San Diego in a Day: Private Full-Day Highlights Driving Tour
Explore the best of San Diego in a day, with its spectacular Spanish colonial architecture, rich Mexican heritage, and seventy miles of coastline with a private guide on this full-day driving tour where you will have the opportunity to see its most popular highlights and stop at your favourite spots.
On your private tour, you will:
Enjoy hotel pick-up to start your tour with your professional driver guide;
Cruise through some of the city's most iconic landmarks and natural wonders;
Visit stunning La Jolla Cove, marvel at the crystal-clear waters and stunning coastal cliffs, and appreciate marine life and the bay;
Snap a memorable photo at Soledad Mountain with breathtaking views of downtown San Diego, Tijuana, Mexico and Mission Bay;
Walk around San Diego Old Town, a historic neighbourhood that gives a glimpse into San Diego's rich past including the Spanish Mission;
Explore Balboa Park, San Diego’s World Fair location, and visit the Botanic Garden and see the several great museums and Rose Gardens;
See Cabrillo National Monument, stand at the westernmost point of the continental United States and enjoy stunning views of Downtown San Diego, Coronado Island and Tijuana Beach;
Enjoy a walk around the waterfront, with a photo stop at the famous USS Midway, an iconic aircraft carrier that now serves as a museum;
Discover the Gaslamp Quarter and soak up the energy of this vibrant neighbourhood.
On this fascinating in-depth Private Full-Day San Diego Highlights tour, you will discover much about California’s second-largest city, from its ‘discovery’ by Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542, to the indigenous Kumeyaay peoples who occupied the area 12,000 years prior to European arrival.
Learn about the settlement of San Dieguito and the cultural, socio-political and historical developments that powered it to a city of a population of 1.4 million. With a deeply embedded Mexican heritage, the legacy of San Diego’s place in the Mexican Empire from 1821 is a fascinating story.
An Italian community, established in Waterfront Park in the early 19th century, has also shaped the culture of the city. See for yourself why San Diego - or Sandie as the locals call it - is dubbed America’s Finest City.
On the San Diego Private Half-Day Highlights tour, you will visit several of the city’s major historical sites –including Cabrillo National Monument and Balboa Park, quaint neighbourhoods, and Coronado Island - a picturesque peninsula blessed by gorgeous beaches, tidal pools, and coves.
Soak up the buzz of the Gaslamp Quarter, the architecture of Old Town, and the sprawling green space of Balboa Park. San Diego offers plenty of mouth-watering options for lunch, from delicious fish tacos to homemade pasta, and your guide will happily direct you to their favourites in Old Town.
Visit a local beach, enjoy a laid-back hippy vibe and browse artisan trinkets before returning to explore the Gaslamp Quarter. At the end of the tour, your guide will drop you off back at your hotel or somewhere central of your choosing.
Please note that the Botanical Garden in Balboa Park is closed for major renovation until further notice.
Overview
Explore the best of San Diego in a day, with its spectacular Spanish colonial architecture, rich Mexican heritage, and seventy miles of coastline with a private guide on this full-day driving tour where you will have the opportunity to see its most popular highlights and stop at your favourite spots. On your private tour, you will: Enjoy hotel pick-up to start your tour with your professional driver guide; Cruise through some of the city's most iconic landmarks and natural wonders; Visit stunning La Jolla Cove, marvel at the crystal-clear waters and stunning coastal cliffs, and appreciate marine life and the bay; Snap a memorable photo at Soledad Mountain with breathtaking views of downtown San Diego, Tijuana, Mexico and Mission Bay; Walk around San Diego Old Town, a historic neighbourhood that gives a glimpse into San Diego's rich past including the Spanish Mission; Explore Balboa Park, San Diego’s World Fair location, and visit the Botanic Garden and see the several great museums and Rose Gardens; See Cabrillo National Monument, stand at the westernmost point of the continental United States and enjoy stunning views of Downtown San Diego, Coronado Island and Tijuana Beach; Enjoy a walk around the waterfront, with a photo stop at the famous USS Midway, an iconic aircraft carrier that now serves as a museum; Discover the Gaslamp Quarter and soak up the energy of this vibrant neighbourhood. On this fascinating in-depth Private Full-Day San Diego Highlights tour, you will discover much about California’s second-largest city, from its ‘discovery’ by Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542, to the indigenous Kumeyaay peoples who occupied the area 12,000 years prior to European arrival. Learn about the settlement of San Dieguito and the cultural, socio-political and historical developments that powered it to a city of a population of 1.4 million. With a deeply embedded Mexican heritage, the legacy of San Diego’s place in the Mexican Empire from 1821 is a fascinating story. An Italian community, established in Waterfront Park in the early 19th century, has also shaped the culture of the city. See for yourself why San Diego - or Sandie as the locals call it - is dubbed America’s Finest City. On the San Diego Private Half-Day Highlights tour, you will visit several of the city’s major historical sites –including Cabrillo National Monument and Balboa Park, quaint neighbourhoods, and Coronado Island - a picturesque peninsula blessed by gorgeous beaches, tidal pools, and coves. Soak up the buzz of the Gaslamp Quarter, the architecture of Old Town, and the sprawling green space of Balboa Park. San Diego offers plenty of mouth-watering options for lunch, from delicious fish tacos to homemade pasta, and your guide will happily direct you to their favourites in Old Town. Visit a local beach, enjoy a laid-back hippy vibe and browse artisan trinkets before returning to explore the Gaslamp Quarter. At the end of the tour, your guide will drop you off back at your hotel or somewhere central of your choosing. Please note that the Botanical Garden in Balboa Park is closed for major renovation until further notice.
Location
Hotel pick-up is available upon request. Please note that if you do not provide your hotel information, your guide will meet you at Tony Gwynn's Statue in 'Park at the Park' outside Petco Park
Duration
10 hours
Start Times
09:00, 09:30, 10:00
Address
840 K St, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
Inclusions
- A friendly, professional English-speaking driver guide for your own private group
- Plenty of time to take photos of your favourite places
- Private transportation including hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Entrance to Cabrillo National Monument
Exclusions
- Food and drink
- Gratuities
Venues
- Gaslamp Quarter
The area is listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places as Gaslamp Quarter Historic District. Its main period of development began in 1867, when Alonzo Horton bought the land in hopes of creating a new city center closer to the bay, and chose 5th Avenue as its main street. After a period of urban decay, the neighborhood underwent urban renewal in the 1980s and 1990s.
- Seaport Village
Seaport Village was built on landfill over Punta de los Muertos (Spanish for Point of the Dead), where the Spanish expedition of 1782 buried those who had died of scurvy. In later years it was a railroad yard where goods and other materials used to come through the area. The famous USS Midway turned into a museum is located few yards away.
- Coronado Island
Coronado was incorporated as a town on December 11, 1890. The land was purchased by Elisha Spurr Babcock, along with Hampton L. Story, and Jacob Gruendike. Their intention was to create a resort community, and in 1886, the Coronado Beach Company was organized. By 1888, they had built the Hotel del Coronado, and the city became a major resort destination.
- Balboa Park
Spain and later Mexico made a practice of setting aside large tracts of land for the common use of citizens. In 1835, the Alta California authorities set aside a 1,400-acre tract of pueblo land in San Diego to be used for the public's recreational purposes. This land included the site of present-day Balboa Park, making it one of the oldest places in the United States dedicated to public recreational usage.
- Old Town San Diego
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park is in the center of Old Town. Here you can experience life from the early Mexican-American period of 1821-1872 through rich living history programs. Watch forms come to life at the blacksmith and woodworker shops, and read a newspaper from the 19th century.
- La Jolla
Along the dramatic coastline lies Scripps Park, where families can picnic throughout the summer, while enjoying Fourth of July fireworks and concerts under the stars. Just south of the park is the Children’s Pool, where a seawall was originally built to protect kids from incoming waves, but has been long taken over by a local seal colony. People are no longer permitted to swim here, but you can walk out along the seawall for a close-up view of the wildlife.
- Ocean Beach
One of San Diego's bohemian neighborhoods, Ocean Beach is an idyllic beach for passing a day in the sand and wandering the pier for a bite.
- La Jolla Seals and Sea Lions
No trip to La Jolla is complete without spotting some of the beach's famous wildlife. The area's marine mammals have made La Jolla their favorite place for birthing pups.
- Cabrillo National Monument
Cancellation Policy
No refund is possible if you cancel.
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