Are you visiting San Diego and looking forward to exploring some of the city’s best attractions? These bus tours from San Diego will make things easier for you. Book one and create some unforgettable moments.
Popular for its breathtaking beaches, beautiful parks, and idyllic climate, San Diego has much to offer both for local and international tourists.
The city that sits on California’s Pacific coast prides itself on its numerous attraction sites such as the famous San Diego Zoo and Annie’s canyon trail, as well as multiple museums, artist studios, and gardens.
All these and numerous other sites around the city make it one of the most visited cities in the US.
Bus tours are pretty popular in the city, with various travel companies organizing amazing trips in and around the city.
If you are visiting San Diego, or are just looking for some easy ways to have fun, then this article is just for you.
We have put together some of the best bus tours from San Diego, to help you plan your next trip.
Table of Contents
Best Bus Tours in San Diego, California
This is a 4-hour sightseeing tour around “America’s Finest City.” The tour gives you a chance to visit some of the most attractive sites in San Diego through a guided bus tour.
Some of the places you’ll visit during this tour include Balboa Park, La Jolla, Downtown, Coronado, and Little Italy.
Through this tour, you’ll not only experience the beauty of La Jolla but also drive through amazing views Downtown.
It is one of the best local San Diego bus tours for a comprehensive view of the city.
The tour offers round trip transportation to the pick-up point, with a professional driver and an English tour guide. The meeting point is at Amtrak Train Station.
One good thing about this trip is that they have a cancellation policy of up to 24hrs in advance. So if you change your plans, you can cancel and get a full refund.
See Related: Best Day Trips from Orange County, California
If you want to tour the city at your own pace, then this is one of the best bus tours in San Diego to achieve that.
Using any of their three passes (Gold, silver, or Platinum), you can visit over 100 interesting places in this beautiful coastal city.
All you need is to hop on and hop off on any of the orange or green trolleys driving around the city. You can hop off whenever you see an attraction you want to explore and hop back on to any of the trolleys after you are done.
This tour gives tourists the best chance to explore the city in its entirety including California’s most haunted sites.
Other features of this tour include:
- Free pickup and drop-off services from major hotels
- 1-2 days ticket for the hop-on-hop-off tour
- $70 discount coupons for restaurants and other attractions in the city
- A tour brochure
One thing you should always remember is to carry your voucher, whether printed or via mobile. Also, the tours depart every 20 minutes from any of the 12 boarding locations.
See Related: Best Bus Tours From Sacramento To San Francisco
If you want to enjoy the beauty of San Diego at night, the City Lights Night Tour is a perfect option.
You get to see all the famous San Diego attractions, illuminated through the dark night. If you thought the city had charming views, try viewing them at night – it’s a sight you can never resist nor forget.
But what exactly does this night tour offer?
Well, your 1.5 hours tour starts at the Seaport Village, where you start by exploring the Gaslamp Quarter. Here, you’ll enjoy the incredibly vibrant nightlife, the sparkling lights, as well as the district’s beautiful Victorian architecture.
From here, you drive across the night-transformed Balboa Park, which now seems even more charming due to the lighting on the fountains, statues, and buildings.
A visit to the Coronado Bridge offers even more appealing sights, such as the San Diego Bay, Downtown, and the glittering lights from Tijuana across the Mexican border.
The tour includes a professional guide and a 50% discounted glass of wine at the Hyatt.
See Related: Best Movie Stars Homes Bus Tours
Bus tours from San Diego to Los Angeles
Nicknamed the World’s Entertainment Capital,” Los Angeles is another exciting city to visit. It offers numerous attractive places and sites such as the China Town, Downtown, the Griffith Observatory, Farmers Market, etc.
And when it comes to entertainment, the city never runs short of fun things to do.
This tour will include several stops to some of these amazing spots, allowing you to explore and enjoy each step of it. The famous Hollywood is one of the main stops of this tour.
Here you not only get to see the origin of all your favorite movies and movie stars, but also numerous other landmarks like the Hollywood sign, walk of fame, Rodeo Drive, etc.
Some features of this trip include:
- Round trip transportation from the pick-up points
- Departure time is 8:00 am from three designated pickup points.
- Five stops including San Clemente Pier, Downtown Historic District, Universal Studios Hollywood, Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Beverly Hills Sign.
- Free entry tickets for all the stop points
If you want to cancel your booking for any reason, you should do it 24 hours before the trip. This will guarantee you a full refund.
See Related: Best Pilgrimage Tours for Holy Travel.
If you are visiting San Diego and wish to tour Los Angeles, this private or small-group tour is also ideal for you. It is one of the several amazing bus tours from San Diego that will give you a full glimpse of Los Angeles.
Right from your hotel pick up, a professional guide will ensure that every step of this tour is a moment to remember.
You’ll have a chance to see various famous landmarks, such as the Hollywood sign, walk of fame, Venice beach, etc. In addition, a lunch stop at the Farmer’s Market in Los Angeles also adds to the beauty of the day.
The main stop points on this tour include:
- One hour stop at the Hollywood Walk of fame
- 45 minutes stop at Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, for a photo session
- One hour lunch break at the Los Angeles Framer’s Market
- 45 minutes stop at the popular Venice Beach
- One hour stop at Santa Monica Pier
And for all these places, admission tickets are included in the tour’s price. The tour has a 5 stars rating in Viator, making it one of the best bus tours from San Diego.
See Related: Best Bus Tours From San Francisco, California
Best Bus Tours from San Diego to Mexico
For those who wish to cross the border, this is among the best bus tours from San Diego to Mexico. You get to explore the famous border town of Tijuana, Mexico, as you interact with its amazing sites and people.
The tour gives you a chance to visit some amazing cultural sites in Tijuana, do some shopping, and even try out some of the popular Mexican cuisines. And, if you want to do it like a local, you can opt for public transport while there, with guided stops and itinerary from your guide.
For international travelers and first-timers, this is an incredible way to tour Tijuana without the fear of getting lost.
Some of the main features of the tour include:
- Free lunch and food testing opportunities
- Professional tour guide
- One-stop at border tours (free admission ticket)
- Departure time is 1:00 pm from 727 E San Ysidro Blvd, San Diego.
A tour to Mexico has never been such easy and stress-free, as with what this bus tour makes it.
See Related: Best Mexico City Bus Tours
This is a 5-hour day trip to Tijuana, where you have the best chance to experience the beauty and culture of this San Diego’s sister city. With the help of your guide, you can explore some of the most amazing sites in the city, as you learn more about its people’s way of life, foods, and traditions.
Your guide will help you to navigate through the city and identify the best touring sites. Some main attractions of this tour include:
- El popo market
- Plaza Santa Cecilia
- The History Museum
- Tijuana Arch
- Pasaje Rodriguez,
- El Popo Market etc.
You also get a taste of the Mexican cuisine from the free traditional Mexican lunch offered. And, it is a round trip from the pickup point in San Diego.
See Related: Best Plantation Tours in New Orleans, Louisiana
If you’ve just been hearing about the fine Mexican wine and cuisines, this trip offers you a chance to sample some of them. The tour that starts from the San Ysidro Transit Centre, and culminates at the other side of the Mexican border, allows you to explore Mexico from a completely different angle.
First, you get to visit the Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California. Almost 70% of the Mexican wine comes from this region, which hosts over 100 wineries; all established not more than 30 years ago.
You’ll also be visiting several other local vineyards for exquisite wine tasting and gourmet cheese tasting. And, you get to learn why Baja California has become quite famous when it comes to wine production.
The tour includes an English or Spanish tour guide who will take you through these superb views, helping you to get the most out of the tour.
What the tour includes:
- Three wine tasting opportunities
- A personalized tour guide
- Two Mexican meals and a drink
- Round transportation
- All meals included
The departure time is 8:30 AM, and you’ll be taken back to the pick-up point at the end of the tour.
See Related: Best Day Trips from Sacramento, California
Bus Tours from San Diego to San Francisco
Since San Francisco is around 500 miles from San Diego, not many people prefer bus tours from San Diego. But this doesn’t mean you can have an exciting day in Francisco while visiting San Diego.
The easiest way to do this is to book a flight to San Francisco, then board your tour bus from there. This specific trip allows you to have amazing moments in San Francisco, and they offer pick-up services from your chosen location.
The one-day bus tour that starts at 9:00 am is an excellent chance for you to visit some of the region’s best wineries. These will include corporate and family-owned vineyards, both in Napa and Sonoma.
Here, you get to learn how the region’s finest wine is made through guided tours of these wineries and barrel rooms.
Some of the main places you’ll visit during this tour include:
- San Francisco Bay
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Viansa Sonoma
- Roche Winery
- Sonoma Plaza
- Napa Valley
- Madonna Estate
- Golden Gate Bridge
If you need a pick-up arrangement from your hotel or the airport, ensure that you inform the tour company 48 hours in advance.
Related Resources