So you’re visiting San Diego and you want to know all the best things to do and see while you’re here? You’ve come to the right place! I’ve lived in San Diego for 15+ years so I know a thing or two about all the best things to add to your San Diego bucket list.
This bucket list includes lots of activities in the city of San Diego, as well as some of the best activities from the surrounding San Diego County areas. From fun and unusual things to do and see, to outdoor parks and beaches to visit, to the best seasonal activities and the best food, this guide will help you make the most of your time in sunny San Diego!
Need help deciding what to pack for your California vacation? Check out this packing list!
Contents
Bucket List Activities to Do in San Diego
Here are a lot of fun activities and bucket list things to do in San Diego that you should definitely add to your list. Some are touristy, some are classic San Diego, and some are local and hidden gems!
1. Go Whale Watching
Going on a whale watching cruise is the perfect thing to do in San Diego! You can go whale watching during any time of year as there are different types of whales in this area in different seasons. California gray whale season starts in December and goes through April, while blue whale season starts around April/June and goes through September. There are great places to go whale watching in San Diego, or you can consider going whale watching in nearby Newport Beach as well.
2. Take a Hornblower Cruise
Hornblower Cruises are the classic San Diego cruise experience, so if you have the time and inclination this is a fun way to see part of San Diego by boat! You can take a one hour cruise, or enjoy a luxurious experience like a champagne brunch cruise or their classic Sights and Sips Sunset Cruise.
Click here to check out some of the Hornblower’s cruise offerings!
3. Visit the San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo is one of the most popular tourist attractions in San Diego. With all sorts of species from around the world (over 3,500 animals across 650 species!) and an ever-increasing focus on conservation efforts, this zoo is the perfect place to spend a day exploring and discovering the amazing diversity in the animal world.
Check out some of the best things to do at the San Diego Zoo or buy tickets now!
4. Go to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Like the San Diego Zoo, the Safari Park (formerly the Wild Animal Park, which many locals still call it) is a fun attraction for those interested in wildlife and wildlife conservation. The Safari Park has more open space than the Zoo, so there are different attractions you can go on where you may see animals in a larger environment (or they may be hiding if they feel like it) while you go on “safari” to see them. This is an excellent place to take kids (or adults) who may be interested in seeing animals and learning more about conservation efforts.
Click here to buy tickets to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park now!
5. See SeaWorld San Diego
SeaWorld is another popular attraction in San Diego, with all sorts of sea life and sea creatures to experience. They have educational shows as well as training sessions that the public can watch (of course, if the animals don’t want to do the show or training then they let them sit it out). It is also fun to watch the feeding times and simply get so see some of your favorite animals up close!
6. Explore Birch Aquarium
Birch Aquarium is the Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s aquarium and outreach center. When you visit, you’ll see over 5000 fish in 60+ habitats as well as getting an insight into the research Scripps Institution is doing at the University of California San Diego. This is an experience not to miss!
Purchase Skip the Line tickets for Birch Aquarium here!
7. Go to Legoland California
Legoland is an excellent attraction, especially if you are visiting San Diego with kids. They have fun rides to go on and some new interactive rides that will keep you laughing and having fun for hours! If you loved playing with Legos as a kid, this is the place to go…and if you have kids, it’s an even more essential stop during your time in San Diego!
Click here to buy Legoland California tickets now!
8. Visit Belmont Park
Belmont Park is San Diego’s very own beach-side amusement park. Most famous here is the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster, a wooden roller coaster that was designed in 1925 by the famous roller coaster designers Frank Prior and Frederick Church. If you just want to wander through the park, it is free to enter! So instead of paying one fee to get in you only pay to ride the specific attractions you choose.
9. See the Hotel del Coronado
The Hotel Del Coronado is a famous historic beachfront hotel, and is a treat to see! Upon its opening in 1888, it was the largest resort hotel in the world…and since those days it has hosted presidents, celebrities, and many famous people (including Thomas Edison, L. Frank Baum, Madonna, Brad Pitt and more).
Even if you aren’t staying at the Del, you should wander through the lobby and explore all the restaurant options connected with the hotel. Then spend the day at the luxurious beach right in front of the hotel! During good low tide conditions, you may also be able to spot the hidden sunken ship on the beach nearby.
Want to stay here for a night? Check the availability of the Del here!
10. Explore Old Town San Diego
This San Diego neighborhood is the birthplace of California as we know it today, as it is the site of the first Spanish settlement on the U.S. West Coast. There are beautiful gardens and specialty shops, authentic Mexican food and restaurants, and tons of historic sites here.
Be sure to also stop by the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park which is in the center of this neighborhood. There are fun living history programs and interesting sites to see that bring to mind how life would have been between 1821-1872!
If you’re interested, consider taking an Old Town Taco, Tequila, and Tortilla Tour!
11. Wander through Seaport Village
Seaport Village is the place to go for waterfront shopping and dining! There are more than 70 shops, galleries, and eateries to explore and it is a beautiful place to stroll or take pictures as well.
12. Visit the USS Midway Museum
The USS Midway museum is a museum housed on the longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century. The Midway missed participating in World War II by one week, but it did play key roles in the Cold War. It was a key aircraft carrier for other reasons as well, but you’ll just have to visit to find those out…alongside seeing all the other cool exhibits that show you all about aircraft carriers!
Get your Skip the Line USS Midway Museum tickets here!
13. See a Baseball Game at Petco Park
Petco Park is San Diego’s resident baseball park, home of the San Diego Padres. If you’re a sports fan, then this is an architecturally magnificent park that you must visit to watch a game!
Check out upcoming games and buy tickets here!
14. See the “Fallen Star” at UCSD
Am I really suggesting you go to a college campus on your San Diego vacation? Yes, yes I am. There is a really cool art installation at the University of California San Diego called the “Fallen Star.” It’s a small house attached to the top of Jacobs Hall by artist Do Ho Suh that looks like it’s been dropped from the sky and landed at an angle on the roof.
The installation is open for visitors, so you can see the growing garden and the fully furnished interior when you visit. It’s a little disorienting, but super cool…and you can rest assured that the house conforms to California earthquake codes so you will be perfectly safe.
15. Kayak the La Jolla Caves
There are plenty of amazing places to kayak in San Diego, but one especially bucket list worthy place is the La Jolla Caves. To get to the caves, you’ll travel through the La Jolla Ecological Reserve where you may see creatures such as leopard sharks, sea lions, and dolphins…and if the weather’s good, you should even be able to kayak through one of the caves!
Click here to purchase Kayak tour tickets now!
16. Explore Sunny Jim Cave
Sunny Jim cave is one of the La Jolla caves, but it is only accessible by land and not by sea. You pay to enter through an over 100-year-old tunnel from The Cave Store and then find your way down for a fun experience and some nice views through the cave’s opening onto the water!
17. Go Surfing
What’s more “California” than surfing? Not much at all. So if you’ve ever wanted to try surfing, now is the time while you’re in beautiful San Diego!
Take surf lessons while you’re here!
18. See the Palomar Observatory
Take the Highway to the Stars and visit Palomar Observatory during your time in San Diego. While this observatory is still a center of astronomical research, there is a nice museum you can visit that tells about the history of this site and you can also walk into the observing room to see the huge telescope inside and get a feel for what it would be like to work here and look at the stars every night! And bonus…this is free to visit!
19. Explore Eagle Mine (And Eat Pie!) in Julian
Julian is one of the cutest towns in San Diego County, so you won’t want to miss it! It’s an old mining town, so you can visit some of the old mines like Eagle Mine while you are there…and these days it’s also famous for its apple pie, so be sure to stop by the Julian Pie Company or Mom’s Pies for a slice!
20. See the La Jolla Murals
The murals of La Jolla are a project that started in 2010 to bring more beauty to the city. There are a lot of patterns and beautiful paintings to see, so grab a map and see if you can visit them all!
21. Visit the Chicano Park Murals
San Diego’s Chicano Park sits below a freeway interchange, and the vibrant and stunning murals you’ll see here will amaze you. The Chicano Park murals are the largest collection of outdoor murals in the country, so this is definitely a sight worth seeing!
22. Meet Camels at Oasis Camel Dairy
You can visit the camels of Oasis Camel Dairy on their farm open days or you can book a private tour through their website. This is a fascinating industry, and a great opportunity to meet some sweet camels and learn more about them!
23. Go on a Grunion Run
When I tell people about Grunion runs, they usually think I’m pulling their leg. But I’m not. This San Diego tradition involves going out on the beach in the middle of the night during the season when the small fish called Grunion come up on the beach. If you have your fishing license, you can even catch and eat them. But according to California laws, you can only take what you can catch by using your bare hands (no fishing gear allowed!)
It’s a fun experience whether you are catching them or just coming to observe, as the beaches are often filled with shiny, silvery fish that shimmer in the moonlight.
24. Cross the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge
The Spruce Street Suspension bridge is a hidden footbridge with gorgeous views of the valley below. It’s a little scary to walk across, but so worth it!
25. Play the 25th Street Musical Bridge
Artist Roman de Salvo had the idea to create a carillon out of the rails of the 25th Street Bridge, so when you hit the rails in order it plays a tune! The tune this one plays is called the Crab Carillon, which was written for this bridge by an SDSU music instructor. It plays the same tune no matter which direction you walk in. Be sure to bring something to hit the rails with as you walk so you can hear this tune in person!
26. Ride the Coronado Ferry
Although you can reach Coronado by car, it is a fun experience to take the ferry over instead. After all, in San Diego you’ve got to be on the water as much as possible! This is also the oldest working wood ferry in the US, so it’s a fun historical experience.
While you can purchase ferry tickets separately, you can also take a combined ferry and Coronado tour if you so wish!
27. Visit the California Wolf Center
The California Wolf Center helps wild wolves recover and then returns them to their natural habitat. If this sounds interesting to you, you can visit and take a tour and learn about their work! There is also a gift shop on site.
28. Explore Rancho Buena Vista Adobe
Rancho Buena Vista Adobe is a beautiful adobe house that was built in 1845. Today it is preserved and open to the public to tour! It is also used as an event venue, and hosts an art gallery, so there is plenty to do and see here!
29. Discover Rancho Guajome Adobe
Rancho Guajome Adobe was made a National Historic Landmark in 1970, and is an excellent and well-preserved example of late Spanish-Mexican colonial architecture from the 19th century. You can find it in Rancho Guajome Adobe County Park where you can spend the day exploring.
30. See a Horse Race at the Del Mar Racetrack
This thoroughbred horseracing track is an exciting place to go to watch races, including some major meets! There are stadium seats and track-side dining options as well, which makes for a fun time at the races.
31. Hear a Concert at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion
The Spreckels Organ Pavilion is in the middle of Balboa Park and is a fun place to go for free organ concerts. Concerts happen regularly on Sundays at 2pm and throughout the summer on Monday nights. There are also special days and times when concerts happen here, so keep an eye out if you want to find a good day to go!
32. Visit San Diego Farmers’ Markets
There are numerous farmers markets that happen in San Diego throughout the week, but the Little Italy Farmers’ Market, the Hillcrest Farmers’ Market, and the La Jolla Farmers’ Market are some of the most famous. You can browse to find delicious fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade items like jams or preserves, plus plenty of amazing food from local restaurants.
33. See a Show at the Old Globe Theatre
This is one of the best theaters and theater troupes in San Diego. They put on shows ranging from Shakespeare to classic musicals to modern shows, so if you are at all interested in the theater world this is a must to add to your San Diego bucket list.
Learn more about seeing a show at the Old Globe Theatre!
Parks, Preserves, and Beaches to Visit in San Diego
Here are the best outdoor spaces to visit while in San Diego—from parks and preserves, to beaches, to hikes!
34. Cabrillo National Monument
Cabrillo National Monument is a park with beautiful views of San Diego, lovely hikes, and stunning tide pools that you will certainly want to add to your San Diego bucket list. There is also the historic Old Point Loma lighthouse that you can explore during your visit. Cabrillo is part of the U.S. National Park system so you do have to pay to enter the park, but it is totally worth it to explore this gem!
35. Balboa Park
With 1,200 acres in the heart of downtown San Diego, Balboa Park is known as an “urban cultural park” and is the perfect place to spend a day. It is home to sixteen museums, many performing arts venues, and some lovely gardens and trails. This is also where you’ll find the San Diego Zoo. There are plenty of cool things to see to fill up a day of exploring both indoors and outdoors here!
36. La Jolla Cove
La Jolla Cove is a popular place to go snorkeling, kayaking, swimming, or scuba diving because it is rich in marine life (you can even take a combined kayak and snorkel tour!) It’s also a beautiful place to wander the picturesque town of La Jolla and see all the fancy shops.
37. Children’s Pool La Jolla
The Children’s Pool in La Jolla is a place where a concrete breakwater was constructed to allow children to swim in shallow water safely, but it wasn’t long before the seals took it over to use as a place to stay with their newborn pups. This has made the Children’s Pool a popular place to visit to see seals sunning themselves and enjoying playing in the water!
Learn more about the Children’s Pool and other places to see seals and sea lions in San Diego!
38. Sunset Cliffs
Sunset Cliffs is an excellent place (as its name suggests) to go for sunset. It’s also beautiful during the rest of the day too! You will frequently find people enjoying picnics or yoga on the top of the cliffs, while beach-goers enjoy the sand and waves below. There is also a secret sea cave nearby, but you’ll have to explore during a negative tide to find it for yourself!
Discover more great San Diego places to watch the sunset!
39. Presidio Park
The Presidio is a beautiful site in San Diego, as well as being a site of historical importance. It was the first permanent European settlement on the Pacific Coast and was the base of operations for the Spanish colonization of California (before this invasion, it was home to the Kumeyaay people). Included on the site is the Junipero Serra Museum where you can learn more about the history of this location and of San Diego.
40. Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Cuyamaca is a beautiful state park that includes several staples of San Diego hiking, such as Cuyamaca Peak and Stonewall Peak. There is also a fun area where you can see an old mine and explore a small mining museum. This is the perfect place to go hiking and exploring!
41. Cowles Mountain
Cowles Mountain is the highest point in the city of San Diego, and a popular urban hike no matter the time of day or time of week. It is a fairly easy hike which makes it a nice choice if you are looking for something short that will give you excellent views of the city. It’s particularly beautiful at sunset and as it starts to get dark so you can watch all the city lights blink on!
Check out more easy hikes in San Diego!
42. Torrey Pines State Reserve
Torrey Pines is one of my favorite places to go hiking near the ocean! There are a lot of hikes throughout the reserve, as well as a few trails that lead directly down to the beach so you can get the best of the hiking and beach-going worlds at the same time!
43. Torrey Pines Gliderport
Torrey Pines Gliderport is a fun place to go, whether or not you plan to go paragliding or hang gliding. The cliffs here make the gliding excellent, but it is also fun just to come and watch all the people swooping through the sky!
44. Mount Soledad
Mount Soledad is a nice place to hike, and is a prominent landmark in San Diego. You can spot it from far away because of the huge cross at the top of the mountain. This is part of a monument honoring American veterans…and you will also find plaques at the top that tell their stories. Come for the monument or come for the views of San Diego—either way, you won’t be disappointed!
45. Anza Borrego State Park
Anza Borrego State Park is a park in the desert where you can hike, camp, and explore. There are all sorts of amazing places to see, but some of the highlights are the slot canyon and the fun and quirky metal statues you can find throughout the park.
46. Potato Chip Rock
The Potato Chip Rock hike is an icon throughout San Diego. What is it? It’s a day hike out to Mount Woodson where there is a rock outcropping that looks super thin and like a potato chip! This is a fun place to take silly pictures, but is also a fascinating geologic formation to see up close.
Discover more amazing hikes in North County San Diego!
47. Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens
These meditation gardens are a beautiful place to go to visit a garden overlooking the ocean. There are plenty of beautiful plants, spots to sit and be quiet, as well as Koi ponds with enormous fish. If you’re looking for some peace and quiet, this is the perfect place to go!
48. Palomar Mountain State Park
Palomar Mountain State Park has a lot of gorgeous trails to explore across their 1,862 acres. There are also nice places to camp, plenty of scenic views, and a fishing pond. With so much to do, you will certainly never get bored here!
49. Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve
Elfin Forest is a nice place to go hiking, horse riding, or mountain biking…and is one of the best easy hiking spots in North County San Diego! There are 11 miles of trails to explore with nice picnic areas and scenic views too.
50. San Diego Botanic Garden
The San Diego Botanic Garden is the place to go if you want to explore 37 acres of rare and fascinating plants, such as bamboo groves, desert gardens, California native plants, Mediterranean landscapes, subtropical fruit gardens, and more! This used to be known as the Quail Botanical Gardens, but has since changed its name while remaining the botanic garden that San Diego natives know and love.
Seasonal San Diego Bucket List 2019
Here are some of the best activities and things to do and see in San Diego that require you to be here in a specific season.
Spring
51. Carlsbad Flower Fields
At the Carlsbad Flower Fields, you will find fifty acres of beautiful ranunculus. This is one of the top sights to see in San Diego in the spring, and many locals look forward to visiting here every year!
52. The Superbloom
On a year when California gets a lot of rain, wildflowers and poppies pop up across the hills and even in the desert. One of the best places to see the poppies is Lake Elsinore, while Anza Borrego State Park is the place to go for desert wildflowers!
53. Avocado Festival
Every April in Fallbrook is the annual Avocado Festival. Since avocados are grown locally here, this is a fun festival activity to participate in with a flea market section as well as some fun avocado themed things and avocado themed foods. The avocado fudge sells out quickly, so you’ll want to go early if you want to try it!
Summer
54. San Diego County Fair
In the summer, the San Diego County Fair comes to Del Mar. There are all sorts of usual fair activities to do, including animal showings, fair competitions, concerts, and more! This is an especially fun place to go with kids.
55. San Diego Comic Con
San Diego Comic Con is an iconic San Diego event. If you want to go, you have to purchase your tickets really far in advance. However, you are always welcome to join the crowds outside and see all the people dressed up in downtown San Diego without purchasing a ticket. It’s a really fun but really crowded time to be in the city!
56. Big Bay Boom on July 4th
Big Bay Boom is one of the best July 4th fireworks shows in San Diego. They set up fireworks all along the San Diego Bay, so you can see multiple groups of fireworks going off in one big show. This is definitely a spectacular sight and one not to miss!
Fall
57. Miramar Air Show
The Miramar Air Show is an annual show at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. It’s a three-day event and the largest military air show in the U.S. with over 700,000 people attending every year! The Blue Angels are definitely the highlight, but there are lots of other cool airplanes and shows to see too, so be sure to attend!
58. Bates Nut Farm
In the fall, Bates Nut Farm is the place to go for pumpkin patches and all the fun fall activities. This is the perfect place for a fall day out whether you are visiting with kids or on your own.
Winter
59. December Nights
December Nights is an annual holiday festival at Balboa Park where more than 350,000 attendees gather to enjoy food, entertainment, and other fun activities. This is a free event to attend and is a fun time to gather with locals and enjoy the holidays.
60. San Diego Bay Parade of lights
The Parade of Lights is a fun annual Christmas tradition put on by the San Diego boating community. People deck out their boats with Christmas lights and all sorts of holiday decorations, and then they parade through the bay for everyone to enjoy this Christmas boat parade!
61. Ice Skate at the Beach
Ice skating at the beach is one of the best San Diego Christmas traditions. Places like the Hotel del Coronado set up ice skating rinks and you can skate by the sea!
San Diego Bucket List Food
62. Phil’s BBQ
Phil’s BBQ is about as San Diego as you can get. With all sorts of delectable BBQ foods, you will leave feeling happy and full and ready to return to Phil’s again!
63. Grater Grilled Cheese
Grater Grilled Cheese is an amazing gourmet grilled cheese restaurant in San Diego. They have all sorts of fantastic grilled cheese and other cheese dish options, included lobster grilled cheese (which is my favorite!) and lobster mac and cheese.
64. Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream
Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream is a fun place to get ice cream, especially because they serve ice cream flights so you can try a lot of flavors in tiny cones. Make sure you bring a friend to help you eat all the ice cream!
65. Extraordinary Desserts
Extraordinary Desserts is well-known throughout San Diego for their beautiful and delicious gourmet desserts. You will want to try them all!
66. Salt and Straw
Although Salt and Straw is not an ice cream place that is native to San Diego, it is one of the best places to get ice cream here! The sea salt ice cream with caramel ribbons is one of the classic flavors, and is my personal favorite.
How to Save on Bucket List San Diego Adventures
While some of the bucket list activities above are free, many of them do cost to participate in. You can purchase individual tickets at the links I provided above, but if you plan to do many of the activities then it may actually be cheaper to buy a pass that will allow you to try any of them for one flat fee. This is especially true particularly if you only have a short time in San Diego, like one day or two days!
In cases like these where you hope to see a lot of attractions and do a lot of thigns that require spending money (like the San Diego Zoo, Balboa museums, kayaking, surfing, etc.) then the Go San Diego Card is a really good way to save money.
With this San Diego pass, you can buy an all-inclusive option (usually the best price) or can put together your own card with specific activities (usually more expensive unless you only have two or three things you want to do). With the all-inclusive pass, you can enter all sorts of San Diego attractions for one flat fee…and can even choose how many days you want the pass for. It’s a much better price than paying for everything individually especially when you’re doing it all over just a few days!
So I recommend doing some quick math on what activities you want to do and what they cost to help you figure out whether buying tickets individually is your best bet, or if buying a San Diego pass card is a more wallet-friendly choice.
Click here to buy the Go San Diego Card and start saving on San Diego attractions!
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