Top 10 Things To Do In San Diego's Mission Bay, California - Updated 2024

things to do in san diego mission bay
Daniel
Daniel  
Updated
| 4 min read

A fun vacation experience awaits you at the coastal city of San Diego. Tourists and locals throng the area known for its beaches, parks and warm climate. The Mission Bay, in particular, has a host of fun and exciting activities including wakeboarding, jet skiing, sailing, and camping. With miles of light color sandy beaches and an equally long pedestrian path, it is equally suitable for cycling, jogging, roller skating and skateboarding, or sunbathing. There is something for everyone and you’re most certainly going to be kept busy when you visit this fascinating destination. Well, if you plan to be around for the weekend or for a vacation, check out the following curated list of things to do in San Diego’s Mission Bay, California.

1. Watch marine animal shows at Sea World San Diego (from USD 73.69)

SeaWorld San Diego is a theme park that features fascinating exhibits of marine life. The various sea life scenes are enthralling and are a highlight of the tour. Enjoy with your loved ones the best of sea life. You get to enjoy an exclusive experience with vast species of aquatic animals including turtles, dolphins, and others as you wonder at the wide variety of marine life at Sea World. Be sure to visit this fascinating attraction in San Diego for a truly memorable family outing.

SeaWorld San Diego Ticket United States

2. Enjoy various water sports at Mission Bay Aquatic Center

Mission Bay Aquatic Center, Mission Bay, California
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Rowman25 used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Mission Bay Aquatic Center is a favorite spot for extreme sports lovers. It features a host of fun outdoor experiences mostly water-bound. These include providing exciting day-camps for surfing, sailing, wakeboarding, waterskiing, kayaking, rowing among others. Get your chance to showcase your skills amongst friends at the Aquatic Center. Don’t forget to grab your swimsuit!

Mission Bay Aquatic Center

Address: 1001 Santa Clara Pl, San Diego, CA

Website: Mission Bay Aquatic Center

Opening hours: 8am - 7pm (daily)

3. Have Sunday brunch at Tidal Restaurant in Paradise Point Resort & Spa


Help yourself to a delicious Sunday buffet at Tidal restaurant. The restaurant is a top eatery in Paradise Point Resort & Spa and it offers the best of buffet options in a professional and customer-centered way. This is the place for a large family to share a meal or for a group of friends in need of catching up. The modern setup is relaxing and comfortable, the delectable dishes are top-class and an overall great dining experience awaits your company.

Paradise Point Resort & Spa

Address: 1404 Vacation Rd, San Diego, CA

Website: Paradise Point Resort & Spa

Opening hours: Sat - Sun: 9am - 2pm

4. Enjoy kayaking offered by Aqua Adventures


Aqua Adventures offers you an opportunity to rent a kayak or paddleboard for a day of fun and excitement. You get a chance to tour the beautiful Mission Bay area in a relaxing way. A host of professional trainers at Aqua Adventures are provided to aid your training. You will feel refreshed and even get to captain your own vessel, join a public cruise or a private charter. Suit up and get out on the water!

Aqua Adventures

Address: 1548 Quivira Way, San Diego, CA

Website: Aqua Adventures

Opening hours: Sat - Sun: 9am - 6pm; Mon - Fri: 10am - 6pm

5. Enjoy barbecuing and picnics at Bonita Cove Park


Take your outdoor experience in the Mission Bay Area to a new level while exploring the lively park at Bonita Cove Park. The neighborhood includes a park which features playgrounds, as well as providing lifeguard-supervised swimming for those in the water. Other highlights include providing barbecue grills and picnic areas. Enjoy this outdoor retreat with your family or friends and have a recreation experience like no other.

Bonita Cove Park

Address: 1100 W Mission Bay Dr, San Diego, CA

Website: Bonita Cove Park

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

6. Play a night-time golf game at Mission Bay Golf Course


Mission Bay Golf Course in San Diego was designed by renowned golf course architect Theodore “Ted” Robinson and it is one of the crowd favorite golf grounds in the area. Experience Golf after dark at the 18-hole executive course, the only golf course in the area with night lighting. If you’re looking to have fun with friends and want to unleash your inner Tiger Woods then this is just the place for you to do so. Check it out!

Nightime Golf at Mission Bay Golf Course

Address: 2702 N Mission Bay Dr, San Diego, CA

Website: Mission Bay Golf Course

Opening hours: 6:45am - 9:30pm (daily)

7. Fly a kite at De Anza Cove Park


The De Anza Cove Park is a well-known social area in Mission Bay. Apart from offering an open-field playground for flying kites, the beachfront park of De Anza also offers volleyball courts, a picnic space, a multi-use path, boat launch and barbecue spots for a truly enjoyable outing experience. It’s a beautiful place to get-together for fun outdoor competition. Get to showcase your kite skills as you soar through the gusty wind at De Anza.

De Anza Cove Park

Address: 3000 N Mission Bay Dr, San Diego, CA

Website: De Anza Cove Park

Opening hours: 4am - 2am (daily)

8. Experience hot tub excursions along Mission Bay


In perhaps a fun inventive way you can tour the Mission Bay area while in a luxurious tub. Yes! You heard that right. While in the warm waters of a hot tub on a boat, you can have exciting excursions across the Mission Bay waters. Enjoy this through several hot-tub boat rental services that offer a luxuriously unique way to have fun on the beautiful waters of Mission Bay with your group of friends. You will definitely enjoy the unforgettable experience of hot tubbing on a boat.

Hot Tub Excursions

Address: 1010 Santa Clara Pl, San Diego, CA

Website: Hot Tub Excursions

Opening hours: 8am - 11pm (daily)

9. Watch gray whales migrating (from USD 85.0)

The sea is full of life of spectacular life forms. Catch a glimpse of one of the most spectacular migrations and witness the California gray whales and other multiple species of whales making their annual migration from the Bering Sea to Mexico’s Baja Peninsula in Seaforth Sportfishing. This phenomenon is usually between November and April. Don’t miss the opportunity to see the amazing whales and dolphins as they move along the beautiful coast of San Diego

Seaforth Whale Watching

Address: 1717 Quivira Rd, San Diego, CA

Website: Seaforth Sportfishing

Opening hours: 5am - 9.30pm (daily)

San Diego Whale Watching Cruise

Duration: 4 hours

1800 reviews

10. Soar above the waters with a jetpack on Mission Bay


This is not for the faint-hearted, but if you fancy having your adrenalin rise so high you can try it. The unique exhilarating experience of soaring up above the waters of the Mission Bay with a water-powered jetpack is a must-try. You will get to experience exciting moments as well as get spectacular views of Mission Bay area.

View of Mission Bay with a Jetpack

Address: 1010 Santa Clara Pl, San Diego, CA

Website: Jetpack America

Have fun in San Diego's Mission Bay

Mission Bay view
Source: Pxhere

You will no doubt enjoy the overall experience touring Mission Bay. There are numerous places to visit and places to hang out and enjoy outdoor experiences like the playgrounds and parks just to mention a few. The bay is filled with all the exciting activities that are engaging and will prove memorable for both your family and friends. These and much more are available at the bay, so don’t miss out on having fun!

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Daniel, a sports enthusiast with a passion for football, finds enjoyment in exploring new places, listening to music, and reading novels.

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