Things to do in San Diego at Night Time

By <a href="#author-bio">Stuart Bak</a>
By Stuart Bak
San Diego skyline by night

After-dark activities abound in buzzing San Diego, where night owls can partake of delights as diverse as spooky ghost tours, craft beer taprooms, sunset s’mores on the beach, and nocturnal critters at the epic Balboa Park Zoo. Dive in for our guide to some of the best things to do in San Diego at night time.

Get Spooked on a Ghost Tour

Spectral figure in the window

San Diego could well be the planet’s most haunted city. The proliferation of ghost tours available in and around the Old Town would certainly have you think so. Hit up the spookier-than-spooky Whaley House (built in the 19th century on the site of an old gallows, natch) for your main spectral fix. Here, in ‘the most haunted house in America’ (LIFE magazine) nearly two centuries of domestic tragedy make for perfect ghost-hunting fodder, with nerve-shredding night tours available, led by ghoulish expert guides. Fearless travelers can also join terrifying walking tours of Old Town burial grounds and the ghostly Gaslamp Quarter if they dare.

Creature Features

Polar bear in the water at San Diego Zoo

San Diego Zoo is one of the biggest and best-loved zoos on the planet. Excellent during the daytime, it’s arguably even better at night when the nocturnal critters start stirring from their daylight slumbers and getting ready for dinnertime. The night zoo operates through summer, adding tribal music, wildlife performers, acrobatics and more to an already fairly exotic roster of attractions that includes tropical aviaries, savannahs and Arctic environments.

Dinner on the Bay

San Diego Marina by night

An evening cruise of San Diego Bay is a great way to see the city sights and beautiful California coastline without lifting a finger (or indeed a foot). Sail across the harbor, taking in views of the dramatic skyline against fiery sunset skies and check out attractions including Coronado Island and the USS Midway. Lucky punters might even catch a glimpse of the occasional migrating whale (blue in summer; gray in winter) as they tuck into dinner and cocktails and enjoy the on-board entertainment.

S’mores on the Beach

Beach firepit and s'mores

San Diego’s long and beautiful stretch of California coastline means just one thing: you absolutely must cozy up around a night time beach bonfire with friends and family. Grab your cookies, chocolate and marshmallows and hit up cookout hotspots (no pun intended) at the likes of Mission Beach, La Jolla Shores and Coronado Beach. You’ll have to book your spot at the beach in front of the legendary Hotel del Coronado well in advance, but boy is it worth it. Perched right on the seafront overlooking Point Loma, ‘The Del’, with its distinctive conical turrets, is a Coronado institution. Here, families build sandcastles along the hotel’s fine band of golden sand, paddle-board in the lagoon, and gorge themselves silly on firepit s’mores at sunset.

Beery Bonanza

Bartender pouring beer from taps

Microbrewing is big business in San Diego, where somewhere in the region of 150 independent breweries are thriving at any given time. Because of this, you rarely have to walk far to find a fine brewhouse or taproom, especially in hip enclaves like North Park, where colorful street art and beautiful beer make for fine bedfellows. Sup strong stouts at the Belching Beaver Brewery or grab a hazy IPA at the Fall Brewing Company. Mosey over to hippy-dippy Ocean Beach where sun-kissed vibes are the order of the day at the Ocean Beach Brewery, or strike out for the lovely gardens and outdoor games at Stone Brewing’s huge Liberty Station complex. Heck, if you fancy taking an immersive deep-dive into the best the ‘capital of craft’ has to offer, you can even go on a guided tour of multiple San Diego microbreweries. Or, as it used to be called, a bar crawl.  

Sunset Stroll

Sunset Cliffs in San Diego

The clue’s in the name: Sunset Cliffs just south of Ocean Beach is one of San Diego’s finest spots for watching the sun go down over the Bay. Take a flask of your favorite mocktail (non-alcoholic drinks only up here we’re afraid) and enjoy the peace and relative solitude as the skies turn various shades of fiery orange, mustard yellow and burnt sienna over a petrol-blue sea. It’s the perfect setting for #humblebrag Insta shots and also (if you squint against the fading light) a pretty decent whale-watching spot, especially between December and April, when gray whales migrate en masse from Alaska to the warm calving grounds of Baja’s lagoons.

Balboa Park

The botanical gardens in Balboa Park, San Diego

Balboa Park is a treat at any time, but arguably lovelier still at night when its buildings are beautifully illuminated (if not necessarily open). The park’s most extraordinary architectural marvels were designed for Expos in the early 20th Century. Ogle the ornate Spanish Renaissance-style facade of the San Diego Museum of Art, featuring sculptures of Velázquez, Murillo and Zurbarán, pause for a pic in the Casa del Prado’s atmospheric cloisters, and listen out for the chime of the California Building’s eye-popping bell tower. There’s live music and theater at the Victorian Spreckels Organ Pavilion and Old Globe respectively, and you can unleash your inner kid on the old-fashioned carousel, a menagerie of brightly painted beasts that includes horses, giraffes, cats and a dragon!

It’s Showtime!

Young comedian performing at an open mic night

San Diego’s lively nightlife scene runs the gamut from rowdy dive bar rock shows to country music and top-flight comedy. Hit up the open mic night at the American Comedy Company for some of the freshest new talent in California, grab dinner and a show at the legendary House of Blues, or bust some moves and get involved in raucous singalongs at the non-stop party that is The Shout! House’s Dueling Pianos show. You’ll find some of the music world’s biggest names dropping by Petco Park and Snapdragon Stadium on their world tours, while the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach has hosted gigs by the likes of BB King and the Black Eyed Peas.

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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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The legendary Hotel del Coronado in San Diego
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Things to do in Coronado San Diego

Connected to the California mainland by a sandy isthmus and (since 1969) a road bridge, Coronado is a sunny island resort nestled in the heart of San Diego Bay, just across the water from downtown. There’s stacks to do here, especially for families, from tide-pooling on the beach to touring the island by bike or on the Old Town Trolley. Hop aboard for our guide to the 10 best things to do in Coronado San Diego. Spend a Night at the Hotel del Coronado Perched right on the beachfront overlooking Point Loma, ‘The Del’ is a Coronado institution that has been welcoming presidents, celebrities and royalty since Victorian times. Former guests include Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Madonna; the hotel’s distinctive conical turrets are said to have inspired the Emerald City in L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; it’s even rumored that Prince Edward first met Coronado resident Wallis Simpson here at a 1920 banquet. And, naturally, a hotel of this vintage also has its very own ghost story. Rooms start north of $700 but a visit to the adjacent Ice House Museum for a walk through the hotel’s rich history is gratis. Hit the Beach The long stretch of golden beach in front of The Del is great for families, thanks to its gentle waves, tide pools crammed with anemones, hermit crabs and sand dollars, and mineral-rich sand that actually glitters in the sun. Kids will love having a go at building their very own sparkling Emerald City sandcastles. Also look out for the legendary Sandcastle Man, who can often be found here on Coronado Central Beach building his extravagant and highly artistic sand sculptures. In the evening, use one of the public firepits to barbecue your own burgers and toast marshmallows as the sun sets over the Pacific. Get on Your Bike Dedicated cycle paths snake around much of Coronado, making bike hire a great idea for family days out. The Bayshore Bikeway runs down the Silver Strand sand spit, and all the way back up into downtown San Diego, from where you can catch the Coronado Ferry back to your starting point. Expect swaying palms, wildlife reserves and sweeping views of the Pacific on this epic 24-mile ride. A shorter version that turns back before you hit the mainland may be the smarter option if you’re with kids, and there’s another more urban route around Coronado itself. Visit Spreckels Park Named for Victorian entrepreneur John D. Spreckels, this park in the middle of Coronado is a beautiful green oasis amid the city streets. Families stop by to picnic beneath the trees, while kids live their best lives in the large playground. In summer, the gazebo bandstand bursts into life every Sunday as part of a series of free concerts that run the gamut from marching bands to high-energy pop acts. Local artists showcase their work at the Art in the Park event on alternate Sundays while the Coronado Flower Show brings thousands of colorful fragrant blooms to the park every April. Ride the Old Town Trolley Hop aboard one of San Diego’s brightly colored trolley buses for a whistle-stop narrated tour of the top attractions in Coronado and Downtown. Taking in Coronado Beach and the Hotel del Coronado, the bus then cruises over the bay to visit several more locations on the mainland, including the historic Gaslamp Quarter and sprawling Balboa Park, home to San Diego Zoo and many of the city’s top museums. You can hop on and off the trolley at your leisure along the route. Discover the Local History Take a deep dive into Coronado’s past at the Coronado Museum, where a huge collection of art, photographs and other exhibits tell the story of island life since the 1880s. The museum also runs a weekly walking tour of some of Coronado’s most important locations, including Orange Avenue and, of course, the Hotel del Coronado. The leisurely tour, in which a knowledgeable local historian will point out interesting architecture and wow you with fascinating anecdotes, lasts around 90 minutes and covers approximately two miles. Shop the Farmers’ Market Hit up the weekly farmers’ market at Coronado Ferry Landing for your fix of all things fresh and wholesome. Here’s your chance to taste sweet organic tomatoes fresh from the vine, and crisp, zingy apples that have ripened on the branch. The whole operation is certified farm-fresh, so you just know there’s going to be more flavor packed into that single strawberry than in any number of mass-produced punnets at the mall. You’ll also find beautiful fresh blooms and countless homemade oils, pickles, condiments and jams. Delicious. Take to the Water The relatively tranquil waters off Coronado make it ideal for trying out some of those watersports you’ve always fancied having a go at. Grab a kayak and paddle your way around the island’s scenic shores. Or get to grips with a stand-up paddleboard. Like surfing, but gentler, this increasingly popular activity can be surprisingly relaxing once you’ve got the hang of it. Try not to be put off your stride by pelicans dive-bombing the water for their lunch! Treat Yourself on Orange Avenue Saunter along flower-filled Orange Avenue, a broad street packed with bougie boutiques, cute cafés, local artisan jewelers and more. There’s plenty to see and do along this mile-long stretch that runs all the way from Bayside to the Hotel del Coronado. Pick up a unique souvenir at the Coronado Museum Store, take in a show at the intimate Lamb’s Players Theatre and sample some of San Diego’s famous craft beers at the Coronado Brewpub. Take the Ferry Downtown Hands down the most romantic way to reach downtown San Diego from Coronado is on the quaint old ferry that chugs back and forth throughout the day. Time your trip for around sunset to get the most magical views as you pull in to dock by the legendary USS Midway aircraft carrier. From here, it’s just a short stroll into the Gaslamp Quarter or Little Italy to enjoy some of the best nightlife (and pizza!) in town. Save on things to do in Coronado 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
San Diego beer drinkers
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The art of people-watching in San Diego

Discover San Diego’s liveliest, quirkiest and coolest people-watching scenes—find your front-row seat to the city.
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
Stuart Bak

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