What to see in San Diego
If you have a weekend in San Diego, these are my top things to see in the area!
San Diego is a fantastic place to spend a weekend or a few days. Lined with beaches, filled with thriving night life and packed full of museums and discovery centers, you will never get bored in here!
If you like Nature
Nature is what I tend to gravitate towards, it’s beautiful, and it’s cheap! (mostly)
The shores of San Diego are beautiful, and if you like beaches, make sure to check out my recommendations for more beaches in Orange County.
La Jolla Cove
La Jolla has to be one of my favourite places in San Diego. It’s a bustling seaside town, with markets in Ellen Browning Scripps Park on the weekends and tons of cafes to chose from. It can get very busy, so if you want to grab brunch at a specific place I would suggest reserving a spot ahead of time to avoid long waits.
Some food stops that stick out for me are Brick & Bell Cafe for great coffee, Cove House for a sea view breakfast, and Jose’s for tasty and relaxing Mexican food and cocktails.
The best part of La Jolla though is the wildlife! La Jolla Cove is where all the sealions live along with seals and plenty of sea birds. They are there all day, and are incredibly noisy! If you are there in the evening, that’s when they are at their busiest, as they all come up onto the shore to sleep. There’s always one or two climbing over the others and making a scene as they do.
Because of the sealions, beach access is restricted between May and September during pup season, but you can still watch them from the pathways. It’s really special to see the babies too in summer!
Snorkeling is popular in the cove and you should be able to see the bright orange garibaldis (the State fish) in the water.
There are also caves to explore depending on the tide. A lot can’t be accessed without a kayak, but you can pay to go into Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave, a man made structure that goes all the way down into the water at high tide.
There’s plenty of kayaking and snorkeling tours you can book onto in the area, although most start around the corner from La Jolla Cove on La Jolla Beach. It is walkable between the two and certain stretches follow the coastal path, but if you prefer to drive, parking can be a challenge here unless you head up to the residential streets like Vallecitos.
Parking in La Jolla Cove can also be tricky if you arrive later in the day, but there’s so much coming and going it doesn’t take too long to come across something. It can be easier, and less stressful if you don’t like parallel parking, to head further inland. There’s usually space if you head down to Kline Street.
Most streets have 2 hour parking or less, so make sure to check signs carefully before parking. Sundays and holidays have less restrictions on them, but again, check signs before parking! There is a section of Girard Ave right before it meets Coastal Blvd which is free without time limits, so if you manage to score a spot here you can stay all day!
If you’re looking to stay in the area, I loved the Cormorant Boutique Hotel. The rooms were cozy and so close to all the action. They have no dedicated parking, but if you manage to grab a spot right outside, it’s free without time limits.
Torrey Pines
Just North of La Jolla is Torrey Pines State Beach. This is a great place to visit if you love hiking and good views of the sea. It’s home to Torrey pines, which are an endangered tree, only existing in certain spots in California, including this State Park.
There’s about eight miles of trails if you wanted to do each loop, but the trails are laid out in a way that you can make your hike as long or as short as you want. All the trails are well maintained, but some may be steeper or more of a challenge than others.
Once you’re done with hiking you can relax down on the beach or go for a swim.
Because of the protected status of the trees, no picnics are allowed in the reserve. Eating is only permitted on the beach to avoid affecting the health and behaviour of wildlife.
There are two paid parking lots (North and South) where you pay per vehicle, and can use the restrooms and picnic benches before your hike. But, if you have a California Library State Parks Pass you can get in for free! Find out more about this pass here.
If you like Food and Drinks
San Diego is not just nature; there are amazing places to eat and drink all over the city. These are just some of the areas where there are several great options clustered together.
Gaslamp
The Gaslamp quarter has me divided. There are a lot of homeless and it doesn’t feel especially safe compared to other areas of San Diego, but I would still visit again. It has tons of bars and restaurants and is the place to be for nightlife. It is also right by the convention center which is worth a look just for the size of the thing.
Little Italy
Just on the other side of San Diego’s Old Town, you’ll find little Italy. This again has plenty of authentic Italian restaurants and coffee shops to fuel you for a day of exploration. I went (with a visiting Italian) to Filippi's Pizza Grotto Little Italy, which has a market at the front and restaurant in the back. I can confirm that the products are authentic and the food has the Italian seal of approval!
Make sure to visit the Little Italy Mercato on Wednesdays from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm and Saturdays from 8 am to 2 pm if you want to check out the farmers’ market too.
Liberty Station
Liberty Station used to be a naval training center, but is now a commercial district filled with bars, restaurants and independent shops. You can find almost anything you want to eat here, it’s a great place to grab brunch with friends. After eating you can check out the shops or head to the Liberty Public Market which has even more cafes and food stops to offer.
Just outside on the waterfront, there’s also bike and footpaths where you can enjoy the cooler San Diego weather.
There are huge parking lots all around the area, just make sure to remember which one you parked in!
If you like Culture
San Diego is home to some excellent museums and days out. Once you’ve had your fill of sparkling beaches and good food, find something fun to do on a rainy day.
Balboa Park
If you’re looking for museums, Balboa park is the perfect place to start! It has a Natural History Museum, the Museum of Us (anthropology), a Modern Art museum and more. It also houses the Japanese Friendship Garden which has the annual cherry blossom festival each year. This festival is beautiful and fun if your arrive early, but it was so busy when I went you could barely reach any of the vendors, we waited over an hour to get in, and then another hour for food from a food cart.
These museums all charge a fee to enter, but there’s plenty of free stuff to do as well.
Just walking around is a good way to spend a morning. The architecture all looks like something out of Barcelona (although much newer and shinier) and Sunday mornings have recitals at the enormous outdoor organ. There’s also the botanic garden building which is beautiful inside and out.
You can also visit the international village where small cabins decorated for individual countries open their doors for you to explore.
There’s a few cafes in the park if you need a pick-me-up, but I’d recommend waiting and eating in another area.
There are plenty of parking lots, but the easiest to find space is the President’s Way lot just over the road from the main park. It’s a 15 minute walk through the park to get to the museums, or you can get the free shuttlebus which runs every 10 minutes to the center. Check the exact seasonal timings here.
Old Town
Just down the way is San Diego’s Old Town. If you walk to the marina, you’ll find some interesting sights, the Seaport Village has restaurants and is a very cute and photogenic area.
From the Seaport Village, you can follow the Marina path all the way down to the USS Midway Museum to explore the history of the aircraft carrier. Even if you don’t head inside, seeing the enormous ship is something to see.
There’s plenty of history in the city, and the Maritime Museum of San Diego has lots of it. Bonus points; it’s right next to Little Italy!
I hope this can give you some ideas of how to spend a week in San Diego. The city has a lot to offer and there’s always something more to see!
Have some more recommendations? Leave me a comment below!