On our last trip to San Francisco, we booked the wonderfully named tour above - a historic walking tour of one of the city's ritziest and storied districts - Nob Hill.

The tour starts at the Fairmont Hotel, which was brand new at the time of the Great Fire of 1906. The Fire plays a large part in the history of Nob Hill - before the flames swept through half of what's now the modern city of San Francisco, most of the buildings up here were built of wood, and were destroyed by the conflagration.

After the fire, the army had 30,000 tents for reugees set up within 3 days - compare that to the FEMA response modern-day to Katrina! These tents would stand for two years while the city was rebuilt.

The Fairmont was badly damaged before opening, but was rebuilt and opened 1 year to the day after the fire.

This hotel offers many surprises, including a gorgeous lobby, an impressive ballroom with great city views, and a hidden park looking over the eastern half of the city. You'll also find dozens and dozens of historic photos from the Great Fire along the halls of the Fairmont.