Things to do in San Diego in February

Temperature: 52-66°F • Average Rainfall: 7 days/month • Average Sunshine: 8 hours/day

So long as you’re not specifically in the market for tropical temperatures and a California tan, February is a great time to visit America’s Finest City. The weather at this time of year tends to the cool side of mild, with gentle breezes and the occasional burst of rain. That’s not to say there’s no sunshine to be had. Indeed, you’d be well-advised to pack sunscreen and shades alongside your pocket poncho and sweaters – those UV rays still pack a punch on clear, crisp February San Diego days.

Warmer weather is just round the corner, bringing with it spring breakers. And with spring breakers come higher hotel prices and busier attractions. But you can still bag a bargain in February, with plenty of low rates and lots of restaurant promotions designed to drum up business for the tail-end of the shoulder season. That’s good news for your wallet. Likewise, fewer visitors means shorter lines, so it’s a fine time to drop by some of San Diego’s most popular tourist hotspots, among them Legoland, SeaWorld and San Diego Zoo. A win-win, in other words.

If you are planning to check out San Diego’s sightseeing highlights while you’re in town (as well you should be), you can save up to 50% with a Go City San Diego pass. The pass includes entry to dozens of San Diego tours, activities and attractions, including Petco Park, SeaWorld, the USS Midway Museum, San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, and many more.

Sure, San Diego’s Chinatown ain’t the biggest on the planet, spanning a relatively meager eight blocks downtown. But, for such a (relatively) diminutive enclave, its annual lunar New Year celebrations still pack a mighty punch. Mosey on down to the Gaslamp Quarter for two days of family friendly fun, featuring all the entertainments you might reasonably expect from such an event. We’re talking vibrant lion and dragon dances, awesome martial arts demonstrations, traditional Chinese music, and sunset red-and-orange lanterns dancing on the breeze. Then, of course, there’s the food. Oh boy, the food. Are yourself with some chopsticks and follow your nose through great clouds of garlic-and-galangal-infused steam to stalls hawking the very best in authentic Chinese cuisine. Come hungry! 

Yet another fine reason to visit out of season, Museum Month sees some 50+ museums across San Diego slash their entry prices by half for the duration of February (yes, even on leap years). Here’s the deal: you pick up your pass in any public library in San Diego county from February 1. Then you – plus up to four guests – can access many of the city’s finest museums and attractions for 50% of the regular cost. Easy. And it ain't just any old museums either. We’re talking the absolute best, the big kahunas, the creme de la creme of San Diego's museums. To wit, regular participants include the San Diego Museum of Art, the Botanic Garden, Birch Aquarium at Scripps, the Natural History Museum, and Whaley House Museum. Fill your boots!

Any opportunity to eat, drink and be merry – then eat some more – should be embraced, and San Diego’s Mardi Gras celebrations are no exception. Head downtown to the Gaslamp Quarter for a carnival of dance, live music and flamboyant costumes on and around Shrove Tuesday. Be sure to fill up on Creole-spiced jambalaya and as many beignets as you can manage – these sugar-coated slabs of deep-fried deliciousness (basically a square, holeless doughnut) are a Mardi Gras staple, and you’ll need the energy for all that dancing! Missed the main event? Fear not: Mardi Gras celebrations run every weekend through February at SeaWorld San Diego.

Opportunities for wildlife-spotting abound in San Diego at this time of year. Come over all David Attenborough on a trip to Children’s Pool Beach in La Jolla, where it’s pupping season and dozens of adorable harbor-seal babies snuggle up to their mums on the sand. Or catch sight of migrating swallows, egrets, hawks and herons during what has become known as ‘the superbowl of birding’. Heck, you could even join a bird-spotting tour or workshop as part of the annual San Diego Bird Festival. February is also prime whale-watching season in San Diego, as tens of thousands of gray whales make for Baja’s warm breeding grounds. Join a guided boat tour (available on the Go City San Diego pass) to get up close and personal, or grab a picnic and a good pair of binoculars and head up to the cliffs along Point Loma for panoramic bird’s-eye views of the mass migration.

Bonus wildlife tip: Over-65s go free at San Diego Zoo Safari Park through February!

San Diego’s not short on romance: take your beau or belle on a sunset beach stroll, or spend a crisp February morning exploring the Japanese Friendship Garden together and you’ll soon see what we mean. But nothing gets the heart beating faster than, well, going for a run. Step forward the Coronado Valentine’s Day 10k, in which hopeless romantics can pledge their troth to fitness on a stunning route that weaves through Tidelands Park, under the Coronado Bay Bridge, along Glorietta Boulevard and back. Bib colors allow you to advertise your relationship status and, should 10k feel a little… energetic, there’s also a 5k and a one-mile fun run, costumes optional.