Mission San Diego de Alcalá in Mission Valley

Things to do in Mission Valley San Diego

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

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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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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A hiker on the cliffs in San Diego
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Best Walks in San Diego

It would require several weeks with a detailed map and a good pair of walking boots to even scratch the surface of the hundreds of awe-inspiring walking opportunities in San Diego. The landscape of this sprawling metropolis is a vast pot-pourri of canyons, mountains, beaches, wild nature reserves and quirky neighborhood villages. Lace up your boots and get ready to explore this fascinating city with our taster guide to some of the best walks in San Diego. A Stroll Through Old San Diego Its heady hybrid of Mexican, Spanish and American influences make San Diego’s atmospheric Old Town a great place to start your exploration of the city and its rich, multicultural heritage. Here, after all, is where it all began. Grab your camera and get ready for a real flavor of the Old West, complete with prickly cacti, swaying palms and a plethora of original and recreation buildings, including the red-brick courthouse and – gulp – spooky Whaley House, purported to be one of the most haunted buildings in America. Amble through the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park to pretty Plaza de Las Armas, where you’ll find the 18th-century Spanish El Capitan cannon and a number of highly Instagrammable 19th-century adobe buildings. Pause awhile to watch traditional horse-drawn carriages rumbling past the blacksmith shop; if you time it right you might even catch one of the regular living history demonstrations that are held here. There’s also a colorful Mexican market with cute boutiques, unique souvenirs and oodles of authentic taquerias. Tuck in to a spicy fish taco or two to give you the energy you need to hoof it up the hill to Presidio Park, where San Diego’s original fort and mission were established in 1769. The pristine white tower of the Junípero Serra Museum boasts far-reaching views across the park’s perfectly manicured lawns to the Old Town and the ocean below. Take a Walk on the Wild Side Some of the best walking trails in San Diego can be found in Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, just a few miles north of Downtown in La Jolla. If it’s sweeping coastal views, skyscraping cacti, colorful wildflowers and otherworldly rock and sandstone formations you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place. There are eight miles of marked trails over nearly 2,000 acres here on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific. Take the Broken Hill Trail Loop for an unchallenging three-mile loop that passes a grove of the native trees from which the reserve takes its name. These unusual endangered pines are so rare that they’re only found here and in one other place in California. Walk the route down to the stunning beach, one of the finest in the area, or continue on to Broken Hill itself for cracking sunset sea views. At less than a mile, the Guy Fleming Trail is the park’s easiest, with some incredible views that belie its relatively short length. Here, too, you can see the famous Torrey pines up close and enjoy views of Los Peñasquitos Marsh, La Jolla and, on clear days, as far out as the Santa Catalina Islands. Keep your eyes peeled for gray whales migrating along this stretch of coast from December to April. Walk San Diego’s Museum Mile Located just north of Downtown, Balboa Park is a huge tract of urban parkland that covers some 1,200 acres. Inside, you’ll find everything from world-class museums to Japanese gardens, theaters and cafés, as well as walking trails galore. You could spend hours if not days exploring it – indeed, there’s probably enough here to fill an entire vacation! For an easy walk that packs a serious punch, enter from Sixth Avenue, joining the broad El Prado boulevard, where many of Balboa Park’s biggest attractions can be found. Take time to admire the wild cocktail of architectural styles along its length, from the shaded cloisters and garlanded columns of Casa del Prado to the California Building’s intoxicating blend of Baroque, Rococo, Gothic and Churrigueresque styles, complete with playful tiled dome and striking three-story belltower. Nearby, statues of masters Velázquez, Murillo and Zurbarán gaze out from above the elaborate entrance to the San Diego Museum of Art, a Spanish Renaissance-style confection that houses a huge collection of fine works by its stone sentries, as well as significant pieces by Goya, El Greco, Monet, Canaletto, O’Keeffe and many more. Head south from El Prado to find inner peace in the zen-like solitude of the Japanese Friendship Garden. Then onwards to the ornate Spreckels Organ Pavilion, home of the planet’s largest outdoor organ. Timed just right, you might even catch one of the free recitals that boom out every Sunday afternoon around 2PM. Urban Exploration in North Park If you’re in the market for a nice walk in San Diego that also just happens to take in a bit of local history, a few brewery taprooms and a spot of urban art along the way, then look no further than North Park, a hip and happening ‘hood that hugs the northeast corner of Balboa Park. Start by immersing yourself in San Diego heritage with a stroll through the neighborhood’s leafy streets. Head north from Balboa Park between Pershing Avenue and 28th Street and it won’t be long before you stumble upon a traditional Craftsman’s house or two, modest bungalows with architectural hallmarks that include plain wooden exteriors and wide terracotta porches. Originally intended as an antidote to gratuitous Victorian opulence and ostentation, many of the homes here were built by Arts and Crafts pioneers David Owen Dryden and Edward F. Bryans in the early 20th Century. Sightseeing can be thirsty work, can’t it? Good news! A short hop east to 30th Street is where you’ll find perhaps the highest concentration of brewery taprooms anywhere in San Diego – no mean feat here in the craft beer capital of the USA! Pause for some well-earned refreshment at the Belching Beaver, where you can also liven up your Instagram with a selfie in front of the Greetings from San Diego mural on the brewery wall. Then continue your odyssey through this achingly cool suburb, where the street art is as plentiful as the beer is strong. Look out for colorful pieces by local legends Kreashun and Madsteez. And no, you haven’t had too much hazy pale ale to drink: that really is a skateboarding donut on the wall over there. Fans of US rock royalty should complete the trail on Adams Avenue, where artist Travis Crosby’s tributes to Prince and Jimi Hendrix are a joy to behold. 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
Stuart Bak
Lifeguard station on a San Diego beach
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Is San Diego Safe?

San Diego’s golden beaches, fine museums, world-class attractions and buzzing nightlife mean you’ll never struggle for something to do in the town they call America's Finest City. From picnicking at the botanical gardens in Balboa Park to meeting curious critters at SeaWorld, riding the 100-year-old rollercoaster at Mission Beach and sipping fresh beer in the city’s famed taprooms, there really is something for everyone here. But is San Diego safe for tourists? Read on to find out more... How Safe is San Diego? Regularly ranked among the 20 safest cities in the country, and named the safest big city in the US by the FBI in 2017, thanks to its lower than national average crime rate, it’s fair to say San Diego is a pretty decent bet for a worry-free vacation. This is a city where violent crime is rare, if not entirely unheard of, and where you’re more likely to get a nasty sunburn than become a victim of crime. So far so safe, but as with most major cities there will always be an element of petty crime such as pickpocketing and bag-snatching, with tourists inevitably providing the easiest pickings for opportunistic thieves. And while Downtown areas are mostly ok, the likes of the East Village does have a slightly higher crime rate than the Gaslamp Quarter or waterfront Embarcadero due to its large number of nightlife venues and other businesses, including the Petco Park stadium, home of the Padres baseball team. To prevent a tiny minority of crooks and criminals from spoiling your trip, you should follow a few basic precautions such as staying alert to shifty looking characters and generally trying not to walk around with a flashing neon sign above your head that alerts would-be thieves to your status as a walking, talking ATM. Tips for Staying Safe in San Diego Opportunists after a quick buck will tend to ply their trade in and around the biggest attractions, especially where crowds of tourists make it easier to become invisible and disappear fast. Avoid being a victim by keeping your wits about you around the likes of San Diego Zoo and Balboa’s Park’s other big hitters, such as the San Diego Museum of Art and Air and Space Museum. San Diego is a party town with bustling street markets in the likes of Hillcrest and Ocean Beach, a thriving nightlife scene and major annual festivals that draw hordes of revelers from around the world, including the annual Oktoberfest, Pride parade, Comic-Con and County Fair. All of these are prone to creating the kinds of crowd that are so beloved of petty crooks. Scams like ‘friendly helpers’ hanging around ATMs or people offering to take a nice souvenir photo of you with your or smartphone may seem obvious, but the element of surprise often pays off as, flustered and embarrassed, you willingly hand over your expensive camera equipment only to look on helplessly as it vanishes into the crowd. In the unlikely event you do lose your valuables to a bag snatcher, scammer or pickpocket, don’t try to give chase – it’s not worth it. Instead, report the incident to police, put it down to experience and try not to let it spoil the rest of your trip. Oh, and make sure you get travel insurance before you go on vacation! It’s also worth remembering that, as long as you take reasonable precautions such as keeping cash and valuables out of sight, being alert to lurkers at ATMs and not falling for obvious scams, it’s likely the worst thing that will happen to you in San Diego is waking up with a sore head after one too many of the city’s famous craft beers. Or coming out in lobster-red blotches after inexpertly applying your sunscreen. Staying Safe in the San Diego Sun San Diego is an outdoorsy kind of city, with a warm Mediterranean climate, some great canyons and nature reserves for hiking, and some of the best beaches in California. So it’s inevitable you’ll spend a fair bit of time in the sunshine, whether baking on La Jolla’s golden sands or exploring the many museums and gardens in sprawling Balboa Park. Simple precautions like slapping on the sunscreen and drinking plenty of water cover most of the bases, but it’s also worth packing a good moisturizer, especially in autumn when the hot, arid Santa Ana winds are at their most punishing. If you’re hitting the beach and feel like cooling off in the water, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with the warning flags and their meanings. Red means no swimming; checkered marks the boundary separating surfing and swimming areas and yellow with a black ball in the center means no surfing. Riptides are not uncommon along this stretch of the California coast so make sure to swim only where there are lifeguards present. In the event you’re caught in a riptide, remember to swim sideways through the water, parallel to the shore, then diagonally towards the beach once free. Above all, stay calm. La Jolla Shores, South Mission Beach and Coronado Central Beach are some of the safest beaches for swimming, especially if you’re traveling with young kids. Nighttime Safety in San Diego San Diego is generally safe at night, even for solo and female travelers. Thanks to good street lighting and visible policing, even the Downtown neighborhood is largely trouble-free. But, like everywhere else, it pays to take sensible precautions such as dropping friends and family a note of your plans if you’re going out alone at night and avoiding trouble hotspots like quiet streets and late-night public transport. San Diego’s nightlife is the stuff of legend. Late-night taprooms and dive bars jockey for position with classy rooftop cocktail joints, comedy clubs and music venues galore. There is, truly, never a dull moment here. Do drink in moderation, especially if you’re on your own, and don’t accept offers of drinks from charming strangers. By all means you should make new friends in this most sociable of cities, but it’s always safer to politely decline the free drink and pay for your own until you’re certain your new pal or pals can be trusted. If they’re genuine, they’re unlikely to be offended. Ideally take a cab home rather than using public transport at night. Apps like Uber and Lyft operate in San Diego, or hail a yellow cab. Check for the San Diego County identification badge and be sure to ask your driver to start the meter when you hop in. 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
Stuart Bak
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

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