monterey ca walking tour

The Original Monterey Walking Tours

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The Original Monterey Walking Tours: Guided Tours of Historic Monterey

The Original Monterey Walking Tours : Guided Tours of Cannery Row

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

The Original Monterey Walking Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

The Original Monterey Walking Tours

Review Highlights

“ Thom has an amazing amount of knowledge on the area and California history and really makes it come alive. ” in 26 reviews

“ He provided the history of Cannery Row , prominent residents of yore, all about the buildings and their history. ” in 6 reviews

“ Tim keeps the tour going at a good pace and it is just filled with the so much history and fun. ” in 5 reviews

Location & Hours

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3 Portola Plz

Monterey, CA 93940

Serving Monterey Area

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About the Business

The best tours of Monterey are up close and on foot with the Original Monterey Walking Tours. Explore the sites and secrets of Monterey, up close and on foot with the Original Monterey Walking Tours - a highly rated experience that's informative, entertaining and fun for ages. Our afternoon historic Monterey tours take you from the modern era back in time, from the Spanish explorers to California statehood, as we visit historic buildings and hidden gardens, and learn why Monterey is the "Cradle of California". Our morning Cannery Row tours take you from end to end , enjoying the wonder of the Monterey Bay, those cute little sea otters and visiting the characters made famous by Steinbeck. …

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Thom's enthusiasm for Monterey (and California) history and architecture comes through clearly in his walking tour. Most of the tour is easy walking, there's only one serious staircase at Colton Hall. Happy to recommend.

Requested Thom who other reviews suggest focuses a lot on history. We got Shirley. Shirley is lovely and friendly and clearly has a passion for the area but I didn't feel like we got what we were looking for. Shirley talks a good deal about current life in Monterey. About how this person collects cars and that person recently renovated their home. About how this garden has rosemary in it. What history gets discussed is mostly read to us from plaques erected by the city. If you are Looking for a slice of modern life this would work very well, but we were hoping for more history and interesting stories about who did what where.

I have taken this Cannery Row tour twice--once with Thom 8 years ago, and once with Shirley this past week. If you want to talk about the history and detailed information regarding the area and Cannery Row from a true historian, request Thom. If you would like to talk about local plants, weather, personal anecdotes, tourist advice, and a bit of history/lore sprinkled in, request Shirley.

A great morning walking with Thom taking the Cannery Tour. Such history there and he is knowledgeable about the entire area! Looking forward to another tour! Thanks, Thom

I took Thom's Monterey Walking Tour today and thoroughly enjoyed it. He was personable and knew the history of everything we saw. He also was concerned that we stayed safe and was careful that we didn't interfere with the people around us going about their business. I highly recommend his tour.

Really enjoyed the Monterey downtown walking tour with Shirley. Not only is she personable but super knowledgeable, a very positive person and just a pleasure to be with! She was eager to share her knowledge with us in a very easy to digest form. Even recommended a delicious, wonderful late lunch location. Highly recommend!

I'm a local. Been here all my life and I learned a lot. You can tell Thom loves history and wants to take you back to the days that made California. For the locals, pick an "Indian summer" day for a beautiful walk around Monterey. For the visitor get ready to have old Monterey come alive!

Enjoyed an easygoing walk with Shirley through Cannery Row. Scheduled late the night before, Shirley me us promptly at the appointed location. She led us enthusiastically through the area and explained its history and the people who shaped it. Also offered suggestions on how to finish our day. This was our first walking tour and would do it again.

Went on the 1/15 Saturday, 1:30pm Cannery Row walking tour. Met at the Wave Street Trolley stop, between Prescott & Hoffman, at the parking garage benches, first floor, next to elevators. The parking was convenient and the least expensive at $10 in the area. Nice there are conveniently located restrooms next to the candy store near the meeting place. Had a group of 5 people with Thom Diggins, the guide, easy to find, he had a yellow Monterey Walking Tour sign next to him. He was very friendly, informative, loved the visuals of his pictures and was flexible with the group on walking pace and questions and time to take pictures. Enjoyed his references to the Cannery Row novel by Steinbeck. Plenty of bathroom breaks along the walk, walk wasn't strenuous, fairly flat, some stairs, lots of stops and places to pick up snacks and drinks. Walk was right on time at 2 hours. Found him through Meet up. I contacted him a week before and he was very responsive. $20 cash for the tour.

See all photos from Deb N. for The Original Monterey Walking Tours

Excellent tour guide, Thom. Knowledgeable, interesting and a very pleasant man. He provided the history of Cannery Row, prominent residents of yore, all about the buildings and their history. He offers a wealth of stories, humor and anecdotes about the time of Steinbeck's book. Very enjoyable tour that I highly recommend. Kathleen S.

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Steinbeck’s Cannery Row Monterey: Self-Guided Audio Tour

Tour host, Lynn Momboisse, leads you on a fascinating walk to the historic sites along Cannery Row where John Steinbeck was inspired to write great works of fiction. The audio tour of Monterey plays automatically as you near its popular landmarks and hidden gems.

What’s Included

•  GPS-activated audio guide plays on your phone
•  Lifetime access to this self-guided tour in English
•  See Steinbeck Plaza, Monterey Plaza Hotel, San Carlos Beach, Monterey Bay Aquarium
•  Find hidden gems like Ed Ricketts Biological Laboratories and real locations from Steinbeck’s famous novels
•  Local insider commentary and guest interviews
•  Easy pause and play to go at your own pace

What’s Not Included

•  Ticket for the Monterey Bay Aquarium
•  Meals or beverages
•  Transportation

Description

We’ll walk in the footsteps of John Steinbeck on historic Cannery Row in beautiful Monterey, California as we discover together the real-life people that inspired him to create his vivid characters.

We’ll learn about marine biologist Ed Ricketts, the man who had the greatest influence on Steinbeck’s life, and the basis for one of the main characters in the novel Cannery Row. You will also get to visit locations Steinbeck used as backdrops for his stories.

While walking, you’ll learn about the fascinating events that caused Cannery Row to go from quaint fishing village, to a booming commercial sardine industry, then to economic collapse, only to be reborn as the popular tourism destination that it is today.

On this roughly 2-mile walking tour, you will see these popular landmarks: Steinbeck Plaza, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey Plaza Hotel, Monterey InterContinental Hotel and San Carlos Beach.

The tour makes a loop and ends near where it started at the Steinbeck Plaza located at the intersection of Cannery Row and Prescott Avenue in Monterey.

The starting point is diagonally across the street from the Sardine Factory restaurant (701 Wave Street) at the corner of Prescott Avenue and Wave Street.

At a leisurely pace, the tour will take about 90 minutes. If you decide to do any shopping, wine tasting or dining (which we encourage!) the tour will take longer. If you decide to add the Monterey Bay Aquarium to your day, plan on about 2-3 hours – there is a lot to see!

Know before you go

This is a self-guided audio tour. Entrance fees to all attractions mentioned on the tour are excluded from the price.

Remember your headphones and charge your phone’s battery. The way the app uses GPS to play audio automatically can be battery intensive.

Where is the starting point?

701 Wave St, Wave St, Monterey, California, 93940

Can I download the tour in advance?

You can download the tour at any time, before or after your booking date. It’s best to download the tour before you set off for the starting point.

How long does the tour download take?

The download should only take a few minutes to complete. If it takes longer, please cancel the download, go to Account, select Purchased and download the tour from there.

Once I start the tour, can I pause it?

Yes. Simply hit pause on the tour and do what you’d like. Hit play when you return, even the next day if needed.

Where does the tour end?

Prescott Ave, Prescott Ave, Monterey, California, 93940

How close is the Monterey Bay Aquarium to the ending point for the tour?

Very close. It is an easy 5 minutes walk to the aquarium from Steinbeck Plaza.

Is the route hilly?

The route takes you along the waterfront which is relatively flat for the entire 2 mile path.

What should I bring?

Remember to bring your own headphones. Please charge your phone as well.

What is weather like in Monterey?

Like much of the California coast, Monterey has a temperate climate with highs between 55 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (12 to 24 Celsius) all year around. Winter storms, however, can make it feel much colder, so visitors should dress in layers and bring a warm rain jacket.

Where is the closest parking to the meeting point?

There are two options for parking along Cannery Row. Parking along the street of Cannery Row is metered. Each meter lists the hours of enforcement. These accept dollar coins, quarters, dimes and nickels and runs about $1.50 per hour. If you prefer a parking garage, we suggest the Cannery Row Parking Garage. The entrance is 601 Foam Street between Hoffman and Prescott Streets. Foam is a one way street so enter Foam from Hoffman in order to get to the Cannery Row parking garage entrance. A flat rate is charged at entry, cash, Visa or MasterCard are accepted. At the time of this writing the rate was $10 per day, no in and out privileges.

Are there public restrooms along this walk?

There are two public restrooms along this walk, one at San Carlos Beach and the other at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

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Destinations

Food & drink, the path of history & monterey adobes.

55 historic sites lay along Monterey's two-mile "Path of History," providing residents and visitors with a unique, hands-on chance to experience California's rich heritage.

Self-Guided Tour of the Path of History!

Take yourself on a tour of the Path of History by following the yellow tiles on the sidewalk or with this informative map . You can also download our See Monterey App and follow the Monterey Path of History Itinerary. You will see and learn about important adobes and structures such as Colton Hall, Custom House Plaza, Pacific House, and the Golden State Theatre.

Historic Events

For serious history buffs, you can celebrate a number of local historical events throughout the year, including Sloat's Landing Ceremony in honor of the historic July day when Commodore John Drake Sloat declared California as part of the United States. During Christmas , visitors can stroll through the adobes and enjoy brightly lit Luminaries light and the scent of Mexican hot chocolate.

Notable Historic Buildings

The Royal Presidio Chapel is the oldest structure in Monterey, constructed by the Spanish government in 1794. It’s also the first architect-designed building in California and is now a National Historic Landmark. Learn more about its history here.  

The original portion of the Robert Louis Stevenson House dates from the late 1830s. Here the author reportedly began his classic tale of adventure, Treasure Island.

In 1849, Colton Hall hosted the first California Constitutional Convention.

California's First Theater was built in the 1840s by Jack Swan, an English sailor, as a saloon and apartments. The 1st New York Volunteers, an Army unit stationed in Monterey, put on their first play at the building in 1850, establishing it as Monterey's theatrical destination.

Larkin House was the first house built in the Monterey Colonial architectural style. Thomas Oliver Larkin built it in 1834, adapting traditional New England motifs to the available redwood and adobe.

The Custom House , Monterey State Historic Park, at the entrance to Fisherman's Wharf , is the oldest government building in California and is California State Historic Monument #1.

Pacific House has served many different purposes in its history. Since it was built in 1847, it's been a military supply storage site, a hotel, a church, and a ballroom, among other things. It's now a history museum.

Cooper-Molera Adobe was home to three generations of Coopers. Built in the 1820s and remodeled many times until 1900, it now houses a visitor center with a shop full of old-time treasures. Don't miss its historic garden.

Casa Soberanes is a Mexican Colonial adobe structure furnished with handsomely preserved antique furniture, artwork, and silver.

Casa Serrano has a special significance in California's early history because it served simultaneously as one of the first schools after the U.S. flag was flown over the Custom House in 1846. Open Saturdays and Sundays, 2-4pm and free to the public.

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Carmel-by-the-Sea's Fairytale Houses: A Self-Guided Walking Tour

• Lifetime access to Fairy Tale Houses of Carmel-by-the-Sea tour
• VoiceMap Application
• Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
• Transportation
• Tickets or entrance fees to any museums or other attractions en route
• Le Petit Pali at Ocean Ave, Junipero Street &, Ocean Ave, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921, USA Before arrival, please install the VoiceMap mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. This is a self-guided audio tour that you can start, pause, or restart at any time and complete at your own pace. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.
• Hedi's Shoes, Ocean Ave & Mission St, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923, USA
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Stroller accessible
• Service animals allowed
• Near public transportation
• Infants must sit on laps
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Most travelers can participate
• This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
• All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties.
• Carmel Plaza
• Ocean Avenue
• Fairy Tale Cottages of Hugh Comstock

Similar experiences

• You'll start at Le Petit Pali at Ocean Ave Junipero Street &, Ocean Ave, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921, USA Before arrival, please install the VoiceMap mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. This is a self-guided audio tour that you can start, pause, or restart at any time and complete at your own pace. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading. See address & details
• Pass by Carmel-by-the-Sea Fairy Tale Cottages of Hugh Comstock Le Petit Pali at Ocean Ave Bruno's Market & Deli Ocean Avenue Carmel Plaza Devendorf Park
• You'll end at Hedi's Shoes Ocean Ave & Mission St, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923, USA See address & details

• davidbA1510KR 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Very good self-guided tour Excellent self guided tour of Cannery Row area. The tour was easy to follow. Recommend reading book before the self tour - will add a lot of insight and value into characters, locations. Read more Written March 1, 2024
• vanessasO1368GA 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Helpful tips and trivia This was a cool little audio tour. We enjoyed driving down the coast and having fun facts pointed out along the way. It was especially useful to have tips on where to stop and take short hikes. My dad, his girlfriend and I all enjoyed the tour. Read more Written November 22, 2023
• Susysalsa 0 contributions 1.0 of 5 bubbles Not what we expected I think the idea behind this is great, and my husband and I were looking forward to doing this driving tour through Monterey. Unfortunately, we were under the impression that the map would show up on our navigation so we would get directions on the screen as to where it would be going, Unfortunately, this was not the case. We had to follow the map on the cell phone app while driving. This caused lots of u-turns and arguments and we actually stopped the tour. This may have been operator error, I’m not sure. I would perhaps update the description to indicate that it does not operate through the car’s nav system. Before we ended up canceling the tour, we did learn about a super cool new beach, so will download the transcript and map it out ourselves before we go down to Monterey again. This way we can take the tour and have the directions ready to go. Again, I love the idea here but was expecting something else. If this is operator error please advise how to set this up properly. Thanks! Read more Written October 9, 2023
• E798IBsusanp 0 contributions 1.0 of 5 bubbles Never could figure it out I couldn’t get it to work. I spent about an hour downloading stuff and trying to find the starting point etc. When we finally found the starting point the narrative did not fit our surroundings. We tried for another 30 minutes and finally gave up. Granted I may be challenged with technical stuff so others might find this to be easier. Read more Written September 14, 2023
• frazzled1 0 contributions 2.0 of 5 bubbles disappointing had difficulty with the audio. wasn't pin pointing my location well. wouldn't work when i was at my location. when it did work it was too long winded. Read more Written August 10, 2023
• 508venusw 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles Lots of fun 🤩 Truly loved the audio auto tour. Make sure to go through the tour before you start driving it, a few of the geo tags are slightly out of place and you want to make sure to be in the right hand lane mostly for all the times you will pop off the freeway. Enjoy, We Did! Read more Written August 8, 2023
• 534carynf 0 contributions 2.0 of 5 bubbles exasberating I just felt it was long winded and the audio didn't always go off so struggled with getting the right segment with the location. great more frustrating than enjoying. Read more Written August 4, 2023
• gracet392 0 contributions 2.0 of 5 bubbles terrible. We had to cut through the trip. There was so much closures in our route. The routes needs to be refreshed and reviewed. The two stars was for the audio and when you hit the mark, it does speaks and narrates on point. Read more Written July 5, 2023
• SOQ2010 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Caramel city Nice artsy town with souveniour shops , chocholate garden and a unique experience.Alot of tourists there. We did the 17 mile drive followed by late seafood in the city . Recommended. Read more Written July 2, 2023
• dparker1322 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Only worked about half the time I guess Carmel is just too hard to keep the audio tour on track. We kept getting lost, not knowing where to turn, and got off the course. We ended up only hearing about half. We have used Audio Tours in our car in other areas, which worked great. It may be the closeness of each road in Carmel. Read more Written June 28, 2023
• G7076YZstephenp 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Very well done but we abandoned it First, this is very well done for what it is. Overall, the VoiceMap tech largely works and the narration is well done for driving. There were a few "gotchas" like the tour guiding us through the Carmel Farmer's Market which we had to circumnavigate and the road it wanted us to go on to get to Fort Ord Dunes State Park was closed. We learned some interesting history about things like artichoke production in Castroville or the Hirahara Farmstead. That said, there was just a lot of history, and my adult daughter and I ended up bailing on the tour. We decided instead to just hang out in Capitola for the afternoon instead of finishing it. My wife and I had the opportunity to finish the tour after my daughter left the area, but after hearing about how the beginning of the tour went, my wife opted not to finish the tour with me either. Read more Written June 11, 2023
• mikemD1746TT 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Driving tour along the most beautiful stretch of highway in the world. Just a gorgeous drive and a really fun and educational tour. Love how the tour is able to trigger important spots as you drive along. Really enjoyed learning a bit about the history of the area. Fun little day trip for my wife and I. Highly recommend this tour for anyone looking for a little weekend adventure. Read more Written May 29, 2023
• 816ilianb 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Dream ocean views We so Gapoy for doing this tour it's soooo beautiful the places we saw is like a nice dream...I was in love with the ocean views , I got lots of pictures Read more Written May 9, 2023
• L2274XQjamesc 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Off the beaten path, good, but some history not so interesting - Pros: Takes you out of the touristy downtown of Carmel and into some of the back streets. Takes you by interesting houses and down by the ocean. - Cons: Some of the history wasn't that interesting to me (lots of detail about authors I'd never heard of). Some content needs update - one of the houses is in the process of being moved. Read more Written April 5, 2023
• GoPlaces740045 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Very informational!!! We loved the audio tour! The first part of the tour was the only part we had trouble with since there is no longer a Carmel Winery at the first location. Thanks!! Read more Written March 17, 2023

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Carmel-by-the-Sea's Fairytale Houses: A Self-Guided Walking Tour provided by VoiceMap Monterey Peninsula

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Monterey's Free Walking Tours

Across the Street from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey , California 93940 USA

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Our Free Walking Tour will guide you through the history of Cannery Row to the present day on an hour and a half long tour, approximately one mile in length. The tour is great for anyone visiting the Monterey Peninsula and will enrich you with a greater appreciation for this historic area.

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