SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL TO RECEIVE YOUR FREE SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING GUIDE.
8 Ghost Tours in San Francisco: Learn More About SF's Dark History
By: Jill Loeffler • Updated: July 27, 2025
San Francisco has a long, dark history with murders, mysteries, and mayhem. All of these events fuel our fun and interesting ghost tours.
You can walk through Chinatown to learn about its mysterious past, walk through the Haight to hear its ghost stories, and even head out to Alcatraz at night to visit one of the ghostliest spots in the city.
Why Explore These Districts on Ghost Tours in San Francisco?
- Chinatown: At the center of the Gold Rush township, a long, tragic history that includes fires, earthquakes, gang violence, and underground tunnels
- The Haight: Century-old haunted Victorian homes, rumors of cursed houses where overdoses and occult rituals occurred in the 1960s and 70s
- Alcatraz: Formerly housed the country's most infamous prisoners and witnessed executions, suicides, and mental breakdowns
Other areas you'll find on the best ghost tours in San Francisco:
- Nob Hill: Significant destruction in the 1906 earthquake and fire
- Pacific Heights: Upscale Victorian mansions and the Queen Anne Hotel hide a dark past
Most of these tours are informational and not meant to scare you too much (although you'll hear the chilling stories at night)!
All will help you understand more about the people and places that make this city one of the most haunted in the US!
SFTourismTips is made possible by readers like you! If you book through my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! Learn more.
1. Ghost Hunt in SF with a Professional Investigator
This popular haunted tour of San Francisco takes you through the historic Gold Rush-era neighborhoods on foot, after dark, equipped with EMF (electromagnetic field) meters and other ghost hunting tools.
As you make your way through Chinatown and North Beach, your guide will tell you about the city's largest massacre at the Golden Dragon, a mysterious death at an old theater, and the forgotten graves and ships buried beneath your feet.
While learning about SF's dark past of true crimes and tragedies, you may notice paranormal activity on your meter, and your guide may invite you to investigate further using dowsing rods and a Spirit Box.
This 90-minute tour takes you to the dark side and is only recommended for adults (children are welcome at your discretion, but it is not suitable for those under age 13). It runs most days after dark through Union Square.
>> Find ticket availability for upcoming dates
2. Alcatraz Night Tour
Alcatraz is one of my favorites. This former federal prison housed some of the most notorious criminals in the U.S., including Al Capone, Robert Stroud (the Birdman), and George "Machine Gun" Kelly.
Before it was a federal prison, it was a U.S. Military Prison. During both periods, many prisoners died on the island, and now there are reports of mysterious noises and occurrences.
This isn't technically a ghost tour in San Francisco, but heading over at night is the best way to experience this haunted attraction.
>> Learn more about this fun Alcatraz tour
3. SF Ghost Tour: Gold and Ghouls
The SF Ghost Tour offers you a chance to learn more about the mysterious past of San Francisco's Nob Hill and Union Square Districts.
Top stops include the Fairmont Hotel and the Sir Francis Drake Hotel (now the Beacon Grand).
Hear stories about our haunted hotels, parks, and office buildings, including tragic tales from SF's Gold Rush days and what happened when the 1906 Earthquake hit.
This one-mile walking tour runs for one hour and usually starts at 8 or 9 pm.
>> Find tickets for all dates on Viator
4. Haunted Haight Walking Tour
The Haunted Haight Walking Tour teaches you all about supernatural occurrences and mysterious events reported in SF's Haight Ashbury District. A paranormal investigator will show you how to use the ghost hunting gear.
As you tour the neighborhood, you will also walk past the locations where some of SF's most infamous murderers and cult leaders used to live.
The tour starts at 7 pm and runs mostly on Fridays. Click the link below for exact dates and information on how to register.
>> Visit the official Haunted Haight Walking Tour website
5. Ghosts, Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl
If you want to taste the dark history of the city’s early days, take this guided tour through San Francisco’s historic district, where the eight haunted sites you’ll visit include four bars.
Your “boozy” pub crawl starts off with sipping aged bourbon at High Horse, where you’ll learn how the famed Barbary Coast got its name. With a nice buzz, you’ll visit a shipwreck saloon and wander down Gold Street, where miners were often attacked and robbed.
The tour lasts about two hours, starting at 6 pm, and you’ll want to bring your ID to toast to the ghosts of San Francisco’s past.
>> Find out more about this fun tour
Can't Decide Between a Ghost Tour and Food Tour of SF? You don't have to! The expert local guides of Stretchy Pants have put together a brilliantly fun, entertaining, and tasty walking tour through the most haunted streets of North Beach. Learn more about my Gourmet Ghost Tour experience here.
6. SF: Ghost & True Crime Tour
This thrilling three-hour walking tour of San Francisco's most haunted districts—Union Square, Chinatown, and North Beach—is full of fascinating tales and fun, chilling stops.
Your guide will start by walking you through the first Hollywood sex scandal at the Westin St. Francis, followed by a stroll through what used to be the city's main red light district.
You'll then walk by the sites of the opium dens and Gold Rush-era lynchings around Portsmouth Square, and end with a drink at the Old Ship Saloon, a holdover from the infamous 1850s Barbary Coast.
>> More about this self-guided option
7. Walk with Spirits: A Haunted Pub Crawl in San Francisco
This 2.5-hour evening tour gives you another option for a thrilling pub crawl during which you’ll learn about the city’s dark history of crime and unsettled souls.
As your guide takes your small group through the San Francisco neighborhoods that date back to the Gold Rush and withstood the 1906 earthquake, you’ll have the chance to sip on spirits while meeting others.
The tour starts at Jackson Square and highlights five spots: The Old Ship Saloon, a part of North Beach known as “The Devil’s Acre,” the haunted streets of Chinatown, and finally the Lion’s Den Lounge and Bar.
This spirited tour usually runs on Fridays and Saturdays.
>> Find out more about this fun pub crawl
8. SF: True Crime Tales from the Haight
This is a different walking tour of the Haight-Ashbury that really gives context to San Francisco's ghosts by teaching you about the darker, more dangerous side of the Summer of Love.
You'll learn about what this famous bohemian neighborhood was like in the 1970s and get to know the ghosts of singers Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and others.
You will also see the homes of serial killers Charles Manson and Jim Jones, and hear the true crime stories about the Zodiac Killer and the Harvey Milk assassination.
This two-hour tour is offered most days starting at 5 pm.
>> Find out more about this fascinating tour
10 of The Most Haunted SF Locations
Would you prefer to venture out on your own? If so, then check out my list of the 10 most haunted places in San Francisco that are open to the public. They range from the woman who roams around Blue Heron Lake (formerly Stow Lake) in the evenings to the ghosts of City Hall.
Learn More: Discover 10 Haunted SF Locations
Hi, I’m Jill!
I’ve been sharing San Francisco travel advice since 2009 and have helped millions of people explore the city like a local. Whether you’re dreaming of sea lions, cable cars, or a great sourdough bread bowl, I’m here to help you plan an unforgettable trip with real tips from someone who actually lives here.
 |
 |
 |
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
I would love for you to join me in my private Facebook group!
It's a great place to interact with me and others who are familiar with the area.
You can ask questions, get advice for your upcoming stay, and then share your photos and advice with others when you return home. It's a great community and the fastest way to get answers to those nagging questions about your visit!
