Outdoors · San Diego · United States
7 best outdoor things to do in San Diego
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Rob Reviewer, http://www.ReviewerPhoto.com, CC BY 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Balboa Park, San Diego Zoo and La Jolla Cove. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 19–26 hours across 5 areas; 2 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 19–26 hours
- Areas
- Balboa Park, La Jolla and Torrey Pines
Outdoors in San Diego
Park · Balboa Park
1.Balboa Park
Walking the gardens and El Prado is free; pick two museums for a day rather than trying to cover them all.
- Time needed
- Half a day to a full day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- Kids
- Art
- Outdoors
Zoo · Balboa Park
2.San Diego Zoo
Arrive at opening, ride the bus tour first to get your bearings, then walk the canyons before the midday heat.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
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Waterfront · La Jolla
3.La Jolla Cove
Keep a respectful distance from the sea lions and seals; rangers and signs mark the closed areas.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Kids
- Iconic
Nature · Torrey Pines
4.Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Park at the beach lot and walk up the road for the full climb, or pay to park at the top for shorter walks.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Views
- Nature
- Active
- Photo spot
Historic site · Point Loma
5.Cabrillo National Monument
Check the tide tables and visit the tide pools at low tide, usually best in winter afternoons.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- History
- Kids
- Nature
Aquarium · La Jolla
6.Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Pair it with a calm-water swim or tide-pooling at La Jolla Shores just below.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
- Views
Waterfront · Mission Beach
7.Mission Bay and Belmont Park
Rent bikes and ride the ocean-front boardwalk from Mission Beach to Pacific Beach.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Active
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Balboa Park | Balboa Park and San Diego Zoo | Half a day to a full day + Full day |
| La Jolla | La Jolla Cove and Birch Aquarium at Scripps | 1–2 hours + 2 hours |
| Torrey Pines | Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve | 2–3 hours |
| Point Loma | Cabrillo National Monument | 2–3 hours |
| Mission Beach | Mission Bay and Belmont Park | Half a day |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 2 free, 3 low cost, 1 mid-priced, 1 expensive. Book ahead for San Diego Zoo. The longest visit is San Diego Zoo; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- San Diego Zoo: Buying tickets online saves time at the gate on weekends and in school holidays.
How to fit them into 6 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Balboa Park): Balboa Park, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Balboa Park): San Diego Zoo, at least 6 hours.
- Half-day 3 (La Jolla): La Jolla Cove → Birch Aquarium at Scripps, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Torrey Pines): Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 5 (Point Loma): Cabrillo National Monument, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 6 (Mission Beach): Mission Bay and Belmont Park, at least 3 hours.
The best months to be outside
- July: highs of 24°C (75°F), about 0 rainy days, very busy crowds. Sunny and warm, with the busiest beaches and the highest hotel rates of the year, especially during Comic-Con.
- August: highs of 25°C (77°F), about 0 rainy days, very busy crowds. Warmest sea of the year and reliably sunny; book hotels and popular restaurants early.
- June: highs of 22°C (72°F), about 1 rainy days, busy crowds. 'June Gloom' keeps beaches grey until midday; the San Diego County Fair runs at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- La Jolla — Clifftop village, sea lions on the rocks and boutiques on Prospect Street
- North Park — Craft-beer bars, vintage shops and coffee roasters on University Avenue and 30th Street
More of San Diego
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in San Diego?
Balboa Park. Built largely for the 1915–16 Panama–California Exposition, Balboa Park lines El Prado with Spanish Colonial Revival buildings housing museums including the San Diego Museum of Art, the Museum of Us, the Fleet Science Center and the Natural History Museum.
+Which of these are free in San Diego?
Balboa Park and La Jolla Cove.