Top Tourist Destinations to Explore in San Diego, CA
- Wanderlust Mike
- May 31, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 25
Since I grew up in San Diego, dubbed America's Finest City, we visit there frequently. So I decided to create a travel guide for anyone planning to visit this sunshine city. Here are some of my top recommendations!
AROUND DOWNTOWN
Our favorite places to visit and explore while in downtown San Diego include Seaport Village with its lovely waterfront shops and restaurants, the USS Midway aircraft carrier museum which allows you to see how one of these floating cities operates, and the Maritime Museum along the downtown embarcadero where you can tour classic sailing ships and submarines!
Our favorite places to eat in downtown include The Fish Market for fantastic views and fresh seafood, Gladstone's (formerly Edgewater Grill) in Seaport Village for waterfront dining, and Tom Ham's Lighthouse on Harbor Island near San Diego International Airport for commanding views of the downtown skyline at night!
And even if you're not into baseball, I still recommend catching a game in gorgeous Petco Park while you're in downtown! Petco Park is one of the few remaining professional sports venues in San Diego, and home to the San Diego Padres baseball team. By the way, they have more than just baseball games there as well.
Balboa Park
Named after Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa in honor of the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, the beautiful Spanish-style architecture, gardens and museums of Balboa Park lie just on the outskirts of downtown. Some of our favorite places here include the San Diego Natural History Museum, The Old Globe theater, the Botanical Building, Palm Canyon, the Museum of Us, Alcazar Garden, and the Spanish Village Art Center.
For dining, we recommend The Prado at Balboa Park, or Panama 66.
The San Diego Zoo is also located here!
Hotel Del Coronado & Gaslamp Quarter
The historic, unique, all-wooden Hotel Del Coronado was opened in 1888 and has lodged world leaders and Hollywood celebrities alike. It contains many fine restaurants and shops which are open to the public, and is just on the other side of the sweeping Coronado Bridge at Coronado Island.
And the downtown district known as the Gaslamp Quarter, centered on 5th Avenue between Broadway and Harbor Drive, is all a buzz at night with vibrant restaurants, clubs, bars, and live entertainment!
OLD TOWN
Just to the North of downtown San Diego, along Interstate 5, is historic Old Town. Established in 1769, Old Town San Diego was California's first European settlement. With its authentic Mexican shops, restaurants, and charm, Old Town is a great place to while away an afternoon.
Favorite shops and restaurants include Cousin's Candy Shop for delicious handmade chocolates, El Centro Artesano for beautiful Mexican ceramic goods, Cafe Coyote for Mexican food with fresh handmade tortillas, and Fiesta de Reyes courtyard shopping mall with Casa de Reyes outdoor dining!
And the historic Presidio de San Diego sits picturesquely on a hill in Presidio Park, just to the North of Old Town, overlooking much of San Diego.
CABRILLO NATIONAL MONUMENT
Across from downtown San Diego and San Diego Bay, on the tip of Point Loma, is the Cabrillo National Monument where Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo discovered San Diego in 1542. Here you'll find the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, a statue dedicated to Cabrillo himself, a great gift shop and information center, and fantastic views of both San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean while you're standing 348 feet (106 meters) above sea level!
LA JOLLA
There are many beaches in San Diego, so take your pick! I personally recommend Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, and Mission Beach. But the nicest is probably La Jolla Shores, which has a nice mix of grassy cliffs and sandy beach.
Small yet scenic Birch Aquarium in La Jolla showcases some of the local California marine life with kelp forest and interactive tide pool exhibits. And native marine life is abundant at La Jolla Cove with sea lions, harbor seals, pelicans, and shops, hotels, and restaurants situated above.
AMUSEMENT PARKS, AQUARIUMS, ENTERTAINMENT
Theme parks and zoos include Sea World in Mission Bay, the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park near downtown, Safari Park inland near Escondido, Legoland up North in Carlsbad, and a small beach-front amusement park in Mission Beach known as Belmont Park. And don't forget small yet scenic Birch Aquarium in La Jolla as well!
Great places to enjoy live entertainment in San Diego include the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park, and the Rady Shell along the waterfront in downtown. Petco Park also has a great concert lineup. And there's live entertainment at the Gaslamp District in downtown, with everything from comedy to theatre!
Also around town, you'll discover numerous outdoor and water-based activities, such as surfing, paddleboarding, and sand volleyball!
TIJUANA, MEXICO
Another place to visit could include Tijuana, Mexico, just across the border! I'd recommend utilizing the San Diego trolley to take you to and from the border, parking at any of the park & rides along the route. I used to take the Blue Line from Old Town to San Ysidro, which included a scenic ride through downtown. You can walk to a nearby shopping, restaurant, and club district in Tijuana from the border crossing, just remember your passport!
If you enjoy a relaxed atmosphere, abundant sunshine, endless outdoor activities, and excellent cuisine, San Diego is undoubtedly the perfect vacation spot for you!
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