SD
San Diego Dune Tours
Thrilling ATV adventures through California's stunning desert landscapes.
4(5 reviews)
Business
$$$
Thrilling ATV adventures through California's stunning desert landscapes.
San Diego Dune Tours offers exhilarating guided ATV and dune buggy tours in the Ocotillo desert, perfect for adventure seekers and families. With experienced guides like Chris, we provide scenic routes through painted gorges and sand dunes, combining adrenaline-pumping rides with educational stops about the desert environment. Our tours cater to both licensed drivers and passengers, ensuring a memorable outdoor experience. Book online for an unforgettable day of exploration and fun in the sun!
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Guided 3-4 hour ATV tour through scenic painted gorges with stops for photos and desert education.
4-hour dune buggy tour offering adrenaline-filled rides across expansive sand dunes with guided commentary.
Custom tours for corporate events or large groups, providing a fun and bonding outdoor activity.
Rental of ATVs and dune buggies for guided tours, with options for both driving and passenger experiences.
Included stops at landmarks like the Sand Bar for lunch breaks and capturing memorable desert views.
***INCREDIBLY SKETCHY BUSINESS*** ***DO NOT GO*** (2023) ---- I wasn't going to write a review, but 2 1/2 years later they are still doing the same crummy things that happened to me, so here's my experience. PLEASE go read the Tripadvisor reviews. They really showcase what this place is. - Every patron was offered a T-shirt at the end of the day if they showed our guide a 5 star review. (Most kids / teens fell for it) - Almost no one was put into the vehicle they reserved on the website. - My vehicle had a belt snap, leaving us to be towed by a rope all the way back which took 2+ hours. (The Rope snapped multiple times on the return tow as it was actually two random straps we found and tied together. There wasn't even a tow rope with us. I'm beginning to wonder if we even had a first aid kit and I blame myself for not checking.) - Chris accused me of driving erratically and told me I had to pay for the damages, but I recorded the entire event on go pro of me following directly behind him and you can even hear the belt snap while going less than 10 mph doing EXACTLY what he did. (I will try to attach a clip) - I was charged $2,965 the full safety deposit the NEXT DAY without any contact from the business. (There was also zero mention of this security deposit existing until after you arrived in person) When I questioned this, they stated they would fix it. It took 18 days before that money was returned to my account. I have all the texts messages of "I swear I did it" "Oh I must have forgot" and "I told the office". I was in contact with three different people at the business during this time. All of this occurred before I was actually charged $475 for repairs for them to order a new belt and put it on in the garage themselves. I found an OEM factory belt online for $189.00 and offered to buy it and they declined my offer and somehow that $475 was my total with a supposed $125 for "labor" Keep in mind this isn't even the vehicle I reserved online..... - At some point really far out, a vehicle ran out of gas so Chris had to find a Gatorade bottle, cut it in half, and we had to tip one of the buggies over multiple times to drain gas from it and pour it into the other one. (How do you forget to fill up gas...) - The Guide Chris spent most of the time talking about himself and had a very egotistical / rude attitude towards all the patrons. - Overall I bit the bullet and didn't fight these guys and paid to get the vehicle fixed. I'd rather it be my money instead of some family getting duped out of lack of maintenance / general upkeep. - Another couple on the same trip reached out to me about two weeks later to let me know they were also dealing with charges and fees / refund requests and arguments regarding their card for very high amounts so I imagine they got rolled into this scummy practice as well. - *A note to Chris! I get entertained reading all of your responses to the bad reviews as they seem like a 14 year old angsty teen losing his cool on the internet. PLEASE do your best to come at me with something to try to make me look bad when I have photos, videos, text messages, and bank charges to back me up. Give it a rest little man and admit that you run a shady business.
Great experience. Best way to check out this area of the US. If you do the painted gorge tour pack a lunch and hang a while at the Sand Bar! Best experience of our trip to San Diego so far.
This day out was a blast! We booked the 3-4 hour painted desert tour on a Monday (they are open!). It’s a guided tour that does include a few stops and some talk about the desert and the environment. Chris was our experienced and talkative tour guide. In between stops we raced along and bounced along tracks in the desert and had an absolute blast!! All in our group were licensed drivers so we all took a turn driving - but honestly it was just as much fun as a passenger! The only reason for 4 and not 5 stars… their admin process to confirm the tour which, in all fairness I only booked online the night before didn’t work. Nor did anyone answer any of the phone numbers we called, until about an hour prior to our start time. The email said we should receive a confirmation text message and that also never came. Additionally, when you arrive you’re made to pay a mandatory gratuity (about 10%) and I also had to pre authorize $1500 on my credit card should we break or damage the equipment. They refunded the $1500 that evening, no issues. But just know you’ll need excess room on a credit card to book this trip! Other than that unnecessary stress on confirming our tour, we had a blast and would return!
I had an awesome time, Chris 1 was a great tour guide. We did a company team meeting in S.D. and this was our entertainment. I will definitely recommend this to all my family and friends. Mary, you are the bomb. Thank you all you did for us, we really appreciate you. Ray Ray Los Angeles, Ca.
Chris and Fox were awesome! Heavily recommend taking the beautiful drive out to see these guys for a dune tour. We did the 4 hour sand dune tour and it was so cool to see the many sights and adrenaline from driving through the dunes. Chris was easy to work with. And our group had a blast! Go do this!
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