Tours

Most of the cultural institutions in Balboa Park offer tours of their own collections. To experience Balboa Park, we recommend the following tours:

Balboa Park Tours from the Visitors Center

A fascinating one-hour audio tour of the Park can be purchased at the Balboa Park Visitors Center. There is an adult and child version of the tour, which covers Park history, architecture, horticulture, cultural attractions--all created by experts in the field.

There are also free tours offered throughout the week that meet at and begin from the Balboa Park Visitors Center located in the historic House of Hospitality on El Prado walkway. The Balboa Park Visitors Center is open daily from 9:30am -4:30pm.

Architectural Heritage Tours (First Wednesday each month)

Led by The Committee of 100, these tours are offered on the first Wednesday of each month at 9:30am.

Offshoot Tours (Every Saturday)

Offered every Saturday by trained volunteers, the tours start at 10:00 a.m. for an easy-paced one-hour walk with rotating themes. Tour themes include Balboa Park history (first Saturday of the month), palm trees (second Saturday), other trees in the Park (third Saturday), desert vegetation (fourth Saturday) and tour del dia (fifth Saturday). There are no tours from Thanksgiving through the 2nd Saturday in January. Reservations are not required.

Ranger-led Tours (Every Tuesday and Sunday)

Balboa Park rangers discuss the historical and botanical treasures of Balboa Park at 11:00am every Tuesday and Sunday. 

Wednesday Trail Walk (Every second Wednesday of the month)

Meet one of the Balboa Park rangers to explore the Trails of Balboa Park and socialize with your neighbors. The tours proceed through the trails in a numerical sequence and begin at a different trailhead each month.

Stop at the Balboa Park Visitors Center or call (619) 239-0512 for the starting location for this month. 

The pace is leisurely-- about 20 minutes per mile-- so the rangers can chat and highlight interesting aspects of the Park.