Due to popular demand, we reopen one of our oldest, well-liked tours, “On the Roofs of San Francisco”. We will introduce you to a typical feature of our city – roof gardens. Our Russian speaking tour guide will give you an account of the peculiarity of such a type of gardening, and also tell many other true stories and legends about the San Francisco’s history.
We conduct group, private and corporate tours and sightseeing excursions of San Francisco, Bay area and other California cities. All our tours are conducted in native Russian language.
My name is Natasha Rabey. I am a Russian speaking tour guide with many years of professional experience. My husband, Slava Konevsky, is my assistant. Nava California Travel is a tour operator family business of two, located in San Francisco.
We will introduce you to the history of California, its customs and traditions, and all its culture and art. We carefully plan out all of our private and group tours and excursions considering your criteria and interests. We always do our best to make sure you have the most pleasurable experience on our tour.
Based on your interests and priorities we will create a custom, exclusive, and personalized or VIP tour specifically designed for you. We offer different transportation options for our tours - a car, mini-van, bus, limousine, bicycle, yacht, helicopter - depending on your group size and preference. Unlike most touring agencies, we are ready to accommodate any impromptu modifications to the itinerary en route.
One of our best tours takes you from San Francisco to the resort city of Santa Barbara along the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Here you can truly get to know California, breathe in its air, eat freshly caught fish, take in the sharp smells of the Garlic plantations and the healing air of the "17 mile drive", wander around the artists’ city of Carmel, and watch as the many lovers of surfing glide along the ocean waves.
Besides the previously mentioned cities during this tour you will visit Stanford University in Palo Alto, the Aquarium in Monterey - the first capitol of California, the city of Big Sur, Hearst Castle in San Simeon, the compact city of Cambria consisting of only one street and famous for its Art Salons and antiques festivals, among many other interesting places.
We offer price discounts to senior citizens and students.
We are confident that you will find our tours to be of exceptionally high quality, captivating and unforgettable, despite our low and affordable prices.
For all your questions and tour orders please contact us over the phone, 650-515-6831, via e-mail, sf_tours@navatravel.com, or by submitting a form on the Contact page.
A Little History
I arrived to San Francisco in December of 1991, and immediately fell in love with this unique city. When leaving Moscow, there were bone chilling frosts, blizzards and snow drifts, while here roses bloomed and exotic flowers blossomed.
At first, the architecture of the city made a dual impression on me. On one hand, I was completely enchanted, pulled into the incredible surroundings of the city; on the other hand, its dissimilar style haunted my thoughts, creating an impression of déjà vu. Only after learning the city’s history influenced by the California Gold Rush of the 19th century, I was able to truly appreciate the origins, and accept the style of its architectural eclecticism.
I was fascinated by the diversity of people’s cultures, languages and dialects, and yet to see such a tolerance to each other, despite all the cultural differences and often poor language skills. These people are united by their love for the city and their passion to preserve everything related to the city’s short history. In the city’s museum, for example, one can find the first slot machines also known as one-armed bandits; the city’s beloved football team, dubbed San Francisco 49ers in remembrance of the year 1849 when the Gold Rush began; the city ordinance prohibits demolishing old Victorian buildings of that period.
Many famous people are connected with San Francisco. To name just a few: Isadora Duncan, famous American dancer born in San Francisco; Mark Twain and Jack London, writers, who lived and created their masterpieces here; Enrico Caruso, well known Italian tenor often performed here.
Nowadays, the cultural life is flourishing here. We have a great deal of theaters, studios, and concert halls. Our Opera Theater hosts famous Russian performers such as Anna Netrebko, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and others. Many prominent Russian dancers have been in the cast of the Ballet Theater; our magnificent San Francisco Symphony (SFS) orchestra is conducted by great Michael Tilson Thomas who also has Russian roots. San Francisco often hosts Jazz and Symphony music festivals, but the most popular events have been our "Food and Art Festivals".
San Francisco is located on a beautiful peninsula surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. The staple symbol of our city is the Golden Gate Bridge, which is the second longest suspension bridge in the United States after Verrazano Bridge in New York City, and links city of San Francisco with Marin County. The Pacific shore around the area of San Francisco is considered to be the farthest western point on the Earth. This is the edge of the land, and the New Year comes here last. There is even a sign that reads "Land's End".
If you are ready to visit this paradise on Earth, I will be happy to be your Russian speaking guide of San Francisco, vicinities and other noticeable California places.
Have a safe trip, and I hope to see you soon in San Francisco where sixteen million tourists annually from all over the world leave their hearts.
Due to popular demand, we reopen one of our oldest, well-liked tours, “On the Roofs of San Francisco”. We will introduce you to a typical feature of our city – roof gardens. Our Russian speaking tour guide will give you an account of the peculiarity of such a type of gardening, and also tell many other true stories and legends about the San Francisco’s history.