San Diego is a jewel of Southern California, and the perfect destination for families, couples and anyone who wants to enjoy some sunshine. While the list of what to do in San Diego may seem overwhelming, you can use our ideas as a starting point to find attractions and activities suited to your needs.
While there is a light rail system and some regional trains, you will likely need a car rental in San Diego to get around. Rent an SUV in San Diego to have room for family and friends plus beach gear, or a premium convertible from SIXT to enjoy the beautiful weather.
- 1. San Diego Zoo
- 2. La Jolla Cove
- 3. SeaWorld San Diego
- 4. Balboa Park
- 5. Hotel del Coronado
- 6. San Diego Museum of Art
- 7. Whaley House & Museum
- 8. Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- 9. USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum
- 10. Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
- 11. Belmont Park
- 12. La Jolla Tide Pools
- 13. Cabrillo National Monument
- 14. La Paloma Theatre
- 15. Shelter Island
- Best Places to Eat & Drink in San Diego
Must-see attractions in San Diego
1. San Diego Zoo
If you have kids along on your trip (or if you’re a kid at heart!) be sure to visit the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park while you’re in the city. It’s the most visited zoo in the US as well as being rated one of the best in the world and was a pioneer of housing animals in recreations of their natural habitats rather than cages. You can see more than 12,000 animals on 100 acres of land. Before you go, it’s best to download the zoo’s app, or a PDF map to help you plan what to see. There are also shows and other activities to take advantage of.
Address: 2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA 92101
Entry fees: https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/tickets
Hours: https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/plan-your-visit
Time required to see the attraction: It’s best to plan on spending at least 4 hours at the zoo, although a full day is recommended if you have time.
2. La Jolla Cove
This beach surrounded by cliffs is a great spot to see marine life and some great sunsets. While you can certainly relax on the sand here, you can also swim or snorkel and check out the creatures that can be seen at the ecological reserve that the beach is part of. Among the sea life are seals, barracuda, sea turtles and sea bass. If you want to see what’s under the sea up close, you can find a company that does scuba diving. Outside of water sports and wildlife, you can also eat at one of the restaurants overlooking the water.
Address: 1100 Coast Blvd., La Jolla, CA 92037
Entry fees: Free
Hours: Open 24 hours a day
Time required to see the attraction: You can spend as much or little time here as you want.
3. SeaWorld San Diego
This is the original SeaWorld, founded in 1964 as a marine zoological park. It now has multiple aquariums housing several species of sharks, whales, dolphins and eels, plus seals, penguins and even some tropical birds. You can also enjoy theme park rides and the famous exhibitions with trained whales, dolphins, sea lions and otters. Kids can get up close and personal with fish and sharks at the Explorer’s Reef or check out the Sesame Street Bay of Play. You can also check the schedule for special events like food festivals and fireworks shows.
Address: 500 Sea World Drive, San Diego, CA 92109
Entry fees: https://seaworld.com/san-diego/tickets/special-offers/
Hours: https://seaworld.com/san-diego/park-info/theme-park-hours/
Time required to see the attraction: 4 hours or more
4. Balboa Park
This massive park in the heart of San Diego is home to the San Diego Zoo, 16 museums, an art center, the Japanese Friendship Garden and several examples of Spanish architecture. This is the perfect destination for families as, in addition to the zoo, there are plenty of things to do including a miniature train, a carousel and the San Diego Natural History Museum. Adults can also have fun strolling around the park, seeing a performance at one of its venues or visiting one of the gardens or museums like the Marston House, the San Diego Automotive Museum or the Centro Cultural de la Raza.
Address: Runs east to west from 6th Ave.-28th St., north to south from Upas St.-Russ Blvd.
Entry fees: The park itself is free of charge
Hours: Open 24 hours a day
Time required to see the attraction: 2 hours
5. Hotel del Coronado
It’s up to you if you want to stay here, but at the very least you should check out the Hotel del Coronado from the outside. This National Historic Landmark is one of the few remaining wooden Victorian beach resorts in the US, located on Coronado Beach across San Diego Bay. When it opened in 1888, it was the largest resort hotel in the world, and tons of celebrities have stayed there throughout the years, from Marilyn Monroe to Brad Pitt. Even if you don’t book a room, you can still eat at the restaurants or just visit the beach and take some pictures with the Hotel del Coronado in the background.
Address: 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado, CA 92118
Entry fees: N/A
Hours: N/A
Time required to see the attraction: N/A
6. San Diego Museum of Art
Like many of the museums in the city, the San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) can be found in Balboa Park. The Spanish Colonial-style museum opened in 1926 and houses a collection of 20,000 pieces of art. Known for its Spanish old master paintings, you’ll also find Asian art and a collection of German Expressionism. If you’re looking for a particular piece of art, you can search the collection on the SDMA website.
Address: 1450 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92102
Entry fees: https://www.sdmart.org/hours-admission/
Hours: https://www.sdmart.org/hours-admission/
Time required to see the attraction: 2-4 hours
7. Whaley House & Museum
If you’re in the Old Town of San Diego, be sure to look out for the Whaley House. It dates to 1857 and is one of the most historic buildings in the city, having been at times a general store, a county courthouse and San Diego’s first commercial theater. There are even rumors that the building is haunted by various past residents of the house, and Whaley House bills itself as “America’s Most Haunted House. There is a ghost hunting tour offered on the last weekend of every month, and more often around Halloween.
Address: 2476 San Diego Ave., San Diego, CA 92110
Entry fees: https://www.whaleyhousesandiego.com/tickets/
Hours: https://www.whaleyhousesandiego.com/
Time required to see the attraction: 30 minutes to 1 hour
8. Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography
A part of the University of California, San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla houses more than 5,000 fish in multiple aquariums. Among the exhibits are seahorses, blue penguins, the 100 Island Challenge working laboratory, and some deep-sea oddities. In non-fish things to see, check out the 2-story giant kelp forest or the Tide Pool Plaza outside overlooking the ocean. You can take a behind the scenes tour with up to 6 people, and there are occasionally other tours available. Make sure to check the aquarium website to see if you need to reserve a ticket and time slot ahead of time.
Address: 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla, CA 92037
Entry fees: https://aquarium.ucsd.edu/visit/buy-tickets
Hours: https://aquarium.ucsd.edu/visit/hours
Time required to see the attraction: 3 hours
9. USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum
Climb aboard this massive aircraft carrier docked at Navy Pier for a hand-on experience for airplane enthusiasts. There are WWII-era aircraft, a flight deck full of more than 20 aircraft and the chance to go below deck to see how crew on the ship lived. You can climb into cockpits, see the insides of aircraft and take a crack at a flight simulator. You can also see the remembrance wall for those who died serving on the USS Midway. There are docent tours of the island, aka the command center for flight deck operations, and you can simply line up to participate.
Address: 910 N. Harbor Dr., San Diego, CA 92101
Entry fees: https://www.midway.org/visit/buy-tickets/
Hours: https://www.midway.org/visit/plan-your-adventure/
Time required to see the attraction: 3-4 hours
10. Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
Take a step back in time when you visit the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. See what the early days of San Diego were like, through historic buildings built between 1820 and 1870 that have been preserved. Among what you can see are adobe buildings, the city’s first courthouse that is now a museum, a newspaper office and the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant, which still operates. There are demonstrations by people in period clothing at the blacksmith shop and elsewhere, and frequent special events. You can book a private tour ahead of time or take a self-guided tour using the map on the park’s website.
Address: 4002 Wallace St., San Diego, CA 92110
Entry fees: Free
Hours: Open daily
Time required to see the attraction: 1 hour
11. Belmont Park
You can find this amusement park on Mission Beach, giving you two opportunities to have fun and enjoy the sunshine. You won’t find the newest death-defying rides here, but rather classics like the wooden Giant Dipper rollercoaster, bumper cars, a Tilt-a-Whirl and more. There are also rides suitable for small children, like a carousel and pint-sized train. And when you’re done with rides, you can play laser tag, try out the climbing wall, play mini golf or go ziplining. When you get hungry, there are several restaurants and places to grab a quick snack or drink within the park.
Address: 3146 Mission Blvd., San Diego, CA 92109
Entry fees: Entry to the park itself is free. You can buy a pass online or in person for unlimited rides and attractions, or pay as you go. Ticket information
Hours: https://www.belmontpark.com/hours/
Time required to see the attraction: 1-4 hours depending on how many rides to want to go on.
12. La Jolla Tide Pools
Grab the kids and head to La Jolla where you can get up close and personal with small sea creatures that show up in the tide pools here at low tide. You can see hermit crabs, anemones, mussels, barnacles, starfish and more. The best time to go is between December and March when there are minus tides that reveal the tide pools. Keep in mind that you will be walking on uneven ground, so wearing open shoes or sandals is not a good idea. At the Dike Rock tide pools, you can take a guided tour led by staff members at the Scripps Aquarium, or explore on your own at La Jolla Cove, False Point, Shell Beach or Hospitals Reef, just to name a few.
Address: 303 Coast Blvd., La Jolla, CA 92037
Entry fees: Free
Hours: Open 24/7, but check the tide charts so you can go during low or minus tide
Time required to see the attraction: 2 hours
13. Cabrillo National Monument
This lighthouse and national monument sit on the southern tip of Point Loma and offers views all the way to Mexico on clear days. This historic site is where Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo came ashore in 1542, making him the first European to step foot on what is now the West Coast of the US. Here you can find the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, tide pools, some trails for hiking and see a statue of Cabrillo. If you want to learn more about the national monument, you can head to the visitor center and look at exhibits or chat with park rangers and find out when low tide is if you plan to visit the tide pools.
Address: 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Dr., San Diego, CA 92106
Entry fees: https://www.nps.gov/cabr/planyourvisit/fees.htm
Hours: https://www.nps.gov/cabr/planyourvisit/hours.htm
Time required to see the attraction: 3-4 hours
14. La Paloma Theatre
Catch a movie or concert at this Spanish Colonial Revival-style theater that dates to the 1920s. This one is a bit north of San Diego in Encinitas. It’s the oldest theater in San Diego and started out showing silent films before quickly pivoting to become one of the first to show movies with sound, just a year after the technology became available. If you’re a movie buff, you can see foreign and independent films here at a bargain price.
Address: 471 S Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, CA 92024
Entry fees: Tickets are available at the box office, and payment is cash only.
Hours: There are generally weekend matinees, and evening showings during the week.
Time required to see the attraction: N/A
15. Shelter Island
If you are in need of some peace and quiet along the water, head to Shelter Island, a thin strip of land jutting out between Point Loma and the North Island Naval Air Station across San Diego Bay. Originally an unpopulated sandbank, it was later built up and now Shelter Island has a boat launch and marina, Shoreline Park and beach, a few hotels and a yacht club. You can take a self-guided, 1-mile-long art walking tour on Shelter Island using the map on the Port of San Diego website. Also look out for the Tunaman’s Memorial statue or the Friendship Bell, which was presented to the city by the residents of Yokohama, Japan in 1958. If you get hungry, there are a few independent restaurants on Shelter Island, as well as those at the hotels.
Address: Shelter Island, San Diego, CA 92106
Entry fees: Free
Hours: Open 24/7
Time required to see the attraction: 2-3 hours
Best Places to Eat & Drink in San Diego
Luckily for you, San Diego has a great variety of restaurants. Being so close to the Mexican border, there is of course a variety of that country’s cuisine to choose from. You can also try out fish tacos, a San Diego specialty, or go for a bit of kitsch by heading to a tiki bar or restaurant.
The Grass Skirt: There are multiple Polynesian or tiki-themed places to eat and drink in the city, but this is one of the most recommended. Have some inventive cocktails or try some of the food, which is heavily Asian inspired.
El Indio: Head to Mission Hills to eat some taquitos or other delicious Mexican specialties. Some say that taquitos were invented here, so an order of these crispy rolled tacos is a must. They also have burritos, quesadillas, tamales and more.
Top of the Market – San Diego: Being on the water, the city has many options for fresh fish and seafood. Head to this special occasion restaurant atop the Fish Market restaurant, where you get views of San Diego Bay, premium local seafood and top-notch service.
Stone Brewing: This brewery, headquarters in Escondido, has several locations in the city. If you like IPAs and other inventive craft beers, head to Stone Brewing Tap Room in Little Italy, or to Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Liberty Station where you can eat or drink outside on their massive patio or play bocce ball.
