Private Balboa Park Highlights and Secrets

Explore one of the country's best urban cultural parks, Balboa Park, and learn about the early 20th-century expositions that shaped it. Uncover historical and architectural treasures hiding in plain sight as you walk the grounds and take in the botanical garden's vibrant collection of more than 2,100 plants. Balboa Park contains a bit of everything - grand architecture, diverse museums, cultural institutions and captivating gardens.

Balboa Park is home to gorgeous gardens, lovely walking paths, and plenty of cultural gems, like theatres and museums featuring the arts, sciences, and more. Your friendly and knowledgeable English-speaking guide will escort you to spots that even some locals don't know about. Receive a full overview of the park and its rich history while your guide details how the park has become a symbol of the city on this intimate walking tour. Keep your camera ready for what might be the most scenic tour around, and capture postcard-worthy photos to later share with your family and friends.

It is obvious that the early San Diegans were visionaries, as they set aside 1800 acres of land for the park in 1867. Begin at the Founder's Statue on the west side of the park, then stop at the California Tower, which was built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition and has since become a city landmark. The face of the tower depicts the early history of the city.

Next up, make your way to Alcazar Garden, which was inspired by the same-named gardens in Spain. Used for both the 1915 and 1935 expositions, the garden offered fairgoers a respite from the hustle and bustle. Today, the garden provides a picturesque foreground to photos of the California Tower. Snag the perfect shot while you're here.

Move on to the Old Globe Theatre, which is a Tony Award-winning, world-renowned professional theatre. From there, walk through the heart of the Prado, where you will spy unique building facades and roof supports that most visitors completely miss. Check out Zoro Gardens, a sunken garden that was once home to a nudist colony during the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition. Today, it's a butterfly garden that contains everything butterflies need to complete their full life cycle.

Continue past the Bea Evenson fountain and the Natural History Museum, and pop into the Spanish Village Art Center to observe artists at work in their studios. By now you will have worked up a thirst, so stop to grab a drink at a quaint, local coffee cart before continuing past one of the largest Morton Bay fig trees in California and the San Diego Junior Theater.

Finally, head to the Botanical Building, which is home to more than 2,100 plants. This is the perfect stop for photographers and flower-lovers alike, and the adjacent lily pond full of koi makes for more than just a pretty picture. Learn how the pond was an important part of the war effort during WWI and how it helped injured sailors and soldiers during WWII. Your tour will end at the Plaza de Panama, but before saying goodbye, your guide will give you directions to the nearby Visitor Center, suggestions for great places to eat, and tips on what else to see and do within the park.

Please Note: Occasionally museums, gardens and roadways are closed due to special events or routine maintenance. If this occurs, we will find a similar alternative for you to visit during your tour.