Nob Hill

The Basics

The top of Nob Hill is the block bordered by Sacramento, Taylor, California, and Mason streets. You’ll feel like you’re at the top of the city as you take in the French Gothic–style architecture of Grace Cathedral, the stately Fairmont Hotel, and the Flood Mansion. Book a history walking tour or a movie sights tour, or stop into the popular Cable Car Museum, to get the most from this tony neighborhood.

Things to Know Before You Go

There is a lot of metered and free street parking available, but pay attention to posted signs about parking limits during street cleaning, rush hour, construction, or special events.
Bring a jacket; the fog and wind can roll in quickly and it gets chilly on top of the hill.
Wear shoes appropriate for walking down steep grades.

How to Get There

Nob Hill sits between Van Ness Avenue, Broadway, Powell Street, and Bush Street. For the most quintessentially San Francisco experience, ride up the hill on the Powell-Hyde cable car line from Union Square, or the California line from Market Street. The neighborhood is also accessible via Muni bus No. 1.

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When to Get There

Commuting locals and traffic crowd the main thoroughfare of California Street during morning and evening rush hour, so either avoid this time or embrace your experience of the city’s daily bustle. It’s not a major nightlife area, so go during the day to visit the attractions and admire the elegant architecture at the top of the hill.

Nob Hill Hotels

Check out these three hotels for a taste of old San Francisco luxury and unparalleled views. The

Fairmont opened in 1907 and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places; enjoy a drink in the famous Tonga Room Tiki bar. At the InterContinental Mark Hopkins, which opened in 1926, visit the upscale Top of the Mark cocktail lounge. Or head to the Huntington, opened in 1922, and dine at the Big 4 restaurant.

Recent reviews from experiences in San Francisco

Exploring Nob Hill

Walt_F, Dec 2021

History and Architecture Walking Tour of Nob Hill

Thoroughly enjoyed exploring the spectacular Fairmont Hotel & grounds! The historic background & pictures Cathy provided really added interest to the tour!

Delightful history

Nancy_H, Nov 2021

A very pleasant lady lead us on a delightful tour of Nob Hill. She had many interesting stories to share with us.

A wonderful tour!

Alexis_R, Nov 2021

Valerie was great!! Best guide with a plethora of information. We really feel like we have a strong grasp on the history of San Francisco.

Great tour

Lauren_F, Jul 2021

Great walking tour and very responsive and communicative guide! I took my family from out of town and it was a great experience.

Lovely tour

Elizabeth, Jul 2021

We enjoyed our tour very much. Kathy had lots of stories to tell about the people who settled up there and lots of pictures to show. It was an easy walk, too, because we started at the top and stayed up there. We're very glad we did the tour.

Details of the Financial District

SFNative, Oct 2020

Valerie called ahead of time to let us know that many places were still closed for our Nob Hill tour. She offered the Financial District tour instead. Valerie was extremely informative and it was apparent that she previously walked the tour to let the lobby security know we were coming. Loved the stories and history.

Great tour!

Frank_P, Jul 2021

Great tour! Highly recommend booking this tour whether visiting or living in San Francisco! Very knowledgeable tour guides will help you understand why and how San Francisco came to be. Really enjoyed the time! Will book again!

Old SF

Scott_C, Jun 2021

We loved the tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable. The only negative was that we weren’t able to get into any of the actual ballrooms. Obviously not the tour guides fault. Thank you so much.

Nob Hill Walking Tour

Mark_R, Apr 2019

Valarie was excellent. Her knowledge of SanFrancisco/Nob Hill and related history is detailed and endless! She makes excellent use of historical pics that she has and what is available in the different venues. When possible, she finds a way to get into the various ballrooms and historic rooms. We saw and learned soooo much. We are looking forward to taking Valarie's SF China Town tour

Just right

Bradley_B, Jun 2019

The tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly it made for a relaxed and intimate experience, very informative without being to heavy. Great stories rather than data being thrown at you and plenty of insights into the beginnings of San Francisco. We really enjoyed it.

Informative

Meander66483645263, Apr 2019

If you love history, you’ll love this tour! Our guide was delightful, friendly and conscientious. Not too long and not a lot of walking.

Valuable Historical Tour

Cheryl_H, Jun 2021

The guide was extremely knowledgeable and she genuinely enjoyed telling us about Knob Hill history. We started by spending 45 minutes in the Fairmont Hotel which is rich with families and business stories from long ago and specula architecture. The Venetian Room was open so that was a real plus. Great views of SF from the outside garden high up on the 5th floor. Unfortunately the cathedral was not open but we had been warned of possible closings in advance. Our walk around Nob Hill was lovely with plenty to see and learn. This tour is ideal for history buffs.