Top San Diego Day Trips

Come & spend the day with us in Julian, a delightful blend of history, natural beauty and small town charm. Amazing journey through the beautiful landscapes of SoCal The tour will depart from San Diego, the first stop is at the Eagle Mine, with a guided tour of the underground tunnels & learn about the challenges faced by the early miners during the California Gold Rush. Gain a deeper understanding of Julian's mining heritage. After the guided tour, take a stroll on Main Street, exploring the charming shops and boutiques that line the historic downtown area. Browse through antique stores, art galleries and speciality shops that offer unique gifts, locally made crafts. You will also have time for a delightful lunch at one of the Julian's charming eateries. Variety of options, ranging from homemade sandwich to soups, to savoury burgers... One the way back to San Diego, we will make one quick stop, to offer a complementary slice of the famous Julian Apple Pie to everyone!

Get more out of limited time in San Diego by going on a tour that helps you check off multiple highlights, including city and beach locations. As you set off on a scenic drive, a guide helps you get the most out of your trip with live narration and video footage too. Stops along the way include the historic Hotel Del Coronado, the Coronado Bridge, and La Jolla Cove.

Spend a few hours relaxing and sightseeing in the waters just off San Diego during this 1- or 2-hour San Diego Harbor cruise. Sit back and relax as you take in a fully narrated tour, offering top-notch sight lines of the San Diego skyline, a cruise under Coronado Bridge, a look at the bustling US Naval fleet, and a chance to spot some of the harbor’s resident sea lions.

Explore some of the top highlights of San Diego with your or or two day trolley pass (depending on option selected) for the city’s Hop-on, Hop-off Trolley Tour. Choose your own adventure as you get on and off the trolley at any of the 11 included stops, covering famous sights including the Gaslamp Quarter, the San Diego Zoo, USS Midway and the Cruise Ship Terminal, Little Italy, and many more. This San Diego trolley tour also features live commentary from the on-board guide during your ride.

Celebrate Taco Tuesday authentically, any day of the week, in Tijauna, with this small-group tour from San Diego. You'll head south of the border, where your guide will show you around town and take you to try birria, carne asada, adobada, and seafood tacos with. You’ll also make stops for craft beer along the way.

Connect your smartphone to your vehicle and listen to a tour guide while you drive the iconic PCH! Follow the route along the Pacific Coast Highway and discover one of the most scenic drives in the world! Start anywhere along the route between Los Angeles & San Diego. The tour is the same in either direction. Learn about cities and towns nestled along the coast including Oceanside, Carlsbad, Long Beach, Dana Point & more! We’ll point out must-see sights like the Sunset Beach and Torrey Pines. Hear about Louis Zamperini and the RMS Queen Mary. With no time constraints, enjoy the freedom to stop anywhere and take your time exploring. Tour guide commentary will play automatically as you drive, using an easy to navigate GPS map. No data is used during the tour. This audio guide will keep your group entertained & engaged along the way. Each point of interest also has a fun multiple-choice trivia question about the sights. Trust the platform with over 75 tours & 25,000+ happy customers.

Explore Tijuana, Mexico, without getting lost on this day trip from San Diego, a great choice for first-time visitors. Visit cultural attractions, sample authentic Mexican street food at a sidewalk taco stand, and do some shopping and sightseeing. Opt to walk or take public transportation and experience the city like a local. Your guide can suggest stops and adapt the itinerary to fit the needs of the group.

If you’re looking for a personalized way to discover San Diego’s best bits, then this is it. Set off with a private guide on an adventure around the city—with private transportation included to speed up your adventures and cover more landmarks. Along the way, visit interesting locations—such as the Hotel Del Coronado, Balboa Park, and Cabrillo National Monument—with insights from your guide throughout.

Encounter some of Earth's most magnificent creatures on a 2–3-hour whale-watching cruise in San Diego. The voyage departs right from Mission Bay, so you’ll be out into the open Pacific Ocean and looking for animals in just 10 minutes. Expert Guides and Naturalists on board help you spot whales and dolphins and learn about their lives in the deep blue sea.

Take a trip through American naval history when you go for a self-led tour of the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, with the benefit of prebooked admission tickets. This enormous ship, the longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century, now offers a range of interactive exhibits, an audio tour, and numerous restored aircraft across its 4 acres (1.6 hectares). It’s an essential piece of the country's military history.

This comprehensive city tour is ideal for first-time visitors to San Diego who want to see and experience the highlights without the hassle of finding their own way around. With a small group you'll visit the white-sand beaches of La Jolla, the Spanish settlement of Old Town, the Gaslamp Quarter, Coronado Island, and more. Hotel pickup adds convenience to your day. Find your new favorite spots to visit independently later.

Spend an evening gourmet wining and dining aboard the ‘Spirit of San Diego,’ enjoying top-notch food and drink while you soak up skyline views. During this San Diego dinner cruise, you sip a complimentary cocktail and enjoy live on-board entertainment as you cruise 25 miles of California’s coastline and gaze at the stars above.

California is where some of the US’s best wines are grown. Avoid the hassle of self-driving and set out on a guided tour to several San Diego vineyards that includes comfortable transportation by an expert driver. Enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of several establishments and sample some of the region’s most popular vintages before stopping for an included dinner at a local winery.

5 hour private wine tasting tour of the wineries in North County San Diego. This is a very unique tour as most people head to Temecula. North County wineries are very good and produce some lovely wines. The tour itself will be approximately 3 hours the other 2 hours will be the drive time from downtown to Escondido and back to downtown and also the drive time between wineries. You will see some very picturesque scenery of the Mountains in North County and all the beautiful wineries along the way. It’s a very enjoyable tour.

Take in the highlights of San Diego Bay during a sightseeing tour by amphibious vehicle. Travel on both land and water, starting on the streets of Seaport Village and rolling down Harbor Drive alongside San Diego Bay. Transition into the water after departing Seaport Village. Cruise past the SeaWorld and Vacation Isle, experiencing the best of maritime San Diego on this fun and informative tour.

Explore San Diego’s mountains, desert, and backcountry on a self-guided scenic driving tour from Escondido to Julian via Palomar Mountain and Borrego Springs. This 152-mile route takes you along some of the best backroads in Southern California, with GPS-triggered audio guiding you to overlooks, historic sites, and hidden stops along the way. Climb to the summit of Palomar Mountain to visit the famous Palomar Observatory, then descend into the desert landscapes of Anza-Borrego. Along the way, you’ll spot Borrego Springs’ iconic metal sculptures, sweeping valley views, and roadside viewpoints worth stopping for. The route finishes in the historic town of Julian—perfect for a slice of its famous apple pie. This flexible, self-paced tour lets you explore on your own schedule. Allow a full day to take in viewpoints, small towns, and optional short hikes like Borrego Palm Canyon. Bring water, snacks, and sun protection if you plan to stop and explore.

Travel like a local through Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico's celebrated wine country. Start off with some tasty local tacos in Rosarito before we travel down the Baja coast in a private van with cold beers and water at the ready. Sample delicious reds, whites, and rosé wines at three renowned boutique vineyards, as well as farm-to-table dishes at a premier Valle restaurant. Note: At least eight passengers are needed to run the tour.

Enjoy a day in wine country outside San Diego in Temecula. Your small group is chauffeured to Old Town from San Diego to start the day exploring the quaint town and its shops and galleries. From there, enjoy lunch and a tasting at a winery. After your picnic, tour more wineries, enjoying tastings, and learn about the wines as you go.

In just four hours, experience the scenic highlights of San Diego and its neighboring areas. Watch sea lions and pelicans on the beaches of La Jolla and capture fantastic views from the top of Mt Soledad. Soak up the Old World elegance of the mansions and Hotel Del on Coronado Island, and find peace in the urban oasis of Balboa Park. Wind through downtown and Old Town San Diego, learning about the city’s history along the way. Enjoy personalized attention on this small-group tour limited to just 14 people.

Experience a luxury private wine tour in Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico’s premier wine region, with a fully customized itinerary featuring three to four amazing wineries, stunning vineyard views, and authentic Baja charm. Guests travel in style by BMW X1 (up to 4 people), XL SUV (5-8 people), or passenger van (up to 12 people) while enjoying curated tastings, boutique wineries, and the option to visit just wineries or pair their day with a Michelin-recognized lunch at Deckman’s en el Mogor, Finca Altozano, or Envero en el Valle. Perfect for romantic getaways, group celebrations, and serious food and wine lovers, this owner-curated Valle de Guadalupe wine tour delivers a personalized, seamless, and unforgettable Baja wine country experience.

Venture south of the border from San Diego to explore the Mexican border city of Tijuana in a safe and engaging way. Tijuana can be somewhat daunting for tourists, but a local guide shows you around, from historic landmarks like the Tijuana Arch and Avenida Revolucion to shopping hotspots like the El Popo market, where you can pick up handmade Mexican souvenirs.

Experience San Diego’s scenic highlights and historic landmarks all in one day on this hassle-free, time-saving tour. Skirt the bay to Coronado Island, explore the Embarcadero, and then follow lush roads into Balboa Park’s elegant gardens and museums. Pause to find lunch in a Gaslamp Quarter restaurant, take in La Jolla’s world-class shopping district and sweeping coastline, and more, and while learning insider facts and stories along the way.

Make the most of your limited time in San Diego on a 7-hour small group tour.  Provided transportation takes you to each location, which spares you the stress of navigating the city’s traffic on your own.  Stop to explore La Jolla, Balboa Park, Old Town, and much more. The tour also includes a free trip to Las Americas Outlet, where you enjoy unbeatable deals at 125 stores.