These are fantastic walking tours of San Diego…read more The fact of the matter is, San Diego DOES have history ... you just have to look for it. And there are few people better than Patty (Ms. Urban Safari herself) to show it to you. Urban Safaris offers guided walking tours of different San Diego neighborhoods, ranging from urban centers like the Gaslamp Quarter and La Jolla to Balboa Park and the open canyons around town. Patty, a long-time San Diego resident, teacher and historian, knows more about the city than anyone I know. And she has a knack for noticing fascinating things that most of us pass every day without even a second's notice. Usually, there's a tour every weekend, leaving on Saturday at 10am and lasting about two hours. The specific location depends upon the neighborhood of the week, but you can find out by making a reservation with Patty on the website, by sending her an email, or even by calling the number. Space is usually limited to about 15, so it's good to make your reservations early. On the other hand, San Diegans are notorious un-curious about their city, and so the tours often (and unfortunately) have plenty of space. The best way to find out about the tours is through the website, although they are occasionally advertised in the San Diego Reader (under 'Local Events') and Patty can give you a paper schedule when you go on your first tour. They don't happen every weekend (because Patty travels and spends a lot of her time researching new tours); but there are 'seasons', and when a new schedule comes out it will usually list tours for weeks and even months in advance. Really, I can't say enough about these tours. I've learned a ton. Most of all, I've found a great, new way to appreciate the wonderful city we share. PS - The tours don't necessarily leave from Horton Plaza. I just put that there because Yelp required that I put a specific location. Really, this isn't the kind of thing that has a specific location -- it changes each week with the particular tour. Just go to the website to find out where the next tour is leaving from.

Think you know San Diego?…read more If you don't, definitely come on one of these walking tours. And even if you think you do, still come, because there may be a thing or three that you may very well learn and give you a greater appreciation for the community. Like Ethan said, these tours take you to various neighborhoods in San Diego: North Park, Hillcrest, Gaslamp, South Park, East Village, Mission Hills, etc. Each last between 1.5-2 hours. Along the way, Patty points you to various landmarks and oddities in each neighborhood and provides the history and background of each. In addition, she also shows some historical pictures in context to today's landscape. In addition to researching herself, many people have donated their knowledge and information that have gone on the walks themselves, adding even more rich history from people who actually have grown up and seen the changes in San Diego. Go!

my group and I had an absolutely delightful time on this tour, and Leila had an amazing sense of…read morehumor!!! I highly recommend! It is a walking tour and you do have to figure things out yourself, so I recommend not being TOO tipsy to start!

I enjoyed our time with Leila going around learning about DTSD and the murders that happened. She…read morewas engaging and fun. I definitely recommend doing this tour!

Omar was great ! Easy to find and his English is awesome. Took us to Playa Nuevo and picked us up…read moreonce we were ready.

I took this tour because of the high rating and I'm glad I did. My guide was Miguel and he did a…read moregreat job helping me get the full Tijuana experience. Tijuana is very beautiful and full of culture and great food. Miguel went out of his way to make it a great experience.

I had such a fantastic time on Isabella's tour of the San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, downtown…read moresightseeings, and the embarcadero village! She guided us through the different district's highlights with incredible energy, charm, and passion for her city. Every step of the way, she kept us hooked with fun facts and unique details that brought the history and culture of the area to life. From the splurgy origin of the term "sugar daddy" to the hidden party basements under pubs (once used for disco clubbing and even underground food truck pop-ups), Isabella made sure the tour was full of surprises. I loved learning about the Emerald Building and its jewel connection, the Horton Hotel's Austrian-inspired design, and the San Diego Convention Center's architecture inspired by a wave breaking over a cruise ship. Her storytelling was so engaging that the city felt like a living, breathing character itself. Isabella's enthusiasm is contagious, and she truly makes you fall in love with San Diego all over again. Highly recommended for anyone visiting the city (or even locals wanting to see it with new eyes). I can't wait to read her book when it's published, if it's anything like her tours, it'll be the "finest" book from the "finest" city!

Unprofessional, lack of communication. I signed up for the 10:30AM free walking tour in Spanish and…read morereceived a confirmation email on the day before the tour. I showed up at 222 Fifth St. location around 10:25AM and there was nobody from SD Free Walking Tours, nor any walking tour guests there. I did not receive any notification communications about any changes (email, SMS, or phone call). When I tried to contact info@sdfreewakkingtour.com, the email bounced. Calling their phone number goes to voicemail. Overall not a pleasant experience, maybe they are having a bad day? A bit more organization (eg: more specificity regarding the meeting point, some kind of hat or umbrella to help identify the tour operator) or communication regarding unexpected tour cancellation would result in a better customer experience. Sorry for the poor review, I may update it once I receive clarification and an explanation regarding what happened.

Chris, our guild was outstanding. He gave a detailed history of San Diego which helped with the…read morehistory of balboa park. I would highly recommend. What made this walk interesting to me was the before pictures of the buildings that he was discussing . The tour was about 2 hrs.

Kris is fantastic! We had a great time walking around La Jolla and getting to know some of the…read morehistory of the area! Highlight was all the seals and sea lions! Lots of photo opps along the way! Absolutely a must do and highly recommend!

What a great experience. My wife and I try to complete an electric bike tour in every city we…read morevisit. We've visited San Diego several times, but our visits were limited to the particular attraction we were visiting. This bike tour is a wonderful way to see so much of San Diego via bike. The location is easy to find, and parking is easy to find ( there is a huge parking structure next door). We were met by Kevin who was our guide for the tour. Awesome personality with a friendly demeanor. His knowledge of the San Diego area is impressive. He was full of fun facts about the city. The course was delightful and the bikes were easy to ride. I highly recommend this city tour and hope you get Kevin as your guide, you won't be disappointed.

My family and I did the 12 hour LA trip. This was just amazing. Our tour guide AMY made it 1000…read more She was promising, detailed and completely knowledgeable about the tour. The company was professional. Luxury VIP, was the order of tge day. We were able to take in ever key aspect of LA in a day. Amy was the best and I recommend her ​​

The cave store located off Coast Blvd by La Jolla Cove is definitely a must visit when you're in…read moretown. I've lived here for 30 years, and this was my first time going!! Why I waited so long, I don't know. It's definitely a steep trek down, and the stairs can be a bit slippery, so hold on. Once you get down, you will see an amazing view of La Jolla Cove. The trek back up is definitely a workout, bring some water and enjoy!

Service: Service was okay. The staff inside at the cashier station were a bit unprofessional…read more Value: The cost I believe was $13 per adult and $7 per child. The stairs down to the cave is 145 steps. The view is pretty cool from the cave but it is a bit pricey considering you can be in and out in under 15-min. It was a good one-time experience but probably wont be back. Its one of those one and done type of locations. Was def beautiful though.

Take a tour with Albert. You won't regret it. Delicious food and conversation. Highly recommend.read more

My friend and I enjoyed our tour. Albert took us to us to amazing taco stands. The walking tour was…read morea great way to see the city.