Things to do · San Diego · United States
17 best things to do in San Diego
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Andrewjames954, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in San Diego are Balboa Park, San Diego Zoo and USS Midway Museum. Of the 17 picks below, 8 are free, 3 work on a rainy day and 10 suit children. Allow about 5 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Balboa Park
- Free sights
- 8
- Good on a rainy day
- USS Midway Museum
- Time to see the highlights
- 5 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balboa Park | Balboa Park | Half a day to a full day | Free |
| San Diego Zoo | Balboa Park | Full day | Expensive |
| USS Midway Museum | Embarcadero | 3–4 hours | Mid-priced |
| La Jolla Cove | La Jolla | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Hotel del Coronado | Coronado | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve | Torrey Pines | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Cabrillo National Monument | Point Loma | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Old Town San Diego State Historic Park | Old Town | 2 hours | Free |
| Sunset Cliffs Natural Park | Point Loma | 1 hour | Free |
| Gaslamp Quarter | Gaslamp Quarter | 2 hours | Free |
| Maritime Museum of San Diego | Embarcadero | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Little Italy | Little Italy | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Birch Aquarium at Scripps | La Jolla | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Mission San Diego de Alcalá | Mission Valley | 1 hour | Low cost |
| SeaWorld San Diego | Mission Bay | Full day | Expensive |
| Chicano Park | Barrio Logan | 1 hour | Free |
| Mission Bay and Belmont Park | Mission Beach | Half a day | Low cost |
The 17 best things to do
Park · Balboa Park
1.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. The Botanical Building with its lily pond, the Spanish Village Art Center and the Japanese Friendship Garden are all within a short walk of each other.
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
One of the best-known zoos in the world occupies about 40 hectares of canyons on the north side of Balboa Park, with habitats for koalas, polar bears, elephants and great apes. The Skyfari aerial tram crosses the park, and a guided double-decker bus tour gives a useful overview of the hilly grounds.
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
- Book ahead
- Buying tickets online saves time at the gate on weekends and in school holidays.
- Iconic
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Museum · Embarcadero
3.USS Midway Museum
The aircraft carrier USS Midway served from 1945 to 1992 and is now moored on the downtown waterfront. Visitors explore the flight deck lined with restored aircraft, the island bridge, crew quarters and engine rooms, often with commentary from volunteer veterans.
Go up to the flight deck first while it is cool, then work through the lower decks; the self-guided audio tour is included.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
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Waterfront · La Jolla
4.La Jolla Cove
A small sheltered cove below sandstone cliffs, part of a protected underwater park where snorkellers see bright orange garibaldi and leopard sharks gather offshore in summer. Sea lions haul out on the rocks beside the cove, and harbour seals use the nearby Children's Pool, especially during pupping season.
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
Architecture · Coronado
5.Hotel del Coronado
The red-turreted wooden resort hotel opened in 1888 and has hosted presidents and film crews, including the cast of Some Like It Hot. Non-guests can walk the lobby, the historic corridors and the beachfront in front of it, which is one of the widest stretches of sand in the city.
Take the ferry to Coronado, rent a bike at the landing and ride the flat streets to the hotel and beach.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Architecture
- Couples
- History
Nature · Torrey Pines
6.Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Clifftop trails wind through eroded sandstone and stands of the rare Torrey pine, one of the least common pine species in the United States, before dropping to Torrey Pines State Beach. The Guy Fleming Trail is an easy loop with ocean views; the Beach Trail descends to the sand below Flat Rock.
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
7.Cabrillo National Monument
At the tip of Point Loma, this National Park Service site commemorates Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo's 1542 landing, the first European expedition on the US West Coast. It has the restored 1855 Old Point Loma Lighthouse, wide views over the bay and downtown, and rocky tide pools on the ocean side.
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
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Historic site · Old Town
8.Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
The park preserves the first settled area of San Diego, with restored adobe and wooden buildings from the Mexican and early American periods, a blacksmith, a schoolhouse and small free museums. Mexican restaurants and craft shops surround the central plaza.
Combine it with a walk up to Presidio Park above Old Town, site of the original 1769 Spanish fort and mission.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Kids
- Food
Viewpoint · Point Loma
1.Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
Eroded sandstone cliffs, arches and sea caves line about 2 km of Point Loma's ocean side, south of Ocean Beach. As the name suggests, locals gather along the clifftop paths every clear evening to watch the sun drop into the Pacific.
Stay back from the cliff edges, which are unstable and unfenced in places.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
Neighbourhood · Gaslamp Quarter
2.Gaslamp Quarter
Downtown's historic district has around 90 Victorian and early-20th-century buildings along Fifth Avenue, many now restaurants and rooftop bars. The Gaslamp Museum at the William Heath Davis House, the oldest surviving structure in the area, runs walking tours of the district.
Walk Fifth Avenue in the early evening when the street lamps come on, before the late-night crowds arrive.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- After dark
- Food
- History
Museum · Embarcadero
3.Maritime Museum of San Diego
A collection of historic vessels moored along the Embarcadero, led by the Star of India, an 1863 iron-hulled sailing ship that is among the oldest still able to sail. Others include a Soviet-era submarine, a steam ferry and a replica of Cabrillo's galleon San Salvador.
Ask about short bay cruises on the museum's historic boats, which leave from the same dock.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Neighbourhood · Little Italy
4.Little Italy
India Street and its cross streets hold delis, gelato shops and restaurant patios, and the Saturday Little Italy Mercato is one of the city's largest farmers' markets, with local produce, flowers and food stalls stretching along Date Street.
Come for the Saturday market and stay for lunch on Piazza della Famiglia.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Shopping
Aquarium · La Jolla
5.Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Run by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the aquarium has a three-storey kelp forest tank, seahorses, a shark reef and exhibits on ocean science. The terrace looks over the Scripps Pier and La Jolla Shores.
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
Religious site · Mission Valley
6.Mission San Diego de Alcalá
Founded in 1769 by Junípero Serra, this was the first of California's 21 Spanish missions; it moved to its current site in 1774. The whitewashed church, campanario bell wall, gardens and small museum are still an active parish.
The trolley's Green Line stops a short walk away at Mission San Diego station.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
Theme park · Mission Bay
7.SeaWorld San Diego
The marine theme park on Mission Bay combines aquariums and animal presentations with roller coasters and water rides. Families with young children use the Sesame Street area, while thrill seekers head for the coasters.
Check the day's show and ride schedule on arrival and plan around it; queues are shortest early and late.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Active
Park · Barrio Logan
8.Chicano Park
Under the Coronado Bridge ramps in Barrio Logan, more than 70 large murals painted on the concrete pillars tell the history of the Chicano movement and Mexican-American San Diego. The park was created after community protests in 1970 and is a National Historic Landmark.
Combine it with lunch and the galleries along Logan Avenue nearby.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- History
- Off the beaten path
Waterfront · Mission Beach
9.Mission Bay and Belmont Park
Mission Bay is a large man-made aquatic park with calm water, grassy shores and paths for cycling and paddleboarding. On the ocean side at Mission Beach, the small Belmont Park amusement area keeps the Giant Dipper, a wooden roller coaster dating from 1925.
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
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Balboa Park, USS Midway Museum, Maritime Museum of San Diego and Chicano Park |
| History | USS Midway Museum, Cabrillo National Monument, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park and Hotel del Coronado |
| Views | Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, Cabrillo National Monument, Sunset Cliffs Natural Park and Birch Aquarium at Scripps |
| Outdoors and nature | Balboa Park, San Diego Zoo, La Jolla Cove and Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve |
| Food and markets | Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, Gaslamp Quarter and Little Italy |
| After dark | Gaslamp Quarter |
| With children | Balboa Park, San Diego Zoo, USS Midway Museum and La Jolla Cove |
| On a rainy day | USS Midway Museum, Maritime Museum of San Diego and Birch Aquarium at Scripps |
What to book ahead
- San Diego Zoo: Buying tickets online saves time at the gate on weekends and in school holidays.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do 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.
+What can you do for free in San Diego?
Balboa Park, La Jolla Cove, Hotel del Coronado, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park and Sunset Cliffs Natural Park. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in San Diego when it rains?
Head indoors to USS Midway Museum, Maritime Museum of San Diego and Birch Aquarium at Scripps.
+What is there to do in San Diego at night?
Gaslamp Quarter are best after dark.