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Mar 1, 2024 · The best things to do in San Diego, California, include exploring Balboa Park, eating authentic Mexican food in Old Town, and relaxing on the shores of La Jolla.
- Coronado Beach
Compared to Mission Beach, this popular shoreline boasts...
- Sunset Cliffs
A few miles from Cabrillo National Monument, Sunset Cliffs...
- Pacific Beach
Pacific Beach – one of the top San Diego beaches – is...
- San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Home to the renowned San Diego Zoo, this 1,200-acre park is...
- Torrey Pines
This oceanfront reserve features 1,750 acres of unspoiled...
- Hotels
U.S. News has ranked more than 35,000 hotels across the...
- La Jolla Cove
La Jolla Cove - 32 Fun Things to Do in San Diego | U.S. News...
- Gaslamp Quarter
Gaslamp Quarter - 32 Fun Things to Do in San Diego | U.S....
- USS Midway Museum
USS Midway Museum - 32 Fun Things to Do in San Diego | U.S....
- Coronado Beach
San Diego (/ ˌ s æ n d i ˈ eɪ ɡ oʊ / ⓘ SAN dee-AY-goh, Spanish: [san ˈdjeɣo]) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast in Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border.
- Overview
- Why you should visit San Diego
- Best time to visit San Diego
- Lay of the land
- Getting around San Diego
- Know before you go
- How to visit San Diego sustainably
- What to read and watch
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Here’s all the info you need to explore the southern California city’s sunny beaches, eclectic museums, and charming historic neighborhoods.
Visitors walk and pedal in El Prado, an early 20th-century neighborhood in San Diego built in the Spanish colonial style. The zone is open only to pedestrians and bikes.
Fast facts
Founded: July 16, 1769
Time zone: Pacific Standard Time Pacific Standard Time (UTC-8)
Main airports: The city’s largest airport, San Diego International Airport (SAN), is serviced by all major airlines. Other airports include Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (MYF), six miles north of downtown, operating charter flights for smaller aircraft.
Seventy miles of sun-kissed coastline. The San Diego Museum of Art and the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park. Pop-culture fest Comic-Con. California’s first Catholic mission.
Spring: In March and April, golden yarrows, mariposa lilies, and California poppies burst forth in Mission Trails Regional Park. Pink and white blooms star in March’s Cherry Blossom Festival in the Japanese Friendship Garden and Museum.
Summer: Temperatures in the 70s Fahrenheit make summer an ideal time to walk, surf, or sunbathe on local beaches like Torrey Pines and La Jolla Shores. Iconic seasonal events include Comic-Con International downtown and the San Diego Pride Parade, which brings up to 300,000 revelers to Hillcrest.
Autumn: Experience one of the country’s largest Day of the Dead processions (plus live music and food vendors) in Barrio Logan. Snorkel amid the (harmless) leopard sharks in La Jolla in September, the best time to spot the timid creatures.
Winter: From December to March, around 20,000 gray whales migrate from Alaska to Baja California, passing through the deep waters off the San Diego coast. Take a whale-watching cruise from Mission Bay, keeping an eye out for dolphin mega pods. February is Museum Month, with half-price admission to over 40 city showplaces, including the Whaley House Museum in Old Town, the USS Midway Museum in downtown, and the Women’s Museum of California in Balboa Park.
Coastal neighborhoods: Traveling south, stop at Gliderport for the hang-gliding school in Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. (Tip: Tandem rides offer amazing ocean views.) Avoid tourist-clogged Mission Beach and head instead to the coastal village of La Jolla, set amid pine trees, craggy cliffs, and sparkling tide pools. Visit the recently revamped Museum of Contemporary Art, then catch a Broadway musical at La Jolla Playhouse, founded by actor Gregory Peck in 1945.
Urban neighborhoods: Historic Gaslamp Quarter, with its Victorian-style flickering streetlights, is the city’s nightlife hub. Dance to hip-hop and electronica at Bloom or soak up the views of the bay from Altitude Sky Lounge. Nearby, Little Italy comprises 48 square blocks of outdoor restaurants, patio cafés, and wineries. Stop for a slice at Filippi’s Pizza Grotto (established in 1950) then head five minutes north to the famed Ballast Point Brewery, which has more than 25 beers on tap.
By bus: MTS operates bus routes throughout the city. Plan your trip and buy tickets at the MTS website or on the PRONTO app. Greyhound and Flixbus offer regular daily services to San Diego from all major U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
By car: With about 1,800 charging stations across the city, San Diego is one of the most EV-friendly destinations in the U.S. No matter what you drive, parking can be a challenge, so check Parkopedia for nearby lots and parking structures, and use ride-shares when possible.
By train: Amtrak connects San Diego with many U.S. cities. Pacific Surfliner runs north and south along the coast from Oakland to the Downtown San Diego Amtrak Station, with stops at San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles.
By trolley: The bright-red, eco-friendly San Diego trolley crisscrosses through the city, connecting neighborhoods such as downtown, Old Town, and Mission Valley.
Languages: English is the official language, but many people speak Spanish as well.
Wildlife awareness: Stingrays are ubiquitous in the summer months; remember to shuffle your feet through the sand when entering the ocean to warn them you are coming.
Outdoors: San Diego was recently ranked the Greenest City in America. Cycling lanes are abundant; use the regional bike map to navigate. San Diego Natural History Museum offers a new native plant nature trail and a canyoneer-led hiking program with guided walks through desert, beach, or mountain wilderness.
Shopping: In hip North Park, browse along Main Street for locally made gifts, jewelry, and vintage clothing. For secondhand surfboards, try Bird’s Surf Shed near Mission Bay.
The House of Broken Angels, by Luis Alberto Urrea. This Mexican-American family saga explores issues surrounding immigration, identity, and loss in San Diego and across the border.
Mister Magic, by Kiersten White. The San Diegan horror writer serves up a creepy tale of 1990s child television stars who reunite to solve a cold case.
Veronica Mars, directed by Rob Thomas. San Diego stood in for the fictional Neptune, California, in this beachy noir TV series (and movie) starring Kristen Bell as a hardboiled, soft-hearted teenage sleuth.
For more local literature, visit the San Diego Festival of Books in August.
(For more tips on what to do in San Diego, see our Explorer’s Guide.)
Edmund Valance is a Los Angeles-based writer.
San Diego is a coastal city in California, known for its sunny beaches, eclectic museums, and charming historic neighborhoods. Learn about its history, culture, wildlife, and attractions in this essential guide.
San Diego is a coastal city with near perfect weather, world-class attractions and a vibrant urban scene. Find out what to do, where to stay and how to plan your vacation in San Diego.
Top Things to Do in San Diego, California: See Tripadvisor's 858,543 traveller reviews and photos of San Diego tourist attractions. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in June. We have reviews of the best places to see in San Diego. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions.
Aug 4, 2022 · Our top recommendations for the best things to do in San Diego, California, with pictures and travel tips. A list of places to visit and explore, sights to see, events to attend, fun activities ...
As if all that sunshine weren’t enough, San Diego is a waterfront city with top-notch restaurants and beautiful ocean-sprayed vistas (often at the same time), neighborhoods that are steeped in history and culture, and beer that's perfectly hoppy to enjoy after a day of Southern California fun.
