No visit to San Diego would be complete without exploring all the popular San Diego Things to do. See our San Diego Visitor’s Guide for many options for San Diego Activities, San Diego Attractions, Restaurants in San Diego, and San Diego Shopping. It’s impossible to feature every San Diego Attraction, San Diego Activities, San Diego Restaurants, and more, but we’ve created the next best thing by combining the top selections for you to view prior to your visit to San Diego. Whenever you visit San Diego – you’re likely to have a few questions:
- What are the best San Diego Restaurants?
- What are the best San Diego Activities and San Diego Attractions?
- What is the best San Diego Shopping?
- What is the next ‘can’t miss’ San Diego Event?
We recently expanded the breadth of coverage of the site to cover the diverse regions of California.
Things to do in San Diego & California Travel Guides
We update the information on our San Diego Visitor’s Guide throughout often so before any visit to San Diego, come back and learn more about our featured San Diego Things to do!
My Favorite Spots in Los Angeles!
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Best Snorkeling in Southern California
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Best Zoos and Aquariums in California
California Zoos and Aquariums California is home to wide range of zoos and aquariums several of which are world class destinations. Many of these facilities also have beautiful gardens featuring…
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California Gold Country Day Trip Nestled between the High Sierra and the Central Valley you will find California’s Gold Country. The ten counties that make up this region of the…
Best Burgers in Sacramento
7 Best Sacramento Burgers How do you pick one favorite burger gem in a city full of diamonds? I can’t mention the classic (award-winning) burger at Pangaea without giving a…
California Museum in Sacramento (review)
In order to provide our children with the best possible experiences, we frequently become involved in a variety of kid-centered activities. Sacramento favorites like Fairytale Town and Funderland are big…
Sacramento Zoo (review)
Land Park is the center of kid-friendly activity in Sacramento. It’s a great place to while away a Sunday afternoon – whether you ride a rollercoaster, immerse yourself in a…
Aerospace Museum of California (review)
Put on your aviators, because we’re going to the Aerospace Museum of California (McClellan Aviation Museum) this month! The museum, located in McClellan Business Park, provides an excellent opportunity to…
10 Affordable Date Nights in Sacramento
Dating can get expensive, but it doesn’t have to be when you live in a city committed to expanding the arts, building culture and focusing on quality, local food. Just…
Best Patios in Sacramento
5 Best Sacramento Patio Dining Spots Indian summers. Delta breezes. We have many reasons – and many seasons – to seek out the patio life in Sacramento. There is a…
Best Happy Hour in Sacramento
19 Best Sacramento Happy Hour Specials One of the first lessons your parents taught you was that a few drinks a week keeps you feeling your best. We couldn’t stand…
Family Things to do in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Attractions for the Family It’s not hard to convince someone to visit Santa Barbara. Known as the American Riviera and only an hour and half north of Los…
LEGOLAND California
LEGOLAND California offers 128-acres of interactive family fun with attractions, rides, live shows, restaurants, shopping and beautiful landscapes decorated with LEGO structures small and large. With more than 15,000 LEGO…
Best South Bay Restaurants
In just the last few years, the South Bay has exploded onto the Southern California dining scene and this section features my favorite local restaurants! Check out these waterfront restaurants…
Best Manhattan Beach Restaurants
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Best Redondo Beach Restaurants
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Best Torrance Restaurants
This South Bay city, with its laid-back vibe and lively shopping centers, provides plenty of opportunities for fun and adventure. This town, like most upbeat cities in California, is packed…
Best Hermosa Beach Restaurants
Here are the best Hermosa Beach restaurants near beaches, ranging from breakfast spots to beachfront spots for a romantic dinner. See the restaurant map above and the list of Hermosa…
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South Bay Farmers’ Markets
The South Bay has several terrific Farmers’ Markets throughout the week. These are great community amenities that provide an opportunity to shop locally for the freshest, seasonal produce available, in…
South Bay Breweries
South Bay Craft Beer Breweries, Brewpubs & Tap Rooms Over the last few years, the South Bay has become a major player in the Craft Beer Scene with numerous breweries,…
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San Diego Restaurants
This amazing coastal city is known for having the best Seafood Restaurants on the west coast, of course, but along with fulfilling the demand to create the freshest, most innovative seafood creations, chef’s from around the world are coming to San Diego to open San Diego Restaurants to respond to every culinary desire.
San Diego Nightlife
When you visit San Diego be sure to plan on spending some time in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter and experience all the excitement and entertainment to be had at the many live music venues, Sports Bars, Comedy Clubs, San Diego Rooftop Bars, Dinner Theaters, San Diego Bars and Nightclubs.
San Diego Attractions
Whether you’re planning a visit to San Diego for a day or a week you’ll never run out of fun and exciting things to do or see. San Diego is the ideal destination city for exploring miles of coastal shorelines, theme parks, boating, and many other San Diego Attractions.
San Diego Shopping Guide
Among the most popular activities for visitors to San Diego is San Diego Shopping! San Diego is considered the ‘Shoppers Paradise of the Southwest’ for a reason, our beautiful coastal city is home to many top brands, boutique shops, high fashion, and outlet shopping.
San Diego Activities
San Diego is often referred to as, ‘America’s Most Beautiful City’ and along with that is a near endless list of exciting things to do in San Diego, both outdoor activities like visiting San Diego Beaches, exploring the San Diego Zoo or San Diego Wild Animal Park, or one of the many other San Diego Activities.
San Diego Events
San Diego is often referred to as ‘America’s Most Beautiful City’ so it is no surprise that this coastal city is a top choice for San Diego Events, Conventions, and San Diego Trade Shows. Many hotels are located just blocks from the San Diego Convention Center, the premier meeting venue for San Diego Events.
About San Diego
San Diego, the third-largest metro area in Southern California, is the economic center of the Carlsbad, San Marcos, and San Diego metropolitan region. Home seekers and tourists alike are attracted to San Diego for a diverse and delightful experience. Unmatched for its cultural offerings, surfing beaches, parklands, and urban amenities, San Diego is outstanding. The city is also headquarters for the U.S. Navy’s Eleventh Naval District.
While San Diego is the eighth-most populous U.S. city, it has numerous natural pocket parks and scenic hilly terrain. Running through the city’s middle is the San Diego River creating a lush river valley and dividing the city into northern and southern regions. Within the city is the open space preserve of Mission Trails Regional Park. Its geography of craggy canyons, green hills, and rocky trails offers wonderful mountain biking, horseback riding, and hiking opportunities.
Visitors and residents enjoy attractions including San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, and San Diego Wild Animal Park. An impressive historical site is Mission San Diego de Alcala. Numerous street fairs and music fests are held annually. After an event, you can indulge in some of the most diverse restaurants any city can offer.
Top 10 Things To Do In San Diego
San Diego is one of the great cities in California that you must visit sometime in your life. There are so many things there to do and see there that it is simply amazing. Here is our list of the top ten things to do in San Diego on your vacation.
- Balboa Park – The largest cultural park facility in San Diego that encompasses 15 museums, garden areas, performing arts facilities, and the San Diego Zoo.
- Downtown San Diego – Sometimes referred to as Center City is located in the heart of San Diego’s business district. It is considered one of the most upcoming areas in the western part of the United States.
- Sea World – One of the most popular attractions in San Diego offering different rides, attractions, and shows for the whole family.
- Torrey Pines State Reserve – A jewel of nature encompassing 2,000 acres of undeveloped and unspoiled land on the Southern California coast.
- Become a connoisseur at the famous wineries located in San Diego’s North Country. You can find large wineries that allow tours and also smaller mom and pop wineries.
- San Diego Zoo – Taking the “Journey Into Africa” tour within the zoo can provide you with a little taste of what Africa, the 2nd largest continent, has to offer.
- Gaslamp Quarter – A historical area in San Diego comprised of two and a half miles filled with Victorian-style buildings, over 100 restaurants, arts and entertainment scenes, theaters, and nightclubs.
- Coronado Municipal Beach – This is one of the Travel Channel’s selections of their top 10 beaches. It is a family-friendly beach with a postcard picture setting.
- Mission Beach – This is a great place for all walks of life. It seems though that it is becoming a little more of a residential area, however, it is still a must-see.
- Torrey Pines Golf Course – A premier golf course in the San Diego Area with a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean.
San Diego Beaches
The best beaches in San Diego..
It actually depends, what are you looking for in a beach. Do you want a small beach with an amazing cliff? (Sunset Cliffs) Do you want a popular beach close to food and drinks. (Pacific Beach) Do you want a large parking lot, so as to easily park the car? (Mission Beach, park across the street in the park) Do you want more of an exclusive beach? (Coronado) Most likely you will want to go to the nearest available beach, but if you have time, there are many to comb. If you want to go somewhere that is close to places to eat, so close you can walk from the beach, or if you’re looking for a beach you can be left alone to relax with your family. Those could be two different places.
Pacific Beach is amazing, it is a long wide beach that is in CLOSE proximity to bars and restaurants, it is literally steps away from a fantastic burrito. But, it can get busy. I mean you may be right next to a few thousand other folks playing catch, throwing Frisbee’s and having BBQ.’s Coronado beach is more of an area where you can sit down and the kids can play on the sand without having one person close by. Carlsbad Beach is awesome and has a walking and jogging trail. Mission Beach is always fun. Ocean Beach, is where you want to go if you’re on the hippy side of things. Keep in mind this is Southern California, not Miami. It can get cold fast when the sun goes down. Go to the beach early. This is a desert climate, when the sun goes down expect it to cool down FAST. Not a good time to be wearing a swimsuit. Bring a backpack, put a sweatshirt and pants in there and you’ll be fine.