Student-Created Audio Tours of San Francisco for your iPod

Who needs your parents’ tired old tour books when you can download hip, original audio tours to your MP3 player. Thirty students at Galileo Academy of Science & Technology’s Academy of Hospitality and Tourism created audio tours of San Francisco based on eight themes, including a “Coffee Lovers Tour” that leads you through coffee houses in the city’s Mission District.

I haven’t tried them yet, but I’m seriously tempted by one called Desserts!Desserts!Desserts!, a sweet-tooth tour that takes you from Chinatown to Union Square. Along the way, the audio fills you in on the history of the Fortune Cookie Factory and the Cheesecake Factory. And this one comes with a free tasting at Z. Cioccolato. Other audio tours include: Seafood at Fisherman’s Wharf; Golden Gate Park Scenery; Family Fun in Chinatown; Hayes, The Hidden Gem; A Dainty Fling; and Live Like a True San Franciscan.

Have you taken any of these tours? Please leave a comment, and also let the students know what you think so they can make improvements.

Deal: The San Francisco Audio Tours are free to download to your computer and MP3 players or iPods.

How: Go to the website and read the tour summaries; open the “Read Me First” page; follow the instructions for downloading the audio tour to your computer and iPod or MP3 player. Then take the tour (mostly walking) while you listen to the audio.

When: Whenever you want (just press play). Tours range from an hour to all day. (Audios range from 6 to 15 minutes.)

About: The brainchild for Audio Tours began when the students researched San Francisco’s other tours and tourist information, took tourist surveys, and brainstormed ideas. They presented their ideas to the SF Visitors and Convention Bureau for critique. At the very least, they deserve kudos for executing a great idea.