Discovery Street Tours explore the science of everyday life—what we eat, where we live, how we move—by walking the streets and visiting shops in one of the world’s greatest cities.
Book any tour as a private experience for your group of six or more! Contact us at 415-663-6768 or email email us!
San Francisco Rocks
Seismic forces that shaped our city
San Francisco is famous for its hills, which lend the city its character and breathtaking views. On this tour, we’ll explore the unique qualities that have made San Francisco’s landscape what it is, while getting to know the local geology and munching our way through edible seismic science activities. We’ll visit some stellar rock formations that draw geologists from around the world, and you’ll gain a new appreciation of the city’s legendary landscape.
$45/person, includes snacks
Invented in San Francisco
Science and creativity in a city of innovation
San Francisco’s creative nature inspired innovation long before the silicon chip: Some of the world’s most influential inventions were dreamed up by San Franciscan tinkerers. Explore seven surprising stories of innovation—from tech to tunes to treats—that exemplify San Francisco as a hotbed of creative thinking for nearly two centuries. We’ll investigate the science behind some of these inventions, stroll to stellar views and historic neighborhoods, and test our own powers of perception.
2.3 miles, moderate with 1 challenging uphill, 2.5 hours
$45/person, includes snacks
The Science of Bread and Cheese
It’s the little things that make life delicious
These two ancient foods owe their glory to microscopic magic. Stroll through quaint San Francisco neighborhoods while stopping at parks and shops to explore the role of unseen organisms in creating flavors and textures. Get your hands on some gluten, admire the microbes on some bloomy rinds, and enjoy a bountiful bread-and-cheese picnic at the end.
2.0 miles, moderate hills, 2.5 hours
$65/person, includes tastings and plentiful picnic
The Science in Your Step
The physics and physiology of your pedestrian self
Why does your heart beat faster when you exercise? What do those “power” drinks do for you when you’re sweating? Investigate what goes on in your body during everyday exercise while scaling some of the city’s most scenic inclines and sauntering through hidden alleyway flats. We’ll experiment with balance, learn how food fuels us, and monitor our vital signs along the way.
$45/person, includes snacks
1.7 miles, flats, hills, and stairs, 2 hours
Fermented Favorites: The Science of Cheese and Wine
A unique and engaging exploration of wine, cheese, and your gustatory self! We’ll stroll through quaint SF neighborhoods, visiting local cheese and wine purveyors to taste and learn. Between the wine and cheese, we’ll stop at parks to do some hands-on learning with experiments in taste-testing and fermentation. We’ll wrap up the excursion with a pairing picnic where we integrate all our new knowledge by consuming more wine, cheese, and other tasty treats.
2.0 miles, moderate hills, 3 hours
$95/person, includes all tastings, wine, and picnic
The Science of Tea
Reading the leaves of an ancient beverage
Chock full of strange and wonderful compounds, tea is a royal beverage with a tale to tell. We’ll venture through Chinatown and beyond to sample flavors, do some study of oxidation and diffusion, and dissect the differences between green, black, and oolong. We’ll wrap up by meeting a tea expert for snacks and a lesson in the fine art of cupping.
2.8 miles, moderate hills, 2.5 hours
$65/person, includes tea tastings and tea treats
D-Street in the 
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