Best things to do in San Diego

This amazing Californian city is under two hours from L.A. and just minutes by car to the Mexican border, Tijuana. So, grab your rental car with Hertz and make sure that San Diego is on your adventure list. We’ve put together a guide of some of the best things to do in San Diego to help you.

Balboa Park

San Diego, CA 92101

This immense multi-attraction park cover 1,200 acres and you’ll be drawn to it numerous times over in your visit. It’s absolutely one of the best things to do in San Diego and wandering through it costs you nothing.

Botanist Kate Sessions hand selected more than 350 plant species for the many gardens around the park. The Botanical Building was built for the 1915-16 Exposition, together with the lily pond and lagoon. This notable building is home to more than 2,000 individual plants. The world-class park is home to the zoo, refined Spanish buildings and numerous live shows. Take a walking tour if you want to know more.

San Diego Zoo

2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA 92101

Renowned as one of the best zoos in the world, San Diego Zoo is home to more than 650 species. It was founded by physician Harry M. Wegeforth, was of the first zoos to include cageless exhibits and in 1922 opened the first moated lion enclosure.

A guided tour bus will take you around three quarters of the park if you want to save your legs, or you can ride on the Skyfari tramway. All the enclosures have been built to resemble the natural habitats of the animals they house, and the zoo is one of only four in the US where you can see giant Pandas.

Belmont Park

3146 Mission Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92109

One of the best things to do in San Diego with kids is Belmont Park. It was opened in 1925 by sugar magnate John D. Spreckels and it’s a quirky amusement park featuring many rides, some lovely oceanfront restaurants, a mini-golf course and an array of smaller attractions.

The main draw for many visitors is the wooden rollercoaster and national historic landmark, the Giant Dipper. It’s one of three remaining coasters from the legendary designers Prior & Church and is a rite of passage for natives of San Diego. If you can handle your rollercoasters, it’s a must-visit attraction.

Petco Park

100 Park Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101

Heralded as one of MLB’s best stadiums, Petco Park in downtown San Diego is well worth a visit, whether you’re a baseball fan or not. For starters, you can take in some jaw-dropping views of the city skyline and bay in the stands. There are around 80 regular season games, or more if the Padres have a good season, so you can watch a game if you’re in town at the right time.

If not, the impressive stadium, with its palm court entrance and waterwalls, are a sight to behold and the kids will be happily occupied by the entertainment zone. Learn all about the Padres history in the Hall of Fame and grab a bit to eat here, where you can sample anything from oysters and sashimi to pizza and hotdogs. 

Gaslamp Quarter

Gaslamp Quarter Association 614 5th Avenue., Ste. E San Diego, CA 92101

One of the best things about San Diego is its varied neighborhoods. A heritage area of its own in downtown San Diego, the Gaslamp Quarter is on the doorstep of Petco Park and the Convention Center and is home to some 94 historic buildings.

Pass through the historic center of San Diego, as it says on the gateway arch across Fifth Avenue, to enter a district that dates from 1867 when it was developed by Alonzo Horton as a ‘new city center’ nearer the bay. There are more than 100 sidewalk restaurants here as well as fantastic nightlife. It’s also home to street parties for Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day and events for July’s Comic Con.

USS Midway Museum

910 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101

Since 2004, the USS Midway has been moored at the San Diego Embarcadero. Commissioned in 1945 and serving in the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm, it’s the longest-serving aircraft carrier in the world. It’s now the largest museum dedicated to naval aviation and aircraft carriers in the globe.

Wander through yourself or get a self-guided tour of the galley, sleeping quarters, pilot and engine rooms and see more than 30 restored aircraft housed inside the Midway Museum. All the family can get involved with testing simulators, pretend to be the pilot in the cockpit and enjoy various films which document the ship’s history.

Embarcadero

500 Kettner Boulevard San Diego CA 92101

The stunning harbor front, Embarcadero, is a shopper’s dream, plus there’s so much to look at as you stroll along it, from the stunning vistas of the skyline to the boats bobbing in the port. You can also see the USS Midway and the Maritime Museum’s heritage ships, so if you don’t have time to visit the museums, you can still enjoy their history from here.

See across to Coronado Island and enjoy brunch, lunch or dinner in one of the many harborside eateries. Take a boat trip from here, you might even spot whales. And, when the temperature rises, kids can enjoy splashing through the interactive fountains in the waterfront park.

Point Loma

1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive, San Diego, CA 92106

If you like walking and views, then a visit to Point Loma on the west side of the city is one of the best things to do in San Diego. Take a boat or a short 15-minute drive out to this long rocky peninsula where you can visit the lighthouse, take part in whale watching, climb to Osprey Point and take photos of the area to save your memories forever.

Point Loma is another historical spot and was the landing point for the first European expedition to what is now the west coast of America. There has been a military presence here stretching back to the 19^th century and the 77.5-acre Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery with more than 100,000 graves is here, complete with moving memorials.

With its glorious weather, beaches, coves and coastline, you could vacation in San Diego for weeks. Or if you only have a few days, you can pack a lot in when you visit this eclectic, vibrant and historical city.

Learn more about San Diego

San Diego is renowned for having some of the coolest places to eat with cuisines from all over the globe. There’s also a range of different neighborhoods to choose from when planning your stay and we can even help you with getting about with ease. Read these handy guides for more information on your trip.

• Best restaurants in San Diego
• San Diego driving guide
• San Diego’s neighborhoods