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Looking to get your steps in while enjoying spring weather and learning about your locale from an expert tour guide? We’ve rounded up 10 spots on the Peninsula where you can take guided walks or tours (plus a few bonuses), covering topics from cuisine and arts to history, agriculture and nature.
Half Moon Bay Food Walking Tours, downtown Half Moon Bay
Wander through five or six downtown Half Moon Bay restaurants and shops to sample tasty bites and diverse flavors while also learning some interesting local history as you go on this 3-3 1/2 hour tour.
The company behind the food tour also offers other Half Moon Bay walking tours, including an Instagram art photo tour, a spooky tour, an Italian-food focused tour and an art gallery walk.
Half Moon Bay Food Walking Tours, available Fridays and Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. $149; starting address given upon registration.
Discovering Filoli Tours, Woodside
Take a 90-minute tour led by Filoli staff to learn about the history of the Filoli estate and the land on which it sits, encompassing both the stately home and the gardens.
Participants will learn about the families who’ve called Filoli home while enjoying what’s blooming on the present-day grounds.
Filoli, 86 Cañada Road, Woodside;house and garden tours are ongoing at 1:30 p.m. daily; $40 (general admission required).
Pigeon Point Lighthouse History Walks, Pescadero
Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park hosts 45-minute walking tours of the grounds, covering tales of whalers, shipwrecks, bootleggers, “wickies” and more (tours do not go inside the lighthouse.) Meet by the sign in front of the first cottage.
Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park, 210 Pigeon Point Road, Pescadero; Sundays at 2 p.m. Free.
Papua New Guinea Sculpture Walks, Stanford
Stanford University’s Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden features carvings of animals, people and magical beings tied to clan stories and creation myths, sculpted on-site by artists from Papua New Guinea.
On the fourth Sunday of each month (rain or shine), the public can join a free tour, sponsored by the Cantor Arts Center (on Friday and Saturday mornings, try a guided tour of the museum’s indoor and outdoor Rodin sculptures and other outdoor campus sculpture tours on the first and third Sundays of the month.)
Meet at the Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden, corner of Santa Teresa Street and Lomita Drive, Stanford; 11:30 a.m. on the fourth Sunday of the month. Free.
Djerassi Art Hikes, Woodside
The public gets the chance to tour the stunning landscape of the Djerassi Resident Artists Program in Woodside thanks to its series of art hikes.
During the 3 1/2-mile, three-hour hike, small groups are guided through the meadows and redwood forests of the property while viewing site-specific artwork created by Djerassi artists over the past decades. There are morning, afternoon and even a few sunset and full-moon hikes scheduled.
Djerassi Residents Artist Program, 2325 Bear Gulch Road, Woodside; select dates, times vary. $50.
Los Altos Public Art Walks, downtown Los Altos
Volunteer docents from Arts Los Altos lead hourlong guided walks among downtown Los Altos’ murals and sculptures on the first Friday evening of the month.
Meet at the Mandahlia sculpture, 169 State St., Los Altos; 5 p.m. each first Friday. Free, donations accepted.
Union Cemetery Tours, Redwood City
Guided strolls through Redwood City’s Union Cemetery are always full of interesting local history tidbits about the legacy, lives and deaths of early Peninsula residents. Free tours are offered at this state historic landmark.
Union Cemetery, 330 Woodside Road, Redwood City; select dates, 10 a.m. (next tour is May 30.) Free.
Baby Goat Farm Tours, Pescadero
Take a behind-the-scenes half-mile walk around Harley Farms while a guide talks about managing a working farm. Visit the milking parlor and get some time in the goat pen meeting this season’s goat kids.
The tour is suitable for ages 7 and up, with separate tours geared toward younger children and their caregivers. Closed-toe shoes are required.
Harley Farms, 205 North St., Pescadero; Fridays-Sundays (check online for available times). $58.30.
Friends of Edgewood Walks, Redwood City
Docents from Friends of Edgewood Natural Preserve lead free guided walks exploring the biodiversity of the area. Moderate hikes are offered monthly and, in spring when wildflowers are blooming, several times a week.
Edgewood Natural Preserve, 10 Old Stage Coach Road, Redwood City; check online for specific trail and dates/times. Free.
Hidden Villa Farm Tours, Los Altos Hills
Explore Hidden Villa’s organic garden and wander its dirt paths to check out the cows, pigs, chickens, goats and sheep while learning about what it takes to care for a farm on a guided 90-minute tour, offered on weekends.
A minimum of five participants are required to hold the tour. Hidden Villa also offers special events and programming such as foraging workshops, lamb yoga and more.
Hidden Villa, 26870 Moody Road, Los Altos Hills; tours meet at the welcome kiosk by the main parking lot weekends at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. $18.
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