San Diego Walking Tour: Downtown History & Sights

Discover the rich history of downtown San Diego on a group walking tour. Explore the city’s founding in 1542, iconic landmarks, and modern-day industry. Don’t miss out!

Duration: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Gaslamp Quarter - Josh will meet you in the lobby of the historic San Diego Trust and Savings Bank Building (now a Courtyard Marriott) to share information on how San Diego became the birthplace of California. You will learn about Spanish explorers, the first settlement of Old Town, the Mexican-American War, and becoming the 31st state in the U.S….
What's Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

This is a collective pedestrian tour to explore the attractions of San Diego’s city center. The excursion covers the comprehensive chronicles of San Diego, starting from its establishment in 1542 up to its contemporary industrialism. The trip includes data on San Diego’s pioneers and futurists, the Gaslamp Quarter, Horton Plaza Park, Santa Fe Depot, and the USS Midway Marine Museum.

Location
530 Broadway
Broadway
Josh will be wearing a tour guide name tag and will meet you in the lobby of the Courtyard Marriott San Diego Downtown. Please plan to arrive 10 minutes early to ensure the tour starts on time.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(18 Ratings)
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Dianaro2018
Sep 17, 2024
Fun and informative - Josh's tour is a must-do for visitors and San Diegans alike. I learned so much in just an hour and within an easy walk. Josh is really welcoming and clearly has a passion for the work he does. He was excited to share the history of the area, from its founding to current day. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Diamond_w
Aug 13, 2024
Great tour - Josh was awesome, we were the only ones on the tour. He showed us nice spots to check out afterwards. It was a great experience.
Review provided by Viator
Sebastiancn3818sj
Aug 10, 2024
History and Culture - Excellent tour of San Diego's history in downtown San Diego. I enjoyed the origins of pre-colonial, colonial, and a modern history of San Diego.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Voyage714724
Aug 10, 2024
Highly recommend - Awesome tour! Josh was amazing and as a local dc native we were able to relate to a lot of similarities between dc and San diego
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Projektjaydyn
Jul 24, 2024
Great history lesson for SD! - Josh took us from the beginnings of San Diego to the present. He was very knowledgeable about all parts of san diego history, it was a great walk, good pace. Definitely recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
R7518thjacquelinep
Jul 24, 2024
Walking history - Josh is great. Very informative and well prepared. Offered great tips and recommendations. Learned so much about the history of San Diego, from its founding to present day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Z4787yyerinr
Jun 24, 2024
Never a better tour!! - Let me tell you about the *most* fabulous experience I had on Josh’s historic walking tour. From the moment we started, it was like stepping into a reality show episode—full of drama, history, and all the tea!🍵 He knows all the ins and outs, the who’s who, and the scandalous stories that make San Diego's history come alive. It was like taking a stroll through time! He’s got the charm, the knowledge, and the charisma to keep you hooked from start to finish. Plus, the way he tells the stories? It’s like hearing the juiciest gossip at your bff brunch! If you’re looking for an unforgettable tour with a dash of glitz and a whole lot of heart, this is it. Five stars aren’t enough to capture how amazing this experience was. Grab your besties, put on your walking shoes, and get ready for an iconic tour! PS - you gotta get his restaurant recs as well! This guy knows good food!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brians6934
Jun 22, 2024
A must-do in San Diego! - It was an excellent tour with a really nice tour guide. He had fun stories and told them well. We also got really great recommendations for other things to do while we were in San Diego and ended up eating at some truly great places we would not have found otherwise. I recommend taking one at the start of your trip to find the best stuff to do!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kate
Jun 16, 2024
Vacationing in San Diego - Josh is an excellent guide. Extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic! I would highly recommend his tour on your trip to San Diego.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen_r
Apr 22, 2024
Highly recommend this historical walking tour - My mother and I had an amazing time on our tour. Josh did a great job of explaining the historical and cultural influences to the city and how they affected each other. He also gave great recommendations for restaurants and activities to do throughout the city. We highly recommend this experience if you are visiting San Diego!
Review provided by Viator
From $10
up to 10 guests
1 Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).