Guidebook for San Diego
Sightseeing
Old Town
Great shopping, historic buildings, fun things for kids to do.
A nice touristy place to explore in San Diego. There are some cute shops, and interesting street artists.
762 locals recommend
Seaport Village
849 W Harbor DrA nice touristy place to explore in San Diego. There are some cute shops, and interesting street artists.
Classic Southern California beach town. Lots of local shops, thrift stores, quaint downtown.
156 locals recommend
Encinitas
Classic Southern California beach town. Lots of local shops, thrift stores, quaint downtown.
The hippie, grungy beach of San Diego. Fun place to explore and go shopping.
775 locals recommend
Ocean Beach
1850 Ocean Front StThe hippie, grungy beach of San Diego. Fun place to explore and go shopping.
Gorgeous views from the cliffs here. Beach access is tricky, but there are stairwells scattered around. Be extremely cautious during high tide, when beach access will not be feasible. Watch the tides if you plan to go here.
579 locals recommend
Sunset Cliffs
Gorgeous views from the cliffs here. Beach access is tricky, but there are stairwells scattered around. Be extremely cautious during high tide, when beach access will not be feasible. Watch the tides if you plan to go here.
Upscale beach town of San Diego. Enjoy spectacular views going over the iconic Coronado Bridge. Take a ferry to downtown San Diego for fun.
486 locals recommend
Coronado Island
Upscale beach town of San Diego. Enjoy spectacular views going over the iconic Coronado Bridge. Take a ferry to downtown San Diego for fun.
Museums galore, historic San Diego buildings, right next to the famous San Diego Zoo.
3289 locals recommend
Balboa Park
Museums galore, historic San Diego buildings, right next to the famous San Diego Zoo.
Parks & Nature
Beautiful hiking trails which take you down to the beach. Unbelievable views. Great for sunrise or sunset.
1108 locals recommend
Torrey Pines State Reserve
12600 North Torrey Pines RoadBeautiful hiking trails which take you down to the beach. Unbelievable views. Great for sunrise or sunset.
National park with stunning views of the ocean, downtown San Diego, ships, etc. Tide pools are great when the tide is lower than 1'.
502 locals recommend
Cabrillo National Monument Visitor Center
1800 Cabrillo Memorial DrNational park with stunning views of the ocean, downtown San Diego, ships, etc. Tide pools are great when the tide is lower than 1'.
Hiking trail that is part of the greater Mission Trails Regional Park system. Access is free throughout the park. This trail is approximately 3 miles round trip with about 1000 foot elevation gain. It is crowded on the weekends.
314 locals recommend
Cowles Mountain
Cowles MountainHiking trail that is part of the greater Mission Trails Regional Park system. Access is free throughout the park. This trail is approximately 3 miles round trip with about 1000 foot elevation gain. It is crowded on the weekends.
The visitor's center is a great place to take kids. Lots of activities, and a beautiful view from the deck outside. There is a 1.5 mile loop around the visitor center that is perfect for families.
194 locals recommend
Mission Trails Regional Park
1 Father Junipero Serra TrailThe visitor's center is a great place to take kids. Lots of activities, and a beautiful view from the deck outside. There is a 1.5 mile loop around the visitor center that is perfect for families.
Iron Mountain Trailhead
14847-14909 CA-67Popular trail in San Diego county.
Food Scene
Pho Ca Dao Restaurant
5223 El Cajon BlvdGreat Vietnamese pho and other Vietnamese foods.
Mary's Donuts & Coffee
8959 Carlton Hills BlvdGreat, fresh donuts.
Tiramisu Trattoria
8273 La Mesa BlvdBest Italian food. The fettucini noodles are handmade.
Anny's Fine Burgers
9862 Mission Gorge RdDozens of gourmet burger options.
We love their sandwiches. Be sure to add avocado for an extra dose of flavor!
100 locals recommend
Blue Water Seafood Market & Grill
3667 India StWe love their sandwiches. Be sure to add avocado for an extra dose of flavor!
Phil's BBQ
3750 Sports Arena BlvdGreat BBQ. Can be very crowded on the weekends.
Barona Resort & Casino
1932 Wildcat Canyon RdGreat buffet and many international options for food.
Entertainment & Activities
This is a fund place for kids, and is affordable. Beautiful, modern building with lots of hands-on activities.
115 locals recommend
The New Children’s Museum
200 W Island AveThis is a fund place for kids, and is affordable. Beautiful, modern building with lots of hands-on activities.
LEGOLAND California
One Legoland DrFor the kids.
The most famous zoo in the US. Be sure to ride the Skyfari and take in the beautiful views of Balboa Park. Enclosures you must not miss: pandas, orangutans, polar bears, elephants, aviary, raptors. In the summer, the zoo is open until 9pm and it is beautifully lit up.
2510 locals recommend
San Diego Zoo
2920 Zoo DrThe most famous zoo in the US. Be sure to ride the Skyfari and take in the beautiful views of Balboa Park. Enclosures you must not miss: pandas, orangutans, polar bears, elephants, aviary, raptors. In the summer, the zoo is open until 9pm and it is beautifully lit up.