LA to San Diego: History, Harbor & USS Midway Magic in one day
Description
Ready for a Southern California escape? This all-in-one San Diego day tour from Los Angeles delivers history, culture, and coastal charm in one unforgettable journey. Step aboard the legendary USS Midway aircraft carrier and explore its towering flight deck and vintage warplanes. Cruise the sparkling San Diego Harbor with panoramic views of Navy ships and the city skyline. Wander through Old Town’s adobe buildings, Presidio Park, and vibrant markets, then soak up the beauty of Balboa Park’s lush gardens, Spanish-style architecture, and world-class museums. This hassle-free tour is perfect for curious travelers, history lovers, and anyone craving a taste of San Diego’s magic. Itinerary: Los Angeles → Old Town San Diego (30 mins) → San Diego Harbor Cruise (60 mins, include ticket) → USS Midway (80 mins, include ticket) → Balboa Park (120 mins) → Los Angeles
Tour Options
Itinerary
Buckle up for a scenic coastal journey from Los Angeles to San Diego! As we cruise down the iconic I-5, watch the urban sprawl melt into rolling hills, golden beaches, and sparkling Pacific views. We will pass through charming beach towns like Dana Point and Carlsbad, with glimpses of surfers riding waves and palm trees swaying in the breeze. This relaxing drive sets the tone for a day of discovery—where history, harbor views, and cultural gems await. With comfortable transport and curated stops, it’s more than a day trip—it’s the start of your Southern California adventure. Itinerary: Los Angeles → Old Town San Diego (30 mins) → San Diego Harbor Cruise (60 mins, include ticket) → USS Midway (80 mins, include ticket) → Balboa Park (120 mins) → Los Angeles Note: Due to the closure of the USS Midway on Thanksgiving and Christmas, the attraction will be replaced by Hotel del Coronado (40 mins) on the day of the tour.
Step into the soul of San Diego at Old Town — a vibrant, centuries-old neighborhood where California’s story began. Wander cobblestone streets lined with adobe buildings, lively cantinas, and artisan shops that echo the charm of early Spanish settlers. Explore the iconic Old Town San Diego State Historic Park and Presidio Park, both steeped in history and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. From mariachi melodies to mouthwatering Mexican cuisine, Old Town offers a colorful, immersive glimpse into the birthplace of California. It’s not just a visit — it’s a time-traveling experience wrapped in culture, flavor, and unforgettable stories.
Set sail on a captivating San Diego Harbor Cruise — your front-row seat to one of North America’s most stunning natural harbors. Glide past iconic naval ships, sweeping skyline views, and storied landmarks while soaking in the sun and sea breeze. With live narration from expert guides, each cruise blends fascinating history, scenic beauty, and laid-back coastal vibes into one unforgettable experience. Whether you're snapping photos or simply unwinding, this is the perfect way to see San Diego from a whole new angle. 1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
* Note: On Thanksgiving and Christmas, when the USS Midway is closed, your tour will include a visit to the iconic Hotel del Coronado instead — a seaside Victorian masterpiece rich in charm and history. Please check with your tour guide for details on the day’s itinerary. There is no ticket fee will be refunded. On most tour days, you'll step aboard the legendary USS Midway — a colossal aircraft carrier-turned museum that brings naval history to life. Commissioned just days after WWII, the Midway served for nearly five decades, from Vietnam to Operation Desert Storm, and was once the largest ship in the world. Explore its towering flight deck, vintage aircraft, and immersive exhibits that honor the bravery of those who served.
Discover Balboa Park — San Diego’s crown jewel and a cultural wonderland spanning 1,200 lush acres. Home to 17 world-class museums, stunning gardens, and the renowned San Diego Zoo, this iconic urban park offers something for every curious traveler. Just minutes from downtown, Balboa Park enchants with its Spanish-Renaissance architecture, captivating exhibits, and vibrant cultural events year-round. Whether you're strolling through botanical gardens or diving into art and science, every corner of the park tells a story. It’s not just a destination — it’s an experience that inspires, educates, and delights.
Buckle up for a scenic road trip from San Diego’s cultural heart — Balboa Park — to the vibrant pulse of Downtown Los Angeles. In just over 2 hours, you’ll cruise along the iconic I-5 and I-405 highways, passing coastal views, rolling hills, and glimpses of Southern California’s diverse landscape. Whether you're heading to LA for; Hollywood glamour and lights, historic landmarks, or world-class dining, this journey back from San Diego offers a smooth blend of relaxation and anticipation. It’s not just a transfer — it’s your gateway back to the energy, creativity, and culture of LA.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Tour duration includes visit times, travel, traffic, and driving between locations. The roundtrip traveling time between Los Anegeles and San Diego will be around 3-4 hours depends to the traffic on the day.
- Note: Due to the closure of the USS Midway on Thanksgiving and Christmas, the attraction will be replaced by Hotel del Coronado (40 mins) on the day of the tour. And no ticket fee will be refunded.
- Travelers under 18 must be with an adult. Pregnant travelers allowed if under 24 weeks.
- Please verify your name and contact details; errors may incur additional costs.
- You must provide your pick-up location to the operator at least 3 days before departure. If not received, the default pick-up will be: 07:00am Departure Pico House Los Angeles--424 N Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
- Tickets & Admission: Third-party attraction tickets or city passes are not accepted.
- By selecting an option and completing your booking, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to the tour's full product description, including all details about itinerary, included and excluded fees. Your payment indicates your acceptance of these terms.
- For multiple bookings, please provide all confirmation numbers after booking to ensure you travel on the same bus.
- Bring comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, cash, and water for hydration. A valid reachable phone number is required for safety and trip communication.
- Children under 6 may require a booster seat by law. Coach buses usually do not need one, but winter tours using vans/minivans may. Please contact the operator in advance if needed; rental available on request.
Reviews(25)
Good tour, would recommend it.
Thank you very much for your feedback! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed the service we've provided! We look forward to welcoming you back on your next visit!
This tour was a great way to see San Diego in one day. The schedule was well planned and we had enough time at each stop. Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and easy to talk to. The bus was clean and comfortable for the drive. Old Town had a lot of history and character. The harbor cruise was relaxing with beautiful views. The USS Midway was very impressive and full of interesting exhibits. Balboa Park was a lovely final stop with plenty of photo spots. I really enjoyed this tour and would recommend it to anyone looking for a convenient and enjoyable way to explore San Diego.
Thank you very much for your feedback! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed the service we've provided! We look forward to welcoming you back on your next visit!
A very disappointing experience.it turned out that the driver was also the guide . The driver does not know how to guide and does not speak english very well.IN our opinion poor value for money. I participated in the copanys tours in the past and it was very successful,hence our disappointment.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about your recent tour. Please accept our most sincerely apologies for your disappointing experience.We have always been committed to providing the best service experience for every visitor. Our team of guides has been professionally trained. Not only do they possess a rich background of knowledge and culture, but they also carefully prepare the latest materials and strive to give visitors the most comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the scenic spots in a limited time, ensuring that they can flexibly respond to the different needs of visitors. We are instituting stricter and more regular English language proficiency assessments for any guide assigned to English-speaking tours. Only guides meeting a clearly defined, high standard will be assigned. We hope the steps we are taking demonstrate our commitment to restoring the high standards you previously enjoyed. Thank you again for your invaluable feedback; it is essential in helping us improve.
For what it was, this excursion was very overpriced. The driver/guide spoke broken English and never introduced himself. We got dumped in the harbour at 10:40 and told “cruise goes from there at 11:15 then go to the Midway and be back here for 1:30” and then he was gone. Cruise was nice and the crew were very friendly and informative. By the time got to the USS Midway I had about 45mins to explore the attraction. This was amazing but nowhere near enough time. We were then driven to Balboa park and dumped there with a pick up time 2h later. Finally we visited the Old Town but due to others being later at previous points we only had 25 minutes here. The journey was probably the most uncomfortable I have ever been on an excursion with the aircon on full blast for most of the journey (despite the driver been asked to turn it off). To cap things off the driver tried to insist on a $15 per person service charge.
Thank you for sharing your feedback about your recent excursion. We sincerely apologize that certain aspects of the tour did not meet your expectations. Regarding the points you raised: 1.Tour Timing & Itinerary: While the USS Midway visit was scheduled 80 minutes and Old Town 30 minutes, we regret that delays (due to other guests arriving late) impacted your experience. 2.Guide Communication & Comfort: We apologize if the guide’s English proficiency and introductions were insufficient. Clear communication is a priority, and we will reinforce this in training. 3.The air conditioning issue was due to a malfunction (the controls were unresponsive), not disregard for your request. We are addressing this with our vehicle maintenance team. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve. Please contact us at qc@uvbookings.com if you’d like to discuss this further. Thank you for your understanding, and we hope to serve you better in the future.
very nice trip. We saw many places, very many in one day. The guide-driver Daniel tried to show us everything that was on the itinerary and did his job very well.
Thank you very much for your feedback! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed the service we've provided! We look forward to welcoming you back on your next visit!
I am writing this review because after a terrible experience with this tour company and asking for a complete refund, they only offered only a 15% refund of the total cost of the tour. After several emails, they refused to give anywhere near what I felt was a reasonable refund. After a phone call to Tripadvisor, they included an additional 10% to the tour company's original refund. This was very much appreciated from Tripadvisor, and I thank them for this, but any additional refund should have come from Jupiter Legend Corporation which was the host tour company. Signing up for the tour, which in the tour information, it said the tour was in English, this was not the case. Other than myself and my wife, the tour group was entirely Chinese, and although the tour guide spoke some English, it obviously was not his first language. Many highlights along the tour were lost in translation and the tour guide not having a mic and speakers to spread his voice throughout the van made it very difficult to hear any commentary, especially the times when he did try and speak some English. The van that took us on this tour, had some issues as well. The seats did recline for the passengers' comfort, but when fully reclined, made if very uncomfortable for those behind, which this happened with my wife. I usually have a good time on any tour I and my wife have taken in the past, but on this date, the tour provided only a bad experience, and I will not be taking any more tours with this company. I hope this review helps others when they are planning their next vacation. Regards, Terry Z
Dear Guest, We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and frustration you have experienced. We are an international travel company dedicated to providing excellent service to guests from all over the world. On this tour, we have guests who speak both Chinese and English, therefore the tour guide explains the same things in both Chinese and English to ensure the best experience for each guest. We will examine why the bus did not have a microphone and speaker, and we are working to improve vehicle configuration to ensure that all vehicles meet the highest standards in terms of comfort and functionality. Regarding the refund, we appreciate Tripadvisor's intervention to add an extra 10%, but we recognise that more should have been done on our part to ensure your satisfaction. While we cannot change your experience, we hope you will give us another opportunity to serve you in the future and provide the exceptional experience we aim to deliver.
Me and my wife took this tour from LA. It was value for money. The old town was a good experience. The cruise was exceptional seeing war ships all along the way. Visiting a warship museum was an eye-opener to understand the life of Naval war soldiers. The driver cum guide Mr.Bill Chen was very friendly. He narrated well. He drove safe. Was patient and helped to make this trip a memorable one.
The narration is funny and engaging . Perfectly timed at different destinations . Will def recommend
Great trip, our guide Hank was very helpful Itinerary covered all important spots in San Diego. Visit to USS Midway was amazimg
Service of the company is not that great and when I lodged a complaint didn’t get my needs addressed in the right way! Also company operates under 2 names. Jupiter legend corporation and ctours. I’d be wary of using them as ctours has a lot of bad reviews and it’s one of the names they use to run the tours whilst jupiter legend corporation promote via Jupiter legend corporation
Jupiter Legend corporation and Ctour Holiday belongs to same Company of Universal Vision, they are the same company, Services were provided as described on the website without any attractions missing. English service was provided by our guide, no lack of that, guide and customer get along well with each other. If you need any assistance, please contact us via qc@uvbookings.com
