Please scroll down to see your questions at the bottom of the FAQ section.
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 only holds 14 people per tour, we like to keep it intimate. The downside of keeping it intimate is that our profit margins are super thin. Occasionally, we will set up a small discount code on our site usually around $3 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. Our ticket price is $39 per person.
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.
Why $39? Pricing Transparancy
We keep our tour groups small at 14 people maximum, to ensure a personal touch. Our tickets are $39 – we are a premium experience. 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.
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.
