Looking for the best things to do in San Diego? Things are finally opening up these days—our beautiful city is pulling through this thing with the style and grace it’s known for. Our iconic museums, big attractions, and favorite restaurants are back (with new rules, of course), but the city’s cultural life is blooming. From its art museums to its attractions, San Diego is the best city in the world. Its dining and drinking scenes, which are undergoing major changes, are still unbeatable. Every day we’re discovering something new and wonderful about our city, whether it’s one of the best cozy spots, or some incredible views, must-see art, or hidden gems.
Take the end of this Spring and all of this Summer to do some incredibly fun things in San Diego. As always in 2021, make sure to double-check with venues to see if programming is still on before you head out. I can’t wait to share my picks with you.
**If you do something on this list and love it, share with the hashtag #JoannaSanDiego
#1 Old Town
What is it? This food-and-culture destination is the historic area of San Diego. Step back in time and see the birthplace of San Diego, where Spanish settlers arrived and built the first of 21 missions in the state.
Why go? Today, you can wander through 15 historic buildings, and visit souvenir shops, and stores of homemade soaps, baked goods and preservatives, pottery, knickknacks and… food! There are over 25 eateries (most with an emphasis on Mexican cuisine) within a one-mile radius, so there is something for everyone in the family. Get even more out of your visit with an Old Town California: Hop-On Hop-Off Narrated Trolley Tour.
Don’t miss: Don’t forget to visit the Whaley House, the haunted building that has been featured in many books and TV shows including the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures and Travel Channel’s America’s Most Haunted.
What is it? This museum is aboard the historical longest-serving naval aircraft carrier and located at Navy Pier on The Embarcadero in downtown San Diego. Approximately 200,000 Sailors served aboard the carrier, known for several naval aviation breakthroughs as well as several humanitarian missions. The ship houses an extensive collection of aircraft, many of which were built in Southern California.
Why go? This self-guided audio tour, narrated by former Midway Sailors to more than 60 locations, including sleeping quarters, engine room, galley, bridge, brig, post office, foc’s’le, pilot’s ready rooms, officers quarters, primary flight control, and “officers country.” Other features include climb-aboard aircraft and cockpits, videos, flight simulators, and a narrated audio tour for youngsters. Not to mention the amazing view of the bay from up top the carrier.
Don’t miss: The high definition, holographic movie theater, “The Battle of Midway” Theater, which was added in 2017, and the virtual reality flight simulator ride (added in 2019) in addition to its existing four flight simulators.
#3 Maritime Museum of San Diego
What is it? Established in 1948, the Maritime Museum preserves one of the largest collections of historic sea vessels in the United States. Located on the San Diego Bay, also along the Embarcadero, the centerpiece of the museum’s collection is the Star of India, an 1863 iron bark. The Museum maintains the MacMullen Library and Research Archives aboard the 1898 steam ferry Berkeley, and also publishes the quarterly peer-reviewed journal Mains’l Haul: A Journal of Pacific Maritime History.
Why go? There are so many vessels to explore, you can be there all day. There are tall ships, including the San Salvador (a replica of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s galleon which discovered San Diego in 1942) and the HMS Surprise (used in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies) two submarines (including B-39 Soviet submarine), a ferryboat, a PCF 816 Swift Boat and more. Some days, mostly on weekends, there are pirates and mermaids that walk around the museum and take photos with the kiddos.
Don’t miss: A 45-minute tour around the bay on the 1914 Pilot Boat.
What is it? Cabrillo National monument, not to be confused with Point Cabrillo lighthouses, is a National Landmark at the southern tip of Point Loma. It commemorates the landing of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo at San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. The event marked the fitst time a European expedition had set foot on what later became the West Coast of the United States.
Why go? The park offers a view of San Diego’s harbor and skyline, as well as Coronado and Naval Air Station North Island. On clear days, a wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean, Tijuana, and Mexico’s Coronado Islands are also visible.
Don’t miss: The visitor center, which screens a film about Cabrillo’s voyage and showcases exhibits about the expedition. **Don’t forget to check out their events. The annual Cabrillo Festival Open House is held on a Sunday each October. Other events are held above the National Monument and include Kumeyaay, Portugues, and Mexican singing and dancing, booths with period and regional food, a historical reenactment of a 16th century encampment, and children’s activities.
What is it? The aquarium in La Jolla provides an alternative to Sea World. The focus at Birch is on ocean education and conservation and is the public outreach center for Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego.
Why go? This is definitely an all-ages attraction. Babies and toddlers love to get an up-close view of the tanks filled with glowing moon jellies, beautiful lionfish, silvery sardines, sharks and other sea creatures. It’s also a great day-date idea, as the quiet can be a romantic, but not too intense, scene.
They have over 5,000 fish in 60+ aquarium habitats plus exhibits showing cutting-edge research from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
Don’t miss: The outdoor Tide Pool Plaza where you can pet rays, sea stars, and sea cucumbers.
#6/7 San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park
What is it? Usually known by its longer name The World Famous San Diego Zoo, the zoo is regarded as one of the best zoological centers of the world and is part of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. Fur (I mean four) thousand animals representing 800 species make their home here.
Why go? You can get an up close look at lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!) and also koalas, elephants, kangaroos, camels, Komodo dragons, pandas, gorillas, monkeys, and so many more animals. You can board the SkyFari Aerial Tram to watch the animals from above, or a Guided Bus Tour through the park. Kids will enjoy the Children’s Zoo where they can pet goat and sheep, and play on the Fisher-Price Discovery Playground.
Don’t miss: The San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park, located about 30 minutes north of the zoo, which encompasses a whopping 1,800 acres (compared to the zoo’s 100). The Africa Tram is the park’s big attraction and it transports visitor through a wide open landscape similar to that of the African Savannah. Riders can see rhinos, giraffes, cape buffaloes, and more on a Caravan Safari.
What is it? The New Children’s Museum is an arts-based children’s museum in downtown San Diego, whose mission is to “stimulate imagination, creativity and critical thinking in children and families through inventive and engaging experiences with contemporary art.
Why go? Most of the areas of the museum are age-specific, like Sketch Aquarium for ages 2+ and Reconnecting to Home for ages 6+. Meanwhile, other spaces engage children across all age groups encouraging kids to think, play, and create using hands-on exhibits and artistic activities.
Don’t miss: The new Outdoor Experience in the Museum Park where kids can cruise around a mini city in a toy car, joust in a chariot, get lost in a muslin maze, and water paint.
What is it? The 37-acre San Diego Botanic Garden contains more than two dozen themed gardens situated along four miles of trails.
Why go? You can wander among plants and environments from desert to tropical forest and everywhere in between. Twenty-nine different flower gardens flower with more than 5,000 species of trees, palms, and bamboo from around the world. The garden houses the largest bamboo collection and largest interactive children’s garden in San Diego. It was even named among the Top 10 Gardens Worth Traveling for by the American Public Gardens Association.
Don’t miss: The Seeds of Wonder Children’s Garden is geared toward youngsters (kindergarten and younger). You will find tubs of soapy water and wands for making bubbles, buried plastic dinosaurs for digging up, a child-sized playhouse, and a model railroad truck with trains that chug through the garden.
#10 Belmont Park, Mission Beach Boardwalk, & Mission Bay
What is it? Located right on the Mission Beach Boardwalk, at Mission Blvd and West Mission Bay Drive, Belmont Park is San Diego’s premier beachfront amusement park, and features historic Giant Dipper roller coaster, a wooden roller coaster listed on the National Register of Historic Places, historic Plunge swimming pool, restaurants, shops, and arcade, and more!
Why go? There is so much to do and is fun for the whole family. Attractions and rides include the Giant Dipper, a carousel, carnival rides such as bumper cars, go carts, and a tilt-a-whirl, a big arcade, miniature zip line, restaurants, candy store, and everything is located right next to the beach (along the boardwalk) so you can go back and forth between the two all day.
Don’t miss: Mission Bay, not to be confused with Mission Beach. It’s right across the street and most of the time a little quieter, so, you can park your family picnic there, and let the older kids walk across to the beach and Belmont Park.
Photo Credit: Evolve Vacation Rental Network
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