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California (CA)
San Diego
Things to Do in San Diego
Old Town San Diego
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Old Town San Diego

See all things to do
See all things to do
Old Town San Diego
4.5
1,832 reviews
#41 of 468 things to do in San Diego
Points of Interest & Landmarks
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10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
This old and historic town is not just the oldest neighborhood in San Diego but also the location of the first European settlement in California. Here, you can see over 200-year-old historic buildings, pan for gold at a museum, check out an art show, shop for handicrafts at the market, get spooked at the haunted Whaley House and take a hike through Presidio Park. You can explore all this and more on a living history tour, or even a food tour to learn about the town's Spanish roots through food. You can ride the San Diego Trolley to the Old Town from downtown and neighborhoods like Little Italy. – Tripadvisor
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Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
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The area
Neighborhood: Old Town
How to get there
  • Old Town Transit Center • 3 min walk
Best nearby
Restaurants
870 within 3 miles
Harney Sushi
437
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Japanese • Sushi • Asian
Pizza Bella
411
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian • Pizza • Vegetarian Friendly
Perry's Cafe
362
0.2 mi$ • American • Cafe • Diner
Casa Guadalajara
1,636
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Southwestern • Latin
Fiesta de Reyes
367
11 ft$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Latin • Vegetarian Friendly
Barra Barra Saloon
501
190 ft$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Latin • Vegetarian Friendly
Rockin Baja Lobster
876
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Southwestern • Bar
Old Town Mexican Cafe
1,807
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Southwestern • Latin
Casa de Reyes
1,015
70 ft$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
Cafe Coyote
3,174
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Southwestern • Latin
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Attractions
330 within 6 miles
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
5,673
258 ftState Parks • Historic Walking Areas
Seeley Stables
30
514 ftSpeciality Museums • History Museums
Casa de Estudillo
29
469 ftHistoric Sites
First San Diego Courthouse
15
259 ftSpeciality Museums
McCoy Museum House
12
259 ftHistoric Sites
Casa de Machado y Stewart
11
259 ftHistoric Sites
Mormon Battalion Historic Site
1,020
0.2 miHistoric Sites
Cygnet Theatre Company
37
0.1 miTheaters
Immaculate Conception Church
37
0.2 miChurches & Cathedrals
Red Spade Theater
37
0.2 miTheaters
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,832 reviews
Excellent
919
Very good
671
Average
204
Poor
28
Terrible
10
L_K1509
London, UK1,226 contributions
Old Town & park
Feb 2023 • Couples
A nice area to visit for a couple of hours. There is a historic park with several old buildings to visit / look at including a few old shops and a hotel.
Then there is a area adjacent to the park with a few more old buildings/ restaurants, bars and shops. The shops sell mainly the same touristy stuff. Mainly Mexican food but plenty of choice.

Hop on hop off trolley goes from old town into downtown San Diego and Coronado.
Written February 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Paula M
Sugarloaf, CA152 contributions
Old Town Coming Back
Feb 2023 • Friends
Old Town is coming back to life now that the pandemic is behind us, but many shops and attractions are still closed. The Main Street is open to car traffic but the side streets are changed to pedestrian only. Best to visit on the weekend when most businesses and historic buildings are open. We were there on a Monday and there wasn’t much open. Good restaurants and plenty of public parking. Bring good walking shoes.
Written February 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
JPVM13
Alexandria, VA210 contributions
Good half day visit
Feb 2023 • Couples
Good place to walk around and see what it might have been like in the 1800s. Blacksmith shop is very interesting with good docents! The casa of a prominent family that is part of the site is also interesting. Lots of shops new and old to visit.
Written February 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mestisa71
San Francisco, CA5 contributions
AWESOME LITTLE FIND for day or and night life.
Jan 2023 • Couples
Old town is great for walking around, looking at shops, seeing old town history and all of the botanicals of that’s your thing.
They have inexpensive run of the mill souvenirs and products all the way to hand blown Mexican glass, pottery and beaut modern flatware. The higher end shops are located at the very end of old town. There’s a plaza with a huge Mexican Restaurant in the center.
The good shops are there.
Also, the best Mexican food of our lives is that restaurant.
Trust me, we’ve been to Mexico, live in the Bay Area, have Mexican family and basically grew up in Mexican food. This was better than anything we have ever had. Even the corn tortillas were AMAZING.
Written February 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Cloud
Frankfurt, Germany511 contributions
Beautiful old town
Jan 2023
Very beautiful old town, it offers shops, restaurants and a church but also the old atmosphere of this originally Mexican flair town.
Written February 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Darlene H
Austin, TX1,884 contributions
OUR EVENING IN OLD TOWN
Jan 2023 • Couples
This is just a laid back place to spend a few hours and enjoy some Mexican food!
My husband and I went back to Old town on our last night in San Diego on this trip. We had always gone there in the day before, but this was our first time to experience it after dark.
We enjoyed walking around browsing in the shops and having an appetizer.
There are a lot of choices for dining and a lot of venues for shopping for typical Mexico souvenirs.
Since we live in Texas we have been to Old Mexico more times than we can count, but I still love the vibe!
Parking is free and it is accessible on the Trolly tour and public transportation.
Written January 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kelly V
Charlton, NY307 contributions
Very Cute... Brings you Back in Time
Aug 2022
I'm very glad we, family of 4, visited this Old Town. Great for visitors, as you get to see what it was like way back when. Great shopping, and inside a quaint area there were great restaurants and shops, which is where we ate Mexican and drank some margaritas. We were able to sit and watch people , and enjoy each others company.
Written January 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
tinaNtravel
San Jose, CA1,785 contributions
Very interesting and good food
Dec 2022
One side of the Old Town area contains several, interesting historical buildings, and the other side has numerous shops and restaurants. Most of the shops cater to tourists. There are also a number of kiosks in several courtyards and/or walkways selling colorful Mexican goods. This is a great place to visit, to walk around, shop and eat.
Written January 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
deecee1987
Los Angeles, CA33 contributions
Awesome place
Dec 2022
Great place to be there with family. Lot of food options and old western feel to the place. There are antique shops out there which are worth a visit.
Written December 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
DaronC
Orem, UT46 contributions
Good Historical Overview
Dec 2022
Lots of things to see and opportunity to learn about history of area. Don't miss going to the Mormon Battalion Visitors Center right next to Old Town. It's free and has many activities that are interesting.
Written December 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Old Town San Diego - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Old Town San Diego
Old Town San Diego is open:
  • Sun - Sat 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking Old Town San Diego tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 16 Old Town San Diego tours on Tripadvisor
Restaurants near Old Town San Diego: View all restaurants near Old Town San Diego on Tripadvisor