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San Diego
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Coastal · Moderate

San Diego

Spanish missions, navy ships, and a park bigger than Central Park.

San Diego stretches from the border to the bluffs of La Jolla, but its heart sits between Balboa Park, the Gaslamp, and the harbor. This hunt walks the historic core — from Junípero Serra's mission landing site to the Hotel Del Coronado, with detours through Balboa Park's Spanish Renaissance fantasy and Old Town's adobe blocks.

The Map

Your route

Offline directionsOpen in Maps

Pinch to zoom. Tap a marker to see the stop name. The dashed line traces the suggested walking order.

The Hunt

Turn-by-turn stops

Each stop shows the walking distance and direction from the previous one, plus a tap-through to your phone's maps for step-by-step directions.

  1. 01

    California Tower (Balboa Park)

    "Begin at the bell tower with the blue-and-white tile dome. Find the carved figures above the doorway."

    32.7314, -117.1494Start walking here
  2. 220 m~3 min walkhead W from stop 1
    02

    Botanical Building

    "Wood-lath structure with a lily pond out front. Find the giant orchid display inside."

    32.7311, -117.1517Walk from stop 1
  3. 350 m~5 min walkhead SSE from stop 2
    03

    Spreckels Organ Pavilion

    "World's largest outdoor pipe organ. Find the bronze plaque listing every Civic Organist since 1917."

    32.7283, -117.1500Walk from stop 2
  4. 3.2 mi~69 min walkhead NW from stop 3
    04

    Old Town Plaza

    "Drive or trolley north 5 min. Stand in the central plaza. Find the flagpole."

    32.7544, -117.1956Walk from stop 3
  5. 5.4 mi~115 min walkhead ENE from stop 4
    05

    Mission San Diego de Alcalá

    "Drive 15 min east. Find the white facade with the five-bell campanario."

    32.7717, -117.1058Walk from stop 4
  6. 10 mi~225 min walkhead SW from stop 5
    06

    Cabrillo National Monument

    "Drive 20 min south to Point Loma. Find the bronze statue facing the harbor."

    32.6722, -117.2417Walk from stop 5
  7. 3.7 mi~80 min walkhead E from stop 6
    07

    Hotel Del Coronado

    "Cross the bridge to Coronado. Walk past the front turret. Find the year on the cornerstone."

    32.6809, -117.1781Walk from stop 6
  8. 2.3 mi~49 min walkhead N from stop 7
    08

    USS Midway Museum

    "Look for the giant aircraft carrier docked downtown. Find the propellers on display on the pier."

    32.7136, -117.1750Walk from stop 7
  9. 0.9 mi~19 min walkhead ESE from stop 8
    09

    Gaslamp Quarter

    "Walk Fifth Ave between Broadway and L. Find the Yuma Building with the cast-iron facade."

    32.7106, -117.1606Walk from stop 8
  10. 0.7 mi~15 min walkhead W from stop 9
    10

    Seaport Village

    "Walk the boardwalk along the bay. Find the carousel with hand-carved horses."

    32.7089, -117.1722Walk from stop 9
  11. 11 mi~243 min walkhead NNW from stop 10
    11

    La Jolla Cove

    "Drive 15 min north. Find the cove where the sea lions sleep on the rocks."

    32.8497, -117.2719Walk from stop 10
  12. 8.1 mi~174 min walkhead S from stop 11
    12

    Sunset Cliffs

    "End at the cliffs west of Point Loma. Find a bench facing west. Stay until the green flash."

    32.7333, -117.2531Walk from stop 11