Jolene Kearns

San Diego Experience

Double Decker Buses Provide Family Fun and Simplicity

A Day on Vizit Tours
By Jolene Kearns
Posted on Tue, Oct 27th, 2009
Last updated Tue, Nov 3rd, 2009

Is the thought of renting a kid-friendly car, paying for parking fees, and navigating a new city too much for you?

Then consider this option for your next family outing in San Diego: San Diego Vizit Tours. You can go to many of our typical tourist destinations from the novelty of a double-decker tour bus, take in our city's great weather and architecture while providing your family a unique, hassle-free experience. Vizit Tours even has convenient pricing, allowing you to purchase a One Loop or an All-Loop pass for unlimited hopping on and off the bus during a 48-hour time period.

You can also find several other double-decker bus tours in the city, including San Diego Double Deckers, San Diego City Sights, and British Bus Company San Diego. Vizit Tours has five touring options: Harbor Tour, Balboa Park Tour, Night Tour, La Jolla and Beaches Tour, and All-Loops Tour.

If you're wondering if the narrated tour bus is right for your kids, then consider this - all kids are born with an innate love of public transportation. My kids would be happy riding around in anything other than their regular mini-van - mostly because it usually reeks of a nice suburban cocktail consisting of yesterday's pre-game pizza, stinky ballet shoes and two-day-old mochas. So when we boarded our bright-red, double-decker bus, I soon discovered that great sound quality and the cushy, upstairs seating looking down below was an exciting and novel change of pace.

Even waiting for the bus to pick us up proved to be valuable time with the kids and a chance to slow down a bit. We opted to catch the beginning of our tour at the San Diego Zoo entrance at Balboa Park. Vizit Tours is one of the only narrated city tour companies that conveniently drops you off and picks you up right in front of the zoo. This is great for little ones and elderly folks who might unable to walk far.

Upon their prompt arrival, the driver and tour guides welcomed us on board with smiles and showed us where the best seats were - upstairs, of course. Quick reminder: Sit close to your smaller kids, and make sure they sit all the way back against the seats to avoid any unexpected bumpy stops.

Vizit Tours Double-Decker Bus

Courtesy Photo

The Balboa Park Loop travels through downtown with various stops, including Seaport Village and Horton Plaza. Along the way, we found our tour guides to be knowledgeable and friendly. We were informed about San Diego's plant life, historical buildings and other fun facts around the city. Who knew the Gaslamp Quarter had such a large number of beautifully restored, Victorian buildings? I just thought it was a great place to eat!

My twin first graders enjoyed being quizzed about the facts we learned, and we didn't have to worry about parking or traffic. Once at Seaport Village, we wandered around a bit before stopping at a few local shops that really cater to kids, such as Kite Flite, which has every type of kite imaginable. The friendly staff gladly welcomed us in and invited us to touch and play with everything - with proper instruction first, of course.

Afterward, we grabbed lunch and leisurely wove our way back to our stop in front of Seaport Village. Once again, our bus promptly returned, and as we traveled back through the Gaslamp Quarter, we passed our former bus tour guide who remembered our kids and gave us a friendly wave.

At the end the tour, the guides wished us well and graciously helped my family down the curvy staircase and onto the pavement. Walking begrudgingly back to our "smelly van," the family was slightly bummed that our day had come to a close. I decided the only drawback was that, after a fantastic tour, fresh sea breezes and Balboa Park, I would probably have to break down and finally clean out that car...

The Vizit San Diego Tours Balboa Park Hop-On Hop-Off Loop departs daily at Seaport Village from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every hour (except 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.). Closed Christmas Day. For more information and touring options, visit www.vizitsandiegotours.com or call 619-727-4007.

About the author: Jolene Kearns holds a BA in Theater from the University of Alaska and was inspired to teach creative arts to children as a director of preschool and after-school programs. Her most passionate role to date is being mom to her 3 year old toddler and six year old twins. Before writing for San Diego.com she wrote for local travel sites and parenting blogs. Jolene truly believes San Diego is America's Finest City, and THE BEST place to raise kids.
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