San Diego Bayfront Walking Tour: From Tall Ships to Seaport Village

San Diego owes its very existence to the deep, sheltered waters of its bay. On this walking tour, you'll see how San Diego grew from a tuna cannery port into a major naval hub. You'll also hear the stories behind its warships and memorials.

The tour starts at the Guardian of Water Fountain, beside the Art Deco San Diego County Administration Center dedicated by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938. From there, you'll head south along the Embarcadero, passing the Maritime Museum's tall ships, including the HMS Surprise and the world's oldest active sailing ship, the Star of India, before reaching the massive USS Midway aircraft carrier.

Along the way, you'll pause at bronze memorials honoring military families, the sailors of the doomed 'Taffy 3' naval battle, and the iconic Embracing Peace kissing statue. You'll wander through Seaport Village's cobblestone lanes before crossing into Embarcadero Marina Park, a man-made peninsula built from dredged bay sand. The tour ends here, with the Coronado Bridge and downtown San Diego's skyline framing the water.

On this 60-minute tour, you'll have a chance to:

• Spot the HMS Surprise, the tall ship Russell Crowe sailed in Master and Commander, docked at Discovery Pier
• Learn how the USS San Diego cruiser earned eighteen battle stars without losing a single sailor to enemy fire
• Watch shoppers weave past Seaport Village's antique 1895 carousel, hand-carved by Coney Island's original carousel maker
• Spot the bright red Fish Tree sculpture in Ruocco Park, one of the Embarcadero's quirky public art installations
• Learn why the Coronado Bridge's sweeping curve was engineered to let aircraft carriers pass safely beneath it
• Stroll past a marina of multi-million-dollar yachts, some with helipads and hot tubs, moored beside the park
• Listen for recordings of Bob Hope's wartime jokes at the memorial honoring his decades of USO performances

By the time you reach Embarcadero Marina Park, you'll understand exactly why San Diego's story is written into its bay.