Balboa Park

Beautiful park in the heart of the city. Home to many museums and the world-famous San Diego Zoo.
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.

Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in San Diego
Gaslamp Quarter
Historical neighborhood in San Diego downtown. Many different architectural buildings to discover.
Seaport Village
One of downtown's many places to stop for a snack and walk along the harbor.
U.S. Grant Hotel
The U.S. Grant Hotel is a historic hotel in downtown San Diego. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Santa Fe Depot
Over a century old, the Santa Fe Depot's Spanish Colonial Revivalist style has landed this operational train station on the National Register of Historic Places.
USS Midway
This US Navy aircraft carrier was commissioned in 1945, served the entire length of the Cold War, and was decommissioned in 1992. It is now a popular museum.
Little Italy neighbourhood
Known as a chic neighbourhood full of restaurants, shops and beautiful views of the bay.

Related Tours

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 the end of 2024.

San Diego Private Driving Tour: Gaslamp Quarter, Balboa Park, and Old Town
Discover the compelling character of California’s second-largest city, renowned for its fascinating Mexican heritage, resplendent gardens, historic streets and fine stretch of Pacific Coast. 

On your private half-day driving tour, you will:

  • Enjoy hotel pick-up and drop-off by your private driver-guide, who will escort you throughout the day.
  •  Visit stunning La Jolla Cove and enjoy marine life and the bay. Take a photo stop at Soledad Mountain with amazing views on downtown San Diego, Tijuana, MX and Mission Bay. 
  • Walk around San Diego Old Town and the Spanish Mission. If you book the morning tour, enjoy a great lunch at one of the authentic Mexican restaurants on San Diego Avenue.
  • Learn about Balboa Park, San Diego’s World Fair location. Visit the Botanic Garden and Rose Gardens.
  •  Visit Seaport Village, and stroll along the city’s waterfront, where you will be able to see the USS Midway.
  • Your tour finishes with a walking tour in San Diego’s nightlife area, the Gaslamp Quarter. You are welcome to stay here at the conclusion of your tour, or your guide will happily drive you back to your hotel. 
In 1867, when Alonzo Erastus Horton stepped ashore from a San Francisco steamer, he trod on land that would, one day, be the heart of San Diego. Awed by what he found, Horton declared it "the prettiest place for a city I ever saw." Since then millions of visitors have echoed the sentiments of this early explorer, the single most influential arrival in San Diego - although not the first to discover its beauty. 

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo claims to have discovered San Diego Bay in 1542, some 200 years before Europeans settled the area. In truth, however, the indigenous Kumeyaay peoples had been living in the area for as long as 12,000 years prior to any European ‘discovery’ with the Southern Californian coastal region’s first Americans, now called the San Dieguito, calling it home in around 9000 B.C. Today this once uncharted paradise belongs to an urban population of around 1.4 million people. 

On your fascinating private San Diego half-day highlights tour, you will discover the city’s deeply embedded Mexican heritage and will explore the legacy of San Diego’s place in the Mexican Empire from 1821. You will understand what the American-Mexican war, 27 years later, meant for California and the USA. San Diego’s Italian community, established in Waterfront Park in the early 19th century, has also helped shape the culture of the city with its Little Italy Mercato Farmers’ Market, pizzerias, ice cream parlours and gourmet food stalls. Unsurprisingly, San Diego is gaining a reputation for its diverse and taste-rich food scene. 

On the San Diego half-day highlights tour, you will visit many of the city’s major historical sites, neighbourhoods and parks, including Balboa Park, the elegant architecture of the Gaslamp Quarter, the Old Town’s rich culture and the beautiful coastal stretch of some of San Diego's beaches.  Through the local insight of your private guide, you will be introduced to some of San Diego’s lesser-known corners with plenty of opportunities to grab some fabulous photographs of the city’s most picturesque landmarks, be it quaint Victorian streets, bloom-filled gardens, or the stunning cliff-strewn coastline that are home to seals, marine birds and rugged sea caves. 

Please note that the Botanical Garden in Balboa Park is closed for major renovation until the end of 2024.
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