California, United States

San Diego

San Diego mixes Balboa Park's museums and gardens with the Gaslamp Quarter, a harbourfront and Old Town's Mexican-era history.

San Diego: San Diego Balboa Park Highlights Small Group Tour with Coffee
Featured walk: San Diego Balboa Park Highlights Small Group Tour with Coffee · Photo supplied by Viator

The city on foot

San Diego, near the Mexican border, has a mild climate year round.

Downtown's Gaslamp Quarter and waterfront are walkable, with Balboa Park and Old Town a short ride away.

What makes San Diego distinctive

  • Balboa Park
  • Gaslamp Quarter
  • USS Midway
  • Old Town San Diego

Walking tours in San Diego

Hand-picked guided walks in San Diego, each rated highly by travellers. Ratings and photos are from Viator; select a tour to see dates, prices and full details, and to book.

Advertising disclosure: tour links go to Viator. If you book through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not affect the price you pay or which tours we choose.

Prices are Viator's lowest "from" price per person, converted to pounds and checked on 29 October 2026. The booking page shows the current price in your currency.

By theme: Food tours in San Diego · History walks in San Diego · Night and ghost tours in San Diego

Compare with other cities: Food tours · History walks · Night and ghost tours

More walking tours on GetYourGuide

GetYourGuide sells many of the same walks and some that Viator doesn't. Their list for San Diego is chosen and ranked by GetYourGuide, not by us.

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Main sights

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Neighbourhoods worth wandering

  • Gaslamp Quarter

    Nightlife.

  • Little Italy

    Restaurants.

  • North Park

    Breweries.

Free self-guided walk

Gaslamp to the Embarcadero

A free self-guided walk in San Diego, from the Gaslamp Quarter to Seaport Village and along the Embarcadero to the USS Midway.

3.8 km · 5 stops · map and directions

See the walk

Best areas to explore on foot

  1. Embarcadero

    Along the harbour.

  2. Balboa Park

    Paths between museums.

  3. La Jolla

    Coastal walk.

Practical walking notes

  • Terrain

    Flat downtown.

  • Distances

    Spread out.

  • Sun

    Strong sun.

When to visit

  • All year

    Mild.

  • Summer

    Busiest.

  • Winter

    Whale watching.

Getting there and getting around

Arriving

  • By air

    San Diego Airport is close to downtown.

Local transport

  • Trolley

    Light rail.

  • Buses

    Cover the city.

Questions travellers ask about San Diego

How many days do I need?

Three days.

Is San Diego walkable?

Downtown is.

Can I visit Mexico?

Tijuana is across the border.

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Sources and review date

This guide was last updated on 2026-10-28. Opening hours, fares and services change; please confirm details with official sources before travelling.