A Brief History Of The Mission District

The Mission District in San Francisco, also know as The Mission, has historically been home to mostly middle-class Latino families. Today, the district is centered around Dolores Park and is known for its diverse culture, brilliant artwork, and beautiful architecture.

The Indigenous People Of The Mission District And Colonization

The first people to live on the land that is today the Mission were a part of the Yelamu tribe. These Native Americans were part of the Ohlone people who made up an immense amount of the population. The Yelamu inhabited the district for over 2,000 years until the Spanish arrived during the 18th century. In 1776, Father Francisco Palou named the area Mission San Francisco de Asís. This meant horrible things for the Ohlone people. Their population in San Francisco fell to just 50 people by 1841 due to slave labor.

The Continued Rise of The Mission

1906 Earthquake and Population Shift

The 1906 earthquake that rocked all of San Francisco intensified the Irish and German settlement in the area. This continued to develop the area and opened it up to the Polish community, who opened the ‘Dom Polkski,’ The Polish Club of San Francisco.

The Mission Today

During the 1970s, The Mission found its rise due to the lively punk nightlife that started to take over the area. As the ’80s passed, the area became home to more immigrants from Central America, the Middle East, and South America. They had been forced to flee due to political instability and civil wars going on in their homelands during this time. Since the dot-com boom, the area has become populated with young urban employees. This has forced a lot of the working class Latino community out because of the competitive house prices and extremely high rent.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.