San Francisco Urban Adventures Featured on Getaway

Ethan Gelber
23 April 2010

On Thursday 1 April, Urban Adventures was featured on Getaway, Australia’s favourite travel show (link directly to the video).

San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, perhaps its greatest landmark, was built in 1936 and earned its name as gateway to the gold that helped fuel the development of California

The chosen destination – one of more than 50 in 30-plus countries on six continents in which Urban Adventures offers unique day tours – was the inimitable Golden Gate city of San Francisco, California. Getaway filmed with the Urban Adventures local partner and unveiled the latter’s novel approach to helping travellers step into the lives of the locals and unlock the secrets of some of their favourite urban centres.

With the San Francisco Urban Adventures guide, the Getaway host was taken on local transport for a local’s-eye view of Frisco life that took in the Mission District, Chinatown, North Beach and, back on the tourist trail, Fisherman’s Wharf, culminating in a cruise on the world-famous Bay, the location of Alcatraz and the soaring Golden Gate Bridge.

This Chinatown street has views to one of San Francisco's most prominent landmarks: the TransAmerica building. On a guided exploration of Chinatown, the narrow lanes reveal a fortune-cookie factory, local markets and the city's oldest Chinese temple.

This Chinatown street has views of San Francisco's most prominent skyscraper: the TransAmerica building. On a guided exploration of Chinatown, the narrow lanes reveal a fortune-cookie factory, local markets and the city's oldest Chinese temple.

“I love Urban Adventures because it allows me to share one of the great cities of the world: San Francisco,” commented Greg Mazzola of the San Francisco Urban Adventure team. “It truly is a kaleidoscope, beautifully rich in color, character and culture. Latinos, Chinese, African-Americans and Europeans, bohemians, innovators, hustlers, trendsetters, fortune-seekers, and world-class entertainers have all made San Francisco home. From rugged cliffs and crashing surf to the eclectic neighborhoods and financial district, San Francisco offers travellers great diversity and now, having the opportunity to share it all with travellers as a job absolutely makes me one of the luckiest people alive.”

Unique Day Tours in over 100 Cities by the End of 2010

Launched in October 2009, Urban Adventures are a global range of city-based tours. Ranging from two-hour to one-day experiences, they may be short in duration, but they’re long on real-life experiences. They put you in touch with what makes a city tick and acquaint you with the local food, culture and traditions, all in the company of an expert local guide. On an Urban Adventure, you see more than just the usual sights.

Sea lions have made San Francisco's Pier 39 home since 1989. The docks where they lounge are now protected. In November 2009, sea lion numbers dropped from more than 1,000 to less than 10 in just a couple of days as they headed north to chase food. Since then, several have returned and 70 or more are usually visible.

Whether you’re after an evening of home cooking and hanging locally in Istanbul, a full-day exploration of the magnificent temples of the Angkor complex in Cambodia, visiting the history and people of Johannesburg by bicycle or sampling Los Angeles, from Hollywood glitz to the quirkiness of Venice Beach, Urban Adventures really connect with the destination.

The Urban Adventures business was developed by leading adventure travel operator Intrepid Travel and the WHL Group, the largest local-travel company in the world. Urban Adventures relies on a combination of Intrepid Travel’s experience in designing and running the world’s best experiential trips, plus the WHL Group’s network of local operators and the technology to sell these trips at low cost. Intrepid and WHL Group share a commitment to local and sustainable travel with a minimum impact on the environment and on communities.

Urban Adventures depart daily with groups of no more than 12 people. Prices start from US$15.

Ethan Gelber

For more than 20 years, Ethan Gelber has devoted himself to a somewhat baffling diversity of projects, most associated with writing/editing, cross-cultural communication and education, travel, bicycling and the arts. At present, he manages media and communications for the WHL Group, oversees The Travel Word (this very blog) and helped initiate the Local Travel Movement.