Old Town Walking Tour
Description
Your Old Town Walking Tour is very much like taking a step back into history. To see San Diego as it was during the very beginning of the city. From the first Mission of Father Junipero Serra, to the expedition of Gaspar de Portola, and the history of our entire city. The backstories along with the back drop of Old Town sparks the imaginations of the guests and literally takes you back in time. Known as the birthplace of San Diego and all of California, Old Town is a cultural hotspot. With stunning views of Mission Bay from the top of Presidio Park, to the smells of fresh-cooking Mexican cuisine and the beautiful Spanish architecture below, the Old Town Tour abounds with the vibe and flair for which Spanish and Mexican cultures are known.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Old Town San Diego has a quaint atmosphere, streets filled with the historic culture of the many traditions left behind. This historic area includes three major parks and sits next to the State Park with 32 historic sites, shops and the Presidio, the site of the first mission.
The Whaley House is a Greek Revival–style residence and museum in Old Town, San Diego, California. It is the oldest brick structure in Southern California, built in 1857. It is a California Historical Landmark No. 65 and is currently maintained by Historic Tours of America, Inc.
El Campo Santo Cemetery, meaning "holy field" in Spanish, is a historic Roman Catholic cemetery in San Diego's Old Town, established in 1849 and used until 1880, now a small, but significant, part of the city's history.
The Church of the Immaculate Conception in San Diego's Old Town is a historic Catholic church, a significant landmark in the city's history, and the site of the first Catholic parish in California.
Presidio Park in San Diego is a 40-acre historic park located on a hill overlooking Old Town, preserving the site of the first European settlement in what is now the West Coast of the United States, founded in 1769.
Built in 1928, the Junípero Serra Museum is a regional landmark and sits on one of the most significant historical sites on the West Coast.
Shoppers will also love the vibrant tabletop and kitchen products, worldwide imported ceramics, and quality crafts and folk art from Mexico.
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park is a state protected historical park in the Old Town neighborhood of San Diego, California. The park commemorates the early days of San Diego; it includes many historic buildings from the period 1820 to 1870. The park was established in 1968.
Heritage County Park in San Diego is a charming county park adjacent to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, featuring restored Victorian homes and Temple Beth Israel, the city's first synagogue.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(3)
Not at all worth the money. Didn’t go into any of the buildings. Many of the sights were not open during the weekday. Not sure how you can possibly justify the fee for the tour
Shari, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I have to say that we were very surprised and disappointed to read this review, particularly because your tour was led by one of the absolute best and most knowledgeable tour guides in our entire company. Our Old Town Walking Tour is first and foremost a historical tour, and an enormous amount of San Diego history, architecture, culture, and local storytelling is covered during the experience. During your tour, the group visited and/or explored numerous important historic locations, including the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Casa de Machado y Silvas, the Robinson-Rose Visitor Center, the historic cemetery, and Casa de Carrillo, among other significant sites throughout Old Town. It is also important to clarify that we do not own, operate, or control the historic buildings within Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. The State of California determines which buildings are open to the public and their operating hours. Unfortunately, since COVID, a number of buildings have operated on reduced schedules or remained closed at various times, particularly during weekdays. This is completely outside of our control. What we absolutely can control is the quality of our guide and the historical experience we provide, and I am extremely confident that you received an exceptional amount of historical information from one of the finest guides in San Diego. I truly wish you had contacted me directly before posting that the tour was a “rip off.” We are a small, family-run company that takes tremendous pride in our guests' experiences, and had you reached out to me personally, I would have welcomed the opportunity to discuss your concerns and see what I could do to make things right. We certainly understand that every experience will not meet every guest's expectations, but I do believe it is important for future readers to understand the distinction between the historical tour we provide and the operating decisions of the State Historic Park, which are entirely beyond our control. All The Best, Kenneth C. Lippman President & CEO Another Side Tours, Inc.
Magda was a great tour guide. Tour was fun, informative and we'll paced. The tequilas and the tacos were pretty good too.
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We are thrilled to hear that you had such a great time exploring Old Town with Magda. She is an outstanding guide, and we are so glad you found the tour fun, informative, and well paced. Of course, no Old Town experience would be complete without some great tacos and tequila along the way! Thank you for choosing Another Side Tours, and we hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back for another adventure with us in San Diego, Los Angeles, or Las Vegas. All The Best, Kenneth Another Side Tours
We can only say that it was a private tour by chance and we had even more luck with an excellent guide like Julia. She is so funny and knowledgeable we had an amazing time and my favorite spot is hard to pick , but I would go back to the art space. She explained everything what we wanted in a funny way she made the time fly by! We loved it and she made our day in San Diego.
Hi Roswitha, Thank you so much for this wonderful review. We are thrilled to hear that your Old Town Walking Tour turned into such a special private experience and that Julia made the day so memorable for you. Julia is truly a fantastic guide, and we love hearing that her humor, knowledge, and storytelling made the time fly by. Old Town has so many incredible corners to discover, and we are especially happy that the art space stood out as one of your favorite spots. Thank you again for choosing Another Side Of San Diego Tours. We would be absolutely delighted to welcome you back anytime for another great experience in San Diego, Los Angeles, or Las Vegas. All The Best, Kenneth Another Side Of San Diego Tours
