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Pendry San Diego, San Diego

Things to do guide

The best things to do in San Diego

Updated 7 October 2026 · 16 things to do

Pictured: Pendry San Diego

San Diego is California with the edges sanded off. The sun shines most days, the Pacific is never far away and the whole city seems to run about ten minutes behind, in flip-flops. It sits in the far south-west corner of the United States, a short hop from the Mexican border, and the mix shows: Spanish missions and adobe houses, fish tacos on every corner, surfers at dawn and navy ships sliding across the bay.

There is a lot more here than beaches, though the beaches are superb. Balboa Park alone could fill two days with its museums, gardens and famous zoo. Add an aircraft carrier you can climb all over, sea lions barking on the rocks at La Jolla and a sunset from the cliffs, and you have one of the easiest cities in America to enjoy.

Don't miss

  1. 1Balboa Park
  2. 2San Diego Zoo
  3. 3La Jolla Cove
  4. 4Coronado Beach
  5. 5USS Midway Museum

The big sights

A park full of museums, a warship and the place where California began.

  1. Balboa Park

    Landmark

    The California Tower seen from the Alcazar Garden in Balboa Park
    Photo: Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The cultural heart of the city is a huge hilltop park just north of Downtown, laid out with ornate Spanish Colonial Revival palaces built for the Panama-California Exposition of 1915. Today those buildings hold more than a dozen museums, from art and natural history to air and space, set around arcaded walkways, fountains and gardens.

    Even if you never step indoors, it is a glorious place for a wander. Stroll El Prado, look up at the California Tower, and find the lily pond in front of the wooden lattice of the Botanical Building.

    Tip: Pick two or three museums rather than trying to see the lot. The park is big and the gardens deserve time too.

  2. San Diego Zoo

    Wildlife

    The elephant sculpture at the entrance to the San Diego Zoo
    Photo: en:User:Cburnett, CC BY-SA 3.0

    One of the most famous zoos in the world fills a lush, canyon-cut corner of Balboa Park. It was a pioneer of open-air enclosures without bars, and it feels as much like a botanical garden as a zoo, with winding paths through bamboo, palms and fig trees. It is large and hilly, so wear comfortable shoes and allow most of a day.

    Tip: Start with the bus tour or the aerial tram to get your bearings, then walk back to the areas you liked best.

  3. USS Midway Museum

    Museum

    The aircraft carrier USS Midway moored on the San Diego waterfront
    Photo: Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A real aircraft carrier, moored for good on the Downtown waterfront. The Midway served the US Navy for almost half a century, and now you can roam from the engine room and the cramped sleeping quarters up to the bridge and out onto a flight deck lined with restored jets and helicopters. Many of the guides are veterans who served on carriers, and their stories make it.

  4. Old Town San Diego

    Landmark

    This is where the city, and European settlement in California, began. The state historic park preserves a cluster of adobe houses, a schoolhouse, a blacksmith's and other buildings from the Mexican and early American years around a dusty plaza. It is touristy, cheerfully so, with craft shops and big Mexican restaurants where tortillas are made by hand in the window.

  5. Cabrillo National Monument

    Nature

    Downtown San Diego seen from Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma
    Photo: Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0

    At the very tip of the Point Loma peninsula, a statue marks the 1542 landing of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, the first European to set foot on what is now the west coast of the United States. The real draw is the view: the whole bay, the Downtown skyline, Coronado and, on a clear day, the hills of Mexico. There's an old lighthouse to explore and rock pools below at low tide.

Beaches and coast

Seventy miles of it, with a different mood at every stop.

  1. Coronado Beach

    Beach

    The Hotel del Coronado behind the sand of Coronado Beach
    Photo: William Henry Jackson, Public domain

    Across the bay from Downtown, Coronado has the kind of beach that looks airbrushed: wide, flat, pale sand that sparkles with flecks of mica, and gentle waves. Behind it rises the Hotel del Coronado, a Victorian seaside fantasy of white timber and red turrets that has been welcoming guests since 1888. Families love it, and so do sunset walkers.

    Tip: Take the ferry across the bay from the Downtown waterfront for the skyline views on the way.

  2. La Jolla Cove

    Beach

    The sandstone cliffs and coastline of La Jolla Cove
    Photo: Zongxianglee, CC BY 4.0

    A small, sheltered notch in the cliffs of smart La Jolla, where sea lions and harbour seals loll on the rocks a few feet from the path and bright orange garibaldi fish flash through the clear water. Snorkellers and swimmers share the cove; kayakers paddle out to the sea caves nearby. Afterwards, walk the clifftop path and stay for dinner as the sun drops into the Pacific.

  3. Pacific Beach and Mission Beach

    Beach

    Pacific Beach in San Diego, looking south along the sand
    Photo: Adbar, CC BY-SA 3.0

    The classic Southern California beach scene, loud and happy. A boardwalk runs for miles along the sand, busy with cyclists, skaters and joggers, past surf shops, taco stands and bars with ocean-view decks. At Mission Beach, Belmont Park has an old wooden rollercoaster that has rattled riders since the 1920s. Come for a surf lesson by day and a beer at sunset.

  4. Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

    Nature

    Sandstone cliffs above the ocean at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
    Photo: Stch2022, CC0

    North of La Jolla, a wild stretch of coast protects one of the rarest pine trees in America, the wind-twisted Torrey pine, on sandstone bluffs high above the ocean. Easy trails wind through the scrub to dizzying viewpoints, and one drops all the way down to a long, quiet beach. It is the best short walk in the city, and a reminder of how this coast looked before the houses came.

  5. Sunset Cliffs

    Nature

    The rocky shore at Sunset Cliffs in San Diego
    Photo: Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0

    The name tells you when to come. Along the western edge of Point Loma, the land ends in crumbling golden cliffs, arches and sea caves, and each evening a quiet crowd gathers along the path to watch the sun go down over the Pacific while surfers catch the last waves below.

    Tip: Keep well back from the cliff edges, which are unstable in places.

Neighbourhoods to wander

  1. Gaslamp Quarter

    Neighbourhood

    The Gaslamp Quarter sign over Fifth Avenue in San Diego
    Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Sixteen or so blocks of handsome Victorian buildings in the middle of Downtown, once the city's red-light district and now its going-out district. By day it is a pleasant place to admire the ornate ironwork and brick facades. After dark the restaurants, rooftop bars and clubs take over, and on game nights the crowds spill across from Petco Park, the Padres' baseball stadium, next door.

  2. Little Italy

    Neighbourhood

    A street in Little Italy, San Diego
    Photo: Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Italian fishing families built this neighbourhood when San Diego was a tuna-canning town. The fleet has gone but the district is thriving, with India Street lined by trattorias, wine bars, coffee shops and pavement tables under strings of lights. It is one of the nicest places in the city to eat, and the weekly farmers' market draws half the town.

Eat and drink

  1. Fish tacos

    Food

    San Diego's signature bite came north from Baja California: a strip of white fish, battered and fried, tucked into a soft corn tortilla with shredded cabbage, a squeeze of lime and a creamy white sauce. You'll find them at beach shacks, taco shops and smart restaurants alike. Eat one within sight of the ocean, with a cold Mexican beer, and you'll understand the city.

  2. Craft beer

    Food

    San Diego is one of the great beer cities of America, with well over a hundred breweries and a particular love of bold, hoppy West Coast IPAs. Tasting rooms are everywhere, from industrial units in the suburbs to patios in North Park and Little Italy. Order a flight of small glasses and work your way through.

Days out

  1. LEGOLAND California

    Activity

    Miniland at LEGOLAND California in Carlsbad
    Photo: jill, jellidonut... whatever from Seattle WA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0

    Up the coast in Carlsbad, this theme park is aimed squarely at younger children, with gentle rides, a water park and Miniland, where American cities are rebuilt in millions of plastic bricks. For under-twelves it can be the highlight of the holiday. Carlsbad's long, uncrowded beaches are close by for the afternoon.

  2. Temecula Valley

    Day trip

    Inland and to the north, the rolling hills around Temecula are Southern California's wine country, with dozens of wineries offering tastings on terraces above the vines. Hot-air balloons drift over the valley at dawn, and the wooden boardwalks of Old Town Temecula have a Wild West look, with antique shops and restaurants. Book a driver or a tour if you plan to taste.

Where to stay in San Diego

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in San Diego →

Getting around

Downtown, the Gaslamp Quarter, Little Italy and the waterfront are easy on foot, and the trolley reaches Old Town. A ferry crosses the bay to Coronado. For La Jolla, Torrey Pines, the beaches and Carlsbad, a hire car gives you the most freedom, though taxis and buses will do for one or two trips.

When to go

San Diego is mild and sunny for most of the year. Late spring and early summer often bring grey, misty mornings on the coast, which locals call May Gray and June Gloom. Late summer and early autumn tend to have the warmest sea and the clearest skies.

Questions about visiting San Diego

What is San Diego best known for?
Sunshine, beaches and an easy-going pace, along with Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo, the sea lions of La Jolla, the Hotel del Coronado, its navy heritage and fish tacos.
Is San Diego worth visiting?
Yes. It combines a walkable Downtown, one of the finest city parks in America and miles of excellent beaches, with reliable weather. It suits families and couples especially well.
What is there to do in San Diego with kids?
The San Diego Zoo, the USS Midway, the museums of Balboa Park, the seals at La Jolla Cove, the rollercoaster at Belmont Park and LEGOLAND California in Carlsbad.
How many days do you need in San Diego?
Three to four days covers Balboa Park and the zoo, Downtown and the waterfront, Coronado and La Jolla. Add a day or two for more beach time or a trip to Carlsbad or Temecula.
Do you need a car in San Diego?
Not for Downtown, Balboa Park, Old Town or Coronado. A car is useful for La Jolla, Torrey Pines, the northern beaches and day trips.

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