San Diego: Sightseeing Tours

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Sightseeing Tours

Boat Tours

San Diego Harbor Excursion and Hornblower Cruises & Events both operate one- and two-hour harbor cruises departing from the Broadway Pier. No reservations are necessary for the tours, which cost $15-$20; both companies also do dinner cruises ($55-$75) and brunch cruises. Classic Sailing Adventures, at Shelter Island Marina, has afternoon and evening cruises of the harbor and San Diego Bay aboard six-passenger sailing ships ($65 per person). These companies also operate during whale-watching season, from mid-December to mid-March. Other fishing boats that do whale watches in season include H&M Landing and Seaforth Boat Rentals.

Information

Classic Sailing Adventures (1220 Rosecrans St., No. 137. 800/659-0141. www.classicsailingadventures.com). H&M Landing (2803 Emerson St., Point Loma. 619/222-1144. www.hmlanding.com). Hornblower Cruises & Events (1066 N. Harbor Dr. 619/234-8687 or 800/668-4322. www.hornblower.com). San Diego Harbor Excursion (1050 N. Harbor Dr. 619/234-4111 or 800/442-7847. www.sdhe.com). Seaforth Sportfishing (1641 Quivira Rd. 619/223-1681. www.seaforthboatrental.com).

Bus & Trolley Tours

Free two-hour bus tours of the downtown redevelopment area, including the Gaslamp Quarter, are conducted by the Centre City Development Corporation, the agency in charge of redevelopment. Tours take place on the first and third Saturday of the month at 10 AM and noon and leave from the agency's Downtown Information Center. Advance reservations are necessary, as the tour may be canceled if there aren't enough passengers.

Contactours provides narrated sightseeing tours, picking up passengers at many hotels; the selection includes daily morning and afternoon city tours ($29 for adults), tours to the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, SeaWorld, and Legoland California, and trips to Tijuana, Rosarito and Ensenada. Old Town Trolley Tours take you to eight sites including Old Town, Seaport Village, Horton Plaza and the Gaslamp Quarter, Coronado, the San Diego Zoo, and El Prado in Balboa Park. The tour is narrated, and for the price of the ticket ($27 for adults and $15 for children 4-12; under 4, free) you can get on and off as you please at any stop. The trolley leaves every 30 minutes, operates daily, and takes two hours to make a full loop. The Old Town Trolley Tour is included in the price of the San Diego Passport, along with one Hornblower cruise, admission to the San Diego Zoo, the Maritime Museum, the San Diego Museum of Art, and other goodies for a total package price of $79. The passport is available at visitor centers and is good for one year.

Information

Centre City Development Corporation Downtown Information Center (225 Broadway. 619/235-2222. www.ccdc.com). Coach America/Gray Line San Diego (1726 Wilson Ave., National City. 619/477-8687. www.contactours.com). Old Town Trolley Tours (4010 Twiggs St. 619/298-8687. www.trolleytours.com).

Walking Tours

Several fine walking tours are available on weekdays or weekends; upcoming walks are usually listed in the Thursday Night and Day section of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Coronado Walking Tours offers an easy 90-minute stroll ($12, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday at 11 AM) through Coronado's historic district with departures from the Glorietta Bay Inn. Make reservations. On Saturday at 10 AM and 11:30 AM, Offshoot Tours conducts free, hour-long walks through Balboa Park that focus on history, palm trees, and desert vegetation. Urban Safaris, led by long-time San Diego resident Patty Fares, are two-hour-long Saturday walks ($10) through interesting neighborhoods such as Hillcrest, Ocean Beach, and Point Loma. The tours, which always depart from a neighborhood coffee house, focus on art, history, and ethnic eateries. Reservations are required. The Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation leads two-hour historical walking tours of the downtown historic district on Saturday at 11 AM ($10).

Information

Coronado Walking Tours (Glorietta Bay Inn, Coronado. 619/435-5993). Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation (410 Island Ave. 619/233-4692. www.gaslampquarter.org).

Offshoot Tours (Balboa Park, Downtown. 619/239-0512. www.balboapark.org). Urban Safaris (619/944-9255. www.walkingtoursofsandiego.com).