A land of spectacular landscape and pristine waters, cool beaches and ritzy neighborhoods, gasp-worthy panoramas and friendly atmosphere – here’s how we’d like to introduce San Diego, the city crowning North America’s Riviera along the Pacific Ocean in southern California. The state’s second largest city, San Diego has historic quarters blending into chic contemporary districts. It boasts of a mild Mediterranean climate throughout the year and has many a things to discover, making the city mostly about plusses and fewer disadvantages. Here’s a lowdown on some of the most famous things to do in San Diego, California. Bookmark this list to guarantee yourself a fun-filled time in the city.
1. Have yourself a fascinating time at the San Diego Zoo (from USD 72.0)
How about a day monkeying in the city? Well, there’s no better place to do this than at the San Diego Zoo. Located inside Balboa Park is the San Diego Zoo, home to an astounding number of species and sub-species. When in the city, there’s no question about whether or not you should head here; the answer’s only one – YOU MUST! Komodo dragons, gorillas, koalas, polar bears, flamingos, and mandrills - the list is just endless. The zoo is a super hit with kids and adults alike. The volunteers provide valuable insight, which makes the overall experience not only fun but also enriching. The special guided tours are absolutely wonderful and make for a great way to cover all the main parts of the zoo, so get yourselves on one of those. Don’t forget to head to the Giant Panda Discovery Center’s multi-sensory exhibits to learn how pandas sound or smell, and make it a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
San Diego Zoo 1-Day Pass: Any Day Ticket
Duration: 1 to 4 hours
2. Embrace the city's coastline surfing your way around (from USD 115.0)
It comes as no surprise that surfing is one of the most famous things you can do in San Diego. Offering 110 km (70 miles) of open ocean coastline, the place is a haven for those of you willing to paddle your way through the Pacific waves. Surfing gear is available to rent at most of the popular beaches and spots, so you don’t need to carry one of your own. San Diego sees many a seasoned pros and beginners traversing their way through the waters, making it a top beach activity. Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Windansea, Pacific Beach, and the Imperial Beach Pier are some of the best surfing beaches in town.
Malibu Surf Lessons
Duration: 1 to 4 hours
3. Get grubbin' on some Mexican fare
For the uninitiated, San Diego shares its border with Mexico, ergo is able to offer some of the best Mexican culinary flavors across the USA. The Baja-style seafood, especially, is quite something. You can get yourself to one of the proper dining restaurants or even hit up a street stall for some of those crunchy and punchy tacos. If you prefer going to restaurants, getting a grub at Galaxy Taco will be a safe bet. They excel in preparing classic Mexican dishes, with some zingy twists added to some of them. Head there and you’ll thank us after you’re done pleasing your tastebuds and tummies.
Galaxy Taco
Address: 2259 Avenida De La Playa San Diego, CA 92037
Website: Galaxy Taco
Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 11am - 10pm; Sun: 10am - 10pm
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4. Make the best of the weather (from USD 33.0)
What’s a thing that has a lot to make or break any good experiences? The weather! And, one of the best things about San Diego is its balmy weather. Regardless of the season or month, you’re guaranteed a fun time walking around the city, enjoying the weather at the beaches or public parks. San Diego’s calm Embarcadero harbor front is a great place to head. You can rent tour boats and explore the city from a wholly unique point of view. The Waterfront Park nearby is a great place for kids to rollick around. Else, there’s always the 110 km (70 miles) of beautiful beaches to enjoy at absolutely no cost! Live performances are also one of the many interesting activities you can participate in.
San Diego Harbor Cruise with Live Guided Commentary
Duration: 2 hours
5. Dole around like a beach bum (from USD 891.0)
Nothing says fun like a day filled with beach activities. With sparkling sandy beaches stretching across San Diego, there are quite a few activities you can plan. La Jolla and Coronado beaches are fantastic for family-friendly activities, so head there if you’re in town with young ones. There’s fine dining, beach golfing, music performances, or kayaking among a million other things you can get busy with. Else, there’s always the Tourmaline Surfing Park you can go for a day surfing and sailboarding. Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Imperial Beach, and Mission Beach are some of the other beautiful beaches in the city where you’ll be assured a superb time.
La Jolla and San Diego Beaches Full-Day Tour with Old Town
Duration: 5 hours
6. Visit the multi-faceted paradise called Balboa Park (from USD 45.0)
Minutes away from San Diego’s downtown is this abyss of recreation, culture, science, nature, history, shopping, and dining, all dubbed into one. Home to 17 museums, many beautiful gardens, and the famous San Diego Zoo is Balboa Park, a 150-year-old community gathering place, which has become a city landmark now. You can book yourselves on one of their excellent guided tours and have a jolly good time here. With most of them being free, the public tours can get pretty crowded, pretty soon. Their timings are mentioned on the website, so check up and time your visit accordingly. Else, you can get yourselves on one of the private tours, which is a two hour guided excursion exclusively for you and your group.
Balboa Park Highlights Small-Group Walking Tour in San Diego
Duration: 2 hours
7. Enjoy the vivacious blooms and refreshing green fields (from USD 73.0)
Not just beaches, there’s also no dearth of public parks and green spaces in San Diego city. There are something like 340 parks spread across. Can you believe that? Whether that’s the manicured Balboa Park or the rough Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, there are many kinds of parks for different types of travelers. You may be a group of hardy travelers or a family with kids, San Diego’s many parks will suffice your needs. Packed with swing sets and exciting games, the Sixth Avenue Playground or Old Poway Park is fabulous for kids. While the Spreckels Park, De Anza Cove Park, and Lakeview Park are fun for adults as well. These are just one of the many other amazing parks in the city. They’ll make for some entirely wholesome experiences, so we strongly suggest you keep it on your to-do lists.
Balboa Park Segway Tour
Duration: 2 hours
8. Watch a live performance (from USD 119.0)
Musicals, live performances, dance shows, and plays, you’ll find plenty of these happening all over. San Diego, is in fact, one of the premier destinations for theatre. There are more than 150 stages where you catch some of the best live performances across the city. All you need to do is find yourself one that you enjoy the most and use of the online apps/websites to reserve seats. Else, you can also buy them over the counter at individual theatres. Some performances at restaurants, bars, or open-air theatres don’t require prior reservations, so look into those if you want an entertaining activity sans expenditure. The Shakespeare Festival is among the most popular ones that happen during the summer.
Skip the Line: Illusions Theatre & Bar Ticket
Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes
9. What's brewing in San Diego? (from USD 49.0)
Just like Mexican food, you’ll find many superb breweries in San Diego city. With more than 150 breweries around, it’s safe to assume that beer-tasting and beer-savoring is one of the best experiences you can have while here. Coronado Brewing, Karl Strauss Brewing at Ballast Point are some of the most famous local pioneers offering some fantastic behind-the-scenes tours and refreshing mugs of the golden-brown elixir for you to try. The city’s beer-craft scene is such that it was named the “Top Beer Town” across the States by Men’s Journal most recently.
San Diego Brewery Tours
Duration: 5 hours
10. What happens in San Diego when the night is dark? (from USD 30.0)
Rejoice, because you have the West Coast’s most rocking nightlife well within your reach at San Diego. Turn up the volume and giddy up to the streets and ready yourself for the city’s night clubs’ heat. With world-class DJs getting the town to dance to their tunes and bartenders putting together drinks that make things groovy, you can have yourself quite a blast here. Make your way to the city’s Gaslamp Quarter neighborhood and you’ll find many clubs featuring a range of things, right from the burlesque dance performances, and music shows to intimate concerts.
San Diego Club Crawl
City with a universal appeal
San Diego is easy to reach, navigate within, and get out of! Thanks to their efficient public transit system and welcoming vibe, not only will your stay be exciting, but your travel will be seamless. You can pick yourself a mode of transport that suits you best and have the time of your life exploring the most famous things of San Diego, California. So, get planning!
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