Things to Do in San Diego CA
San Diego is a vibrant and dynamic city filled with an endless list of activities designed to keep visitors occupied. From beautiful beaches to world-renowned museums, you are bound to find something in San Diego that piques your interest!
If you’re visiting San Diego with children, its world-class zoo should be top of your itinerary. Here you’ll be treated to animals from all corners of the earth!
1. SeaWorld
SeaWorld is an essential visit for anyone wanting to experience some of the finest marine life on Earth. Offering thrilling rides, shows, and exhibits – SeaWorld will not fail to excite its visitors!
SeaWorld San Diego, located on 190 acres of gorgeous Mission Bay Park, is an enjoyable family attraction that features sea animals as well as thrilling rides like its roller coaster and wave pool.
Kids of all ages will delight in exploring the park’s walrus and penguin displays, sharks, killer whales and dolphins as well as Mardis Gras and Seven Seas Craft Beer Festival events held throughout the year.
Rides at Six Flags Great Adventure offer fun for the whole family, including an area designed around Sesame Street for younger kids. To save some money while enjoying all-day dining with Tripster’s All-Day Dining Deal.
Manta, an adrenaline-inducing roller coaster featuring an enormous manta ray, provides thrill-seekers with a half-mile long experience that feels like flying! Don’t miss it if you love adrenaline rushes!
SeaWorld also features the Dolphin Days live show, held outdoors at an outdoor theater and featuring music and acrobatics. You may get wet if sitting near the front row but it is definitely worth experiencing!
2. USS Midway Museum
The USS Midway Museum is one of the most intriguing places to visit in downtown San Diego. Housed within its ship are over 60 exhibits and restored aircraft, as well as being docked permanently along San Diego’s Embarcadero.
Visitors to this ship can explore galleys, officer’s country, sleeping quarters and the 4-acre flight deck, once home to thousands of planes during World War II. There are also family-oriented activities onboard the ship such as videos, flight simulators, docent presentations and climb-aboard aircrafts.
Visitors looking to gain a deeper insight into the USS Midway’s history may take advantage of audio tours hosted by sailors; these can provide visitors with more knowledge and make the experience more fun for all members of their family.
The museum is known for its impressive anchor room, housing an 1,600-foot chain used to drop anchors into the water. On its gallery deck is also located USS Midway Theater that showcases a 15-minute film depicting the Battle of Midway.
3. Maritime Museum
Maritime museums may focus on anything from specific geographic regions (like Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum) or ships (such as USS Constitution Museum). Their goals may include collecting, preserving, research, exhibiting and interpreting artifacts related to maritime history.
Visit the Maritime Museum if you want to discover its incredible history of seafaring. It houses exhibits and artifacts on everything from Admiral Nelson to Trafalgar Battle and much more!
The Maritime Museum features the USS Dolphin, the world’s deepest-diving submarine, for an exciting history lesson for kids who like adventure.
At the Maritime Museum, a great way to spend your time is visiting their replica of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s ship when he discovered California. You’ll get to walk through its parlors and rooms that were used at that time as well as view its interior.
Un ideal way to explore San Diego’s scenic coast is through booking a harbor boat tour. These 2- and 3-hour excursions provide various sailing options and take visitors past many iconic landmarks while offering glimpses of seals, sea lions, and other wildlife along the journey.
4. Botanical Building
The Botanical Building is one of Balboa Park’s iconic landmarks and deserves to be visited to witness its exquisite botanical collection of tropical plants such as orchids and palms spanning across 37 acres of gardens.
Attractively arranged indoor tropical garden featuring exotic orchids and other tropical blooms; lush rainforest; desert garden and an impressive collection of succulents also exist here.
LuEsther T Mertz Library is one of the highlights of Botanical Building and boasts an exquisite Renaissance Revival design with an impressive assortment of botanical books. As one of the country’s largest botanical libraries, this gem also houses an illustrated books section for added delight.
As part of their ongoing cultural program and art installations schedule, such as Yayoi Kusama’s 2021 sci-fi sculptures filled with alien plants and other natural forms from outer space, there are also regular walking tours, educational programs for adults and children, walking tours as well as events inside LuEsther T Mertz Library.
San Diego is ideal for traveling during its warm and sunny climate of summertime; with temperatures typically staying in the low 80s throughout the day and minimal rain falling.
5. Rose Garden
San Diego’s Balboa Park provides plenty of artistic and horticultural experiences for the whole family, including Japanese Gardens, Botanical Building, Rose Gardens, Alcazar Gardens and much more. Don’t miss this day trip destination!
The Rose Garden, a free attraction located in Balboa Park’s Central Mesa along Park Boulevard, has won multiple awards for its beauty. All-America Rose Selections named it as their “Outstanding Rose Garden in the USA” back in 1978.
Over 1,600 varieties of roses bloom here during spring and summer. Additionally, there’s an old grove of Mexican palms as well as mature Moreton Bay fig trees dotted throughout.
The Rose Garden Corps are volunteers that maintain our garden. Once every week they come together to deadhead, prune, and clean our space – providing an ideal way to get involved and keep it looking its best!
6. San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo is one of the premier places in the world to view animals, featuring innovative cageless exhibits that replicate natural animal habitats and provide invaluable conservation efforts and species preservation efforts.
San Diego Zoo offers many activities and attractions to keep visitors occupied all day, such as 4D theater and daily shows. Furthermore, guided tours of the zoo offer insight into some of its most interesting animals!
Or for an aerial tram view of the grounds, why not hop aboard one? Alternatively, for an easier visit you could hop onto and off one of four Kangaroo buses that stop throughout the Zoo? For those wanting an aerial perspective try riding an aerial tram high above treetops!
Consider purchasing a Go City attraction pass, which gives access to many of the city’s premier attractions at once and can save both money and time by skipping long lines for tickets.
Zoos are open all year round, but for optimal experience it is best to visit in winter or summer when crowds are smaller. Also keep in mind that October offers free admission for kids under 12, making this another opportunity to experience this great park for less money than usual.
7. Old Town
Old Town is an open-air museum just 3.5 miles northwest of Downtown San Diego that allows you to travel back in time with its charming adobe houses, plazas and 19th-century buildings. Free for admission and boasting many historic structures as well as museums and activities to enjoy, Old Town is sure to provide visitors with an enjoyable visit!
As you stroll the streets, this area also boasts several shops and restaurants for you to discover as you stroll. Some are situated within market centers with multiple stalls while others are housed within historic buildings throughout.
San Diego offers many wonderful souvenirs to remember your trip by, including handmade jewelry, hand-painted ceramics and Mexican clothing. At this market you will be sure to find exactly what you are searching for!
Experience traditional food from Mexican and European cuisine to sushi at notable eateries like Casa de Reyes and Twenty Five Forty.
Old Town boasts several fantastic attractions, with Seeley Stables being among the highlights. Once serving as a stagecoach depot and home to Albert Seeley who ran a stage line between Los Angeles and San Diego during the 1870s, today it stands as an historical landmark rumoured to be haunted and features an on-site restaurant.
