National Geographic Channel Explores San Diego

Four-part series focuses on unique cultural offerings of Balboa Park and the city.

7 Hidden Gems to Explore in Balboa Park

You can spend all day (or weekend) exploring Balboa Park’s 1,200 acres of museums, gardens, and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. But the Jewel of San Diego also features several lesser-known attractions that are sure to pique your interest, too.

FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE

Ready to discover something awesome? Well, you’re in the right place.

Balboa Park Bucket List

10 Things You Can't Miss

San Diego’s favorite foodie event, San Diego Restaurant Week will take a break this September.  Instead, Dine Diego (presented by San Diego Restaurant Week), will run September 15 through October 15, 2020.  Dine Diego will feature San Diego’s top eateries showcasing all the current offerings for outdoor dining, to-go options and unique in-house promotions.

Flagship harbor cruises are the most beautiful way to enjoy the best of San Diego. Take in the sights, sounds and stories of the bay on a relaxing cruise with a unique perspective on San Diego that you can only get from the water. Your professional guide will share entertaining facts and history that helped to shape our city's distinctive waterfront. Our luxury ships feature three levels with comfortable indoor and outdoor seating, 360-degree views, and an onboard snack bar serving snacks, sodas, beer and wine.

Each of our 1-hour North Harbor and South Harbor tours provides up-close access to scenic waterfront architecture, military crafts, historical landmarks, natural sea life and spectacular photo opportunities. Can't decide? You don't have to. Choose the 2-hour combined tour for just a few dollars more and see it all!

Explore one of the country’s best urban cultural parks. Balboa Park has a bit of everything, including grand architecture, diverse museums, cultural institutions, and captivating gardens. You will visit spots that even locals don’t know about. OPTIONAL ADD ON - add an adult One-Day Explorer Pass to any tour departure. Visit 4 of 16 participating museums for an additional $40.

Tour Highlights

Discover the inspiring, quirky, and fascinating history of one of the nation’s largest urban cultural parks
Uncover historical and architectural treasures hiding in plain sight
Explore a botanical garden’s vibrant collection of more than 2,100 plants
Learn about the early 20th century expositions that shaped Balboa Park
Find the best spots to photograph Balboa Park’s beautiful Spanish colonial revival architecture

NOW OPEN: SPACE: Our Greatest Adventure, a new educational, interactive, one-of-a-kind – and most important of all FUN! --special exhibition exploring mankind’s quest for the stars and how space exploration impacts our daily lives.