La Jolla Coastal Tour: Explore History, Architecture, Wildlife
4.9
82 Ratings
San Diego
Discover the hidden gems of La Jolla on this engaging coastal tour. Explore history, architecture, wildlife, and more with a knowledgeable local guide. Book now!
Duration:
2 hours, 15 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- La Jolla Recreation Center - One of Ellen Scripps’ many gifts to La Jolla. We learn what makes it unique.
- Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego - We will not tour the museum, but it is the site of Ellen Scripps’ home in La Jolla, which is incorporated into the museum.
- La Jolla Historical Society - The La Jolla Historical Society is housed in Wisteria Cottage, which was the residence of Ellen Scripps’ half-sister Virginia (Jenny). We won’t go in the museum, but you will learn how Wisteria Cottage has been used over the years, as well as fun facts about Jenny.
- St James by-The-Sea Episcopal Church - St. James by the Sea is a beautiful church. But what stands there now is not the original structure. Where did it go?
- Girard Avenue and Prospect Street - Ground Zero La Jolla. There is a lot of history at and near this intersection, and we have the photos to prove it!
- The Cave Store - The Cave Store is the second longest continuously operating enterprise in La Jolla (we’ll see the oldest too). You’ll learn why the original owner decided to build a tunnel to Sunny Jim’s cave, and who was Sunny Jim anyway?
- La Jolla Cove - La Jolla Cove is the site of caves, sea lions, cormorant rookeries, and unparalleled beauty.
- Ellen Browning Scripps Park - South of La Jolla Cove, this park goes between La Jolla Cove and Children’s pool and is one of the most beautiful parts of La Jolla.
- Children’s Pool - The last thing Ellen Scripps gave to La Jolla while she was still alive. Beautiful break wall and lots of seals.
- Coast Boulevard Park - We’ll see The Wedding Bowl and the La Jolla Tide Pools
What's Included
- Numerous gems unknown even to locals
- Snacks
- Overview of Ellen Scripps’ many contributions
- Many fun facts
- Background on architecture
Additional Information
Think beyond sea lions!* We offer a unique tour, run by locals, situated at the heart of the village. This tour immerses you in the past and present of La Jolla, showing you key architectural sites, significant residents, exotic wildlife, two fault lines, and the beautiful coastline. We also share advice and insights to enhance your stay. The tour includes a collection of historic images that show the evolution of the place.
There’s more to La Jolla than what’s visible at a glance, and we guarantee that you will depart with a deeper understanding and appreciation for this charming coastal enclave.
Our journey spans around 4 miles and includes roughly 100 steps. The route takes you through the core of the village and the best parts of the coastline. However, it does include some hilly terrain. Should you have any queries or need more information, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Our standard tour is not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers, but we can arrange a special tour catering to your needs.
- Yes, you will get to see sea lions
- Not recommended for travelers with walking problems.
- Not recommended for children under 10
Location
La Jolla Recreation Center
Prospect Street
We meet at the curved concrete bench near the corner of Prospect and Draper. There is untimed parking on the west side of Draper about 500 feet away by the tennis courts.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(82 Ratings)
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126manishab
May 21, 2024
The must do when you are in La jolla - If you find a tour guide who is a local and a giving soul you know that you will have a great time on the tour.
Chays Dye is that kind of a guide. He is very knowledgeable about the area.
He kindly accomodated a faux paus in my booking the wrong date and gave me a tour anyway on a day he was off duty.
This walking tour gave me knowledge about La jolla that I wouldnot have known, not all of it even if I googled it. The tour covers quite a lot include a wild life watch along the trail.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anthonyd3018
May 18, 2024
Take a stroll through this beautiful city and see it charms up close - Stroll through this beautiful city and discover all of its charms up close. Our guide Chas. Will guide you with a wealth of knowledge and insight. We enjoyed the little town stories. You will learn about many different folks both high and low. Get up close to nature with clear and concise information. This is the best way to see, hear, really feel La Jolla.
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Scoot360
May 12, 2024
Beautiful view with educationtainment - Great views, great guide! Chas knows a ton and makes the entire trip very entertaining! There's a lot of hidden history of La Jolla and now I know a sliver.
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Global534276
May 10, 2024
Informative and interesting tour of La Jolla - I highly recommend this interesting and informative walking tour of La Jolla by our friendly tour guide Chas Dye. I’m a San Diego native and took the tour to learn more about La Jolla. During the first hour he told us many interesting facts about the amazing Scripps family and buildings I have seen in La Jolla over the years. He also showed us old photographs of La Jolla from the early days of its development. During the second half of the tour Chas talked about the caves, the wildlife, and other things as we walked along the coast. We enjoyed seeing the birds, sea lions, and seals that live in La Jolla Cove. This excellent tour is not just for tourists!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bcan0806
May 3, 2024
Walk through history with Chas! - We had a lovely relaxing walk through La Jolla with Chas. He is a wealth of knowledge and fun facts. We love walking city tours and Chas provided more than we could have asked for!
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216anjanas
Apr 30, 2024
A must do walking tour - I had an amazing experience with Chas who was my guide. He came as a rare combination of highly professional, kind and accommodating all at the same time.
I had booked the tour on April 30 by mistake instead of 29 when I was in the city. He was kind enough to accommodate me despite the wrong booking date and showed me around. That is customer service par excellence!!!
His understanding of the history of the place is also impressive and it was definitely an eye-opening tour about La Jolla. And the coast walk, of course is mesmerizing. I highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elaine_t
Apr 29, 2024
A lot of fun and a great history lesson - We loved seeing the seals and sea lions the cove all so beautiful. Interesting history about Ellen and family.. loved seeing all the historical builfings of them and now..
Review provided by Viator
Hickster15
Apr 27, 2024
La Jolla walking tour - Fantastic walk! Chaz was really fun and very knowledgeable on the origins of La Jolla. We now know the place of one of the hidden swings of La Jolla.
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Laura_o
Apr 24, 2024
Chas provided a great... - Chas provided a great walking tour to my partner and I - he was incredibly knowledgeable, answering all our many questions, and we had a lot of laughs along the way. We enjoyed the route and the stopping points we visited and learned a lot from a true local. We would encourage others to give this tour a try!
Review provided by Viator
Bethlp3586ic
Apr 20, 2024
Wonderful and educational walking tour! - I had so much fun, learned a ton, and enjoyed the sun… on my first ever tour of La Jolla. I’ve lived here three years and finally learned about my home. Chas is a walking encyclopedia about La Jolla and its history. I highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor