San Diego Old Town Tales, Tacos and Tequila Small Group Tour
Description
Meet your guide and group at Old Adobe Chapel, which can be credited for saving Old Town San Diego thanks to a 1884 book. Continue on to one of the most haunted homes in Southern California, also unusual for its architecture and building materials. After a view of some Victorian architecture we'll pass by the original location of the Presidio and Mission when the Spanish first settled in California. Admire the oldest 18th-century structure in the area and learn about the indigenous tribes who lived here for thousands of years. Back in town, we'll see some authentic Mexican handcrafts (no bad souvenirs here!), visit a hundred year old Catholic church that is a descendant of the original Mission, followed by a stroll through a landmark cemetery with graves dating back to the 1850s. Our final stop is a local Tequileria to learn about the many different kinds of tequila. Enjoy a taste or select another beverage of your choice, plus gourmet tacos.
Tour Options
Itinerary
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!
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.
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.
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.
The longest infantry march in US history happened during the Mexican-American war in 1846-48 and this site commemorates it.
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.
This is the descendant of the church at our meeting location and is over 100 years old.
After the Presidio closed, this became the main Catholic cemetery in San Diego, and many of San Diego's early residents are interred here.
We've saved the best for last! We'll stop here for a refreshing beverage and some delish bites!
We’ll give you some tips on what to see here to explore on your own after the tour is over.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- 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.
Reviews(129)
A really good in depth trip round old town and unexpected extras like trying tortillas and tacos would definitely recommend this tour it's about 3 hours
Thank you so much for the recommendation! Old Town always has a few surprises up its sleeve and I love when the food and history come together. Hope to see you back in San Diego sometime!
We had a great time with Jennifer! We learned about the history of Old Town.
So glad you had a great time! Old Town has such a rich history and I love sharing it. Hope to see you back sometime!
We had a small group of three and the tour guide tailored the experience to us personally. She had a lot of knowledge about the area and history.
So glad you enjoyed it! Old Town has so much to offer and it's always fun when locals and out of towners explore it together. Hope you'll be back for another visit soon!
Lots of walking and food at the end. Tour was very informative. I’ve lived here most of my life, and there were things I thought and found out about that. I did not know about.
Love having locals on tour as there is always something new to learn about San Diego - including for me too! It was a fun afternoon with you and your family and since you're in the neighborhood I hope to see you on another tour soon. Thanks so much for joining this one!
A great tour! Jennifer was very knowledgeable. The tacos and margarita's at the end were very tasty!
Thank you so much for the nice shout out! So glad you enjoyed the tour and that El Agave hit the spot at the end. If you're ever back on our side of the world I hope you'll spend time with us again!
Absolutely great tour with à good balance of information and sight seeing! Loved learning about the history of San Diego and how the old town formed! Jennifer was a fabulous guide and I would thoroughly recommend her / the tour
Thank you so much for the recommendation! It is really appreciated! Old Town has such a great story, more there than we can cover in the time we have. Had a great time with you two and hope you'll be back on this side of the world again sometime!
I book tour on a last minute decision to get away with my girlfriend. It was something that we both needed. We got there a couple of minutes late but were able to catch up with the group. I must say our tour guide Jennifer did an amazing job. Not only gave us a tour around old town San Diego, but was nice, friendly, funny and gave us some history facts of Old Town that my girlfriend and I both enjoyed. We ended the tour at El Agave Restaurant and Tequileria. I must say the restaurant was nice. Tequila bottles everywhere. Friendly staff. Tacos were really good. The drinks were top tier 10/10. Thank you to Daniel for making the best margaritas ever. We will definitely be back to Old Town soon.
Love a spontaneous getaway! So glad our Old Town tour made the drive (and traffic!) worth your while. And El Agave is always a great way to cap off the tour. I'll pass on your shout out to Daniel next time I see him. Thanks for joining me and hope to see you back in San Diego soon!
I recently had the pleasure of taking a tour of downtown San Diego, and it was an experience that left me both enlightened and inspired. As I strolled through the vibrant streets, I was captivated by the blend of modernity and history that defines this beautiful city. Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable, sharing fascinating stories about San Diego's past. I learned that this area is not just a bustling urban center but also the birthplace of California. The historical significance of sites like the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, where I could see preserved buildings from the 19th century, truly brought the past to life.
So glad you enjoyed the tour! Old Town really is something special and I'm happy the history landed the way it did, that's always the goal. Thanks so much for joining me and hope to see you again on your next trip to San Diego!
We enjoyed this experience as there were only three of us so it was easy to ask questions and hear all the commentary. Our guide, Jennifer, was great. The route was a fairly easy walk with only one long hill. The tacos and tequila was a perfect way to end the tour. The restaurant was very nice and outside the main part of Old Town so quiet and relaxing.
Thanks for the kind words, and yes, you've expressed exactly why we only take small groups on our tours. The conversations and questions are what I like best. That hill is early, and helps make room for the great tacos and tequila at the end. :-) Glad you enjoyed the day as much as I did, and I hope you'll be back for another tour soon!
Jennifer was our step-on guide for our motorcoach group while in the San Diego area. She was great to work with in planning our group event and was perfect for our group. It sure made our visit much more memorable and educations all while being fun. We work with local guides for our tours all over the U.S. and Jennifer is among the best. We will use her in the future as we return to the area and highly recommend her for your small group tours as well.
Thank you so much for your incredibly kind words. I really enjoyed working with you and your group during your visit to San Diego. My goal is always to make our time together educational, engaging, and enjoyable, so I’m delighted that your group found the visit both memorable and fun. It means a lot to hear that the experience stood out among the many guides you partner with across the country. Your recommendation is greatly appreciated, and I do hope we can work together again in the future. Thank you for a fun day and trusting me with your group’s experience!
