10 Things To Do in San Diego
San Diego, CA has some history to it, while also being considered one of the most hip cities in the United States . It is one of the most visited cities in the country, thanks to it’s variety of beaches, theme parks, and renowned restaurants. If you’re one of those vacationers heading there for some much needed fun in the sun, here’s 10 Things you won’t want to miss while there.
1. Trolley Tour
If you read my article about St. Augustine, I talked about the trolley that circles the city and shows you the highlights via a jolly tour guide who narrates. Well, San Diego offers that same thing. Both are run by Old Town Trolley Tours, a company that operates in a handful of historic US cities. It is a hop-on and hop-off type tour, making it easy to explore the town with no worries on how you’ll get back to where you started.
The trolley passes through several historic and popular sites and areas, including San Diego Harbor, Seaport Village, Marriott/Convention Center, Gaslamp Quarter, Hilton Bayfront, Coronado, Hotel Del Coronado, Little Italy and Balboa Park. It’s affordable, it’s fun, and maybe the easiest way to see a good portion of the city in one day. Like their other locations, they offer a Ghosts and Gravestones version of the tour during the month of Halloween as well as a Christmas themed ride during the winter months.
The tour covers approximately 25 miles, with 11 stops, and over 100 places of interest. It is service dog, wheelchair, and stroller friendly making the ride easy to hop on and off for all types. Click below to book a trolley ride.
2. Balboa Park
Balboa Park is said to be one of the most gorgeous parks in the country. Within this 1,200-acres of lush greenery, you’ll find iconic landmarks, museums and shops, and places to grab a bite to eat. There are beautiful palm-filled trails to explore, namely Palm Canyon, with 58 different tree species. There are several gardens and a famous botanical walk with a vast variety of plants.
The iconic and breathtaking California Tower can be found within the park. This incredible architectural structure is made of different styles, including Baroque, Plateresque, Churrigueresque, and Rococo, with some Gothic attributes. The Lily Pond is gorgeous and ripe for photos, as well as the Zoro butterfly garden. You could spend a whole day in this majestic park and not see it all. Take a walking tour with a local guide if you really want to take it all in.
3. La Jolla Cove
Every time we go to San Diego we make it a point to stop by this beautiful beach with sea lions scattered all over. You could head to Sea World and watch the classically trained ones, or you can head here and experience wild ones at a close but safe distance. These sea lions won’t do tricks, but they are entertaining nonetheless.
You’ll get so many outstanding photos you won’t know what to do with them all. Near the cove are grassy parks with excellent lookout points, and often times you might catch free and fun activities going on for the kids such as the Bubble Pirate, who performs bubble tricks and feats, and works for tips.
4. Windansea Beach
San Diego has many nice beaches that are worth checking out at some point, but our personal favorite is Windansea Beach. You can swim at this beach, but be warned, the waves are huge here. If you are with kids, keep them close or have an eye on them at all times. Aside from surfing, boogie boarding, or just diving into the epic waves here, it seems a little less congested, cleaner, and quieter than other beaches. Stunning sunsets, photo-perfect rock formations, and surfer watching helps make Windansea Beach stand out from the rest.
5. Little Italy
Little Italy is a neighborhood located in downtown San Diego that is packed with over 70 fantastic cafes, restaurants, pubs, and gelato shops. As the name suggests, you’ll find no shortage of Italian places to dine at, and most seem to be held in pretty high regards. Use Yelp to decide which of them is your type of experience. Amongst the pizzerias and pasta places is one restaurant that really stands out due to it’s sea-themed aestheitc: Ironside. Even if you’re not into seafood, this restaurant is worth stopping in and looking around.
Aside from food, there seems to be events happening here regularly as well as farmers markets. There’s a certain charm to the area with it’s older rustic buildings mixed and blended in with new and modern architecture. It’s very easy to spend a good portion of your day here, and you can walk off whatever calories you put on.
6. Various Restaurants
Previously on this list I mentioned Ironside and that Little Italy has a plethora of cool places to eat at. Still, I think it’s worth touching down on some more outstanding restaurants, since San Diego is a foodies’ dream come true. First, there’s a personal favorite of ours the Taco Stand, located in La Jolla. We’ve been coming here for years for some of the biggest, most authentic tasting burritos I’ve ever had. The secret is out now though and you can expect long lines here, but it’s probably worth the wait.
Another restaurant we visit pretty regularly is Hodad’s. There are three locations now, but all three offer the same big, juicy (probably totally unhealthy), but delicious burgers. And they even hook you up with a freebie on your birthday. The inside of all Hodad’s have a specific surfer/skater vibe, with license plate-lined walls and a few booths made of the front end of beach vans.
If you’re looking for a place that is novelty galore, there’s more than a few options. We stopped into InsideOUT and it’s Alice in Wonderland theme is jaw-dropping. It’s an experience, to put it lightly. Another place with a fantastic atmosphere is a Chinese restaurant called Fortunate Son located in the North Park district. There’s sort of a red light ambience with a big dragon-head furnace that’s visible from the entrance, Chinese lanterns and mock vines hanging from the ceiling. We weren’t completely sold on the food, but the vibe of the place made up for it.
There is countless places to eat in this town, and remember, Yelp is there to help. These are just a few that come to mind, thanks to the mouth-watering good tastes, the unforgettable ambience, and/or both.
7. San Diego Zoo
If you enjoys zoos, well, San Diego Zoo is probably the most grand one I’ve been to. This place is so massive that it’s almost impossible to cover in a day. Allow yourself several hours if you plan to see everything this zoo has to offer. There are animals in here that I’ve never seen or heard of, and animals that I’ve wanted to see up close that other zoos simply don’t have, such as the pandas and koalas. This zoo, unlike other zoos, also has a firework display at night, and a parade that looked like something out of Wakanda. You’ll have as much fun here as your kids are having, no doubt.
8. Gaslamp Quarter District
The Gaslamp Quarter is a neighborhood best known for it’s nightlife. Lined with nightclubs, dive bars and cocktail lounges that bring in a younger demographic. Meanwhile the Balboa theaters provide music, comedy and drama for those who prefer the arts. There is also a combination of chain and independent restaurants to be found here, with ice cream and gelato spots for the kids. Horton Plaza Park provides grassy lawns, as well as coffee vendors and an interactive fountain. You can take a guided tour around the Gaslamp Quarter as well if you want the full-on experience of this historical neighborhood.
9. Quick Picture Perfect Stops
San Diego has a number of places that are great to visit but you wouldn’t want to spend an entire day at. Places that are nice to stop by and snap some epic photos of or next to before moving on to the next thing. Mount Soledad is one of the most photogenic places in San Diego. Drive to the top of of this mountain and get a magnificent 360 view of the city. You’ll see the giant concrete cross and vast Veterans Memorial while you’re up there. This memorial is the only one in existence that pays tribute to both the deceased and the living military members in all branches. Set your camera to panoramic view to capture all of the city below.
Harper’s Topiary Garden is another quick stop you may want to check out. It’s a garden museum of masterfully cut hedges that include everything from Buddha, a variety of animals, pyramids, a dinosaur, and other crazy shapes and designs. The garden is completely free to view and located within a residential area near the airport. You’ll definitely score some pretty pictures here.
One last stop that’s absolutely worth it are the Sunset Cliffs, located along the Point Loma peninsula’s western shoreline. This extraordinary coastal territory has a variety of extensive ocean lookouts, evocative cliff formations, caves, and an alluring seaside zone. Everything you’ll see here is picture perfect, though, as it’s name suggests, the finest photos are taken near sunset. That’s when the beautiful rock colors really pop.
10. Coronado Island
Coronado Island has a number of fun things to do on it. The bridge that crosses over to the island is a sight in itself, just over 2 miles in length. Coronado Beach, with it’s white sandy beaches, is often ranked amongst the best beaches in the country. There you’ll find the famous Hotel Del Coronado, a popular beach resort vacationers stay at, shop inside, dine at, or simply take photos in front of.
Coronado Island also has a number of good restaurants along the main street. The Museum of History and Art can be found here as well. You can rent a Segway to get around if you grow tired of walking. Keep in mind that the aforementioned trolley passes through and stops on this beautiful island as well.
There’s so many things to do in San Diego that it’s difficult to narrow it down to just 10 things. Regardless, these are 10 things we’ve done, some many times, that we really enjoyed. Be sure to check out the following video montage featuring these places and more!
