Planning to visit San Diego? This California city is practically paradise and is the perfect vacation spot! From gorgeous California beaches, to cool hikes, to excellent food, to incredible museums, to luxurious shopping, there are so many amazing things you can add to your San Diego bucket list for when you visit.
But if you only have one day in San Diego, that is still enough time to get a taste of this delightful city and discover some of the best it has to offer. So if you’re wondering how to spend a day in San Diego, this one day San Diego itinerary will help you to make the most of your time in this slice of paradise!
One Day in San Diego Itinerary
Stop 1: Visit Old Town San Diego
When you’re only in San Diego for the day, a good place to start your trip is in Old Town San Diego. This area of San Diego is the city’s original downtown and is still vibrant and exciting to visit today.
Old Town San Diego and the Old Town State Historic Park offer plenty of exciting things to do, from visiting specialty shops to eating delicious food in the restaurants here! If you’re interested in the food, you may also like to take a fun tour like the Old Town, Tequila, and Tortillas tour to try some of the best food on offer, or if you prefer to experience the sights by bus tour then you may also be interested in the Old Town Hop On Hop Off Bus.
Other exciting things to do include visiting some of the historical sites nearby, such as the Seeley Stable Museum, the first office of the San Diego Union Newspaper, and the Whaley House—considered one of the most haunted houses in the United States. What could be a better way to explore the city than by learning its history and tales first hand?
So when you’re in San Diego for a day, Old Town is a place you won’t want to miss! Be sure to stop by for part of the morning during your time in San Diego.
Stop 2: Explore Balboa Park
Any San Diego 1 day itinerary simply must include Balboa Park, a 1,200-acre urban cultural park and one of my favorite places in San Diego!
Balboa is an incredible place and you could really spend your whole day here. There are plenty of opportunities for hiking, going to museums and theaters, seeing beautiful gardens, and more. Of course, with only 1 day in San Diego, you won’t be able to do all of this…but hopefully you’ll be able to see a museum or garden or two before moving on to your next destination. (I especially recommend the Japanese Friendship Garden or the San Diego Air & Space Museum, but you can find a full list of museums and attractions here).
While Balboa Park is free to visit, most of the museums and gardens charge to enter. So if you plan to visit many of these and other attractions around San Diego, then you may wish to save up to 55% by purchasing a Go San Diego Card instead of paying for admission individually. But regardless, time spent at Balboa Park will be a highlight of your San Diego one day itinerary!
Stop 3: Enjoy La Jolla Cove and Shores
Your list of things to do in San Diego in one day wouldn’t be complete without the most San Diego activity of all—enjoying amazing beaches on a sunny day! And San Diego has plenty of amazing beaches to choose from.
If you’re trying to see the best of San Diego in a day, however, the beach you simply must visit is in La Jolla. Here you’ll find two main beach areas called La Jolla Cove and La Jolla Shores. The shores is more like your traditional, sandy California beach for surfing and playing in the sand…while the cove has a smaller sand area but is excellent for snorkeling and kayaking.
If you decide to visit the cove, you’ll definitely want to stop nearby to see the seal pups at the Children’s Pool (best during December-May), and may also be interested in an amazing kayaking tour of the sea caves here. If you visit the shores, taking a surfing lesson could be a really fun activity on your San Diego 1 day trip!
Stop 4: Eat Dinner at a Delicious San Diego Restaurant
When deciding what to do in San Diego in one day, you won’t want to miss trying some of the delicious food in the area! The San Diego food scene is simply unparalleled and you can find pretty much any food your heart desires.
That being said, there are a few restaurants I recommend when you’re visiting San Diego:
- Phil’s BBQ: This restaurant is a San Diego landmark, and with good reason. The food here is out of this world! If you decide to eat here at dinner time, be prepared for a long line out the door as locals and visitors alike wait to order their meals before taking a seat. While everything on the menu is tasty, my favorites here are the Baby Back Ribs and the El Toro Sandwich!
- The Fish Market: Looking for delicious seafood? The Fish Market is a perfect choice! The food is great and the restaurant sits right on the waterfront, so you’ll have gorgeous views over the ocean while you eat. While you can’t go wrong with any choice you make, some of my favorites I’ve enjoyed here include their New England Clam Chowder and Pacific Thresher Shark.
- C Level: C Level is another amazing waterfront dining option, although definitely a bit more on the pricey side. However, the food and atmosphere make it worth it! If you decide to eat here, be sure to try the Lobster & Fontina BLT Sandwich.
Stop 5: Watch Sunset at Sunset Cliffs
After a full day exploring the best things to see in San Diego in one day, there’s one more thing you won’t want to miss—seeing a San Diego sunset!
Sunsets here are some of the best in the world, and there are plenty of beautiful places to enjoy watching the sunset in this city. However, Sunset Cliffs is my absolute favorite place to watch the sunset in San Diego…so I highly recommend you make this your final stop of the day.
Sunset Cliffs is a beautiful area where you can sit on top of the cliffs overlooking the beach and watch as the water in front of you and the cliffs behind you all turn a glowing orange as the sun goes down.
Locals love to bring a blanket and have a picnic or do yoga while the sun sets over the ocean, so you can do the same or you can just enjoy wandering along the cliffs and watching the sunset. Either way, this will be the perfect ending to your day trip in San Diego!
Want to stay longer or want extra ideas of what to see in San Diego? Check out this two day San Diego itinerary!
Alternative San Diego Day Trip Ideas
While the above list is my recommended itinerary for your first day trip to San Diego, there are plenty of things to do in this city and you may be looking for alternatives to some of the activities mentioned above. If so, here are a few popular options that might be more to your taste!
Visit the San Diego Zoo
If you’re looking for more things to do in San Diego for a day, an option you might want to consider is a visit to the world-famous San Diego Zoo. It is located in the heart of the city right next to Balboa Park, so you could even squeeze it in with a quick stop by Balboa if you like.
The zoo is popular for a reason and has plenty to keep you occupied here for a full day or more. However, if you wish to spend only part of the day and then move on to other San Diego attractions then that is a possibility as well (although you may wish to purchase the Go San Diego Card in this case, as it is far more economical than purchasing a zoo ticket individually if you are visiting multiple attractions in one day).
See the Hotel del Coronado
Another idea of what to do in San Diego for one day is stopping by the Hotel del Coronado. The Hotel Del is one of San Diego’s landmark hotels and a true San Diego gem!
This hotel is a great San Diego tourist spot but locals love it as well, and it’s a wonderful place to get brunch or dinner or to simply stroll through and admire the elegant lobby. You may also enjoy the beautiful stretch of beach directly in front of the hotel.
But whether you simply stop by as you see San Diego in 1 day or if you decide to stay the night, the Hotel Del is a gorgeous place to wander and explore!
Explore the Gaslamp Quarter
My ideal what to see in San Diego in 1 day list includes lots of outdoors sights and what I believe are some of the prettiest city areas of San Diego, but for those who prefer being in the heart of downtown then a visit to the Gaslamp Quarter might be right up your alley.
The Gaslamp Quarter has a very lively evening scene, from lots of cool restaurants to plenty of areas to go clubbing (or simply to stick around after dinner for dancing and live music). If this sounds like something you would enjoy, then be sure to add this to your list of what to do with one day in San Diego!
Need more ideas of what to see in San Diego in one day? Check out this full bucket list!
San Diego One Day Trip Map
This map will help you navigate to the places on this San Diego one day tour itinerary. Main itinerary attractions are marked in magenta while additional attractions/substitutions are marked in gray.
How to Save Money on San Diego Sightseeing
When your list of what to do in San Diego for a day includes some of the top tourist spots, you know you’ll be spending money on entrance fees and activity costs. And you may spend quite a lot, especially when you’re trying to make the most of your time on a one day trip so you pack in a lot of activities into this short space of time!
But just because you want to see the best places in San Diego doesn’t mean your wallet has to suffer unduly. Fortunately, you can purchase a Go San Diego Card and save up to 55% off of what you’d spend if you paid for activities and entrance fees individually! This is what I recommend when you’re spending a day in San Diego.
You may have noted that throughout this itinerary I occasionally mentioned the Go San Diego Card, and this is because it’s a great way to save money on your one day San Diego trip. Some of the attractions you can use it on include entrance to museums in Balboa Park, visiting the San Diego Zoo, going snorkeling, surfing, whale watching, and more!
When you only have one day and are visiting as many places as you can in this time, you’ll find it’s a much better price to pay the flat fee for this card instead of paying separately each time you visit somewhere that charges an entrance fee. Be sure to check out all the options included with the Go San Diego Card so you can take advantage of all the activities it offers!
Purchase your Go San Diego Card now to save on your San Diego sightseeing costs!
Getting Around San Diego – Transport Options
If you’re wondering how to get around San Diego, then here are a few of the best options that you may want to consider during your one day in San Diego:
Car: If you have your own car with you (or a rental car) then this is an obvious way to get around. This is how I usually get around the city, but parking can be difficult in some places…especially on the weekends. So if you bring your own car, be prepared to spend some time looking for parking especially near the more crowded tourist spots in the city!
Circuit: Circuit (previously called FRED) is a free ride system throughout San Diego City and is one of my favorite modes of transportation when I don’t have my own car at hand. To take advantage of this transportation method, you simply download the free app and then can call over one of the many drivers throughout the city. They’ll show up in a cute little electronic vehicle and take you to the destination you’ve selected in the app. It’s easy, free, and fun…although tips are accepted and appreciated if you’d like to tip your driver!
Uber: Uber is always a great option when you don’t have your own transportation and need to get somewhere quickly, and this industry is certainly flourishing in San Diego. You’ve likely used Uber in other locations, and you’ll find it to be just as easy in San Diego.
Trolley: The San Diego trolley system is also a good method of transportation if you’d like to take public transportation during your time here. You can check out the trolley system and schedule here. Of course, with only one day in San Diego your time is limited…so you may wish to choose one of the faster methods of transportation listed above to save your precious time for sightseeing.
One Day in San Diego – Where to Stay the Night
If your day trip to San Diego doesn’t leave you with time to return home before the evening, then you may be wondering where to stay the night. There are plenty of spectacular hotels in San Diego, but here are a few of the best options:
- Hotel del Coronado – Luxury stay near the beach
- Hilton San Diego Mission Valley – Comfortable mid-range accommodation
- Pendry San Diego – Boutique hotel in Downtown San Diego
Read next: What to Pack for a Trip to San Diego
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