10+ Things to Do in Downtown San Diego During Your Vacation

By Katie Sagal

While most tourists focus their San Diego explorations on Balboa Park, there is so much to see and do in the downtown area that it would be a shame to skip it. In fact, you can make an entire trip out of roaming Downtown San Diego alone! From top-notch museums to exhilarating whale watches to historic homes, you can find it all in this exciting neighborhood. So, if you’re looking for things to do downtown during your trip to San Diego, check out our list of the best local activities and attractions, including...

  • USS Midway Museum
  • Whale Watch
  • Harbor Cruise
  • PETCO Park Tour
  • Museum of Contemporary Art
  • And more!

Save on Downtown San Diego Attraction Admission

Admission to many of these top San Diego attractions and activities and more are included on the Go San Diego® Card. Choose as you go from dozens of top attractions and save up to 50% on combined admission vs. paying at the gate. See all available passes, attractions & prices – Learn more.

Things to Do in Downtown San DiegoUSS Midway Museum

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Visit the twentieth century’s longest-serving aircraft carrier (in operation for over 50 years!) and explore its many depths. From crew quarters to the flight control deck and beyond, there are plenty of nooks and crannies to explore aboard this 74,000-ton ship. It’s also a great chance to enjoy the scenic San Diego coastline! Getting In: USS Midway Museum tickets are included on the Go San Diego® Card.

Harbor Cruise by Hornblower Cruises

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Enjoy a one-hour tour of the lovely San Diego Harbor and see all the top waterfront sights. Choose from a North or South Harbor tour; either way you’re guaranteed to soak up all the best historic, cultural, and natural landmarks along the way. With San Diego’s significant maritime heritage and the invaluable role it has played in times of peace and conflict, a tour like this is a great opportunity to explore an important harbor. Plus, it's fun to get out on the water and see San Diego's skyline from the bay. Getting In: San Diego Harbor Cruise tickets are included on the Go San Diego® Card.

Whale Watch by Hornblower Cruises

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Set out for the open ocean on this 3.5-hour excursion to seek out some of the world’s largest and most majestic creatures. Keep an eye out for grey whales, which migrate from Alaska to Baja California during the winter months in massive numbers. You’ll also likely see a number of other ocean critters, like seabirds, dolphins, seals, and sea lions. Getting In: Whale Watching San Diego tickets are included on the Go San Diego® Card.

PETCO Park Tour

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This interactive guided tour showcases one of the most popular destinations in all of San Diego: PETCO Park, home of the beloved San Diego Padres baseball team. Explore the major sites of the park, including the press box, the dugout, luxury suites, and more. Don’t forget to marvel at the palm trees and sandy stretches that surround the park – truly a SoCal attraction. Getting In: PETCO Park Tour tickets are included with the Go San Diego® Card. Tickets to San Diego Padres games are separately ticketed and are not included.

GoCar Tours

Hop aboard the world’s first GPS-guided storytelling car for a ride you’ll never forget. Explore San Diego’s top downtown sites with informative, guided narration that stops and starts when you do. Ride the entire half hour straight through for uninterrupted narration, or pause where you like to explore a bit and resume when you get back in. Either way, it’s bound to be a blast! Getting In: San Diego GoCar Tours are included on the Go San Diego® Card.

The New Children’s Museum

 

Thoroughly interactive and delightfully entertaining, the New Children’s Museum is also one of the best educational experiences for kids in the entire city. They can explore interactive and passive exhibits, get their hands dirty with arts and crafts activities, and engage their minds with demonstrations and activities. A visit here is a valuable opportunity for them to learn and play at the same time. Getting In: New Children’s Museum tickets are included with the Go San Diego® Card.

Museum of Contemporary Art

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With more than 4,000 works of art created since 1950, this museum is one of the foremost collectors of modern and contemporary art in the region. Their collections span the gamut from new up-and-comers to world-famous established artists, keeping tabs on the latest developments in the modern art world. You’ll see everything from painting to performance art here. Getting In: Museum of Contemporary Art tickets are included with the Go San Diego® Card.

William Heath Davis House

 

There's no better way to explore Downtown San Diego than to visit the one-time residence of William Heath Davis, the first person who attempted to build a Downtown San Diego. Built by Davis in 1850, this historic home is the oldest building in downtown San Diego. It’s been home to a number of famous people and has seen many of the most important historical events in the development of San Diego. Each room is decorated to represent a different era in the house’s history, so a visit here is truly a walk back in time. Getting In: William Heath Davis House tickets are included with the Go San Diego® Card.

Seaport Village

One of the most popular places to for locals and visitors alike to explore, Seaport Village is a bustling area filled with shops, restaurants, fountains, ponds, and more. It’s a great place to souvenir shop, dine, and just relax and people watch. Spend an hour or so here in the afternoon, or come for an evening waterfront stroll. Getting In: Admission to Seaport Village is free.

Maritime Museum of San Diego

 

This is a great companion attraction to the USS Midway Museum. Located right nearby, the Maritime Museum of San Diego is dedicated to exploring the city’s impressive naval history and the history of the world’s maritime endeavors through the restoration of historic ships. Board beautifully restored historic ships, attend special events, and enjoy interactive exhibits. This is a truly unique thing to do in Downtown San Diego! Getting In: Admission to the Maritime Museum of San Diego is separately ticketed and not included on the Go San Diego® Card. To purchase tickets and for more information about this attraction, please visit the attraction website.

The Gaslamp Quarter

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This cultural hotspot is also a historic neighborhood in San Diego, and is a delightful place to explore for a variety of reasons. Whether you want to boutique shop and look at historic homes and landmarks during the day, or dine, dance, and party at night, there’s something in the Gaslamp Quarter to suit every interest. Getting In: Access to the Gaslamp Quarter is free.

Remember to Save on Attraction Admission

There you have it - a few great recommendations for things in downtown San Diego. Don’t forget -- many of these fun attraction options and more are included on the Go San Diego® Card, where you can save up to 50% on combined admission vs. paying at the gate. We hope you consider adding a few of these great options to your San Diego vacation plans.

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9+ Things to Do in San Diego Besides SeaWorld

San Diego is a fun-filled vacation destination with everything from popular theme parks to world-class museums, surfing, shopping, and more. So if you're looking for things to do in San Diego besides SeaWorld, there are plenty of options. We put together a list of our top recommendations for attractions, museums, cruises, activities, and other recommended things to do in San Diego besides SeaWorld, including: LEGOLAND® California Belmont Park San Diego Zoo San Diego Natural History Museum San Diego Air & Space Museum San Diego Zoo Safari Park USS Midway Coronado Island Bike Rental & More Save on Admission to Popular Attractions Regular admission to a number of these attractions are included on the Go San Diego Card. Choose as you go from dozens of San Diego attractions & activities and save up to 55% off combined admission vs paying at the gate. See all available passes and San Diego attractions – Learn more. Please note, some of these special July and 4th of July weekend events may be separately ticketed and not included on the Go San Diego Card. San Diego Air & Space Museum San Diego Air & Space Museum gives visitors an overview of the important and strategic role San Diego has played in naval aviation. You'll also get to explore topics like space exploration and modern aviation with hands-on exhibits. Learn about the first hot air balloon ride in 1783, see the Navy F6F Hellcat, A-4 Skyhawk jet, Wright EX Vin Fiz, the Apollo XI Space Pen, and more. Getting In: San Diego Air & Space Museum tickets are included on the Go San Diego Card. San Diego Safari Park If you love animals, be sure to check out the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. San Diego Zoo Safari Park features large animal enclosures where visitors can observe animals roaming, running, jumping, flying, and more. Special exhibits, shows, demonstrations, and interactive experiences take place throughout the day, so be sure to check the park's schedule before planning your day. Your San Diego Zoo Safari Park tickets include admission to all general exhibits, a ride on the Africa Tram Safari, viewing of the Cheetah Run, and all regularly scheduled keeper talks and shows. Getting In: San Diego Zoo Safari Park tickets are included on the Go San Diego Card. La Jolla Beaches After visiting the Birch Aquarium, make the most of your time in La Jolla and check out its picturesque beaches. Go for a swim, sunbathe, snorkel, or poke around the shops and restaurants located near the beaches. Let’s Recap These are just a few of the most popular things to do in San Diego besides SeaWorld - the possibilities are endless. Part of the reason San Diego is such a popular vacation spot is that it's packed with a variety of attractions and activities, so there's something to suit every type of traveler. Whether you're looking to experience San Diego beyond its theme parks or just want to do things other than SeaWorld, it's all here. Visit each of these above attractions with a Go San Diego® Card and save on combined admission costs.
Casey Makovich
A beach at sunset in La Jolla, San Diego
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Where To Stay in San Diego

Sunny San Diego is made up of a series of neighborhood villages, each with its own distinct personality and stacks of different things to see and do. But where to stay in this often bewildering landscape of canyons, mesas and golden California sands? Surfers and divers could do worse than La Jolla, with its easy access to rolling waves and underwater kelp forests. Bringing the kids? You’ll love the laid back family vibe of Ocean Beach and Coronado. If you’re just looking for some of that legendary San Diego nightlife, that’d be the Gaslamp Quarter and hip nearby neighborhoods of Hillcrest and North Park. Still not sure? Read on for our mini guide to where to stay in San Diego. Best for First Timers San Diego’s atmospheric Old Town is an intoxicating hybrid of Mexican, Spanish and American culture. Here, in the birthplace of California, first timers can truly immerse themselves in the city’s heritage. It’s a place where palm-lined streets are crammed with colorful shops and restaurants inside restored adobe buildings and there are more fab museums, galleries and – gulp – haunted houses than you can shake a very large stick at. Visit the notorious Whaley House Museum, once described by LIFE magazine as ‘the most haunted house in America’ and scare yourself silly on one of their spooky evening tours – if you dare. The nearby Old Town San Diego State National Park contains many more original and reconstructed 19th-century buildings including the old courthouse and restored Cosmopolitan Hotel. It’s a real slice of the Old West, with regular living history demonstrations and a colorful Mexican market housing independent boutiques, artisan souvenirs and, of course, plenty of lip-smackingly authentic taquerias. All of which makes the Old Town a fantastic choice for first-time visitors to San Diego. Couple that with easy access to Downtown, Mission Bay and historic Mission Valley, home to the Insta-perfect Mission San Diego de Alcalá (the sugar-white 18th-century church that gives the region its name), and you have all the ingredients for the perfect introduction to America’s Finest City. Best for Seeing it All Perched on the San Diego Bay, the Downtown neighborhood is the location for you if it’s fine restaurants, the best nightlife and easy access to the city’s bucket-list attractions that float your boat. Head to the waterfront Embarcadero for sport fishing, seal-spotting, sensational seafood and sweeping sunset views of Coronado, and get your fix of pizza and pasta in Little Italy, with its cobbled piazza, ornate tiled fountain and traditional trattorias. Sample some of San Diego’s famously excellent craft beers in the Gaslamp Quarter’s atmospheric dive bars or shake it up with rooftop cocktails and live music here in the city’s nightlife mecca. If you’re planning on seeing the Padres in action or spending a lot of time in Balboa Park (and let’s face it, why wouldn’t you?) Downtown is the place to stay. The Padres’ huge home stadium also puts on major concerts and has hosted such household names as Taylor Swift and Paul McCartney in recent years. Balboa Park is San Diego’s vast green lung. Walkable from Downtown, it also happens to contain some of the city’s biggest attractions, including – deep breath – San Diego Zoo, the Fleet Museum of Science, a Japanese Friendship Garden, the San Diego Museum of Art and an old-fashioned carousel. And that barely scratches the surface. Sun worshippers take note: while San Diego Bay is renowned for its views across the water it is less esteemed for its beaches. Because, well, there aren’t any. Fear not though: Ocean Beach, La Jolla and Pacific Beach are within your grasp thanks to Downtown’s proliferation of cabs and other easy transport links. Best for Families and Beach Lovers Sunny days that number well above the national average, a laid back SoCal vibe and some of the best beaches on the West Coast make San Diego a great choice for family vacations. South of the San Diego River, hippy-dippy Ocean Beach has a lovely community vibe. It’s packed with cute taquerias and boho boutiques and there’s a weekly market with live music and great street food. Not to mention that all-important stretch of sun-kissed California sand, where surfers ride the gently rolling waves, pelicans dive-bomb the herring-rich waters for their dinner and kids hunt for crabs and anemones in exposed tide pools beneath the epic, 600-meter Ocean Beach Pier. There’s even a dedicated dog beach here where your four-legged friends can frolic happily in the surf and sand with their doggo pals. Head over the river to Mission Bay for SeaWorld San Diego, where there are enough thrill rides and sea creatures to keep even the most jaded teen entertained for a day or more. Across the bay, Coronado’s landmark hotel is a tourist attraction in itself. The Hotel del Coronado is a San Diego institution (haunted, of course) that has been hosting US presidents, household-name celebs (you’ve heard of Marilyn Monroe and Sly Stallone, right?) and royalty since the 19th Century. Its turrets are even said to have inspired resident writer L. Frank Baum’s Emerald City in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Families build sandcastles along the fine stretch of golden sand in front of ‘The Del’, go paddle-boarding in the lagoon and gorge on firepit s’mores at sunset. Around 12 miles north of Downtown San Diego, La Jolla is an absolute playground for outdoor types. Set in pine-scented hills along seven miles of coastline, it scratches your surfing, sunbathing, sea-swimming and seal-spotting itches all in one go. Here’s where you can find native harbor seals basking in their dozens at Children’s Pool; spot dolphins and migrating whales from high in the bluffs of wildflower-rich Torrey Pines Nature Reserve; and scuba-dive among the green tendrils of La Jolla Cove’s vast kelp forests. Or get your sea-critter fix at the Scripps Aquarium where you can meet leopard sharks, loggerhead sea turtles and a giant Pacific octopus without even getting wet! La Jolla also boasts fine dining and boutique shopping galore in its village, a world-class clifftop golf course and some of the best outdoor art in the city. It’s also well-placed for day trips to family favorites just north of the city, including LEGOLAND California and the sprawling 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Best for Hip Young Things Hip with a dollop of history might be the best way of describing Hillcrest and North Park, the alluring uptown neighborhoods that hug the north end of Balboa Park. Hillcrest is the heart of San Diego’s thriving LGBTQ+ community, its streets brimming with lively gay bars and cool brunch spots. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Hillcrest also provides the hub for the annual Pride festival. Each July, thousands of revelers from around the globe descend on its leafy avenues, here for the legendary Parade, huge music festival in Balboa Park and – in some cases at least – the 5k fun run. Like its neighbor North Park, Hillcrest is famed for its fine 1920s Crafstmen’s houses – simple dwellings that date to the 1920s Arts and Crafts movement – as well as being one of the jewels in San Diego’s craft ale crown thanks to the likes of the Hillcrest Brewing Company, self-styled ‘first gay brewery in the world’. North Park’s charming jumble of colorful street art, microbreweries and 1920s style earned it a place in Forbes’ 2012 list of America’s finest hipster ‘hoods, in which it was praised for its creativity and cultural diversity. And you don’t have to wander far in this art lovin’ beer drinkers’ paradise to see what they mean. There’s around a dozen local microbreweries within two or three blocks around University Avenue and 30th. Look out for the Belching Beaver Brewery, right next to the famously Instagrammable Greetings from San Diego mural, and the Fall Brewing Company, with their excellent hazy IPAs and beloved Humpty Dumpty mascot. Save on 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
Mission San Diego de Alcalá in Mission Valley
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Things to do in Mission Valley San Diego

Split along its length by the San Diego River, Mission Valley lies just east of downtown and around eight miles from the golden California coast. This vibrant neighborhood is a shoppers’ paradise, with some of the city’s biggest malls as well as plenty of lovely parks to stroll and relax in. It’s great for hikers too, with easy access to Tecolote Canyon National Park and the rugged hills and canyons of the Mission Trails Regional Park to the east. Read on to discover our favorite things to do in Mission Valley San Diego. Immerse Yourself in Mission Valley History Just east of Interstate 15 lies the Mission San Diego de Alcalá, a beautiful sugar-white church that has stood on this site since the 18th Century, and from which the valley takes its name. Tours of this working church – the oldest building in California – are available Monday through Friday, allowing you a glimpse into its long history. Visit the remains of the friars’ lodgings at the southern end of the compound and pause among vibrant purple bougainvillea, spiny yucca plants and fragrant pine trees to admire the mission’s gleaming white facade, with its Insta-perfect tower containing five bells and topped with a wooden cross. In the gift shop, pick up a free guide to the church’s artworks then step inside to admire the grand wooden altar as well as paintings and statues that date from the 15th Century to the present day. There are also many museum artifacts relating to the mission’s past, including clothing, tools, pottery and weapons plus photos of local photos of Kumeyaay elders. At the other end of the valley, Presidio Park allows you to walk in the footsteps of the first European settlers on the site where the Mission San Diego de Alcalá was first established by Junípero Serra and Gaspar de Portolá in 1769. And it’s from Serra that the park’s museum takes its name. Step inside to immerse yourself in San Diego’s heritage, from the indiginous Kumeyaay people through Spanish explorers to Mexican settlers. Then climb the Junípero Serra Museum’s famous tower, from where the sweeping views across the park’s manicured lawns to the Old Town and Pacific beyond are really quite something. Shopping and Entertainment If your idea of a good time is shops, shops and more shops, then Mission Valley is likely to be right up your alley. It boasts not one, not two but three mega-malls: Fashion Valley, Westfield Mission Valley and the Hazard Center. Fashion Valley is a huge – and we mean biggest-in-San-Diego huge – open-air mall that cover some 40 acres. So you might want to make a shoe store your first port of call, in order to slip into something a little more comfortable. Good news: there are plenty to choose from. This is the place for budding fashionistas, where luxury brands including Cartier, Fendi and Louis Vuitton rub shoulders with major department stores like Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. There are also plenty of cafés and restaurants for punctuating your shopping odyssey with well-earned breaks, and a cinema showing all the latest blockbusters. Golfers can get in the swing of things at the Riverwalk Golf Club, an 18-hole championship course that’s just a hop and a skip from Fashion Valley. Here, mature oak, palm and eucalyptus trees catch the coastal breezes as players face-off against gently rolling fairways with close to 70 hazardous bunkers. And all against a beautiful backdrop of picturesque wetlands and water features, including three lakes and the San Diego River. Bliss. Into the Valley Follow Mission Valley east and you’ll soon reach the ruggedly handsome Mission Trails Regional Park. At over 7,000 acres it’s one of the largest urban parks in the United States, with dozens of excellent walking trails to choose from. The most popular of these takes you 1,593 feet up to the summit of Cowles Mountain where, here at the highest point in San Diego, you can take in dizzying 360-degree panoramas of the city and beyond. And, if you want to get a little more off the beaten track, fear not: there are over 60 miles of trails available throughout the park, meaning it’s not difficult to achieve a sense of near-isolation, with just the colorful wildflowers and maybe the odd hummingbird or rattlesnake for company. A little north of Mission Valley, Tecolote Canyon National Park also makes for a fine day out. Grab a picnic and take the six-mile Tecolote Canyon Trail, which weaves a fairly flat and unchallenging route through the valley, keeping your eyes peeled for the elusive creatures that lend the canyon their name (tecolote is the Spanish word for owl). Mission Bay Mission Valley also provides great access to the 4,600 acres of waterways, beaches and islets that make up the huge aquatic playground that is Mission Bay. Explore the shoreline by bike or live a little and get a drenching on the water. There are sports galore to try here, from the high-octane to the positively sedate: go jet skiing and surfing, or cruise elegantly across the bay on a paddleboard. Child-friendly beaches here are also great for sandcastle-building and picnic-eating, though perhaps not at the same time. Speaking of activities that will keep the kids entertained, Mission Bay also just so happens to be the location of SeaWorld San Diego. Go for the incalculable multitude of sea creatures great and small, and stay for high-energy thrills from the likes of the river-rapid log ride and – if you’re game – the fastest and highest roller coaster in San Diego. Kids will love meeting great beasts of the sea, including loggerhead turtles, killer whales, reef sharks and the elusive Giant Pacific Octopus in the 19 aquariums here, and there are touch pools where you can get up close to some of the ocean’s friendlier critters, such as rays, crabs, cleaner fish and (harmless!) bamboo sharks. Save on things to do in Mission Valley 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

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