San Diego Travel Guide (15 Epic Things to do)

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Heading to San Diego? Go check out this comprehensive San Diego Travel Guide!

Planning a visit to sunny San Diego, California? You’ve come to the right place!

Whether you want to relax on the beach, see the iconic sights, or indulge in the delicious cuisine, any visit to San Diego is an amazing Bucket List Trip in itself! No matter what your budget is, this San Diego Travel Guide is your go-to resource for exploring the city.

Are you ready to start exploring San Diego? Let’s get started…

San Diego Travel Guide

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San Diego Travel Guide – Best Things to do in San Diego

#1: Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá

Address: 10818 San Diego Mission Rd, San Diego, CA 92108

The first Spanish church to be built in California, Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá is one of the most beautiful missions in the US. With its beautiful whitewashed exterior and gorgeous gardens, you’ll love your visit to this iconic mission.

#2: Balboa Park

Address: Balboa Park, San Diego, CA

Balboa Park is hands down one of the most impressive, beautiful city parks in the world. Having hosted the World Fair twice, it’s worth a visit! Home to incredible beautiful architecture, lush gardens, and a number of lively events throughout the year, you really can’t miss it!

#3: San Diego Zoo

Address: 2920 Zoo Dr, San Diego, CA 92101

Adjacent to Balboa Park, San Diego Zoo is really one of the most impressive around. Here you’ll find rare animals such as Giant Pandas, Rhinos, and of course many more!

#4: Seaworld

Address: 500 Sea World Dr, San Diego, CA 92109

Home to roller coasters, aquariums, shows, and more, Seaworld is without a shadow of a doubt one of the most impressive theme parks around. With so much to do, a day here will be great for the whole family! Go check out these Seaworld Top Attractions.

#5: Mission Beach

Mission Beach is a laid back neighborhood just west of Seaworld, and one of my favorite areas in all of San Diego. Along the large sandy beach is a paved path lined with fun shops, restaurants, and more! You’ll definitely want to take at least one afternoon to spend here.

#6: Ocean Beach Pier

Address: 1850 Ocean Front St, San Diego, CA 92107

This long fishing pier is a terrific place to watch the sunset. Plus, it’s only a block or two away from Hodad’s, a great burger shop that’s one of the best places to eat in San Diego.

#7: Coronado Beach

Coronado Island’s beautiful beach is a relaxing place to spend the afternoon or evening. You’ll even get a free air show from watching boisterous naval planes taking off and landing from the nearby North Island Naval Air Station!

#8: Cabrillo National Monument

Address: 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Dr, San Diego, CA 92106

On the southernmost tip of Point Loma is Cabrillo National Monument. Here you’ll find some of the finest views around, overlooking Coronado Island, the San Diego Skyline, and even Tijuana! In addition, you can walk down and see some pretty incredible tide pools.

The most special part of Cabrillo lies in the history, though. It was where Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, the first European stepped foot on the west coast in 1542. Later, the Point Loma Lighthouse came about in the 1850s, but ended up being somewhat ineffective as it was perched 400 feet above sea level, and ended up being shrouded in the fog and clouds. Later, a lower lighthouse was built.

#9: USS Midway Museum

Address: 910 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101

The USS Midway is named after the dramatic Battle of Midway and was commissioned on September 10, 1945, just 1 week after the end of WWII. It went on to become the longest commissioned aircraft carrier in the US Navy, and later opened as a museum in 2004.

Nowadays, you can take a guided tour throughout the ship visiting all of the different rooms and decks. It’s by far one of the best things to do in San Diego with the whole family!

#10: Best Places to Eat in San Diego

From the best fish tacos to burger joints, and even yummy chowder, go check out this comprehensive list of the best restaurants to eat at in San Diego.

San Diego CA Best Places to Eat

Day Trips/Nearby Destinations:

#11: Encinitas

Just 25 miles North of San Diego, this laid back beach town is worth the visit! It is home to Crescent Moon State Beach, a nice sandy beach situated between sandstone cliffs and the ocean.

#12: Carlsbad

Warm Waters Beach in Carlsbad is one of the best around, and as the name suggests, the water is actually quite warm by Southern California standards! All around, it’s a beautiful place to spend the day.

#13: Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is truly California’s greatest desert landscape. The funny looking Joshua Trees and massive granite boulders dot the arid desert landscape, all underneath towering mountain peaks. There is a wide array of hikes here from short to long, and is all around no place to miss!

#14: Disneyland

Ever dreamed of visiting Disneyland? It doesn’t have to break the bank, if you know the right things to do! Go check out these Disneyland Budget Tips before you go.

#15: Los Angeles

Oh LA… what is there to see that hasn’t already been shown in the movies? Just kidding. 🙂 From the Hollywood Walk of Fame to the La Brea Tar Pits and the Griffith Observatory, there is so much to see and do on a day trip from San Diego!

San Diego Travel Guide: How to Get Free Airfare to San Diego

Why pay for airfare to San Diego, when you can score FREE airfare?!? When you use Swagbucks, you can get free gift cards for Delta and Southwest, both of which fly into San Diego International Airport. Overall, this is the the best way to reduce the cost of your airfare to San Diego. I’ve been a member of Swagbucks for about 10 years now, and it’s still one of my favorite ways to earn Free airline gift cards!

Here’s how it works:

Sign up with Swagbucks
Then start earning Swagbucks SB Points. There are so many EASY ways to earn Swagbucks! You can earn by Searching the Web {just like you would using Google}, Taking Surveys, Using Coupons, Shopping Online, Watching Videos, etc. I typically earn an easy $25 each month on Swagbucks!
Cash in your Swagbucks SB Points for Free Southwest Airlines Gift Cards and Free Delta Gift Cards!

San Diego Travel Guide: How to Get Free Uber Rides in San Diego:

If you don’t plan on renting a car in San Diego, you can simply call an Uber to come pick you up from the airport and take you into the city. My favorite trick is to cash in Swagbucks points for Free Uber gift cards!

Here’s how it works:

Sign up with Swagbucks
Then start earning Swagbucks SB Points. There are so many EASY ways to earn Swagbucks! You can earn by Searching the Web {just like you would using Google}, Taking Surveys, Using Coupons, Shopping Online, Watching Videos, etc. I typically earn an easy $25 each month on Swagbucks!
Cash in your Swagbucks SB Points for Free Uber Gift Cards!

San Diego Travel Guide: Visit San Diego as Part of a California Road Trip

If you’re wondering how to do California in 2 weeks, then this guide is for you! This California Road Trip Itinerary from San Francisco to Los Angeles will show you the best of what the state has to offer in just 14 days. It’s perfect if you want to include San Diego as part of a greater California Road Trip.

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San Diego Travel Guide (15 Epic Things to do)

San Diego Travel Guide