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Bar Hop Like A Local in San Francisco
Skip the stuffy overpriced restaurants, and head straight for local hot spots, institutions and secret bars that only traveling like a local will uncover. Subscribe today for a free mini guide in your inbox.
Why Virgil?
Planning your trip just got a lot easier. Rather than spending hours digging through websites and reviews, to then run into crowds and expensive tourist traps. Get the inside scoop on the best and most loved experiences by city locals themselves.
Virgil uses real locals to recommend and curate only the best travel experiences. With the cities you visit always changing, consider our locals the perfect experts to provide you with the most up to date information.
Unlock secret, trendy and well-loved hot spots by signing up.
How it works
Fill out a short questionnaire telling us about your likes, interests, and preferences
Step 1
We develop a personalized guidebook for you with the best secret spots and local recommendations we think you’ll love
Step 2
Step 3
Enjoy your trip and have the peace of mind that you will have a great trip!
View Some Bars That Locals Are Already Loving
San Francisco’s bars are as diverse as its population…Get to know San Francisco’s locals at their favorite hot spots
Patrick's Pick
Tonga Room
Neighborhood - Nob Hill
Price - $$
Is it full of tourists? Yes. Is it tacky? Yes again but we love this place. Floating barge with a band and fun drinks. Trust us and come here!
Zeitgeist
Neighborhood - Mission
Price - $
One of the best dive bars in San Francisco and is often filled with people grabbing a beer and fantastic fries. Anthony Bourdain came here so how can you not go!
Latin American Club
Neighborhood - Mission
Price - $$
Don't let the name fool you this is no high brow place. Locals come for a "margarita" that's almost entirely full of tequila. Start your night off here for a rough morning.
Tupelo
Neighborhood - North Beach
Price - $$
Live bands are somehow not big in San Francisco but Tupelo is a local favorite for it. Great bands and always a crowd. When you're done go next door for another band.
Sample Travel Guide
Why Choose Us
Virgil
Other
Companies
Features
Personalized guide
Free guide revision and questions
Information from SF locals
No kickbacks from companies
Suggested reading and playlist
Focus on ethical travel
Testimonials/Reviews
After grinding it at work during COVID all I wanted was some good live music, cocktails, and fantastic food while avoiding the tourist traps. That's exactly what I got when I worked through Virgil!
Alan T.
I always spent hours trying to figure out where I wanted to go and what I'd feel comfortable with while traveling alone. Patrick and Virgil helped me plan my perfect solo travel and met fantastic people! Definitely will be back!
Nia J.
It can be a challenge to find what events are going on in a city while I'm traveling. Patrick sent me some fantastic small concerts and vintage fairs to check out. If you haven't used Virgil I highly recommend it!
Jared P.
Plan my dream trip now!
No matter what type of traveler you are, your perfect trip is only a few minutes away. Virgil offers three travel guide options for travelers to select from. Work with our trusted locals to have your perfect trip, avoid the tourist traps, and travel stress-free.
Personalized guide
Basic
$15/Day
For the no frills traveler. You are meticulous in your planning and know what you want to do and when you want to do it but also love maximizing your vacations. Ideal for short term or solo travelers on a time crunch & budget.
Insider Tips from Locals
Free Guide Revisions
Free Questions Before Your Trip
Suggested Book and Playlist
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Personalized guide
Premium
$25/Day
For the flexible traveler. You love being organized but also enjoy some level of “winging it”. Ideal for travelers on weekend break or week long vacation.
Insider Tips from Locals
Free Guide Revisions
Free Questions Before Your Trip
Suggested Book and Playlist
Text Us During Your Trip!
Events & Festivals For YourTrip!
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Personalized guide
Ultimate
$250 Min.
For the spontaneous and adventurous traveler. You love rolling with the punches but love being inspired by others' recommendations with a personal touch of luxury.
Insider Tips from Locals
Free Guide Revisions
Free Questions Before Your Trip
Suggested Book and Playlist
Text Us During Your Trip!
Events & Festivals For YourTrip!
We Guide You Personally!
Optional: Video Planning Session
FAQ
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How does the process for my personalized custom guide work?After you checkout, you will receive a short questionnaire for you to fill out via email. Once we understand your budget, likes/dislikes, travel style, etc. we put together your personalized guide within 24-48 hours. If you have anything on your guide you don’t like please let us know and we’ll be happy to swap them out.
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How do you make sure you have the best information and guides?We use a variety of locals coming from all different backgrounds to put together a consensus of what Virgil deems is best. They not only have different backgrounds but personally enjoy finding the best places for food, culture, and sites.
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Why should I pay for information I can find online?We love to travel but there comes to planning it can be serious work. Global websites. Local websites. Instagram pages. Twitter feeds. Yelp/Google. Where do you start and stop? There is too much information out there and the vast majority of it is bad, outdated, or not what you were looking for. We cut through all of that and give exactly what you are looking for. With the extra time
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What happens if I don’t like a recommendation in my guide?No problem! Just email us back and we’ll try to understand what you didn’t like to find a better recommendation for you.
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What makes us different from others companies or travel agencies?Our focus is to ensure you have the best travel experience and nothing else. This means no “experts” that have only traveled to a city once, no kickbacks from other companies, and no high prices.
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Do you make reservations for me?We do not and it’s for your benefit. By allowing us to focus on the guide we’re allowed to pass on the savings to you. Making reservations is also easy for most people. Book your flight, hotel, and a nice restaurant and 9/10 people are ready for their trip. If any trouble comes up we also aren’t a middle man that’s creating more trouble than solutions.
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Will you answer questions after I receive my guide?Absolutely! Give us 24 hours to get back with you but we’re happy to answer any questions.
We also think you might love these other local recommendations in San Francisco
Ready to unlock other San Francisco experiences recommended by locals? Discover other curated guides below:
Foodie
Culture
Solo Travel
Virgil is growing and expanding into cities you’re traveling to
Discover more locals recommended experiences in more cities:
NYC
Chicago
Atlanta
Los Angeles
