Zodiac Tours Brings Travelers Face-to-Face With San Francisco's Most Infamous Cold Case

Zodiac Tours operates guided excursions through San Francisco Bay Area locations connected to the Zodiac Killer, the unidentified serial murderer who terrorized Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The tour is currently active as of 2026 and is listed on Tripadvisor, drawing true crime enthusiasts who want to walk the same streets where the case unfolded.

For anyone who has followed the cryptic letters, the unbroken ciphers and the decades-long manhunt, standing at the actual crime scenes offers something no documentary or podcast can: physical proximity to an unsolved mystery that still haunts American criminal history.

Who Was the Zodiac Killer?

The Zodiac Killer is one of the most studied unidentified offenders in U.S. history. Operating primarily in Northern California between 1968 and 1969, he claimed responsibility for multiple murders and taunted police and newspapers with letters signed with a crosshair symbol. The case remains officially unsolved more than five decades later.

Three concrete historical facts anchor the tour's subject matter:

• **The killer's confirmed murders took place in the San Francisco Bay Area**, including locations in Vallejo, Napa County and the city of San Francisco itself.
• **The Zodiac sent coded ciphers to Bay Area newspapers**, including the San Francisco Chronicle. One cipher remained unbroken until December 2020, when an international team of codebreakers finally cracked the so-called 340 Cipher.
• **A San Francisco taxi driver, Paul Stine, was murdered on October 11, 1969** at the corner of Washington and Cherry Streets in the Presidio Heights neighborhood. It is the only confirmed Zodiac murder committed within San Francisco city limits.

These events form the historical backbone of any serious Zodiac-themed tour in the city.

What the Tour Covers

According to its Tripadvisor listing, Zodiac Tours visits "locations around the San Francisco Bay Area where the Zodiac committed his crimes." The operator has not published a detailed public itinerary, so travelers interested in the exact stops, meeting point, group size or vehicle arrangement should contact the operator directly before booking.

Because the Zodiac's confirmed and suspected crime sites are spread across multiple counties — from Lake Berryessa in Napa County to Blue Rock Springs in Vallejo to Presidio Heights in San Francisco — tour logistics vary depending on which sites are included. Visitors should ask the operator which specific locations are on the route.

Practical Information

• **Location:** San Francisco Bay Area, California
• **Status:** Active as of 2026
• **Price:** Not publicly listed — contact the operator
• **Duration:** Not publicly listed — contact the operator
• **Listing:** [Tripadvisor profile for Zodiac Tours](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60713-d28106338-Reviews-Zodiac_Tours-San_Francisco_California.html)

For travelers who want to compare options, Viator's San Francisco crime tours hub lists additional true crime and ghost-themed walking tours in the city, though these are not Zodiac-specific.

Why Visit These Locations

There is a particular weight to standing at Washington and Cherry Streets, a quiet residential intersection in Presidio Heights, and realizing it is the spot where Paul Stine was shot in his cab. Eyewitness teenagers across the street called police almost immediately, and a patrol car briefly encountered a man matching the killer's description walking away from the scene. He was never identified.

The Bay Area's other Zodiac sites carry similar gravity. Lake Berryessa, where a couple was attacked by a hooded man on September 27, 1969, remains a popular recreation area — making the contrast between everyday tourism and violent history especially stark. Blue Rock Springs Park in Vallejo, the site of the July 4, 1969 attack, is similarly accessible to visitors today.

A guided tour adds context that a self-driven visit cannot easily replicate: the timeline of letters, the police investigations, the suspect theories, and the specific eyewitness accounts that shaped the case.

Tips for Visitors

• **Book ahead.** Small-group true crime tours in San Francisco can fill quickly, especially in summer and around Halloween.
• **Confirm the itinerary.** Ask whether the tour stays within San Francisco or extends to Vallejo and Napa County — the driving distance is significant.
• **Be respectful.** Several Zodiac sites are in residential neighborhoods or active public parks. Visitors should keep noise low and avoid private property.
• **Bring weather-appropriate clothing.** San Francisco's microclimates can shift rapidly, particularly near the Presidio.

For true crime travelers, few unsolved cases offer the eerie geographic specificity of the Zodiac Killer. Walking these streets does not solve the mystery — but it makes it tangibly, unforgettably real.