San Diego is a major city in Southern California on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, approximately 120 miles (190 km) south of Los Angeles and immediately adjacent to the border with Mexico. The city is famous for its warm weather,pristine beaches, plenty of outdoor activities and the local craft brewing industry. No matter what kind of vacation experience you are looking for; this beautiful city has something for everyone.
We have visited San Diego few times as we really love its beaches, warm weather and the cool vibe of the city. We keep coming back to San Diego for more. Here are the list of things you should do while you are in San Diego:
Balboa park
Balboa Park is a one of the primary attraction in San Diego. It is home to more than 16 museums, multiple performing arts venues, lovely gardens, trails, and many other creative and recreational attractions, including the San Diego Zoo. With so many options,this is the place to go if you want variety. We spent first half of the day exploring the park and really enjoyed every bit of it. You can find all the details about the parks upcoming events and tickets here.
Interesting fact: Balboa Park Carousel, adjacent to the San Diego Zoo, is a menagerie of animals and all but two pairs are original with hand-carved European craftsmanship.
San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo, located in Balboa park has more than 3,500 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies. This is one of the largest zoo in the world with great animal exhibits. Giraffes, elephants, polar bears( An underwater viewing area is available to observe the polar bears swimming in their 490,000 l pool) and koalas are just a few of the many animals that you will find here. The exhibits are linked by an expansive series of trails such as the Monkey Trail, Tiger Trail. On these trails, you’ll see numerous exciting creatures including hippos in forest trail, arctic foxes in polar bear plunge, Indian rhinos in the Urban Jungle, African Penguin in African rocks and many more.
The zoo offers a guided tour bus that covers 75% of the park. There is also an overhead gondola lift called the Skyfari, providing an aerial view of the zoo. You can check the current ticket prices on their website.
It’s a must see attraction in Southern California.
Sea World
Sea World is an animal theme park, oceanarium, outside aquarium and marine mammal park. Spread across 190 acres on beautiful Mission Bay Park, it is known for spectacular animal shows, interactive attractions, aquariums, rides, lush landscaping and education programs for all ages. You will also find various tours where you can get up-close encounters with resident dolphins, sea lions, penguins, or gentle beluga whales, also known as the “canaries of the sea.”
If you are there during summer, you can also see a light show (Electric Ocean) that transforms rides, shows, and attractions into vibrantly colored displays inspired by the phenomenon of ocean bioluminescence.
Gaslamp Quarter
The Gaslamp Quarter is a lively downtown neighborhood known for its nightlife with find plenty of restaurants, bars and night clubs. The Gaslamp Quarter also hosts many city events year round. The annual Mardi Gras Parade, the Rock and Roll Marathon runs through here and San Diego’s biggest event, Comic-Con, hosts numerous activities and events here as well.
As it is one of the busiest spot, finding parking can be really difficult. There are some street parking available though but they get filled early. We booked our parking spot through parking app (Spothero) and paid only few bucks.
If you are looking for some really cool bars, we recommend going to The Tipsy Crow and Prohibition lounge and try their delicious cocktails.
La Jolla Cove
La Jolla Cove is a beautiful beach area surrounded by cliffs. The Cove is protected as part of a marine reserve. It is very rich in marine life, and is popular with snorkelers, swimmers and scuba divers.
You will also find Garibaldi fish, seals, sea lions and countless other local sea life here. If you are in a mood to relax and enjoy the sunset, the cove also has a gorgeous park above the sea cliffs, against the backdrop of the cove La Jolla.
Mission beach
Mission beach is built on a sandbar between the Pacific Ocean and Mission Bay. This is the ideal spot to soak up the sun on the sand or ride the waves with your surfboard. There is also a boardwalk that runs along the beaches, which is perfect for jogging, skateboarding, rollerblading or bike riding. Mission Beach also has many well-known bars. Most bars in the neighborhood are relaxed, beach-style gathering places.
If you looking for some more adventure, you can head over to Belmont Park an amusement park located on the shores of Mission beach. This Park is home to the famous Giant Dipper Roller Coaster, a wooden roller coaster that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Park also features other rides such as bumper cars, the tilt-a-whirl, carousel and more.
USS Midway Museum
The USS Midway was the United States longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century. Approximately 200,000 sailors served aboard the carrier, known for several naval aviation breakthroughs as well as several humanitarian missions. It is currently a museum ship. Admission includes a self-guided audio tour, narrated by former Midway sailors.
Coronado Island
Coronado Beach is a 1.5 mile long, wide sandy beach set against the backdrop of the iconic Hotel del Coronado, a 130-year-old National Historic Landmark. The beaches here has a silvery sparkle because of the presence of mica. If you are looking for a place to spend some quality time with your family or friends or just want to have a chill beach day to yourself, this is the place. We couldn’t get enough of this place. It was absolutely splendid! The sunset was so amazing here, it felt as if you are in a different world.
Don’t forget to visit the historic beachfront hotel, Hotel del Coronado. There are many good dining options including food trucks at this resort. But, we found it a bit expensive. You can just go there and walk around and enjoy the beautiful history of this place.
Where to eat in San diego
If you are a vegetarian like us or just want to try some good vegan food, these are some of the places we liked the most:
Donna Jean
Cafe Gratitude
Evolution fast food
Civico 1845, Little Italy
The first three restaurants mentioned above are completely vegan. We mentioned Civico in this list because they have a good vegan friendly menu. Cafe Gratitude and Civico are located in Little Italy, a popular neighborhood with many Italian restaurants and shops.
Time for some tips!
Parking in most places can be really tough during summer months so make sure to get early to find a spot on the street.
Buy tickets for Seaworld and Zoo online in advance. You should be able to find some online deals with a quick search.
Don’t miss the beautiful San Diego sunset at the Coronado Beach, La Jolla or the Mission beach.
Do try some vegan food while you are here.
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