How to spend 3 days in San Diego

San Diego is located on the Pacific coast of California and is best know for its beaches, parks and warm temperatures. It is also home to arguably the best zoo in the world. As animal lovers, Jack and I made sure to visit San Diego Zoo during our 3 days in San Diego. If you’re considering a trip to San Diego or maybe even in the process of planning your visit, make sure you use this San Diego Itinerary to help plan your trip!

Things to do in San Diego

Relax in Balboa Park
Visit San Diego Zoo
Take a trip to La Jolla and see the sea lions
Check out the USS Midway Museum
Stroll around Coronado Island
Walk along the Embarcadero
Head to Point Loma
Travel back in time in San Diego’s Old Town
Enjoy a meal (or two) in Little Italy
Relax on Mission Beach
Explore the Gaslamp Quarter
Take a day trip

San Diego is a fantastic city to visit whatever your age and interests. As you can see from the list above, there is something to suit everyone. You will not find yourself getting bored in this sunny Californian destination.

San Diego Itinerary – Planning a trip to San Diego

How to get to San Diego

Whilst we flew in to San Diego from Las Vegas, many airlines operate daily direct services from Europe in to the city’s airport. A flight from London Heathrow with British Airways takes 11 hours.

Once we reached San Diego International it was just a short ride in to the city (a distance of 3 1/2 miles). In fact as the plane comes in to land in San Diego you can enjoy some great views. We decided to jump in a taxi (which cost us about $12) to go to the hotel. However, there is also a City Bus (Route 992), which stops at both Terminals 1 and 2. It usually operates between 5.00am and 11.30pm, for those who don’t mind travelling by bus.

When to go to San Diego

San Diego is the perfect city to visit whatever the season, thanks to the southern Californian climate. If you are looking for mild temperatures and are not too fussed about the weather, March to May is a great time and there are not so many tourists to share the city with compared to the summer months. Spring is also a great time to visit if you love flowers. San Diego is the location of the Coronado Flower Show (the largest tented flower show in the United States). As well as this, the famous Carlsbad Flower Fields are in peak bloom.

If you want to spend your days at the beaches, I would recommend a visit during the Summer months. June to August see plenty of festivals take place, including Comic-Con during July, so expect hotel prices to reflect that. It will also be far busier.

Where to stay in San Diego

Just a short walk away from Little Italy, our base during our 3 days in San Diego was the Hotel Republic. The trendy hotel, which is part of the Autograph Collection, provided us with a great place to stay. It was also right in the heart of the city, which was great. The hotel also featured a vibrant lounge, rooftop bar and restaurant, and even a contemporary art gallery! The rooms were spacious and modern and offered you a beautiful view over the city.

I would strongly advise you to stay in the heart of San Diego, probably just off the Gaslamp Quarter. This gives you a good ‘base’ to explore your surroundings. It also puts you in a perfect position to head out to local restaurants, including Little Italy. Yes, you are further away from top attractions such as the zoo and Balboa Park, however they are still only around 20 minutes away by bus.

San Diego Itinerary: How to Spend 3 Days in San Diego

Top 12 Things to do in San Diego

Whether you are a fan of nature, history, relaxation, food or art, San Diego has you covered. In this next section, I’ve put together some of my favourite things to do in the city, and which in my opinion, you shouldn’t miss!

Balboa Park

A must for any trip to San Diego is Balboa Park. This is a huge urban and cultural park not far from the city centre. Not only can you enjoy its 1200 acres of open space and beautifully planted gardens but it also offers its visitors over 16 museums and numerous theatres. You will also find the world famous San Diego Zoo… not to mention a number of gift shops and restaurants.

San Diego Zoo

No 3 days in San Diego is complete without a visit to the Zoo. Over 100 acres in size, the Zoo is known for its naturalistic habitats and unique animal encounters. There are more than 3,700 rare and endangered animals calling the place home. Some of the main sights include cuddly koalas, gigantic polar bears and sleepy penguins.

We spent over half a day in San Diego Zoo (which still wasn’t enough time to see everything) exploring it’s lush pathways. We also got to walk through vast avaries and bioclimatic zones, and traversed the park via Skyfari. This gave us not only some fantastic views of the park below but also further afield into Balboa Park and towards the city.

If you are pushed for time but still want to visit the park, hop aboard the Guided Bus Tour. This takes 35 minutes and gives a good overview of the Zoo. There is also an Express Bus that takes you around the Zoo, stopping at a number of locations to help you access a variety of areas.

La Jolla

One of my favourite memories of our 3 days in San Diego was our trip out to La Jolla Cove. This is a 20 minute drive from the city centre. We opted to get an Uber but La Jolla is also reachable by bus. Just grab the number 30 from any bus stop in downtown San Diego.

La Jolla is a seaside area, known for its rugged coastline and its resident seals and sealions. It also is by the world-renowned Torrey Pines Golf Course which sits atop sea cliffs. It was of course the wildlife that we chose to visit La Jolla for and we were not disappointed. On arrival at the beach we were met with views of sealions basking in the mid-afternoon sunshine and pelicans flying overhead. Slightly further out in the water Jack was delighted to spot a pod of dolphins. During our afternoon we were also lucky enough to spot Osprey and we found a beach full of harbour seals. Who needs Sea World?

If you’re planning to visit during your visit to San Diego, check out my La Jolla blog post.

USS Midway Museum

Before I visited the city, I wasn’t aware of the fact that it is home to many US military bases and is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet. The USS Midway Museum certainly deserves a place on my list of things to do in San Diego. It provides an interesting insight into life aboard the United States’ longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century.

Admission to the museum includes a self-guided audio tour, narrated by former Midway sailors to more than 60 locations. The tour also includes sleeping quarters, the engine room and the galley. You can also climb-aboard aircraft and cockpits, and enjoy flight simulators.

Coronado Island

Situated just across the bay from downtown San Diego, Coronado Island lures its visitors with beautiful sandy beaches, gentle surf and its charming beach town persona. It is also here that you will find the historic Hotel Del Coronado. This famous hotel has been servings its guests since 1888. That includes presidents and princes, socialites and scandals, ghosts and glamorous celebrities. Hotel Del Coronado is also believed to have been the inspiration for the Emerald City in ‘Wizard of Oz’. In fact, author L.Frank Baum spent a number of winters at the seaside hotel.

It would be easy to spend a day enjoying all the island has to offer. You could spend the day relaxing on the beach, explore the island by bike or admire the old-world mansions. You could also take a stroll down the island’s main street Orange Avenue. It is here where you will find quaint shops, fine food, galleries and theatres. It is also the perfect place to head for the evening as here you can enjoy oceanfront dining with spectacular sunset views, or at the other end of the island, Coronado’s Ferry Landing boasts amazing views of the city skyline.

Embarcadero

The Embarcadero in San Diego (meaning ‘landing place’) is the area along the San Diego harbour on the east side of San Diego Bay. Beginning at the steps of the San Diego Convention Center, the waterfront boardwalk path links many of the city’s attractions as far as Waterfront Park and is the perfect place to start exploring San Diego. Along the way you will find Embarcadero Park, Seaport Village, the Marinas, war memorials and both the USS Midway Museum and the Maritime Museum.

Point Loma

If you’re looking for spectacular views and sunset spots, you should definitely head to Point Loma. This is a rugged peninsula found on the Pacific Coastline. It is part of the so-called Sunset Cliffs National Park after all! Whilst you won’t find many beaches here, you will be met with amazing views of the San Diego Bay, the downtown skyline, Coronado Island, and on a clear day you can even see as far as Mexico’s Tijuana and Coronado Islands.

At the furthest tip of Point Loma, you will find the Cabrillo National Monument, which commemorates the landing of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo at San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. This event marked the first time a European expedition had set foot on what later became the West Coast of the United States. The monument is also home to the Point Loma Lighthouse, which offers one of the best spots in the city to watch the waves crashing on the cliffs and to explore tide pools in the rocky reefs – if you’re lucky you may even spot gray whales here too!

San Diego Old Town

Known today for its authentic Mexican cuisine and lively atmosphere, Old Town San Diego was California’s first settlement with only a mission and a fort. If you’re looking for history this is the place to go as you will find many preserved historic buildings and museums commemorating the early days of the town of San Diego. In fact the Old Town State Historical Park maintains a collection of 19th-century homes and businesses that provide a glimpse into colonial life in San Diego. Seek out the old adobe ranch homes, schoolhouse and graveyard spread among the occupied areas of the neighbourhood. There are also numerous rumours of ghost sightings in the area—most persistently at the old Whaley House Museum on San Diego Avenue.

If it’s food, entertainment and shopping that takes your fancy, the Old Town can certainly provide. There are plenty of authentic cantinas and bars in the area serving up traditional Mexican dishes, live mariachi performers can be seen every day in old town and throughout the year are a number of special events and festivals. The Old Town is also a great place for some shopping. Head to Cousin’s Candy for fresh homemade taffy, Toby’s Candle Shop to make your own candles or to the Market place, where a variety of carts and shops sell handcrafted trinkets, clothing and accessories traditional to the Mexican culture.

Little Italy

As I mentioned before our hotel in San Diego was not far from the chic Little Italy neighbourhood. Once home to the city’s flourishing tuna fishing industry and generations of Italian families who made their living on the sea, Little Italy is now a lively neighbourhood filled with patio cafés, packed restaurants, craft brew stops, urban wineries, art galleries, sophisticated shops, boutique hotels and the beautiful Amici Park. I would definitely recommend checking out this area for lunch, dinner or any delicious snack in between!

Mission Beach

Just north of the city, on the way to La Jolla, is Mission Beach. This seafront community is built on a sandbar between the Pacific Ocean and Mission Bay and spans nearly two miles of ocean front, making it the perfect laid-back neighbourhood and a popular spot for surfers, sun worshippers and beach sport players.

Gaslamp Quarter

Another short walk from our hotel was the Gaslamp quarter, a lively neighbourhood in Downtown San Diego, known for its nightlife and as a place where Victorian-era buildings and modern skyscrapers stand side by side. Here you can find clubs and cocktail lounges, along with a range of centres offering a diverse program of music, comedy and drama. The Gaslamp quarter also has a variety of chain and independent eateries, offering cuisine from around the world.

Also in the Gaslamp quarter is Petco Park, a great place to visit for a Baseball game, and the Horton Plaza Park which offers its visitors grassy lawns, ice cream and coffee vendors – another perfect place to spend a relaxing afternoon in the sun!

Explore the surrounding area

Whilst there is plenty to keep you occupied in the city, there is so much to see in the area surrounding San Diego. Hop across the border into Mexico and spend a day in Tijuana, known for it’s buzzing high street lined with bars and shops. For somewhere a little quieter consider the beautiful coastal town of Ensenada with its rugged and rocky shore line.

If it’s nature you are looking for, there are a number of nature reserves not far from San Diego including Lake Poway, Torrey Pines State Reserve, San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve and the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park – all of which makes for a lovely full day, or even half day trip. Within your 3 days in San Diego, definitely get exploring.

Where to eat and drink with 3 days in San Diego

San Diego is a melting pot of different cuisines from across the globe. You have incredible Italian food that can be found throughout the city which, in my opinion, rivals that of its home country. San Diego is also a stone-throw away from the Mexican border and this influence can be seen throughout the city. Being California, there is less of a demand on ‘classic American’ food and I would suggest you dive into these unique little gems dotted across the city.

No trip is complete without a stop at Little Italy. We went to Buon Appetito, a restaurant offering some of the best food I have ever eaten in my life at a very modest price. I cannot recommend the calamari enough, it was the best I have ever had.

A short distance from here is the Little Italy Food Hall. This new social dining concept offers you so much more than what you would expect, including six locally-driven food stations, a mobile outdoor chef’s area featuring demonstrations, and a full bar with local beers and craft cocktails.

As you walk along the Gaslamp Quarter you will also come across lots of little Mexican restaurants. One thing you just HAVE to try here is the local guacamole; to this day I have not yet experienced anything like I did in San Diego. The only word to describe it is ‘wow’. In this area you will also find a plethora of different bars, all offering you a chilled beverage to quench your thirst. I would also recommend heading out to La Jolla to grab a drink for sunset as you really cannot beat that view. Honestly, 3 days in San Diego is not enough for the amount of food.