San Diego Organized Tours Overview


An organized tour can be a convenient, fun, and informative way to see San Diego. If you're looking to pack a week's worth of sightseeing and a history lesson into a single afternoon, try the Old Town Trolley Tour (619-298-8687), which runs daily for two hours with on-and-off privileges and stops at a variety of major landmarks, including Old Town State Park, Seaport Village, the Gaslamp District, Coronado, Balboa Park, and the San Diego Zoo.

Or take to the water by boarding an amphibious "Hydra Terra" (like a boat with wheels) for the Seal Tour (619-298-8687), a 90-minute trip around (and in) the San Diego Bay, providing picturesque views of Point Loma and the harbor.

A Seal Tour in and around the San Diego Bay provides lovely views of Point Loma and the harbor.
©2006 PDPhoto.org
A Seal Tour in and around the San Diego Bay provides
lovely views of Point Loma and the harbor.

San Diego's whale watching season runs from mid-December to mid- to late-March. For about $25-$30 per person, you can board a whale watching tour, with many companies even offering a money-back guarantee of whale sightings. H&M Landing (619-222-1144) and Islandia (619-222-1164) both offer boat tours, while Biplane, Air Combat & Warbird Adventures give airborne tours for about $219-$439 (760-930-0903).

If you want to see the city by bus, try San Diego Scenic Tours (858-273-8687), whose air-conditioned coaches tour top sites like La Jolla Cove and village, Old Town, Balboa Park, Coronado, Mission Bay, the Embarcadero, the Gaslamp Quarter, Seaport Village, and more.

Whether you want to stay in downtown San Diego or on the waterfront, you'll be able to find suitable accommodations. On the next page, we provide a guide to San Diego's hotels.