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A Friend in Town
The Premier Personalized Tour Service for the San Francisco Bay Area
We can pick you up anywhere within 90 minutes’ drive of San Francisco — at your home, hotel, or the airport!
Hitchcock's “Vertigo” (The Movie) Tour
Thriller, eccentric love story, film noir, psychological revelation, "Vertigo" remains one of the most amazing movies ever made. Its many layers of exposition and meaning require a second and third viewing. Released in 1958, "Vertigo" recently moved from #68 to #9 on AFI's Top 100 List of Great American Cinema.
Actual locales in San Francisco and farther south are compelling in and of themselves, and essential to the plot.
Let us help you enjoy the enchanted mood of this masterpiece (including its brilliant soundtrack). We can pick you up anywhere within a ninety-mile radius of downtown San Francisco.
Tour Highlights
- The town of San Juan Bautista, lost in time, steeped in charm
- Mission Dolores: unique church & Gold Rush cemetery in an evocative garden
- The surf crashing at the foot of Fort Point, beneath the Golden Gate Bridge
- Madeleine's hotel on elite Nob Hill, Judy's apartment nearby, and Scotty's home at the foot of the Crookedest Street in the World
Why Tour with Us to Experience Locales from Hitchcock's "Vertigo"?
Why tour with A Friend in Town and not just rent your own car? Because driving yourself, you'll waste time figuring out exactly where everything is, then looking for parking. With us, you'll learn more about the historic city in which the characters lived and Hitchcock worked, while enjoying the views.
“It was nice to get the unexpected 'extras'”
“I loved your tour—I'm a huge Hitchcock & Vertigo fan, so finally getting to see the key locations from the film and wander around them, taking photos, was wonderful! I think the most emotionally satisfying moments of the tour...were the first chance to walk on a genuine film location (at San Juan Bautista), and the iconic view of the Golden Gate Bridge at Fort Point… It was nice to get the unexpected 'extras' of the Avenue of Tall Trees, the sanitarium-hospital, and the Portals of the Past… I enjoyed the discussion we had about Novak's acting, the colour symbolism, the changes to the original story, and how Scottie got down from the gutter."
– Andy E. (Reading, England)
Our "Vertigo" Itinerary
Locales from Hitchcock's "Vertigo" can be experienced as a full (9-10-hour) day wherein we spend the morning focused on the charmingly unafffected town of San Juan Bautista, site of the essential tower scenes. Then back in the City we visit all the extant sites which provide the frame for most of the film. If you don't have time for the full-day tour, we can cover "Vertigo"'s San Francisco settings in 4-5 hours.
[Full-day Itinerary] The tour begins with a scenic drive via Silicon Valley to the part Old Mexico, part Old West town of San Juan Bautista. You'll have ninety minutes or so to explore the well-preserved and still-active mission church (site of two "accidental" sudden deaths), its large traditional garden, the livery stable (replete with carriages and other rare conveyances) where Madeleine fell into a trance, and numerous rich and evocative souvenirs of our colonial and frontier heritages. You may pick up a snack to enjoy while exploring the town's many antique shops—before we head up to San Francisco for lunch.
The second half of the day begins with a visit to the historic Mission Dolores and its 207-year-old cemetery, as did Madeleine in search of...her past. We stop at several places that detective "Scottie" Ferguson and Judy—the object of his obsession—would have found familiar: the grand Palace of the Legion of Honor, Fort Point under the Golden Gate Bridge, the other-worldly Palace of Fine Arts, the "Crookedest Street in the World," and elite Nob Hill. Sometimes we bring our enchanted day to a climax with a breath-taking ride in the St. Francis' glass elevator—to test your vertigo.
What will it COST?
Because each tour is designed to fit your interests, our fees vary. Basically you pay by the number of hours in your itinerary. We do not add the fuel surcharges, "license fees," "tax" and mandatory gratuities that many other companies do.
| FEE | Average Duration | Additional Costs (paid to vendors) |
Gratuity | Add'l Hours | Minimum Duration | Minimum Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco ONLY | $260* | 4–5h | Admission to the Mission | ** | $55 ea | 3h | $260 |
| Including San Juan Bautista | $535* | 9-10h | Admission to the Mission, Lunch | ** | $55 ea | 9–10h | $535 |
* Not per-person
* These fees are for couples, groups of up to 6/7 people or solo travelers. For groups of 7 to 25 (whereby we charter a minibus), please ask for a quote.
** A gratuity is customary and will be appreciated, but is not required.
Click Here to find out more about our Fees.
“An amazing and unforgettable time.”
“I had an amazing and unforgettable time. San Juan Bautista was great and I am glad that I spent some time there to enjoy thoroughly. …One other thing I most enjoyed is that the tour was not just solely based on vertigo and that we also learned a lot about san fran's past, its future and other demographic factors."
– Allen Z. (Sydney, Australia)
If you are not satisfied with your tour — its adherence to the tour description or your stated requirements/preferences, A Friend in Town will issue you a complete refund, within 10 days.
Call: 1-800-960-8099Reserve Your Tour