The Private Balboa Park Tour

Name: The Private Balboa Park Tour
Brand: Cool Destinations
SKU: 18688
Price: 206.5 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.88 (24 reviews)

24 Reviews |

Recommended by 96% of reviewers

| San Diego, USA

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2 hours (approx.)

Hotel pickup offered

Mobile ticket

Offered in: English

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.

What's Included

Private transportation
Round Trip Pick-up and Drop-off
Bottled Water and Small Snacks
Air-conditioned vehicle
Transportation by Mercedes Sprinter
Narration by professional guide

Gratuities
Food and drinks, unless specified
Entrance fees to attractions, unless specified

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Meeting and Pickup

Pickup point

Pickup details

We provide pick-up and drop-off from any Downtown San Diego Hotel or Balboa Park Hotel.

Meeting point

300 G Street
San Diego, CA 92101, USA

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Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

What To Expect

Book Online

Our secure website provides real-time availability, and free, no-hassle cancellations up to 24 hours before your tour begins.

Safe & secure • Easy breezy • Hassle-free

Balboa Park (pass by)

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 (pass by)

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 (pass by)

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

Museum of Us (pass by)

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.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

San Diego Natural History Museum (pass by)

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 (pass by)

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 (pass by)

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.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Spreckels Organ Pavilion (pass by)

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 (pass by)

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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Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Specialized infant seats are available
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***
Operated by a business

Frequently Asked Questions

(6)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the The Private Balboa Park Tour?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (PDT). Read more Apr 2025