Bus Tour Meeting Address: Old Town, 2415 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA 92110
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You will enter 3/5 locations and go on the premise of them all.
Our haunted ghost tour will take you on our Ghost Bus – starting at San Diego’s haunted Old Town, then on the bus to the Sherman Heights / Golden Hill community, next is San Diego’s haunted Gaslamp District / Downtown area and finally returning to the El Campo Santo Cemetery in Old Town. Go beyond just Old Town tonight! (most of our competitors only do Old Town and maybe a park above Old Town).
Climb aboard our custom Haunted San Diego Ghost Bus if you dare. The inside is decorated like a coffin and we can seat 14 hunters plus the driver and host. We like to keep it intimate. The host will be telling you stories and entertaining you during your travels on board.
You will see the place several sources (The Travel Channel's America's Most Haunted, Life Magazine, and Time Magazine) claim is the most haunted house in the United States. Find out how it all began with Yankee Jim and it's other doomed occupants.
You will see this location which is haunted by 2 people who once lived there. Strangely enough they say, it is the first person to live in the house and the last to live in the Villa Montezuma. Perhaps you yourself will hear music from beyond or see a haunted artifact move.
This is the house where people would come to die as it was a hospital of sorts with a dramatic history. Our guests have experienced being pushed around the house with a hand on their back when there is no one behind them and catching mysterious shapes on camera.
Famous for room 309 and room 209, which are both active. One of the ghosts maybe someone you have already heard of, an infamous gunslinger, can you guess who that might be? Visitors still experience mysterious cold chills, footsteps and glowing orbs.
Back to where it all began. Old Town San Diego, El Campo Santo Cemetery has a long history of the macabre. Ghosts there are disturbed as their burial grounds have been disturbed many times. Strange figures still appear seemingly to glow and float above the ground.
We have most reviews AND the best – our guests rate us the best/top/#1 of all the SD ghost tours on Google, Facebook, Yelp, Expedia and TripAdvisor. Proof below. Beware of imposters - some other ghost tours will steal our name.
1. Haunted San Diego (us) - 4.5 Stars - 290 Reviews
2. San Diego Ghost Tours - 3.5 Stars - 22 Reviews
3. Ghost and Gravestones - 3 Stars - 61 Reviews
1. Haunted San Diego (us) - 4.9 Stars - 64 Reviews
2. Ghost and Gravestones - 4.7 Stars - 34 Reviews
2. San Diego Ghost Tours - 4.4 Stars - 115 Reviews
1. Haunted San Diego (us) - 5.0 Stars - 81 Reviews
2. Ghost Tours - 4.3 Stars - 25 Reviews
3. Ghost and Gravestones - 4.2 Stars - 49 Reviews
1. Haunted San Diego (us) - 4.5 Stars - 262 Reviews
2. San Diego Ghost Tours - 3.5 Stars - 66 Reviews
3. Ghost and Gravestones - 3 Stars - 33 Reviews
We bring the spooky, the creepy! I wouldn't call us scary as there are no monster or clowns jumping out at you (no jump scares). You get environments, stories, and folklore. If you are looking for jump scares this is not the tour for you. Things can and do happen on the tour, and people have gotten a bit scared. It's not because we scared them, it's rather the environment and the person.
We also bring crazed tongue 'n' cheek humor. We are heavily inspired by 80s and 90s movies, like Scream and The Evil Dead, think Arnold Schwarzenegger cheesy one-liners. We play with all your emotions including humor. If you are going with us, do bring your sense of humor with you. If you don't want cheesy one-liners, this is not the tour for you.
Your host are amazing and award winning. All very passionate about history and ghosts.
Your hosts are professionals: Historically accurate, amazing storytellers featuring theatrics, horror, and comedy. Hear the stories of the people who lived, died, and still haunt San Diego today, as told by our world-class professional costumed storytellers.
They just liked the word “Pearl”: it's surfer slang for submerging the nose of your board, it's a good Janis Joplin record, it was the nickname of basketball great Earl Monroe, and Vedder did have a cool great-grandmother named Pearl. She didn't wed a Native American–but she did marry a circus contortionist.
Your tour combines guided sightseeing with a haunted bus tour and some light walking. We get off the bus at each location, but the most you’ll walk is two city blocks.
You and your party will need to be able to handle the 3 steep steps of the ghost bus. Expect to stand at each stop to enjoy our tales for about 20 minutes. You can manage with a walker, but a wheelchair won’t fit. If you have ambulatory concerns, please call us for a personal answer.
Do keep in mind that even though you do not enter the Whaley with us, we will enter the Horton Davis house downtown in the gaslamp. A location that the SD Ghost hunters (who do investigations throughout San Diego proper) recently said is – “The Horton Davis house is currently the most active location in San Diego”. Which is one of the main reason we focus on that location on our tour.
At one time we did tour the Whaley House. Since your tour takes roughly two hours, and there’s already plenty of walking, we decided to give you the highlights and show you a variety of fascinating, spooky sites.
Rosalinda is an exotic and mysterious raconteur who may or may not be a self-made widow. She may or may not also be a chthonic entity who crawls up from Hades every single night to tell tales of ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night to the mortal world. The adorably undead Rosalinda is always ready to take you for an epic ride.
This is our original promo video, about 10 years old now. Still true. Retro in style with that Evil Dead feel and the tongue n cheek humor we sometimes bring. Awesome!
Meet Dante, a long time Gentleman’s Undertaker. He makes sure all the spirits are properly cared for and enjoys entertaining them with guests from around the world. You’ll find Dante often conversing with the locals in the town saloon but also with the dearly deceased in El Campo Santo Cemetery where he knows all the spirits by name. Let Dante tell you all about their history and his many experience’s. His favorite quote is, “Look Alive!”
Dante is the tour patriarch and has been with us for the last 13 years,
since inception. Dante is a master stroyteller and host.
Considering taking a look at some of these if you are serious about the tour. Click the + to open each question.
Hauntings and Events
Web Designer's Personal Note: "I have been on 5 tours as of this writing. On 2 of the tours, something happened. Once, a chair started rocking when no one was around. Another time, there was this deep sound that lasted 30 seconds or so. The weird thing about it was that you couldn’t locate its source; it was like surround sound, coming from everywhere. On both occasions, I asked the host if they did that. They replied, 'No, this is what happens'."
"Not every host who has been with the company was a believer when they joined. They all are now."
"Bottomline - We can not guarantee that something will happen on your Haunted San Diego tour, and we can not produce or employ ghosts. Things do happen we just don't know when, they are rare. But as I said, twice for me personally - so far!"
Scary?
Our tour is an engaging adventure with spooky stories. It's a dark history tour with a haunted twist. It is not a haunted house with staged effects, or stooges popping out of corners unexpectedly. No jump scares! We don't use the word, scary, we call it spooky though it could scare some. Even so, some reviewers have called the tour scary. Everyone may expect some eerie, if subtle, moments. Please join us with that in mind.
Your tour combines guided sightseeing with a haunted bus tour and some light walking. We get off the bus at each location, but the most you’ll walk is three city blocks (not including the walk to the meeting location from your parking spot).
You and your party will need to be able to handle the 3 steep steps of the ghost bus. Expect to stand at each stop to enjoy our tales for about 20 minutes per stop - some a bit more, some less. We can fit a walker, but a wheelchair won’t fit. If you have ambulatory concerns, please call us 619.255.6170, for a personal answer.
Here’s how it breaks down – About 33% of the bus tour is on the bus, with a host to entertain and inform, plus a driver to keep everyone safe. You’ll be walking 10-15% of the time, and standing for the rest.
Basics
The tour contains mildly racy content, and some disturbing stories. It is geared toward an adult audience (PG-13). Children under the age of 10 are discouraged. Children under the age of 6 are not allowed to attend due to the lack of child-restraint seats in the bus. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult – no exceptions.
Scariness
Yes, many kids see scary movies and enjoy them. However, going to these actual locations is heavier than “just a movie”. The eerie energy of these locations is real, and you may be surprised how many kids are not as grown up as they think they are.
If your child becomes frightened, we ask that you as the parent to please comfort him. You may step away from the tour so your child may regain her composure. When the moment passes, then rejoin the tour.
Ultimately, it is up to the parent to decide. If you have doubts, please call/text us 619.255.6170, and we can talk about it.
Racy
The haunted downtown/Gaslamp district of San Diego used to be called the Stingaree. It was a dangerous place. Once, it was packed with rough bars, brothels, cutthroats, cardsharps, and vice of every description. We do discuss some of these things, including prostitution. This is done lightly, not graphically, but be advised.
Do you have to book in advance with a credit card or Debit Card?
Yes. There are a limited number of seats for each of our tours and we often sell out well in advance. To ensure that you are able to join us, reservations and payment are required ahead of time. You can book online or over the phone with one of our reservation specialists. If you prefer to pay cash, your only option is to show up at the Old Town Old Town Corral Plaza at least 30 min prior to the tour departure. If we have seats available, you can pay cash at that time. PLEASE NOTE: Reservations are highly recommended as empty seats are rare as the tour time approaches.
Process
When you book online, you will get an email saying your spot(s) have been reserved. If the tour minimum has been met, your card will be charged and you will get another email with details about the tour, where to meet and so on. We operate out of the Old Town Old Town Corral Plaza, please make sure to be there 20 minutes before departure time. Enjoy the tour and happy hauntings!
Waitlist
We do not have a waitlist. If you are trying to book a full tour, your best bet is to show up at the Old Town Old Town Corral Plaza at least 30 min prior to the tour departure. If there has been a cancellation, we will know by the time the tour starts and will get you in. Cancellations are extremely rare; only a couple a month, so this is a long shot option. Don't miss out - order now!
Our Haunted Guided Tour is small to ensure personal attention to you, our guests. We have only 14 seats available per tour. We require an 8 person minimum in order for us to do a tour. When you reserve a spot you will get an email confirming that your spot has been reserved. Once 8 people are confirmed on the tour, we'll send another email so you know that the tour is on.
Your credit card is not charged until we hit the 8 minimum.
If the tour already has 8 people you will get the email immediately, and your card will be charged immediately.
It is rare, but occasionally if it appears that the tour will not go on. We will personally call and/or text you with a tour update 3-5 hours before your tour departure time. Please give us a legit working phone number you'll have on you for calls/texts. You will not be charged. Your credit card is not processed if the tour does not meet the 8 person minimum.
If you book well in advance, bless you. Most people will book the day of their tour, so please be patient and remember: 90% of the time the tour fills the day of. Your confirmation will likely come sometime that day.
Please call or text us 619.255.6170 if you have questions.
Why 8 People Minimum
Cancellation Policy
If we cancel on you due to flooding, unforeseen incident or the tour minimum is not met know that you will be fully and promptly refunded. In the case of the minimum, you will not be charge as your card is not processed unless the minimum is hit. If you book us through someone else, Viator, Expedia, and so on - we will reach out to them and get you refunded.
If you cancel and let us know 24 or more hours before the tour, you will be refunded in full. If 24 hours or under - all sales are final. There are no tour date exchanges or refunds. Just like a concert or theater performance, once the tickets are purchased, the seats are considered sold. We do not offer refunds, nor can we change your booking to a different night or time if you miss the tour. This is our official policy.
Even so, we are human too, and know things happen. At our discretion and circumstances permitting, if you must cancel within 24 hours, we will do our best to make things work for you. You must contact us via text or call 619.255.6170, and if we can sell your seats before the tour, we will happily refund your purchase. So, the sooner you contact us, the better chance we have to sell your spot(s) and then get you your money back.
Your Satisfaction
It is rare, but we are not perfect and every once and a while someone will have a "meh" experience. If this happens to be you please call/text us 619.255.6170 and give us a chance to make things right. Often times we will refund you. Deep gratitude.
Do you offer discounts for Seniors, Military or anything else?
Our bus is smaller, we like to keep it intimate. The downside of keeping it intimate is that our profit margins are super thin. Plus we pay to enter locations, have a driver and host. Occasionally, we will set up a discount code on our site because we do want to get people a discount for asking. If you don’t see it, call or text us 619.255.6170, and we will set something custom up for you. Discounts are not available during September and October.
Group Discounts
If you have a group of more than 12 individuals, please call our reservation line to discuss potential discounted options – 619.255.6170.
Pricing Transparancy
We keep our tour groups small at 14 people maximum, to ensure a personal touch. Pricing wise it is hard for us to compete with a walking tour (which has no bus insurance or overhead associated in that way and takes as many as possible since they don’t have “seats”), and a larger bus tour that adds another 14 people but loses the intimacy. We must pay for you to see and enter some of the locations we visit. Unlike many tours, we have a driver and a host, which ensures your tour is safe and top quality, and this costs us more as well. Basically we pay to enter locations and run a bus and a driver which no other tour in town does so yea our cost on the bus tour is higher. If you are looking for a more affordable option please check our Gaslamp walking tour or Old Town Walking tour,
Should I tip?< br /> If you enjoy the performance of your host, yes! It is customary to thank them however you see fit. Your host is a trained, experienced, and knowledgeable professional who puts a lot of effort and energy into your experience. Your generosity is always appreciated. It is how the host makes much of their income. Remember the driver, too, if you are pleased with your evening. If you tip the driver remember the host is tipped seperately so don't forget them.
No Driving Host?
Consider the important reasons for this:
1. Safety and performance first - That's why we have a dedicated driver and a seperate host. Anyone telling stories while driving may become distracted. This means they might forget and skip over important stories on the tour as they deal with traffic. Worse, they may get into an accident. We provide you get a driver and a host on your tour. The driver concentrates on the road and your safety, while the host focuses on the performance, stories, and your good time.
Our competition skips on having a separate driver to cut costs / quality by having one person perform both jobs, and they don’t pass the savings on to you. It also makes for easier scheduling.
2. Entertainment. Your ghost host will be standing at the front of the bus, enthralling you with San Diego ghost stories the entire time you are on the tour. There is no storytelling break while you ride. They are directly involved with you at all times. This keeps them on top of their performance – not distracted by traffic.
3. We keep an eye on the bus and your valuables. You’ll be getting off at every haunted location with the host guiding you. The driver will stay with the bus so your valuables are watched over, and kept safe.
Parking
You should arrive in Old Town at least 35 minutes prior to the tour departure (more during busy season). There is parking available, but it can be competitive. You may have to walk some blocks. Below is a map of the free parking locations in town. You may also used the paid parking beneath the meeting location (Old Town Corral Plaza).
Click here to download the Haunted Old Town free parking spots map!
Consider using Lyft, Uber, or a taxi, and forget parking.
Arrival
Our tour leaves from the Old Town Corral Plaza | 2415 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA 92110
Please make sure to be at the plaza 20 minutes before your tour embarks. When you get there you will see our ghost host dressed in Victorian attire. You will also see our purple shuttle bus, you can't miss it. Please introduce yourself to the host, have the ticket buyer give their name, and you are good to go. There is no ticket or phone app needed just your name. We go by a roster.
There are rare cases where the earlier tour may have gone over. In that case please be patient, they will materialize.
We take you into the last 3 locations (Horton Grand Hotel, Davis Horton House and the El Campo Graveyard) of the 5 locations. We bring you into more locations on our tour then any other San Diego ghost tour. We will take you to the Whaley house yard but not enter. The other site you won’t enter is the Villa Montezuma. Even so, many of our guests considered this mansion one of their favorites on our tour. The stories and the presentation is excellent. You might be glad you didn’t go in there after dark…
What about the Whaley House?
You’ll enter the grounds and see the house, but not enter. We’ll tell you about the Whaley House, who lived and died there, and the circumstances that make it a ghostly hot spot. You’ll learn more about the Whaley House later on, at the graveyard.
The Whaley House has its own tour. They control and care for this historic site, which is their specialty and all they do. This means they can go into much more depth, at the cost of not seeing the intriguing variety of haunted places San Diego has to offer. Many of our customers that are interested in the Whaley house will take their tour before or after ours. At the time of this writing I am told the Whaley tour cost roughly $7 and is self-guided (at your own pace), most spend 20 minutes, with some docent support.
Do keep in mind that even though you do not enter the Whaley with us, we will enter the Horton Davis house downtown in the gaslamp. A location that the SD Ghost hunters (who do investigations throughout San Diego proper) recently said is – “The Horton Davis house is currently the most active location in San Diego proper”. You enter it with us! Which is one of the main reason we focus on that location on our tour.
On most dates, tickets sell out faster as the day progresses. Often an unbooked tour at noon will be sold out by 4 pm. Don’t miss out! </ br> Click our Book Now button to see the available tours.
On your OFFICIAL Haunted San Diego Ghost Tour you will hear spine-tingling stories about real people, history, folklore, and the ghosts that make up haunted San Diego.
Our 2-hour combination bus and light walking tour brings San Diego history alive, one ghost story at a time. You'll be entertained with authentic history, comic moments to lighten the mood, and genuine creepy moments.
NO "JUMP" SCARES OR STAGED STUNTS! Expect some cheesy comedy as well.
A Haunted San Diego Ghost Tour lasts roughly 2 hours. Maybe less if there is no traffic and things go super smooth.., more if you are fortunate enough to experience a haunting event. No guarantees - the ghosts don't work for us.
Winter Visitors - Your bus is heated and we have umbrellas for you (if it rains)! Summer Visitors – Your bus is air conditioned!
Enter, what has been called by the SD Ghost Hunters, "Currently the Most Active location in SD proper".
Haunted San Diego Ghost Tours is the city’s oldest and finest ghost tour. We provide you an entertaining history tour with a haunted theme, and we’re the best at it. Not a franchise or cut-and-paste tour! We offer only this tour so we can focus on providing guests with a fun and educational experience. This is true whether you believe in ghosts or not.
Our guides are theatrical storytelling professionals who show you around San Diego aboard a coffin on wheels. You will have an opportunity to see haunted artifacts during our time together, and proof that ghosts exist!
Disembark at each location and learn who lived and died there, who still haunts there today - maybe tonight! The Hauntings Await… Come With Us!
