Heading to California soon and need to know the Best Things to do in San Diego? Your girl has you covered!
San Diego’s nickname is “America’s Finest City” and I could not agree more with that sentiment. San Diego has an easy-going culture and miles of beach breaks. It’s a great place for everyone to visit with so much to offer. Not to mention the climate is warm for the majority of the year. But as a local, I would recommend visiting in September-November for lesser crowds and just as warm temps as in the summer.
I’ve had the honor of calling this place home for over 13 years now and I couldn’t be more grateful. With that being said, I’ve spent countless hours visiting these places in San Diego and wanted to share my personal best of the best with you…
BALBOA PARK
One of the oldest places in the United States dedicated to public recreational use. This 1,200-acre park is filled with museums, gardens, botanical gardens, and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. The architecture is so beautiful you can spend countless hours here soaking up the culture. I’ve written an entire Locals Guide to Visiting Balboa Park. So make sure to check that out!
Locals Tip: During the summer they have “Food Truck Fridays” in the park with tons of delicious food, music, and other cool vendors!
CORONADO
Coronado is the cutest little town you will ever lay eyes on – I MEAN IT. It was literally the inspiration for the “Emerald City” in The Wizard of Oz because of the author, L. Frank Baum, had a summer home in Coronado where he wrote his famous novel around the corner from the historic Hotel Del Coronado. That’s not the only celebrity attachment to Coronado; you’ll have to read my post A Locals Guide to Visiting Coronado to get all the celebrity tea!
LA JOLLA
Picturesque coastlines, gorgeous ocean layers, and a beach filled with sea lions and seals. These cuties call the La Jolla Cove home and it’s very important when you’re visiting that you stay at least 10 feet away from them or else you can be fined $10,000. A selfie is not worth that price tag, am I right?!
Along with the La Jolla Cove, there are tons of cliffside views and cute restaurants in La Jolla. It’s one of the most expensive zip codes in the United States and if you visit, you’ll see why. Multi-million dollar mansions and exotic cars everywhere you look. It’s very reminiscent of a Mediterranean village. You can easily spend an entire week exploring La Jolla. From the recently renovated University Town Center Mall to shopping on Girard, or hanging out at Scripp’s Pier – it’s a great place to spend a summer day!
SUNSET CLIFFS
The name speaks for itself. This place is THE jump-off for watching sunsets and is, in my opinion, the BEST place to watch sunsets in town. Known to be extremely busy during sunsets but there is plenty of street parking available. There is also an open-air cave that is very hard to get to but I’ve made it my mission this year to get into that cave and show you guys how to find it, so stay tuned for that! This is easily the top place to visit in San Diego.
MISSION/PACIFIC BEACH
California surfer PRIME, this place exudes Southern California. Walk the boardwalk, ride the historic Belmont Park Roller Coaster, or just chill out on the beach – you will never get bored hanging out here. It is very reminiscent of Venice Beach with everything that goes on here. Make sure to visit Kono’s when you do visit, it’s the best breakfast spot in town where you can have a view of the ocean and a full breakfast meal for $10! I love a good DEAL!
OLD TOWN
A historical park commemorating the early days of San Diego with historic buildings and sites. Not only that, but there are tons of authentic Mexican food places in Old Town. Friday nights are always popping with live music and a myriad of great bars to have a margarita and people making fresh tortillas for you to watch!
LIBERTY STATION — POINT LOMA
Open seven days a week this bustling market is full of chic eateries, craft vendors, and specialty restaurants. It’s a great place for lunch or dinner and when you’re here make sure to check out the gem of Liberty Station — Pigment (pictured above). Also, a notable mention to the cool Corvette Diner, a 50’s themed diner that has delicious comfort food and the best shakes in town!
Thank you for reading the Best Things to Do in San Diego! I hope you enjoy your visit to America’s Finest City! Comment below which place is your favorite and make sure to not miss my Ultimate Guide to San Diego with all the details to make your trip amazing!
XO,
Courtney
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I need to go here! it looks amazing!
its such a great city! thanks for reading love XO
Thank you for sharing this! Before reading your post I was excited about visiting San Diego but now I’m really excited! Do you think 5 days would be enough to see all of this if I’m working full time while being there? Thanks!
Hey Josefine! Thank you so much for reading I definitely think that 5 days is enough to see everything however, a week would be ideal! Especially if you are working full-time! Let me know if you have any other questions!
I love San Diego so much! It’s my second favorite city in America! I love La Jolla and Point Loma so much. Next time, I have to see the old town.
It’s such a great city! And yes! Old Town is so much fun you’ll have to let me know if you make it out here soon!
Definitely have to save these great spots for later! So excited to visit one day! xx Loved your photos, girl. xx Bri
aw thank you so much Bri!
I visited San Diego in February when I was in Cali for a week. I saw Balboa Park & Old Town but not the other places unfortunately. I really wanted to visit La Jolla but we didn’t have enough time ?
well hopefully you’ll be back one day to catch the other spots! XO
Lovely pics especially of the sunset cliffs
thank you it’s one of my favorite places in san diego <3
Hi! Amazing blog. I will be using this guide on my next trip! 🙂 Where was that picture on the swing with the beautiful view of the city in the background taken?
I detail how to get there under local spots and it’s called the La Jolla swing