San Diego

Christmas in San Diego - Holiday Things to Do & Fun Seasonal Activities

A white Christmas sounds nice, but it may not necessarily be your thing.
By Katie Sagal

Why not opt for a temperate Christmas in a lovely city like San Diego? San Diego has plenty of wonderful activities and seasonal events to enjoy.

No matter who you’re spending the holidays with, San Diego has something for everyone. Not only are many of the most popular attractions still open, but many of them will host special seasonal events throughout the holiday season! If you’re traveling to Southern California this holiday season, check out our list of the top things to do for Christmas in San Diego including...

  • Jungle Bells at San Diego Zoo
  • LEGOLAND
  • SeaWorld
  • December Nights
  • And more!

Jungle Bells at the San Diego Zoo December, through to January each year

polar-bear-san-diego-zoo

If you needed another reason to visit San Diego Zoo, the #1 Zoo in the World, look no further: Jungle Bells returns! The Northern Frontier’s forest will transform into a Holiday Forest, complete with exquisitely decorated trees and lights strung in all directions. Catch a showing of Jingle Brass, a caroling group that will wow you with their jazz-inspired takes on classic Christmas music. In addition to festive animal feedings and talks, you’ll also get to enjoy musicians, dance performances, and a performance of “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Getting in: San Diego Zoo tickets are included in the Go San Diego pass.

San Diego Model Railroad Museum

Early December through early January; Exact dates TBD

The San Diego Model Railroad Museum puts on an array of different holiday celebrations, from a screening of a Christmas classic to a special display about the importance of toy trains during the season. On select dates, bring the kids to the museum for a showing of The Polar Express. Bring a blanket and pillow for the kids, then sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. For adults, they also host a fun “Ales and Rails” event, which combines beer tasting with an ugly Christmas sweater competition. Dates for the rest of their Christmas events are announced annually, so keep checking the San Diego Model Railroad Museum website for updates. Getting in: San Diego Model Railroad Museum tickets are included in the Go San Diego pass.

LEGOLAND® Holidays

November - December

Photo by LEGOLAND® California

Come to LEGOLAND® California Resort to celebrate your favorite holiday with your favorite toys. Enjoy character meet and greets at the new LEGO® Holiday Village. Meet LEGO® Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, elves, and more. Marvel at the world's largest LEGO® Christmas tree, bedecked with over 400 LEGO ornaments and more than 11,000 LED lights. It's the perfect place to pose for your family's holiday card. There will also be holiday performances, shows, and even a Cookie Decorating Workshop. LEGOLAND Holidays will take place between November and December. Getting in: LEGOLAND California tickets are included in the Go San Diego pass.

SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration

Mid-November through early January;

christmas-tree-beautiful-light-bokeh

For something that will make your kids’ holiday experiences truly special, head to SeaWorld San Diego. Their Christmas Celebration is among the best and brightest in the region, offering seasonal food and drink, festive shopping, live performances, and much more. Visitors will also be delighted to meet Rudolph and friends, soak up the beauty of illuminated trees, and find that perfect gift for a loved one. Each year brings a new Nativity show with a unique theme and special one-off events and performances. SeaWorld San Diego's Christmas Celebration will take place from November to December. Getting in: SeaWorld San Diego tickets are included in the Go San Diego pass.

December Nights at the San Diego Museum of Art

December

san-diego-museum-art-balboa-park

Following the Balboa Park December Nights, the park's resident art museum hosts holiday-themed celebrations as well. The San Diego Museum of Art weaves the best and brightest of the holidays in with their impressive artistic offerings. For both days, the museum will close during normal operating hours and will open at 5 PM to celebrate the long-standing tradition with special galleries, concerts, and holiday treats. Hear the La Jolla Renaissance Singers, check out the intricately designed Nativity Scene, and explore the Hibben Gallery. If you're looking to make an entire day of exploring Balboa Park, be sure to check out other top local museums and attractions during Balboa Park December Nights. More on that below! Getting in: San Diego Museum of Art tickets are included in the Go San Diego pass.

December Nights at Balboa Park

December

water-fountain-balboa-park-christmas

Head to the famous park for the 42nd celebration of December Nights, held every year on the first Friday & Saturday of December. It's the largest free holiday festival in San Diego. Enjoy gorgeous light displays, a decadently decorated Christmas Tree as the centerpiece, and plenty of fun-filled attractions. There will be performances, like a rendition of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, local-made crafts and gifts to choose from, and plenty more to get you into the holiday spirit. Getting in: December Nights at Balboa Park is free and open to the public.

Polar Bear Tea at the Hotel Del Coronado

Pre Christmas in December

famous-hotel-del-coronado

This is a unique experience the kids will never forget. Hop aboard the ferry out to Coronado and enjoy a charming Polar Bear Tea at the historic Hotel Del Coronado. The Polar Bear Tea is especially for kids, with festive activities and readings with Mrs. Claus. Plus, if you bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to a child in need, you’ll be able to go home with a polar bear plush! Looking to explore more of this historic little island? Check out the Coronado Museum of History and Art to learn more about the heritage and culture of this standout vacation spot in San Diego. Getting in: Polar Bear Tea at the Hotel Del Coronado is not included with the Go San Diego pass and tickets must be purchased separately.

Save on Holiday Attraction Admission

So here’s our brief list of the top things to do in San Diego during Christmastime and the holidays. Remember, many of these options are included with Go City! 

Please note, that the Christmas events taking place at some of these attractions may be separately ticketed and not included on a pass. We hope you’ll consider adding an idea or two from this list to your holiday itinerary.

Happy Holidays from Go City!

Katie Sagal
Go City Travel Expert

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Parasailing off the cliffs of La Jolla, San Diego
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Adventurous Things to do in San Diego

San Diego is an adrenaline fiend’s playground, a sprawling city of beaches, cliffs, canyons and theme parks that promise all manner of thrills, from century-old wooden rollercoaster rides to paragliding from the bluffs high above La Jolla’s pristine sands. Brace yourself for our pick of the 10 most adventurous things to do in San Diego... Kayak Through the Sea Caves Set sail from La Jolla Shores and paddle your way gently across the San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park, an astonishing marine reserve with gin-clear waters where you might spot friendly leopard sharks, stingrays, sea turtles, harbor seals and bright orange Garibaldi fish darting under your boat. You’ll soon reach the seven secret sea caves at La Jolla Cove. Steer your kayak inside to follow in the footsteps (boatsteps?) of smugglers who snuck alcohol and opium into San Diego via these same secret passageways during the Prohibition era. Kayaks are available for rent at La Jolla Shores. Ride a 100-Year-Old Rollercoaster Expect thrills galore with a healthy dollop of nostalgia at Belmont Park, an oceanfront fairground that’s been operating at San Diego's Mission Beach since 1925. Amid ultra-modern scream machines that perform high-speed vertical drops and stomach-flipping somersaults you’ll find more sedate old-fashioned amusements such as mini golf, bumper cars and an aerial assault course. The Giant Dipper rollercoaster is the undisputed jewel in the park’s crown. Here since the park opened, this traditional wooden construction provides rickety thrills aplenty along its 2,800 feet of track. Hop aboard, if you’re brave enough. Hit the Surf San Diego’s gentle rolling waves make for ideal surfing conditions, attracting thousands of surfers to its shores every year. Hire a board to give it a go yourself. Sheltered areas at La Jolla Shores and Pacific Beach are particularly forgiving for newbies, and your inevitable first wipeout should be considered a rite of passage. But, if a mouthful of sand and seawater is enough to confirm that surfing isn’t for you, look on the bright side: you can always plonk your board upright in the sand and use it as a sunshade while you admire the views. Brave California’s Longest Zipline Thrillseekers rejoice! For here’s an extreme sport that will really get the adrenaline pumping. Set in an Indian reservation north of the city in the verdant Pauma Valley, the La Jolla Zip Zoom boasts the longest zipline in California. Here, brave souls can soar high over canyons, forest canopies and the San Luis Rey River at speeds reaching up to 50mph. There’s over 6,000 feet of ziplines to whiz down across the whole reservation, with the longest a whopping 2,500 feet. Not for the faint of heart. Lace up your Boots San Diego’s unique landscape makes for some excellent walking opportunities. Hit the hiking trail through Torrey Pines Nature Reserve, 2,000 acres of rugged cliffs and wild plateaus named for the endangered Torrey pine, which is unique to this reserve. You’ll also find colorful wildflowers, towering cacti and monolithic rock formations; maybe even the occasional cheeky raccoon or lizard. Head to Yucca Point Overlook for fine views across the La Jolla bluffs to the golden beaches and shimmering ocean below. There are also guided tours available at Mission Trails Regional Park and Tecolote Canyon. Rent a Jet Ski Do you feel the need... the need for speed? Tear up the waters of San Diego Bay on a Yamaha Waverunner jet ski ride against the picturesque backdrop of the Downtown skyline. These streamlined dream machines can reach speeds of up to 65mph so you can visit bay attractions including the USS Midway aircraft carrier, Shelter Island and the curvaceous Coronado Bridge in no time at all. Keep your eyes peeled for playful seals and dolphins frolicking in the surf and maybe even racing alongside you! Leap off La Jolla’s Cliffs San Diego activities don’t come much more adventurous than leaping into the unknown on a paragliding experience from the cliffs at Torrey Pines. Take a tandem ride from the Gliderport here and let your expert guide do all the hard work while you admire sweeping views of the coastal bluffs and spot leopard sharks cruising the clear waters below. Top tip: paragliding is also a mesmerizing spectator sport, so those without a head for heights can simply bring along a picnic and enjoy the colorful spectacle from terra firma. Have a Whale of a Time San Diego is prime whale-watching territory, with majestic blue whales often spotted off the coast in summer and fall, and gray whales migrating to and from the warm lagoons of Baja en masse for calving season in winter and spring. Get up close to these magnificent creatures on a boat tour. If you’re lucky you might even spot a mother swimming with her calf, or get close enough to feel the sea spray from a blowhole or disappearing tail fin. Dozens of trips depart daily from Downtown and Mission Bay, with many guaranteeing a refund if you fail to see anything. Sample Unusual Beers San Diego is the craft beer capital of the USA, with dozens of microbreweries concocting weird and wonderful beverages for your delectation, and taprooms on nearly every street corner. It would be simply remiss not to sample a few while you’re here. Head to Hillcrest Brewing for unusual brews including Crotch Rocket Irish Style Red Ale and Banana Hammock Scotch Ale. And stagger on down to North Park for a punchy, hazy Technomancer at Modern Times’ taproom, known locally as ‘the Flavordome’. Major beer festivals hit town in June, October and November, when sampling the gamut of beers, from stouts to sours and frothy IPAs to flavored brews, is positively encouraged. Go Ghost-Hunting Here’s a way to increase your heart rate without going to the extreme lengths of e.g. jumping off a cliff strapped to a man with a big parachute. Once described by LIFE magazine as ‘the most haunted house in America’, The Whaley House in San Diego’s Old Town has seen its fair share of grisly deaths over the years and was reputedly built on the site of a former gallows. Eek. Scare yourself silly on one of the museum’s spooky evening tours – if you dare. Save on adventurous things to do in San Diego Save on admission to San Diego attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Sunrise over San Diego Bay
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Things to do in San Diego in the Morning

San Diego’s coastal SoCal location makes for delightful mornings spent catching spectacular sunrises, tidepooling along the shoreline, saying hey to the local wildlife, and generally soaking up the dawn beach vibes. Read on for our pick of some of the best things to do in San Diego in the morning.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Woman viewing art in a gallery
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Best Museums in San Diego

San Diego’s exhilarating cocktail of Spanish, Mexican and American influences make for some eye-poppingly wonderful cultural experiences across the city. Not least in Balboa Park, a vast green space just north of Downtown, where the heady mix of architecturally surprising buildings house several of the region's finest museums and art galleries. There’s more than enough here and around town to keep everyone – from excitable toddlers to the most jaded culture seeker – entertained for days. Maybe even weeks! Here’s our countdown of the 10 best museums in San Diego. San Diego Museum of Art The cathedral-like facade of the region’s largest art museum cuts a striking dash even on Balboa Park’s El Prado boulevard, where nearly every building is an architectural masterclass. A grandly ornamented door leads you beneath imposing statues of Velázquez, Murillo, and Zurbarán and into this huge, well-lit space, where works by these Spanish masters and others including Goya and El Greco dominate. The collection is supported by pieces from America, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Browse Japanese woodblock art, Buddhist sculpture and an impressive collection of German Expressionist works as well as big names including Canaletto, Monet, O’Keeffe and Tamayo. And be sure not to miss Bosch’s typically disturbing The Arrest of Christ and Renoir’s beguiling Woman Combing Her Hair while you’re here. USS Midway Museum The United States' longest-serving 20th-century aircraft carrier is honored at the USS Midway Museum. You can’t miss this vast vessel: now permanently docked downtown at Navy Pier, it was once the largest ship in the world. The museum is a thrill-a-minute for Top Gun fans, with oodles of flying machines to ogle, including an F9F-P Cougar from the Korean War and a WWII SDB Dauntless dive bomber. You can even play captain up on the bridge and do your best Tom Cruise impression inside an airplane cockpit. But if it’s boats that, um, float your boat then there’s no reason you can’t fit the USS Midway Museum and the nearby Maritime Museum of San Diego on the same day, with a bit of military precision. Grab lunch at nearby Seaport Village or Little Italy to keep your sightseeing strength up. Fleet Science Center All terracotta roof tiles, ornate balconies and arches running the length of its sand-colored facade, the Fleet Science Center looks like for all the world like a royal Spanish villa has been air-dropped into Balboa Park, extravagant water fountain and all. Inside, there are stacks of interactive exhibits designed to entertain both kids and grown-ups. Find out why toast always seems to land butter-side down, become a human battery, experience a thrilling virtual reality spacewalk at the International Space Station and take an immersive journey through the natural world in the IMAX cinema. Little ones will love Kid City, where cranes, carts and conveyor belts make for hours of hands-on fun. Gaslamp Museum Built in the traditional ‘saltbox’ style – traditional, that is, to Portland, Maine – downtown San Diego’s oldest surviving structure was actually built hundreds of miles away before being dismantled and shipped here way back in the mid 18th Century. Step inside the (reassembled) timber-framed building to enter a frozen-in-time snapshot of the Victorian era. Wander rooms filled with period furniture and other ephemera of the time and learn about former inhabitants including ‘father of San Diego’ Alonzo Horton. You may even, if you’re lucky, run into the Gaslamp Museum’s resident ghost. Boo! Air and Space Museum The supersonic Lockheed A-12 and Convair YF2Y-1 Sea Dart airplanes that flank the entrance to Balboa Park’s Air and Space Museum will give you some idea of what to expect inside. Aircraft enthusiasts will once again be in seventh heaven: here’s where to see exhibits from the great and good of air and space exploration, including artifacts from the Wright Brothers, Amelia Earhart and Buzz Aldrin. Check out the faithful replica of Charles Lindbergh’s tiny Spirit of St. Louis plane, which he flew solo from Long Island to Paris in 1927. And see Gumdrop, one of only 13 Apollo command modules on display anywhere in the world. The museum also boasts interactive exhibits galore, including an immersive 4D cinema, flight simulators and a Kids’ Aviation Action Hangar with cute little pedal planes. New Children’s Museum Kids will have their tiny minds blown by this excellent downtown museum that’s chock-full of entertaining activities and interactive exhibits. Each little room here is themed, with ever-changing installations keeping things fresh year-round. Expect colorful murals, mind-bending puzzles and a mini theater with dress-up materials for budding young thespians. There’s even a giant woven hammock that kids can climb into and explore, as well as workshops where little hands are kept busy with clay, paints, stencils and other artistic bits and bobs. Museum of Us As if Balboa Park’s highly decorative California Quadrangle buildings aren’t testament enough to humanity’s skills, ingenuity and artistry alone, inside is where you’ll find the Museum of Us. Exhibits in this fascinating anthropological journey through human evolution explore everything from cannibalism to the ancient (and somewhat more palatable) art of beer-making, a nod to San Diego’s status as the capital of US craft brewing. Learn about what makes people unique as well as the ties that bind us all together. And, while you’re here, be sure to climb the iconic California Tower for sweeping views across the park and beyond. Birch Aquarium at Scripps Perched on a hilltop in the delightful La Jolla district around 12 miles north of downtown, the Birch Aquarium is an excellent low-key alternative to SeaWorld San Diego in Mission Bay; we recommend visiting on a day trip to La Jolla’s fine sandy beaches. See if you can spot the elusive giant Pacific octopus and rescued loggerhead turtle in the Hall of Fishes, and come face to face with spotted leopard sharks at Shark Shores. Kids will love exploring Tidepool Plaza and getting hands-on with the sea anemones, hermit crabs, sea cucumbers, lobsters and various other critters in the living tidepools here. San Diego Natural History Museum This fab family attraction in Balboa Park features all manner of prehistoric monsters and other wild beasts across four floors. Meet the museum’s giant replica mastodon, examine dozens of dinosaur fossils and check out the bizarre collection of animal skulls – many from the San Diego region – from tiny reptiles to towering pachyderms. Kids can study fossils up close using real archaeological equipment and get answers to their most burning questions about the natural world from scientists in the Demonstration Lab. Museum of Photographic Arts This collection of fascinating images spans the entire history of photography. Its thousands of photographic and filmed images allow for a wide range of rotating exhibitions, and are supplemented by touring shows by photographers from around the world. There's also a range of events and workshops available to help bring out the best in your selfie skills and really make your Instagram sparkle. Why not start by snapping the museum building, another visually stunning Spanish Colonial Revival confection in (where else) Balboa Park? Save on the best museums in San Diego Save on admission to San Diego attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

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