Things to do in San Diego for Pride Day

By <a href="#author-bio">Stuart Bak</a>
By Stuart Bak
Published: July 18, 2024
Couple gazing at the sea from San Diego's cliffs

While the rest of the planet celebrates Pride in June, San Diego (contrary as ever) holds its party in July. Why? Well, SoCal’s famous ‘June Gloom’ almost saw the parade rained off completely back in 1990. It was the last straw in a long and bitter weather-based war of attrition, which ultimately led to a permanent shift of date to July’s more reliably clement climes. The result: a far sunnier week-long celebration that pulls in some 300,000 spectators for its climax: the Pride Parade and two-day Balboa Park festival/love-in. Now we’ve cleared that up, read on for our guide to all the best things to do during Pride Week in San Diego.

Pride Week Events

Pride festival 'love is love' placard

July sees San Diego painted all the colors of the rainbow, with flags, bunting and balloons bedecking the streets from Hillcrest to La Jolla. Uptown Hillcrest is the beating heart of the city’s LGBTQ+ scene and therefore, perhaps unsurprisingly, the epicenter of all the best Pride Week events and activities. We’re talking beer-fueled bacchanalias at the world’s first gay brewery, drag pageants and karaoke nights, and club all-nighters with celeb DJs. Pride Week usually takes place mid-July, with the Parade landing on a Saturday and the festival running through the weekend. Check the official Pride website for info on specific Hillcrest and Pride Week events, and read our guide to fun things to do in Hillcrest here. Don’t miss:

She Fest

This celebratory event kicks off the Pride Week party in earnest, with a colorful Hillcrest shindig that includes live performers, workshops, community-building activities and more.

Spirit of Stonewall Rally

Getting the people parade-ready on the eve of the big march, the Spirit of Stonewall Rally recognizes and honors LGBTQ+ community leaders with a range of awards for achievements in activism, leadership and fundraising, before raising the Hillcrest Pride flag in front of a crowd of thousands.

Pride Parade

Happy revelers at a Pride festival

San Diego’s Pride Parade is one of the biggest in the States, with a 1.5-mile rainbow route that draws around 300,000 cheering spectators. Expect flamboyant floats, outlandish costumes and marching bands as the parade weaves its way from the Hillcrest Pride flag to Balboa Park. The fun starts at 10AM.

Pride Festival

There are four stages of live entertainment at this epic Balboa Park festival, which brings the Pride party to a close with a bang across Parade weekend. This event is ticketed, but relatively cheap, at under $40 for a weekend pass. More info and tickets here.

Pride 5k

And, if all that Pride partying has left you needing to offset the martinis and mimosas with a little light exercise, the Pride 5k may be for you. The annual race takes place at 8AM directly before the Pride Parade and welcomes runners (and walkers) of all abilities. Register to take part here.

LGBTQ+ Attractions in San Diego

The Botanical Building and lily pond in Balboa Park

Not only is San Diego’s epic Balboa Park central to many of the Pride Week celebrations, it’s also at the heart of the city’s cultural scene, with eye-catching Spanish-Colonial architectural gems galore, a Japanese garden, a pavilion, an old-school carousel, and more world-class museums than you can shake a very large stick at. Insta-perfect edifices along the broad El Prado boulevard, including the ornate Casa del Prado and lavish California Building bell tower, are adorned with LGBTQ+ flags and bathed in rainbow light in the evenings, and the park takes on a carnival atmosphere throughout Pride Week. Hit up the San Diego Museum of Art for Pride-affiliated performances (including music, dance, spoken word, visual art) and self-guided tours of celebrated works by LGBTQ+ artists including Berenice Abbott, Jasper Johns and Marsden Hartley. The nearby Museum of Us also usually hosts a Pride party with activities like crafting with drag queens, cookie-decorating contests, and more.

Group of friends drinking beer

Just north of Balboa Park, Hillcrest is of course where it's at for all things LGBTQ+. There’s an LGBTQ+ community center that’s been running a variety of social and cultural programs here since 1971. Then there are the many gay bars, cocktail joints and nightclubs, both here and in the similarly LGBTQ-friendly North Park neighborhood next door. Not to mention the endless cute brunch spots, cool boutiques, and the quite fabulous Hillcrest Brewing Company, self-styled ‘first gay brewery in the world’, with a colorful cast of craft ales that includes its signature Crotch Rocket and hangover-guaranteeing Banana Hammock (10% ABV!).

Mosey over to University Heights to catch queer cabaret shows and more at the Diversionary theater, or take it easy on Black’s Beach, a secluded LGBTQ+ beach beneath the Torrey Pines bluffs, with golden California sands, and epic weekend parties to boot.

Best of the Rest: San Diego’s Top Attractions

Flamingos at San Diego Zoo

Don’t miss the opportunity to check out some of San Diego’s best tours, activities and attractions when you’re in town. You could save up to 50% with a Go San Diego pass, which just happens to include a few of the attractions mentioned in this blog, such as the Museum of Us and the San Diego Museum of Art. It also includes entry to several other San Diego bucket-listers, such as:

  • Meeting the cute (and not so cute) critters at San Diego Zoo
  • Sampling some of that world-famous boysenberry pie (and the rides, of course) at Knott’s Berry Farm
  • Ogling majestic blue whales up close on a whale-watching bay cruise
  • Touring Petco Park, home of the legendary San Diego Padres
  • Topping up your California tan with La Jolla bike, snorkel and surfboard rental
  • Nabbing a selfie with Madonna and Marlene Dietrich at Madame Tussauds
  • Getting spooked at the Whaley House Museum, said to be America’s most haunted house
  • ….and many more!

Find out more about the different types of Go San Diego pass and choose yours here.

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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Endangered California condor in flight.
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San Diego Zoo Vs LA Zoo Comparison in California

Here’s a clash of titans and no mistake. Two of the biggest and best in the States, the zoos in San Diego and LA are Sunshine State behemoths, welcoming millions of wildlife-loving visitors every year. Each has enough going on to while away an entire day or more, with hundreds of species and thousands of critters between them, ranging from tiny Honduran hummingbirds all the way up to ginormous giraffes. But which is best? San Diego Zoo with its enviable location in sprawling Balboa Park, or LA Zoo with its epic elephant and gorilla enclosures? We took a closer look to discover what these California giants have in common, and what sets them apart. But first... Zoos have a tendency to split opinion due to issues around conservation and animal welfare, so let’s address the (ahem) elephant in the room straight away...   Conservation and Animal Welfare Both San Diego and LA zoos are committed to conservation and have mission statements that clearly reflect a desire to preserve endangered species and contribute towards a better future for our shared planet. And they’re not all talk either. Far from it. San Diego Zoo pioneered the cageless, open-air exhibits that you’ll now find in most zoos worth their salt, while their Institute for Conservation Research has helped reintroduce more than 30 endangered species back into the wild. LA Zoo is no slouch either, having made perhaps the greatest single contribution to the number of California condors now in the wild, thanks to its intensive breeding program for this rare, threatened animal. Both run a number of talks and demonstrations aimed at educating visitors (especially younger visitors) in how best to appreciate, interact with and protect all wildlife.   Fast facts: San Diego Zoo Tickets You can save by buying tickets in advance online at the official San Diego Zoo website. A range of options are available, from one-day zoo passes to multi-passes that include zoo entry as well as tickets to San Diego Safari Park and SeaWorld San Diego. The All-Inclusive attraction pass from Go City also includes all three of those attractions, plus more including Knott’s Berry Farm theme park and the San Diego Museum of Art. Opening Hours Open daily from 9AM to 5PM, with some seasonal variation. Getting There San Diego Zoo is at 2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA 9210. Rapid 215 and Route 7 bus routes connect the zoo to downtown San Diego. Parking at the zoo is free.   Fast facts: LA Zoo Tickets Buying advance tickets from the official LA Zoo website is recommended as walk-in entry cannot always be guaranteed at busier times. An attraction pass from Go City also includes entry to the zoo, plus many more LA highlights including Universal Studios Hollywood, La Brea Tar Pits and Madame Tussauds. Opening Hours Open daily from 10AM to 5PM, with some seasonal variation. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Getting There LA Zoo is at 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027. You’ll find the entrance at the northeast corner of Griffith Park, at the junction of the I-5 (Golden State) and the 134 (Ventura) freeways. The LA Metro bus line 96 route serves the zoo from Burbank and downtown LA.   Save on entry with Go City Grab whicever San Diego pass suits you best, and save while you sightsee!
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Woman walking the trails in Balboa Park, San Diego
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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
Bronze lion statue at the entrance to San Diego Zoo
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The Best Time to Visit San Diego Zoo

Located in Balboa Park, a vast expanse of parkland located just north of downtown, San Diego Zoo is home to thousands of animals and is one of the most visited zoos in the United States, so it’s important to plan your visit accordingly. Spot tigers, hippos and gorillas in the Lost Forest and visit the Komodo Kingdom to get your giant lizard fix. There are also Arctic landscapes, massive tropical aviaries and over 700,000 exotic plants to explore. In short, it’s impossible to see all 100 acres of it in a single day, even with the help of the guided bus tour and Skyfari cable car. Get the lowdown on how to dodge the crowds and maximize your time at San Diego Zoo with our guide to the best times to visit. Best time to visit San Diego Zoo The best time to visit the zoo is on weekday mornings, when crowds are thinner and the animals are at their most active. This is also the time of day you’re most likely to see them feeding. It’s a fair bit busier on weekends but mornings are still the best time to go, especially on hot days when the critters will be more inclined to hide out in shady spots to avoid the midday sun. Those hotter afternoons are best spent exploring the Lost Forest aviaries, where dense foliage helps keep temperatures more bearable and animals more active. We also recommend taking the bus tour early in the day as long lines form for this from around 11AM onwards. Top tip: kids go free every October, making it a great time for families to visit.   In brief... If you’re planning a visit to San Diego Zoo, aim to arrive by opening time (9AM) on weekdays to see animals at their most active in the morning and avoid some of the queues that tend to start developing from around 11AM. Yes, you’ll have to negotiate the city’s morning rush hour but, trust us, it'll be worth it to maximize your time in the zoo and have the very best experience possible. Get the Go City attraction pass to make big savings when visiting this and other top attractions in San Diego! Grab whichever San Diego pass suits you, and go exploring!
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

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