San Diego Balboa Park: Mystery Puzzle Adventure

San Diego, USA

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Learn about San Diego and have a ball doing it. You’ll have an adventure in Balboa Park with your private group with this game which you play on your smartphone. There’s competition involved, since you’ll have clues to solve and challenges to undertake. By the time you’re finished, you'll have had a great time and learned a lot about San Diego, too.

No need to join a large tour group
Experience this with your private group of friends or family
Take your time and go at your own pace
Exercise your competitive edge and have a great time while on tour

What's Included

Full access to the Balboa Park mystery adventure on the Questo app
12 puzzle challenges guiding you through the park's secrets
An immersive mystery storyline set across real Balboa Park landmarks
Freedom to pause anytime, grab lunch, visit a museum, take photos
Clues and a map in the app to guide you between stops
Available 7 days a week, start whenever suits you
Play as a team (up to 3 per device) or solo

Live tour guide (this is self-guided via the app)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Balboa Park Carousel, 1889 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
• Go to Balboa Park Carousel (game starting point). • Bring a charged phone. • Open the Questo app and follow the instructions. • You must have downloaded the app and created an account first, using the same email you made the purchase with.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours

06/21/2022 - 05/22/2027
Monday - Sunday : 12:00 AM - 11:30 PM

What To Expect

Balboa Park Carousel

Village Art Center

Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden

Bea Evenson Fountain

Botanical Building and Lily Pond

San Diego Museum of Art

The Old Globe

Cabrillo Bridge

Alcazar Garden

1900 Zoo Pl

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.4

based on 14 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Fun Way to Explore Balboa Park

Todd_E, Mar 2026

Great way to explore the Balboa Park grounds and area. The starting location (Carousel) did not correspond to the street address. GPS listed a different street address (SD Zoo) than what the Game listed. It felt like we were back tracking quite a bit rather than hiking in a line or a circle. My friends had difficulty loading the game on their mobile phones. Scanning the QR code given took several tries before working.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks for the wonderful review! I am so glad to hear that you found our game to be a great way to explore the beautiful grounds of Balboa Park. I really appreciate you sharing your detailed feedback on a few specific parts of the experience: Starting Location: Balboa Park is massive, and sometimes standard GPS addresses default to the general San Diego Zoo area rather than specific landmarks like the Carousel. I will have our local creators update the starting instructions to make finding that exact spot much clearer! The Route: I completely understand why the path felt a bit like backtracking. Our games are designed to weave around specific stories, hidden details, and puzzles. This sometimes means looping back through an area to catch a clue you might have walked right past, rather than following a simple straight line or circle. Technical Hiccups: I am sorry your friends had a hard time scanning the QR code and loading the game. That should be a quick and seamless process, and our tech team is actively working on improving the app's scanner sensitivity so it works perfectly on the very first try. Your feedback helps us make the experience better for everyone. We would love to host your group for another adventure in a new city, hopefully with a much smoother start!

Fun way to discover the park!

Rene_B, Jun 2024

Loved that the game pauses to allow time at each place the game takes you. Loved the artist village, the gardens

Response from Host, Jul 2024

"We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the thoughtful pauses at each location and exploring the artist village and gardens. Your feedback highlights what makes our experience unique, and we're committed to delivering more memorable moments like these in future games. Thank you for sharing your experience with us!

Great experience could use scooters or bikes

Sabrina_M, May 2024

We liked seeing all the different things, a lot of stuff to explore. However we didn’t like the fact that there weren’t any scooters, lots of walking endured, over 4.2 miles of walking.

Response from Host, May 2024

It's great to hear that you enjoyed exploring the various attractions! We understand that the walking distance may have been more than expected. We'll take your feedback into consideration as we continue to improve our experiences. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us!

Family Fun

Chris_T, Jan 2024

My kids ENJOYED this. They enjoyed the story and solving the puzzles, and reading the map to direct us to the nxt location. This was a fun family activity.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Thanks a bunch for the awesome feedback! Delighted to hear that your kids enjoyed the story, solving puzzles, and navigating through the map. A fun family activity is what we aim for! Can't wait to have your family on more enjoyable adventures.

Fell Flat

Jennifer_B, Nov 2023

I think the idea of this is great but I would have liked it to be more like an amazing race. The game had a story line that made no sense and took aways from the challenges.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Thank you for your feedback and for exploring with us! We're sorry to hear that the storyline didn't meet your expectations. We're continuously working on improving our experiences, and your insights are valuable. Your suggestion for a more challenge-oriented game is noted, and we'll strive to enhance the adventure for an even more engaging experience. We appreciate your input and hope to welcome you back for an improved quest in the future!