The Casa del Prado and lily pond in Balboa Park, San Diego

Things to do in Balboa Park San Diego

By <a href="#author-bio">Stuart Bak</a>
By Stuart Bak

San Diego’s Balboa Park is a huge tract of parkland located just north of Downtown. Sprawling across some 1,200 acres, it’s criss-crossed by several freeways and boasts dozens of attractive gardens, museums, galleries, theaters and other attractions as well as wild walking trails, stunning architecture and an assortment of cafés, bars and restaurants.

This massive urban playground could easily fill several days of sightseeing. Here are our top 10 picks for things to do in Balboa Park San Diego.

Go to the Zoo

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Covering around a twelfth of the entire Park, San Diego Zoo contains hundreds of species and thousands of animals and is one of the most visited zoos in the United States. Wander through the Lost Forest to spot the resident hippos, plus tigers, gorillas and more, and visit the Komodo Kingdom for your giant lizard fix. There are huge tropical aviaries, Arctic landscapes and – as the zoo is also a botanical garden – over 700,000 exotic plants to explore. Take the guided bus tour to get your bearings or hop on the Skyfari cable car for an amazing aerial view of the critters and vegetation below.

Admire the Architecture

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Many of Balboa Park’s buildings were designed for major Expos in the early 20th Century, which makes for a pretty diverse range of architectural styles. Stroll the broad El Prado boulevard to spot the Casa del Prado, a stunning Spanish-Colonial masterpiece with garlanded columns, shaded cloisters and tiled domes. And listen for the bell chiming every quarter hour from the lavish three-story tower of the California Building, with its colorful tiled dome and heady mix of Baroque, Churrigueresque, Rococo and Gothic styles.

See Some Fine Art

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The ornate Spanish Renaissance-style facade of San Diego Museum of Art is a masterpiece in itself and features within it three life-sized sculptures of Spanish Old Master painters Velázquez, Murillo and Zurbarán. Step inside to discover some of their finest pieces exhibited alongside other Spanish, European and American greats including Goya, El Greco, Klimt, Canaletto, Monet, Matisse and many more. The smaller Timken Museum nearby offers more of the same, while the Museum of Photographic Arts boasts a collection of thousands of fascinating images spanning the history of photography.

Explore the Japanese Friendship Garden

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Created to mark the harmonious relationship between San Diego and its sister city Yokohama, the Japanese Friendship Garden is 12 acres of pure zen, featuring tranquil koi ponds and waterfalls, a huge collection of bonsai trees and an extensive azalea and camellia garden filled with stunning white and pink blooms. Stroll the pathways to discover burbling water features and impressive statues cast in bronze, and visit in early March to see the cherry-blossom grove in all its spring finery.

Visit the San Diego Air & Space Museum

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Take a spin through the history of flight and space travel in this fantastic museum. Kids and aircraft enthusiasts will love to explore the many exhibits here, including Gumdrop, one of only 13 Apollo command modules on display anywhere in the world, and a faithful replica of the Spirit of St. Louis, the tiny plane flown solo from Long Island to Paris by Charles Lindbergh back in 1927. Other highlights include an amazing 4D cinema for fun, immersive flying experiences, and a model of the Montgolfier Brothers’s 18th-century hot-air balloon, the first ever to complete a successful manned flight.

Have a Picnic

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One of the best things you can do in Balboa Park is also one of the simplest: have a picnic! There are so many great spots to choose from in a green space this size but the east and west lawns of the Botanical Building are particularly picturesque, with views of the tranquil lily pond and lashings of sunshine. Note that, while alcohol is permitted here (and in a few other designated areas), glass is not, so remember to bring your Californian cabernet in a box and your San Diego craft beer in a can!

Take in a Show

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The Spreckels Organ Pavilion is a an elaborate confection in the Italian Renaissance style, with fine detailing that includes intricate leaves and seashells. It also happens to be home to the largest outdoor organ on the planet, so you just know you’re going to have to go along for a listen. Free organ recitals blast out from the pavilion every Sunday at 2PM, and there are evening concerts in the summer months. The nearby Old Globe is modelled on Shakespear’s London theater and puts on a busy program of plays and musicals throughout its summer and winter seasons.

Hike the Trails

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Balboa Park has a number of excellent trails designed for hiking, biking and even skating. These vary in length from a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it half mile to a strenuous seven, with designated routes signposted at five main gateway points. Hit the three-mile Park Boulevard trail for a laidback stroll around some of the park’s top attractions, or tackle a more challenging ramble on the 4.4-mile Golden Hill trail. This route takes intrepid explorers over slightly more rugged terrain and deep into the native habitat of the Florida and Switzer canyons, as well as including a pleasant stretch of oak and eucalyptus-shaded pathway along the park’s eastern edge.

Meet Prehistoric Monsters

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The San Diego Natural History Museum is a fab family attraction with four floors of exhibits including a giant replica mastodon, dinosaur fossils and an exhibition of over 200 skulls that run the gamut from tiny reptiles and amphibians up to giant pachyderms. There’s a big-screen theater showing natural history films and plenty of interactive fun for inquisitive kids, who can examine fossils using archaeological tools and visit scientists at work in the Demonstration Lab. The Backyard provides a fun zone for toddlers to explore the natural world through play.

Ride the Balboa Park Carousel

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A firm favorite among visitors to Balboa Park for over a century now, this charming merry-go-round provides good old-fashioned entertainment in spades. Still running like a well-oiled machine on its original engine, it features a menagerie of beautifully crafted beasts including horses, giraffes, cats, pigs, a lion and... a dragon. Saddle up and enjoy this delightful throwback to a more innocent era.

Save on things to do in Balboa Park San Diego

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Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Freelance travel writer

Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.

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Things to do in San Diego For Birthday

Planning to spend your birthday in San Diego? This party town has everything you need to make your special day go off with a bang. From paragliding off the cliffs at La Jolla to cocktails on Mission Beach and sailing into the sunset in San Diego Bay, we run down our 10 favorite things to do in San Diego for a birthday. Reach for the Sky Take flight over the Temecula Valley on a thrilling sunrise balloon ride. There are a number of companies such as Magical Adventures Balloon Rides operating up here, around 20 miles from downtown San Diego, with flights generally including 45-60 minutes in the air and a champagne toast to steady your nerves when you land. You’ll soar high over the Temecula wineries and, on clear days, enjoy far-reaching views across mountainous desert landscapes to the east, shimmering ocean vistas to the west and San Diego’s distant skyline in the south. As birthday experiences go, this one is pretty special. Meet the Locals Spend your special day with some of San Diego’s most special wildlife by renting a kayak at La Jolla Shores and paddling gently out into the San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park. This astonishing marine reserve is home to a dazzling array of sea critters. On a good day you might spot curious leopard sharks, sea turtles, stingrays and harbor seals swimming through the clear waters under your boat. Look out too for bright orange Garibaldi, the California state fish, no less. Afterwards, make for the nearby secret sea caves, many of which are only accessible by kayak. Have a Picnic in Balboa Park Is the sun shining? Well, of course it is: you’re in Southern California! Hit one of the local street markets for freshly baked breads, aromatic cheeses and – as it’s your birthday – as much homemade cake as you can possibly eat, then head over to Balboa Park for a lazy lunch with friends. Choose a wild spot along one of the many walking trails or pick a manicured lawn off the main El Prado drag. Alcohol is permitted in designated areas, but not in glass bottles, so make sure to think outside the (wine) box if you’re planning on celebrating with a drink. Catch a Game at Petco Park Head downtown to the East Village for all the thrills and spills of a Major League Baseball game on the San Diego Padres’ home turf. All you need to get into the spirit is a beer, a hot dog and, of course, a giant foam finger. The atmosphere at these games can be electric so it’s perfect for birthday fun, as well as being conveniently close to the Gaslamp Quarter’s fab nightlife. If baseball isn’t your bag, check listings for concerts at the stadium instead: Petco Park has hosted some of the biggest stars on the planet, including Madonna, Taylor Swift, Green Day and The Rolling Stones. Hit the Road Whether it’s your 21st, 40th or 99th, you can’t fail to be charmed by GoCar’s cute two-seater electric vehicles. Rent one of these brightly colored little beauties and hit the streets of San Diego for a self-guided narrated tour (yes, the car actually talks!) of the city’s best attractions. Cruise through the Gaslamp Quarter, take a spin round Balboa Park, park up for lunch in Little Italy and discover the city’s rich heritage in the Old Town. You can follow the car’s GPS route at your own pace, or go freestyle and check out hip neighborhoods like North Park and Hillcrest. Take a Leap of Faith There won't be many things to do on your birthday in San Diego that come close to the adrenaline rush of launching yourself from the cliffs at La Jolla. Brave souls can take tandem flights with expert paragliders at the Torrey Pines Gliderport, where colorful parachutes bob and weave through the air, gliding out elegantly over the ocean and along the sand-colored bluffs before riding the warm air currents back to terra firma. Keep your eyes peeled and you might even be lucky enough to spot seals and dolphins frolicking in the surf below. Get a Taste of the Good Stuff About an hour out of Downtown, Cali’s Temecula Valley is home to somewhere in the region of 40 (count ‘em) wineries, producing award-winning Chardonnay, Cab Sauv, Malbec, Riesling and more. Almost all of them offer tours and tastings and, as this is effectively an educational experience (right?), you can get tipsy in the California sunshine absolutely guilt-free, with the lush green vineyards stretching out before you as far as the eye can see. Head to Wilson Creek, Callaway and Vindemia for some of the finest vino-fueled views in the valley. Sip Birthday Cocktails by the Beach Take a spin on the century-old Giant Dipper rollercoaster at Belmont Park before moseying on over to Cannonball for some of the best cocktails on Mission Beach. Grab a table on the huge rooftop terrace and settle in for some top-drawer people-watching and expansive views of the beach and sea. There’s sushi and Pacific Rim dishes to snack on, but it's the drinks you came for, right? Get the party started with a rum-infused Mission Beach Mai Tai and keep it rolling with a punchy Cactus Cooler. Delicious. Sail into the Sunset SoCal sunsets are famously beautiful, with the sky putting on a cosmic show of fiery orange, bruised purple and flamingo pink as the sun disappears over the horizon. Grab your camera and set sail on an evening cruise of San Diego Bay, where you can expect impressive sunset views of the city skyline as well as attractions including the USS Midway Museum and curvaceous Coronado Bridge. Tours include dinner and drinks and a chance to wander the deck and spot seals and dolphins gliding silently alongside the boat. Have a Laugh! Head up to the La Jolla Comedy Store for big names and even bigger laughs at this San Diego outpost of the legendary LA club. Or spend an evening in the Gaslamp Quarter where atmospheric dive bars, hip microbreweries and rooftop cocktail joints go some way to demonstrating why this historic ‘hood is also the nightlife hub of the whole city. There’s great comedy to be found here, too. Try the open mic night at the American Comedy Company or lose all inhibition for the raucous sing-alongs and all-night danceathons that have made The Shout! House’s Dueling Pianos show one of San Diego’s best birthday nights out. Save on things to do on your birthday 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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Things to do Alone in San Diego

Solo travelers are in for a treat in San Diego, a vast playground of world-class museums, fine global cuisine, craft beer microbreweries and wonderful wildlife. Not to mention the dozens of beautiful beaches, canyons and coastal trails to explore around the city. Pack a map, some sunscreen and a sense of adventure and leap in to our pick of the 10 best things to do alone in San Diego. Sunbathe out Front of a San Diego Icon Affectionately known as ‘The Del’, Hotel del Coronado is a San Diego Institution that has been hosting major celebs, royals and politicians since Victorian times. Its distinctive conical turrets inspired the Emerald City in L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its said there’s even a resident spook stalking its grand corridors and halls. Throw down your towel on the hotel’s golden sands overlooking Point Loma and soak up some rays as the waves lap gently at the shore. Keep your eyes peeled for the local Sandcastle Man, a renowned sculpture artist who can often be found building his extraordinary masterpieces here on Coronado Beach. Go on a Gaslamp Quarter Walking Tour The Gaslamp Quarter walking tour takes place every Thursday at 1PM and is a great way to discover the history of this fascinating neighborhood – as well as making some new friends! You’ll visit many of the beautiful historic buildings on 5th Avenue, including the Louis Bank of Commerce, an impressive Baroque Revival confection with protruding turrets, and the Art Deco Yuma Building with its soaring twin spires. The tour also calls at the Gaslamp Museum inside downtown San Diego’s oldest surviving building. Here since the mid 19th Century, the Davis-Horton House also, of course, boasts its very own ghost. Sightsee by Segway Spread across a whopping 1,200 acres, Balboa Park has enough museums, gardens and hiking trails to exhaust even the fittest of walkers. Take the edge off by joining a Segway tour and zipping round some of the park’s top sights. You’ll get a chance to take selfies against a backdrop of glorious Spanish Colonial architecture along the stunning El Prado boulevard, as well as seeing artists at work in the Spanish Art Village. Other must-see sights on your tour include San Diego Zoo, the traditional century-old carousel, and the Air and Space Museum, its entrance flanked by supersonic Lockheed A-12 and Convair YF2Y-1 Sea Dart airplanes. Take a Hike Walking opportunities abound in San Diego, thanks to its varied landscape of canyons, cliffs and coastal trails. Strike out northeast of Downtown for the Mission Trails Regional Park, home of Cowles Mountain, the highest point in San Diego. Don’t let the word ‘mountain’ put you off though! The hike to the summit is a relatively easy 1.5 miles, making it a really popular route with walkers of all abilities and one of the best things to do alone in San Diego. The expansive 360-degree views across the city and San Diego County are more than worth the effort. Have Lunch in Little Italy You could spend weeks eating your way through San Diego’s wealth of great cuisines, from cute Tijuana-style taquerias to deli brunches and sizzling street food in the frequent neighborhood markets. Head downtown to Little Italy on market days to browse dozens of stalls selling art, flowers, local artisan jewelry and more before heading to India Street for the best pizza and pasta in town. Lively Sorrento and Isola serve up authentic Neapolitan-style thin and crispy pizza, while Civico 1845 is the place for traditional Calabrian favorites including pasta al forno and sweet cannoli. Hop on (and off) the Old Trolley Bus San Diego’s brightly colored green and orange trolley buses run a 25-mile loop around the city’s biggest attractions, with 12 stops along the way, including the Hotel del Coronado, Balboa Park, Little Italy, the Old Town, the Gaslamp Quarter and the harbor. An expert commentary provides the lowdown on San Diego, and you can hop on and off the trolley as you please along the route. It’s a great way for solo travelers to get to know the city. Stroll Across the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge Those with a head for heights will find much to enjoy on a wander across the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge, an impressive feat of 1912 engineering that spans the verdant Kate Sessions Canyon in Bankers Hill, just west of Balboa Park. The iconic landmark is beloved of San Diego locals and remarkably well concealed considering its 375-foot length. Enjoy commanding views across the canyon and brace yourself for a bit of a bumpy ride on windy days, when the bridge has been known to sway and shake. Steady shattered nerves with a beer in nearby Hillcrest’s brewpubs afterwards. Hit the Art Trail San Diego is chock-full of fab street murals. You need only take a short stroll through hip ‘hoods like North Park, Hillcrest and Ocean Beach to view great street art gratis. For public art on a truly grand scale, seek out La Jolla’s Stuart Collection, an assortment of larger-than-life sculptures dotted around the campus of the University of California in San Diego. Think giant teddy bears made out of boulders, a poetry-reciting tree and a cottage that teeters precariously atop a university building and you might start to get the general idea. Artists featured in the project include household names such as Robert Irwin and Ian Hamilton Finlay. Scare Yourself Silly Branded ‘the most haunted house in America’ by LIFE magazine, The Whaley House in San Diego’s Old Town is said to be built on the site of a former gallows. And its various inhabitants have certainly experienced their fair share of grisly deaths across the decades. Set your pulse racing on an evening ghost tour of the house if you dare. Or join a haunted bus tour of San Diego’s spookiest neighborhoods as your theatrical hosts regale you with bloodthirsty tales of former residents who have returned from the grave to stalk the city streets once more. See Whales and Dolphins If you’ve ever wanted to see majestic whales or sleek seals and dolphins up close, you’ve come to the right place! San Diego’s warm waters are prime territory for aquatic animals, with gray whales migrating to and from Mexico’s lagoons for calving season in winter and spring and blue whales often seen off the coast during summer and fall. Colonies of native harbor seals and pods of dolphins mean you rarely have to wait long before a sighting. Boat tours depart daily from Downtown and Mission Bay, with many guaranteeing a refund in the highly unlikely event you do fail to see anything. Save on things to do alone 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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Things to Do in San Diego in Winter 2018 - December & January Activities & More

Smaller crowds, more vivid sunsets, and temperate weather in the 60's and 70's make winter in San Diego one of the best times to visit the area. Although you’re unlikely to see any snow, there are lots of seasonal activities and fun things to do in December and beyond. Take advantage of thinning crowds and sightsee around San Diego at your own pace this winter. From amazing theme park attractions to low-key local fun, check out our list of popular things to do in San Diego in Winter, including some of the best holiday activities and attractions to help you plan the perfect winter itinerary. Save on Winter Attraction Admission Regular admission to a number of these attractions is included on the Go San Diego pass. Choose as you go from dozens of top attractions and save up to 55% on combined admission vs paying at the gate. See all available San Diego passes, attractions & prices. Please note, some of these special Winter events may be separately ticketed and not included on the Go San Diego pass, but lots of these great activities are! For more ideas, check out our Christmas in San Diego post - for more fun holiday-themed activity ideas. Holiday Snow Days & Winter Nights at LEGOLAND® California Where: LEGOLAND® California When: November to January The wintertime fun never stops at the Holiday Snow Days and Winter Nights of LEGOLAND® California with nightly snowfalls in Heartlake City, festive music, twinkling lights, seasonal live entertainment, a life-sized LEGO® Brick Santa, and more. There are tons of great kid-centric activities to celebrate the season, from building a LEGO snowman to gazing upon a massive LEGO Christmas tree. Snap a photo with a life-sized LEGO Santa and reindeer, and then stick around to enjoy the fantastic live entertainment and nightly fireworks. Especially for Kids’ New Year’s Eve, there are kids’ bands, party favors, fireworks and a 6pm giant brick drop! Getting in: LEGOLAND California tickets are included with the Go San Diego pass. SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration Where: SeaWorld San Diego When: November and December SeaWorld goes all out with SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration, filled with festive activities and fun things to do, transforming into a winter wonderland that sparkles with holiday cheer, excitement, and over 3 million beautiful lights. You'll get to meet Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and his friends in Rudolph's Christmastown, complete with a 40-foot Happiest Dancing Christmas Tree. You can also get your picture taken with Santa in his cottage and join the Elves Dance Party for a sing-a-long, watch the nightly lighting of the largest Christmas tree in Southern California, and watch a mesmerizing nativity show, O Wondrous Night. Be sure to bring layers--you might want to bundle up after taking a ride on the Journey to Atlantis if the weather is on the cooler side. Getting in: SeaWorld San Diego tickets are included with the Go San Diego pass and SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration activities are included with admission unless otherwise noted. Lunar New Year at SeaWorld San Diego When: January - February 2020 (yet to be announced) Celebrate Lunar New Year and the year of the rat at SeaWorld San Diego. Enjoy riveting performances from the Chinese Acrobats of Hebei inside Mission Bay Theater®. The sights and sounds of Asia come alive during this cultural celebration with Pan-Asian entertainment and food. Getting in: SeaWorld San Diego tickets are included with the Go San Diego pass and Lunar New Year activities are included with admission unless otherwise noted. Reuben H. Fleet Science Center Let the kids play scientist for a day with all the hands-on things to do and exhibits at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. Kids can examine images from the Hubble Telescope, build free form structures using wooden planks, explore the unseen world of cellular biology through the lens of a microscope, and more. Plus, “Kid City” features a part play area, part exhibit where younger kids can explore scientific concepts while staying entertained and interacting with other kids. Bonus: one IMAX movie is free with admission. Getting in: Reuben H. Fleet Science Center tickets are included with the Go San Diego pass. Air and Space Museum Explore all things aviation at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, from ancient aircraft designs to modern space-age flights. Wander through the World War galleries or experience the action firsthand in the FS2000 Two-Seat Flight Simulator. Don't miss the "Be The Astronaut" exhibit, where your kids can enjoy an interactive adventure of piloting a spaceship, launching a rocket, and steering a rover in space. Getting in: San Diego Air and Space Museum tickets are included with the Go San Diego pass and December Nights activities are included with admission unless otherwise noted. Museum of Photographic Arts Explore over 9,000 images from the 19th century to today through the lens of a trained eye at the Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA). The MOPA is dedicated to collecting, conserving, and portraying the art of photography in its entirety with exhibits featuring cultural, historical, and social issues. Getting in: Museum of Photographic Arts tickets are included with the Go San Diego pass and December Nights activities are included with admission, unless otherwise noted. Kayak, Bike, or Snorkel in La Jolla Head out to the seaside community of La Jolla, where a scenic sprawl of cliffs and sandy beaches await. Take your pick between biking along the beach town streets, snorkeling in La Jolla Cove, or Kayaking along the coast to get an up-close look at the famous sea lions sunbathing on La Jolla beach. Getting in: Kayak, Bike, and Snorkel Gear rentals are included with the Go San Diego pass. Watch a Winter Sunset  By Farwestern Photo by Gregg M. Erickson (Own work) [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons The winter months mean better sunsets. Make a point to watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean one evening when you're in San Diego--a must-see experience. Head to the Sunset Cliffs National Park for a pre-sunset walk along the coastline and one of the best views of the sunset, drive up to Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial to see the famous landmark and watch the sun set with a view of the San Diego skyline, or go out to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve for classic, oceanside sunset views. Remember to Save on Attraction Admission So there you have it. Our list of a few things to do in San Diego in the winter, including holiday events, other seasonal activities in December, January, and more. Remember, many of these options are included on the Go San Diego pass, where you can save up to 55% on combined admission vs paying at the gate. Please note, the Winter events taking place at some of these attractions may be separately ticketed and not included with the Go San Diego pass. We hope you plan to add a few of these fun options to your winter vacation itinerary.
Casey Makovich

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