The Private Balboa Park Tour in San Diego booking from $199.00

The Private Balboa Park Tour

Overview

Explore San Diego's Balboa Park with a private guide, and hear informative narration about this 1,200-acre (485-hectare) cultural icon, declared a National Historic Landmark District in 1977. See areas like the Botanical Building or Rose Garden, and pass by a plethora of museums as you learn about the park’s history and architecture. Travel from your hotel to Balboa Park by luxury vehicle, and enjoy provided bottled water and snacks during this 2-hour tour.

City: San Diego

Sat 21 Jun

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Starting at $199.00

Make a reservation

Sat 21 Jun

Starting at $199.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Private transportation

Round Trip Pick-up and Drop-off

Narration by professional guide

Bottled Water and Small Snacks

Air-conditioned vehicle

Transportation by Mercedes Sprinter

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children 5 and under are free
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
This is mostly a walking tour of the park, but you will also travel by private vehicle to sites that are too far to reach on foot
Lyft & Uber: We are listed on the ride share apps as 'Another Side Of San Diego Tours'. Ride-shares are the preferred and best way for our guests to come to us.
Parking Option 1: The LAZ Parking lot is located at 8th Ave. and G Street. The address is: 665 8th Ave San Diego, CA 92101
Parking Option 2: The Park-It-On-Market lot is located at 7th Ave. and Market Street. The address is: 614 Market St. San Diego, CA 92101
Parking Option 3: The next closest all day lot is at the corner of 2nd Ave. and Island. The lot is directly across from 100 Harbor Club Dr. San Diego, CA 92101 **Not available from 7/1 thru 7/31 due to Comic Con***

What To Expect

Balboa Park

Where culture, science, and nature collide, Balboa Park is home to more than 16 museums, multiple performing arts venues, lovely gardens, trails, and many other creative and recreational attractions. A variety of cultural institutions among its 1,200 beautiful and lushly planted acres, there is something for everyone. Home of the San Diego Zoo. (Something to see another time).

Spanish Village Art Center

San Diego’s coveted secret for art lovers at Spanish Village Art Center. Located between the Zoo and theNAT these quaint buildings and colorful courtyard were originally built in 1935. They depicted a charming old village in Spain for the second California Pacific International Exposition.

Japanese Friendship Garden and Museum

The Japanese Friendship Garden ("JFG") is an expression of friendship between San Diego and its sister city, Yokohama.

Museum of Us

Specializing in cultural anthropology, the Museum of Us explores the human experience from multicultural perspectives to spark dialogue, self-reflection, and human connections. During your visit, you’ll explore a variety of unique, interactive exhibits that cover a vast range of human history and culture.

Botanical Building and Lily Pond

The Botanical Building with the Lily Pond and Lagoon in the foreground is one of the most photographed scenes in Balboa Park. The Lily Pond, built as a reflecting pool for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition features annual plantings of water lilies and lotus. The plantings inside of the Botanical Building include orchid displays, cycads and palms, a scratch-and-sniff garden, and seasonal displays.

San Diego Natural History Museum

The San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat). From rattlesnakes and flesh-eating beetles, to dinosaurs and fossils, to historic archives and art, there’s something for every type of nature nerd here at the home of one the oldest biological research centers in the region. Visitors will be impressed by the unique, interactive exhibitions that span across five floors. The museum features a giant-screen theater with daily showings, as well as rotating exhibitions that bring nature to life.

Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden

The Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden contains more than 1,600 roses including Hybrid Teas, Florabundas, Grandifloras, Miniature Shrubs, and Old Roses.

Comic-con Museum

The Comic-Con Museum will encourage an appreciation of comics and related popular arts through exhibits, programs and events drawn from across the Comic-Con universe. Considered the cultural heart of San Diego, Balboa Park is already home to numerous museums, galleries and theaters along with the famous San Diego Zoo. Now, with the help of the City of San Diego, CCI is in the process of converting the 1935 Federal Building into what is planned to be a world-class museum by day, and a very unique fan community venue by night.

California Tower

The California Tower, the soaring, intricately detailed, portion of the California Building, is an icon of San Diego, and can be seen from miles around. The building houses the San Diego Museum of Us. The nearly 200-foot-tall Tower and Dome of the California Building are covered with intricate carvings, colorful tile, and glass beads.

Spreckels Organ Pavilion

This unique organ contains more than 5,000 pipes ranging in length from the size of a pencil to 32 feet and is the largest outdoor pipe organ in the world. The Spreckels Organ is housed in an ornate vaulted structure with highly embellished gables.

Old Globe Theatre

Modeled after Shakespeare’s Old Globe in London, the Old Globe. Theatre was built in 1935 for the presentation of abridged versions of Shakespeare’s plays as part of the California Pacific International Exposition.

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Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Reviews (22)

729glendac

Aug 2024

Thank you to the entire staff at Another Side of San Diego Tours. I am especially appreciative to Alana Verdugo, the Operations Manager, who reserved and customized our experience. The tour guides were phenomenal and knowledgeable about Balboa Park. Amy was the best Team 3 guide and won the challenge! Thank you for providing water and snacks for everyone. That really helped provide us with a bit of energy as we were running or speed walking trying to find answers to clues. Well worth the time, money, energy!!!!!

Response from Host

Aug 2024

Dear Glenda, Thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful experience with our Balboa Park Scavenger Hunt! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour and found it worthwhile. We're especially pleased that you appreciated Alana's efforts in customizing your experience. It's great to know that our tour guides, particularly Amy, were knowledgeable and contributed to making your hunt both fun and informative. We're glad the provided refreshments helped keep your energy up during the challenge. It's feedback like yours that motivates us to continue providing exceptional experiences for our guests. Thank you again for choosing Another Side of San Diego Tours. We hope to welcome you back for more adventures in the future! Best regards, Kenneth

U3438MIpaulf

Jul 2024

Took a segway tour around Balboa Park with my husband and teenage children. It was brilliant! Mari was a great guide, knowledgable and very friendly. She explained how to use the segways in an easy to understand manner and we had no problems at all. The park is stunning and the segways were a great way to see it, plus keeping the kids happy! Highly recommended.

Response from Host

Jul 2024

Dear U3438MIpaulf, Thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful experience of our Private Balboa Park Segway Tour. As the CEO, I'm thrilled to hear that you and your family had such an enjoyable time exploring the park on our Segways. It's fantastic to know that Mari provided excellent guidance, both in terms of Segway operation and sharing her knowledge about Balboa Park. We take great pride in our guides' expertise and friendly demeanor, so it's rewarding to hear that Mari exemplified these qualities during your tour. I'm particularly pleased that the Segway tour was a hit with your teenage children. Our goal is to offer an engaging experience for all ages, and it's gratifying to hear that we succeeded in keeping everyone in your family happy and entertained. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we appreciate you taking the time to share your positive feedback. We hope to welcome you and your family back for another adventure in the future. Thank you again for choosing our Segway tour for your Balboa Park experience. Your satisfaction is what drives us to maintain and improve our service. Best regards, Kenneth, CEO of Another Side Tours, Inc.

995jodis

May 2024

We did the 2.5 hour Segway tour of Balboa Park. It was fantastic! Mari Ridenour was a great tour guide, fun, nice, and informative. Segways are a great way to see the huge and wonderful Balboa Park. On a Segway you can see so much of the park. Highly recommend!

Response from Host

May 2024

Dear 995jodis, Thank you for your wonderful review of our Private Balboa Park Segway Tour! We are delighted to hear that you had such a fantastic experience exploring the beauty and grandeur of Balboa Park with Mari as your guide. At Another Side Of San Diego Tours, we are passionate about offering unique and engaging ways to discover the highlights of our city. Our Segway tours are designed to provide a fun, efficient, and eco-friendly way to cover more ground and see the sights from a different perspective. It's great to know that you found the Segway to be the perfect mode of transportation for exploring the expansive and captivating Balboa Park. We are thrilled to hear that Mari was a great tour guide – fun, nice, and informative. Our guides are not only knowledgeable about the history and culture of San Diego but also skilled at creating a warm and enjoyable atmosphere for our guests. Mari is a valuable member of our team, and we are proud to know that she contributed to making your tour such a memorable experience. Your high recommendation means a great deal to us, and we are grateful for your support. We will be sure to pass along your compliments to Mari and the rest of our team, as feedback like yours motivates us to continue delivering exceptional experiences for every guest. Thank you again for choosing Another Side Of San Diego Tours and for taking the time to share your thoughts. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back to San Diego and perhaps even guiding you through another one of our exciting tours in the future! Best regards, Kenneth CEO, Another Side Of San Diego Tours

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The Private Balboa Park Tour

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