San Diego · SELF-GUIDED TOURS
14 reviewed
These are the 14 best self-guided tours in San Diego right now: what each one costs, how long it takes, and which kind of traveler it suits. Start at number one; it is there for a reason.
Drive San Diego with GPS and VoiceMap audio from Mission Bay to Mt. Soledad, hitting SeaWorld, Point Loma, Old Town, beaches, and more.
“The narrative and information about the stops was great. The app worked reasonably well and dialogue was cued appropriately at the destinations.”
Self-guided VoiceMap audio walk in La Jolla with GPS prompts, offline access, and stops from galleries and churches to Sunny Jim Sea Cave.
“app was very user friendly and, as it is GPS driven, it just start by itself when you reach important places. it also tells you you are lost as you took the wrong turn. Specific guide was a local and spoke very clearly. Great value!”
Drive a scenic San Diego–to–Borrego–to–Julian loop with GPS audio stops, free sights, and apple-pie payoff for $14.99.
“Love the tour but the narrator was not good. There is so much history he could have talked about, but 1/2 the time he didn’t talk. So we weren’t sure if the app was working.”
Old Town San Diego trivia hunt app: solve riddles at historic spots like Whaley House, play 4 hours for $21, self-guided.
“What a great way to explore and learn about Old Town San Diego! There were a variety of puzzles. It was well-thought out and a lot of fun! I highly recommend it!”
A self-guided botanist story game through Balboa Park’s gardens and landmarks with 12 puzzles, private group play, and flexible pacing.
“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.”
Glide through Little Italy, Seaport Village, and the Gaslamp on a 1-hour GPS electric scooter ride with a helmet, orientation, and key sights.
“Fun little cruise thru San Diego. Historic sites with amazing weather. Great adventure for a family.”
Self-guided coastal drive from Torrey Pines to La Jolla, Mt Soledad and Cabrillo. App narration, flexible stops, $11 per group.
“Got to see a lot of absolutely beautiful areas and loved hearing about the origins.”
Self-guided La Jolla driving and Coast Walk audio tour bundle with offline maps, hands-free stories, and lifetime access for up to 4.
“I highly recommend this! I learner history of La Jolla and interesting facts about the area. It was so easy to use from my phone and it was a fabulous experience!”
A $9.99 La Jolla self-guided seaside stroll with smartphone stops, underwater park facts, art galleries, and an optional Sunny Jim Cave visit.
“This was a really fun tour I did with my children. Of course the most memorable moment was seeing the seals and sea lions. It was nice to hear the tour guide mention the difference between the two. I also would have never known why it was originally called “children’s pool”. I’m so glad we did this tour. It took us to some incredible places and the information was so interesting.”
Follow phone clues through San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter on a self-guided puzzle walk, visiting landmarks for about 90 minutes at $7.22.
“There was nothing memorable about this game. The directions to the 2nd sight didn’t work. Game over. Very disappointed.”
GPS-led 2-hour electric scooter ride through Little Italy, the Gaslamp, Balboa Park, Old Town, the Zoo area, and key waterfront sights.
“Great way to tour the city. We were in the two person electrical car and we could stop and go as we like. The narration was interesting and easy to understand. The only problem we had was that the GPS had to be reset by phone midway through the tour.”
Ride an open-air GoCar at night through Gaslamp Quarter and Balboa Park, with built-in GPS commentary and a lights-focused route to USS Midway.
“We had a wonderful time cruising the street of San Diego in our GoCar. The instructors were very helpful and the GPS system works great. It was beautiful to see San Diego sunset as the streets lite up.”
A self-guided audio walk through San Diego’s Gaslamp area, with quick stops at landmark sites and free entry tickets at several sights.
“I didn’t do the tour. I paid and received instructions by email on how to download the app Welcome Walks. You must create an account and sign up to use the app and this is where I encountered problem. The app wouldn’t let me register an account, it kept displaying an error. I deleted and downloaded the app again multiple times, tried using different emails, it just wouldn’t work. I sent a message to the tour operator and they gave me a phone number for their tech guy immediately. He even called me himself but couldn’t fix the problem, he said he would escalate it to a different team and…”
A private San Diego combo: speedboat thrills past USS Midway and Coronado, plus an iRide GPS electric scooter route through major sights.
“our tour guide Tanner was awesome ! It was a great experience.”
