mission will be on your right.
From 919 Palm: Walk west on Palm, cross Morro St, continue on Palm to Chorro. Cross Chorro and immediately turn left, walking down Chorro with the Mission on your right.
Depending on how the Internet is feeling today, this map may or may not display the parking and tour start locations. If necessary, this link or the link at the bottom of the map should give you a more enjoyable cartographic experience:
If you are staying at one of the many hotels on Monterey St, The Old SLO Trolley is an inexpensive (.25 cents) bus service that loops through downtown San Luis Obispo every fifteen to twenty minutes and stops near Mission Plaza where our tours begin. The trolley operates Thursday 3:30 - 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday Noon to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Ask your hotel front desk for information about the nearest stop.
Old SLO Trolley
