San Diego Old Town Tour: Explore Historic Landmarks, Enjoy Tacos and Tequila
4.9
96 Ratings
San Diego
Embark on a captivating tour of San Diego's Old Town, uncovering historic landmarks, haunted homes, and Victorian architecture. Indulge in authentic Mexican handcrafts, visit a century-old Catholic church, and explore a landmark cemetery. Conclude the tour with a visit to a local Tequileria to learn about tequila varieties and savor gourmet tacos.
Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Old Town San Diego - Join us as we discover the full story of San Diego in the location where it all began – Old Town. We’ll learn about the indigenous people of the area, along with the Spanish and visit where they settled, and how this became a part of Mexico before becoming a US State. Along the way we’ll hear tales of the people who lived here and will end with some fantastic tacos and tequila!
  • Adobe Chapel Museum - We start our tour at the Adobe Chapel, first built as a home in 1850. By 1858 it became a chapel after the Mission was closed and served in that capacity until 1919. We’ll learn that it was the setting of the fictional character Ramona’s wedding from the 1884 novel, and how this building saved the neighborhood.
  • Whaley House Museum - There are three historic buildings on this site and we’ll talk about all of them, plus admire the century old Pepper Trees. Known mostly for its ghostly residents, the Whaley House is historically important beyond being haunted.
  • Heritage County Park - These Victorian buildings were moved here to preserve them from the expanding city in the 1970s from downtown. All of these houses date to the end of the 19th century.
  • Mormon Battalion Historic Site - The longest infantry march in US history happened during the Mexican-American war in 1846-48 and this site commemorates it.
  • Presidio Park - Where modern San Diego began with the first Mission and first Presidio (fortress) established here in 1769. After this area was abandoned residents moved down the hill to what is now Old Town State Park.
  • Immaculate Conception Church - This is the descendant of the church at our meeting location and is over 100 years old.
  • El Campo Santo Cemetery - After the Presidio closed, this became the main Catholic cemetery in San Diego, and many of San Diego’s early residents are interred here.
  • El Agave Restaurant & Tequileria - We’ve saved the best for last! We’ll stop here for a refreshing beverage and some delish bites!
What's Included
  • Chips and Salsa
  • Professional Local Tour Guide
  • 3 mouth-watering delicious Street Tacos
  • Handmade Tortilla Tasting
  • One Tequila beverage for guests 21+ (or beer, wine or soda of choice) at a local tequileria
What's Not Included
  • Guide Gratuity
  • Admission to paid museums
Additional Information

Gather at the Old Adobe Chapel with your guide and group, the structure that played a crucial role in salvaging Old Town San Diego, thanks to a novel from 1884. Venture further to one of Southern California’s most eerie homes, noteworthy for its unusual architecture and construction substances.

Observing some Victorian style structures, we will proceed to the original site of the Presidio and Mission, established when the Spanish first set foot in California. Appreciate the region’s oldest 18th-century edifice and gain knowledge about the native tribes that inhabited this area for millennia.

Back in the city, we’ll explore genuine Mexican craftsmanship (with no tacky souvenirs!) and make a stop at a century-old Catholic church that traces its roots back to the original Mission. We’ll leisurely walk around a famous cemetery with tombs dating back to the mid-19th century. Wrapping up our journey, we’ll visit a local Tequileria to understand the broad range of tequila varieties. Partake in a tasting or opt for another drink of your preference, accompanied by gourmet tacos.

  • Guests should be comfortable walking 2 miles - comfortable shoes are a must!
  • Water in reusable container, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses are all recommended.
  • Our tortilla tasting happens at the beginning of the tour and our tacos and tequila are at the end (saving the best for last!). Please take that into consideration when planning pre-tour meals (have enough to fuel your walk but not enough to spoil your tacos!).
  • There is plenty of free parking in Old Town but can be hard to find on weekends. Please plan ahead.
Location
The Adobe Chapel
Conde Street
We will meet at the gate to the Adobe Chapel.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(96 Ratings)
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Jacob_s
Mar 15, 2024
Great tour! Very fun and... - Great tour! Very fun and the history/food was awesome. Looking forward to booking this again for future events
Review provided by Viator
Sherpa741798
Feb 24, 2024
Great tour even for a local - As a local, we were gifted this tour and it did not disappoint. Jennifer was a great tour guide and really ebbed and flowed with our group. She was able to talk to many aspects of the history of Old Town and answered any questions that we had. El Agave is a great way to end the tour. Delicious margaritas and tacos!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janesec3
Jan 22, 2024
Enjoyable Time Even In Wet Weather! - Due to the rainy weather, our group of two had a private tour around San Diego Old Town and it was great! Jennifer was a fountain of knowledge and none of our questions phased her. She was very personable and prepared - an umbrella for the weather and wet ones for our hands. You can tell she has a great relationship with the vendors and restaurants around Old Town. The tortillas were delicious during the tour. The tacos and tequila were phenomenal! I'd recommend Jennifer and this tour to anyone without hesitation!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sallycn2557aw
Jan 22, 2024
Old town tacos and tequila - Great tour of the Old Town with Jennifer. Really knowledgeable on all the history of San Diego and how the city came about. Fabulous end of the tour with tacos and tequila - we loved it so much we booked to go back for an evening meal - a real highlight of our holiday.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
882carag
Jan 20, 2024
Great tour - It was raining the day we took our tour. Jennifer brought an extra umbrella which was a lifesaver. The tour was very informative. Jennifer is very knowledgeable about the history of Old Town. She picked up fresh corn and flour tortillas for us to munch on. Our tour ended at El Agave Restaurant where we had delicious tacos and margaritas which was included in the price of our tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Umaine68
Jan 20, 2024
Local finds tour ourstanding. - I have lived in San Diego for over 40 years and I learned so much on this tour of Old Town. Jennifer is a wealth of knowledge about the history of the area. The drinks and food at the end of the tour were a highlight of the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
409magenm
Dec 7, 2023
Engaging & Mouth-Watering Tour of Old Town - Our tour guide, Jennifer, was incredibly personable and witty. As a San Diego native and guide for over 20 years, she clearly knew her stuff. The tour gave a great overview of the story of San Diego's beginnings, weaving in history, politics, architecture, and the ecology of the area. We also got to taste some amazing fresh handmade tortillas! There were a couple hills to climb, but overall the walk was fairly easy. The tacos and tequila were fantastic, and the perfect ending to the tour. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who's curious about the origins of the city (and loves tacos!).
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Casey_r
Dec 3, 2023
Jennifer was a phenomenal... - Jennifer was a phenomenal tour guide. She had a lot of knowledge and was super conscientious about food restrictions. She’s also funny! We laughed, learned, saw beautiful things, and then ate delicious tortillas/tacos/drinks!
Review provided by Viator
W8358onkatherines
Dec 2, 2023
Fantastic tour with Jennifer! - Jennifer our tour guide was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC and the tour was outstanding! She was extremely prepared and thoughtful, mindful of food allergies, any commitments after the tour for time management, providing alcohol hand wipes before our tastings and a cloth tortilla warmer for our tortilla tasting. She was very knowledgeable about the area, paced the tour well, and had a great sense of humor. Would hands down do a tour with her again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nancyro4287bg
Nov 19, 2023
Historical fun - Jennifer is funny, knowledgeable and entertaining. Got to know so much about Old Town and San Diego in general - the tacos and tequila weren’t bad either 😄
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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