About Us

Unconventional city adventures since 2013

Our Story

A lifelong love of Volkswagen vans with a passion for sharing our stories.

In February 2013 we combined our lifelong love of the Volkswagen bus with all the San Francisco Bay Area has to offer, and Vantigo was born. Today Vantigo is on the road offering everything from City, Beer and Wine tours, to wedding charters and company outings. We strive to fill the niche for people who want to do touristy things without feeling like a tourist. We curate the perfect California experience for guests, whether that means exploring San Francisco’s storied neighborhoods, drinking craft beer at up and coming breweries or sampling pinot in the Sonoma sunshine. Vantigo is licensed and fully insured under the CPUC TCP#31265

In the Press

Esquire Networks

Esquire Network: Weekend Fix with Omar Miller

The Esquire network asked us to be a part of their recent TV show starring Omar Miller. What a fun experience showing them around the city.
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KPIX

Best Brewery Tours in San Francisco

CBS 5 takes a look at the best brewery tour options in San Francisco. Vantigo is one of the best options for visiting breweries and getting a behind the scenes look.
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Ryan Robinson

101 Best Side Business Ideas to Start While Working Full-Time

Ryan Robison takes a look at how Vantigo was started as a weekend warrior program and has grown to a full time operation
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Travel Belles

The Anti-Bus Tour of San Francisco with Vantigo

A great blogger named Margo joined us for one of our afternoon tours. She really captured our company in a nut shell.
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The Huffington Post

Vantigo Offers Oysters, Beer And A Volkswagen Bus On Best San Francisco Tour Ever

We had a great time showing The Huffington Post around and talking about running a small business in a big city.
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SF Weekly

Best Way to Be a Tourist San Francisco 2014 - Vantigo

SF Weekly bestowed the great honor of being part of their Best of 2014 for San Francisco. We are humbled to be up there with all of the other great organizations around SF.
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Joie de Vivre

Let's Get to Know One Another

Joie de vivre Hotels are a great place to stay while your in town. Similar to our brand they really focus on the people that stay with them and great things to do in the city.
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Minnetonka Moccasin

Minnetonka Moccasin Photo Shoot / Video

Lillie was asked to be part of a photo shoot for Minnetonka Moccasin's. As her first role in any kind of advertising she did her best to be part of the team and shine brightly.
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Inside Hook

Shuck You

InsideHook does an amazing job at achieving a great play on words to describe our company. This is the first piece of press we have gotten on our Oyster Experience! Shuck on!
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A Side of Sweet

HOWABOUTWE + VANTIGO SAN FRANCISCO CITY TOUR

We had the good fortune of having a local blogger and her husband on one of our tours recently. She wrote a great little piece on our company.
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KGO 810 News/Information

VW Van Tour

Peter Finch from KGO 810 AM came along on a tour with us to talk about our little company. After talking with us he decided to put together a piece which really captured what we are trying to do.
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The Guardian

San Francisco tour by VW campervan

The esteemed UK Guardian ran a great story about Lillie and the idea of touring around SF. By far a very proud day for us to be featured in such a renowned newspaper.
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SF Weekly

Hop On: Vantigo Redefines Tourism One Revamped Van Ride at a Time

SF Weekly had a chance to ride along with us as we ventured out on a city tour. Their staff posted a fun write up about our tours and the experiences through the eyes of a local and a tourist.
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Pure Wow

JOY RIDE: Tour the Bay Area in a VW van

Fun little blurb on a great website with fun things to do in most major cites in the US. Great people with a lot great ideas!
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The Wanderfull Traveler

headway-imported-image-2Brewery Tours with Vantigo, San Francisco

Great write up from the Wanderful Traveler who was one of our first brew tour customers! We had a great time drinking and exploring the different breweries the North Bay had to offer.
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Path

Path: Working at Path Video Shoot

Path used Lillie in one of their videos to talk about their awesome social networking company. Click on the logo to the left to watch the video and see Lillie in action.
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Cool Hunting

Vantigo San Francisco: Changing the way people see the city with personalized tours in a refurbished '71 Volkswagen van

A daily update on ideas and products in the intersection of art, design, culture and technology. The article described the experience we provide and the overall look and feel of our small company.
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Inside Hook

Van Up!

The InsideHook published an awesome article about our North Bay Brew Tours. One of our most exciting offerings, the brew tour is a celebration of beer, food, and good times.
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Van + Contigo

The name Vantigo comes from a blend of the word “van” and the Spanish word "contigo," which means "with you."

While it’s a fun play on words, it also speaks to our philosophy. These are not the typical city tours that play recorded information to passengers on a big bus. Instead, we pick you up in a beautifully restored Volkswagen van and offer a more lively, lighthearted and authentically personal experience. We go with you – and we share our favorite San Francisco sites, stories, restaurants and pastimes, so that you can experience the Bay like a local.

Meet the Team
  • Chad
    Chad
    Tour guide extraordinaire, Owner
  • Eliza
    Eliza
    Vantigo Camp Counselor, Business Operations First Officer
  • Chris
    Chris
    West Bay tour guide
  • Erik
    Erik
    Founder of Vantigo , Tour Guide Extraordinaire
  • Kerry
    Kerry
    Owner

The Fleet

Vantigo has two fully restored vintage 1971 Volkswagen Type 2 Transporter Buses. Rebuilt over the last few years using OEM and after-market parts and upholstry, you are driving in a stock restored engine, tranmission, interior with period-correct paint job and chrome trim. The wrap around windows give you amazing views of the city at a slow vintage vehicle pace. Our blue 1971 VW bus is named after Harvey Milk, our red bus is named after Lillie Hitchcock Coit, two historic San Francisco names. Each bus can hold up to 7 passengers.