Planning, or dreaming of, a trip to California? Maybe you want sunshine and your traveling partner wants culture? Well, you can have both with a holiday in San Diego, focused around the city’s beautiful Balboa Park. This week-long itinerary offers activities without packing your schedule too full for relaxation. After all, what good is a vacation if you need another break to recover from it?
Side note: This is part of my 12-part series of travel posts all summer long! All my travel posts including this series and all posts from the last 12 years can be found here.
History
The region was originally inhabited by the Kumeyaay people, who lived there for thousands of years before the arrival of European settlers. To learn more about the Kumeyaay people, the state of California has educational resources.
In 1542, the Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo became the first European to set foot in what is now San Diego, but it wasn’t until the late 1700s that Spanish missions and military presidios were established in the area. The Spanish colonization of the region brought Christianity to the indigenous people, as well as new forms of agriculture and trade.
After Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, California became a part of Mexico, and San Diego became a center for cattle ranching and trade. In 1848, however, Mexico ceded California to the United States as a result of the Mexican-American War.
During the late 1800s, San Diego experienced a period of rapid growth and development, as the arrival of the railroad and the establishment of a deep-water port made the city a hub for trade and commerce. The city also became a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors to its mild climate and scenic beauty.
In the 20th century, San Diego experienced rapid growth, particularly after World War II. The city became a center for defense and aerospace industries, and its population boomed as people from all over the country moved to the area in search of jobs and a high quality of life. Today, San Diego is a thriving and diverse city, known for its beautiful beaches, vibrant cultural scene, and dynamic economy.
The Neighborhoods
San Diego is a vibrant and diverse city with many interesting neighborhoods and attractions to visit.
- Gaslamp Quarter: This historic neighborhood is known for its Victorian architecture, nightlife, dining, and shopping. It’s also home to many popular events and festivals throughout the year.
- La Jolla: This affluent coastal neighborhood is famous for its stunning beaches, charming shopping districts, and scenic overlooks. Some popular attractions include La Jolla Cove, Birch Aquarium, and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.
- Balboa Park: This 1,200-acre park is home to a variety of cultural institutions, including several museums, theaters, and gardens. It also features the famous San Diego Zoo. This is my favorite park of San Diego.
- Old Town: This neighborhood is home to the original settlement of San Diego and features Mexican-style architecture, historic sites, and traditional shops and restaurants.
- Coronado: This small island is connected to the mainland by a bridge and is famous for its beautiful beach, Victorian homes, and the iconic Hotel Del Coronado.
- Little Italy: This lively neighborhood is known for its Italian-American heritage, arts and culture, and delicious dining options. It’s also home to the San Diego Farmers Market, which is held on weekends.
- Mission Bay Park: This 4,600-acre park is a great place for water sports, picnicking, and nature walks. It also features several popular attractions, including SeaWorld and the Mission Bay Aquatic Center.
Things to Do
- Visit the San Diego Zoo: The San Diego Zoo is one of the most famous zoos in the world and is home to more than 3,700 animals from over 650 species.
- Explore Balboa Park: Balboa Park is a large urban park that is home to several museums, gardens, and cultural institutions, such as the San Diego Museum of Art, the San Diego Natural History Museum, and the San Diego Air & Space Museum.
- Take a walk along the beach: San Diego has several beautiful beaches, such as La Jolla Shores, Mission Beach, and Pacific Beach, that are perfect for swimming, sunbathing, and surfing.
- Visit the USS Midway Museum: The USS Midway Museum is an aircraft carrier museum located in the harbor that offers visitors a chance to explore the ship and learn about its history.
- Go to Sea World: SeaWorld San Diego is an aquatic-themed park that features marine mammals, aquariums, and a variety of shows and attractions.
- Visit Old Town San Diego: Old Town San Diego is a historic area that features several restored 19th-century buildings, museums, and shops that give visitors a glimpse of what life was like in San Diego during the early days of American settlement.
- Enjoy the nightlife: San Diego has a vibrant nightlife scene with a diverse range of bars, clubs, and live music venues to choose from, especially in the downtown area, Little Italy, and Gaslamp Quarter.
6-Night Itinerary
DAY 1 – Welcome & Gas Lamp Dinner
Welcome to San Diego! If you have a camera, some sunscreen, and an appetite for activity, you’re ready for your vacation. Arrive via Amtrak or one of the many commercial airlines servicing San Diego’s Lindbergh Field Airport (SAN) and hail a cab. Go to your hotel or B&B of choice.
For your first evening in San Diego, walk or taxi to the Gaslamp Quarter for a stroll then dinner. Restaurants are plentiful and range from informal to gourmet fine dining. Whether you want pizza by the slice or a prime Porterhouse steak, the Gaslamp Quarter will send you home well-fed and happy. If given the option, try to get a table by the window or in an outdoor café so you can people watch. Here are a few suggestions:
• Monzù (fresh pasta)
• The Kebab Shop (if you’re jet lagged, they even deliver)
• Nason’s Beer Hall
• The Field Irish Pub (you know if I’m recommending an Irish pub for dinner, it HAS to be a legit menu)
DAY 2 – Balboa Park Museums
Start your morning with brunch at Werewolf in Gas Lamp (opens at 8am). This will fuel you for a day at Balboa Park, America’s largest urban cultural park. It was created as part of the California Pacific International Exposition of 1935-36. The Park boasts museums, restaurants, trails, gardens, the San Diego Zoo, and a wealth of cultural attractions and special events. A free tram drives within Balboa Park so you can save your energy for walking in the museums.
Consider buying an Explorer Pass, such as Parkwide Pass, Limited Pass, or Annual Pass. The Pass saves you money if you plan to visit multiple museums or attractions. Here’s a list of which places participate.
For your first day there, start with the San Diego Museum of Art. Admission is included as part of the Passport, otherwise it is $20 per adult. Its fine art collection has been built up since the 1920s and it is yours to appreciate. Having spent your morning appreciating fine art, take a break to appreciate lunch at Panama 66. The Café is located in the outdoor Sculpture Court and Garden. The menu offers a wide selection including a kid’s menu and main courses range from $11–22. Generally, there are good fish tacos available from a chain called Rubio’s.
After lunch, stroll next-door to the Timken Museum of Art. Admission is free to enjoy the amazing works of classic European painters. Botanical Building is also free if you decide to skip a Pass and enjoy the free museums and Trails instead.
Enjoy dinner at The Prado within the Park, by the hospitality building. Their dinner menu is carefully considered and offered at city prices, main courses range from $27 to $42. When making reservations, ask for an outdoor table. The weather is almost always perfect in San Diego, so why not enjoy it. Also, if you want to beat the rush and catch your evening film, reserve your table for 5-5:30 p.m.
Wind down your day by enjoying a film at the Museum of Photographic Arts. Documentary and classic films are shown. Or, if you prefer, go to the Velodrome to watch cyclists in their night races!
DAY 3 – Pacific Beach then (optional) San Diego Zoo / Safari Park
Get a good with brunch at Crushed (opens at 10am), Konito’s Cafe (opens at 7am), Fig Tree Cafe (opens at 7am), Kono’s Surf Club at Crystal Pier (opens at 7am), JRDN in Tower23 (opens at 9am), or Baja Beach Cafe (opens at 8am) in Pacific Beach. Just a reminder to check the restaurant website to make sure they are open and hours are accurate.
Stroll Pacific Beach and enjoy the variety of shops. I love the thrift shops there and have many finds (green cashmere sweater and navy cashmere pashmina) I still wear from my first visit. Grab an ice cream cookie sandwich or brownie from The Baked Bear (4516 Mission Blvd) for elevenses (mid-morning snack).
Lunch in Pacific Beach leaves with many options. You could visit one of the spots you didn’t go to in the morning, or try one of these other places:
• The Fishery
• Pacific Beach Fish Shop
• La Clochette Du Coin
• Costa Brava (tapas)
If the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park are on your agenda, head back to Balboa Park. With so many animals and plants to observe, you will not be short of things to see at the Zoo. If they’re not in your plan, keep enjoying Pacific Beach. You can sit outside sipping drinks at one of the bars or walk up to watch the sun set at Law Street Beach. For dinner, if you’re still in Pacific Beach there are so many options (nine listed above).
If you’re near Balboa park at dinnertime, go casual and local with Hob Nob Hill. This place was my dad’s favorite spot to have a chill and not too heavy meal while visiting San Diego. So often when traveling, you get to the point you don’t want to look at another fried item or cream sauce and just want a good old fashioned home-cooked meal. Hob Nob Hill is for that meal. The restaurant is located at 2271 1st Avenue. Hob Nob Hill has been in its present location under the same management since 1946. They are all about quality without leaving your wallet too empty. For the perfect start to a refreshing summer meal, start your feast with their Gazpacho soup and finish with a delicious slice of pie.
DAY 4 – Old Town
First thing, go to the Old Town neighborhood for breakfast at Waterfront Bar & Grill or Perry’s Cafe (OG diner awesomeness). Your first destination of the day is the Old Town San Diego State Park. When you are hungry for lunch, Mexican cafes and cantinas are plentiful in this section of San Diego. If the timing is right, you will miss the lunch rush. You can select one at random and know that if it has managed to stay in business with such healthy competition, it must be worth trying. Here are a few options:
• Jack & Giulio’s Italian Restaurant
• Casa Guadalajara
• Miguel’s Cocina
• Cafe Coyote (I love their Tequila Lime Shrimp)
• Urban Market (go for the rooftop terrace and food hall options)
• Casa de Fred’s Tacos y Tequila (great to drink local beer)
• Blue Water Seafood Market & Grill
• Sushi Tadokoro
Spend your afternoon browsing the shops of Old Town. This may be a nice place to look for a souvenir or two. Next to gifts from a museum gift shop, non-touristy goodies overshadow more generic purchases.
Choose a different Old Town spot for dinner if you’re enjoying the vibe. Otherwise, look for a place close to where you’re staying that may have caught your eye earlier in the week – or order room service and chill.
DAY 5 – Sea & Sand at La Jolla Shores Beach & Del Mar
Wear sunscreen and sunglasses then head north. Start your day with a breakfast burrito at Nico’s Taco Shop (the one at 3860 Valley Centre Dr #404) on your way to La Jolla Shores Beach for its expansive stretch of sand. PSA that California has a french fry-filled burrito which is available from a few places locally. FYI: It is a different place than La Jolla Cove! Try to get an early start today so you can spend time on the beach while the UV rays are less direct.
At low tide, check out the Mushroom Beach House. If you prefer to be active, rent a kayak and enjoy a tour! Then find a place for lunch. A couple great spots nearby are: The Cheese Shop and Caroline’s Seaside Cafe. After an early lunch, walk to the nearby Birch Aquarium at Scripps. You want to book your tickets in advance! Make the most of the rest of your day at the aquarium.
For dinner, venture further up the coast to dine at En Fuego Cantina in Del Mar for coastal-influenced Mexican cuisine or choose one of La Jolla’s restaurants with a view of the water. It’s advisable to know which one you want ahead of time and reserve your table. The Marine Room is literally right by the water and is a splurge spot with their menu. For something more casual and moderately priced, check out their sister restaurant, The Shores Restaurant. There are many more wonderful restaurants than these though, including the humorously named Porkyland.
DAY 6 – Coronado
Sleep in on your last full day in San Diego. After breakfast, go to the Broadway Pier to take the ferry to the Coronado Island. Take the 904 shuttle bus from there to downtown Coronado.
Arrive in downtown Coronado and wander the quaint streets. This is a perfect time to pick up any last-minute non-touristy souvenirs or to treat yourself to a new hat. For lunch, there are numerous options in the downtown area of Coronado, but today you will be dining at one of the famous Hotel Del Coronado’s restaurants. An ocean view is the perfect accompaniment for your lunch, so soak up the Pacific from this historic landmark.
After lunch, wander the beach and shop in the resort and stores. Take your time enjoying Coronado before returning to the Ferry Landing to float back across to Broadway Pier. If you are hungry before the return ferry, there are dining options at the Ferry Landing: Peohe’s, Il Fornaio, Lil Piggy’s Bar-B-Q, and Le Parfait Paris.
After you have returned from your day’s adventure on Coronado, visit the North Park neighborhood and Part Time Lover. There’s a bar in the front and a record store in the back, the whole place has fab vintage vibes. There is usually a line, so get there when it opens at 4pm for some pre-dinner cocktails. For dinner, consider Dunedin or One Door North.
DAY 7 – Balboa Park Trails
On your partial day in San Diego, make sure you have a good breakfast and finish packing. Return to Balboa Park again to enjoy one of their trails. For a short stroll, go for Palm Canyon or choose Sixth and Upas Trails Gateway for a longer walk. The beautiful grounds of Balboa Park feel different from the trails. Enjoy the landscape. It’s also nice to stretch your legs before a train, car, or plane trip.
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