SAN DIEGO
San Diego’s best days out.
A short guide to the 15 best guided tours, with what each one costs, how long it runs and who you book it through.
San Diego to Tijuana guided day trip with San Ysidro border crossing, taco lunch, street art and murals, plus time for tastings.
Most Popular“Tadeo was the best guide you can have! we felt so safe and amazing during the whole time. Tijuana is very beautiful and vibrant and Tadeo make sure that we experience that 🤗🤗”
Guided snorkeling in La Jolla Cove’s marine sanctuary with sea lions, fish, and sea caves. Gear and wetsuit included for 90 minutes.
“This was an amazing experience! Rich was a phenomenal guide and made you feel comfortable and safe. He was super knowledgeable about everything we saw. There were so many sea lions, we saw two different kinds of sharks, lots of fish. Hands down worth every penny!”
5.5-hour San Diego tour with live narration, Balboa Park, Old Town, Coronado, and La Jolla Cove seals. Cruise-terminal pickup.
“Super Informationen über San Diego und zu den einzelnen Stopps. Treffpunkt exakt beschrieben! Alle Plätze sehenswert. Highlight für uns waren die vielen Seehunde, denen man sehr nah kommen konnte.”
Ride an e-bike from Solana Beach to Encinitas on a guided 15-mile route with scenic stops, free admissions, and helmets included.
“We were very informed on how to use the bikes, safety tips, and how and where to go. The trail to follow was clear. We had an amazing time! Definitely some we would do again!”
2-hour Balboa Park walk with a local guide: Exposition-era architecture, gardens, photo spots, and one coffee-cart drink.
“As a previous San Diego local of several years, I took Balboa Park for granted. Our guide was excellent, and the history I learned from her on this very pleasant walking tour has made me really appreciate this terrific park and everything it has to offer.”
A small-group San Diego Zodiac whale and dolphin watch from Harbor Island with expert captains, included life jackets, and cold-water drama.
“Got really lucky the day we went out with Captain Bree! She was fantastic giving us just the right amount of information, ensuring our safety, and getting us as close as legally possible to the sealife. Ride in the Zodiac was a thrill, too!”
A GPS self-drive loop from Mission Bay to Mt. Soledad with VoiceMap audio on San Diego’s top sights and beaches.
“First day we tried the app shut down after about an hour and we could not get it to restart. Tried again another day and it worked fine.”
Ride a GPS scooter loop through downtown San Diego, Balboa Park, the waterfront, Coronado ferry, and Old Town in about 2 hours.
“Consider traveling less distance so you can stop and enjoy some of the landmarks. Dress in layers. Great service and extremely helpful and accommodating.”
A 30-minute guided night tour of Old Town San Diego’s Whaley House, with admission included and storytelling from lively docents.
“fun experience, would have liked to go a little longer. Lots of great information. Grulie Julie was very knowledgeable.”
GPS-guided electric scooter loop through Little Italy, downtown, Balboa Park, Old Town, and the USS Midway area in about 1 hour.
“The views were amazing & we took a lot of pics! The GPS was easy to follow! The traffic was slow but we utilize that time to get great pics along the way!”
Self-guided GPS audio walk through La Jolla with offline playback, art galleries, churches, Scripps landmarks, and Sunny Jim Sea Cave background.
“This is not a cave tour. This is a just a tour of La Jolla that unfortunately doesn’t work. There was no service down there. Didn’t even get to download the app, the family next to us had it on speaker and two minutes into it it said” thanks for enjoying the tour” very disappointed.”
GPS-guided Polaris GoCar tour through Little Italy, the harbor, Seaport Village, and Balboa Park. Air-conditioned ride for up to two.
“This is a a unique way to see the city. The staff were super helpful. However the GPS instructions and commentary that was installed in the car rarely worked and would repeat itself. Thankfully we had been provided maps and an overview of the route. This made it fairly easy to find the right road…”
A guided luxury e-bike ride from Solana Beach through Cardiff, Swami’s Beach, Encinitas boat houses, and Moonlight Beach in about 2 hours.
“Excellent and super friendly bike tour of the North Coast area from Solana Beach. Our guide was great, the route was safe and extremely picturesque, and we had a great time. Excellent e-bikes and a full two hour+ tour hitting all the highlights along the beautiful southern CA coast. Highly recommended.”
Ride a pedal-assist e-bike through San Diego’s top sights, from the Gaslamp Quarter and USS Midway to Balboa Park, in 2.5 hours.
“The tour was very entertaining and it was great fun to explore the city on an e-bike. The support on site was good and the guide was very committed. The bikes were not quite ideal.”
Self-guided San Diego drive from Escondido to Palomar Observatory, Borrego Springs serpent sculptures, and Julian apple pie for $14.99.
“It’s a cool product. You can see other tours. It took a bit to figure out but it was interesting to hear the history of the area and do it at my pace.”
Every neighborhood, every stretch of coast, and every way to get out on the water.
