Things to Do in San Diego: 14 Local Picks

At a glance

Where: San Diego, California; every pick below sits inside the City of San Diego
Core trio: Balboa Park, the Embarcadero waterfront and Point Loma
Hours: Most major attractions typically open around 9 or 10 AM and close around 5 PM; check each official site before you go
Cost: Balboa Park, Gaslamp Quarter, Little Italy and Mission Bay Park are free to enter; museums, the Zoo and the USS Midway charge admission
Time needed: Three days covers the anchors comfortably; a long weekend covers the highlights

The best things to do in San Diego, California are Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, the USS Midway Museum, Cabrillo National Monument and Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, followed by an evening in Downtown San Diego, the Gaslamp Quarter and Little Italy. All fourteen picks below are inside the City of San Diego, and each was confirmed open on its own official site.

This is the answer a local gives a friend flying in for a long weekend: do the big five, add a few smaller stops that reward you for slowing down, then eat and walk downtown at night.

How we chose

We picked places that are genuinely inside San Diego and open to the public, and we checked each one against its own official website. We favored the things that make San Diego feel like San Diego: a 1,200-acre urban park, a carrier you can walk across, a lighthouse peninsula, an adobe-lined state park. Prices and hours change, so every figure below is what the official site typically shows. Check before you go.

One note on geography: Birch Aquarium sits in La Jolla, which is a neighborhood of the City of San Diego, not a separate city.

Which things should you do first?

Start with the five anchors, because they are the reason most people come. Balboa Park and the Zoo take most of a day each, the USS Midway takes a morning, Cabrillo takes a half day, and Old Town takes two or three hours.

1. Balboa Park

Balboa Park, at 1549 El Prado in San Diego, is a 1,200-acre city park that holds gardens, museums and the San Diego Zoo. Walking the park itself is free; the museums charge separately.

What to do: Walk El Prado, the pedestrian promenade lined with museums, then wander the gardens. Join a Visitors Center walking tour; the general tour typically runs Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 AM.
How long: Half a day for the park alone, a full day if you add a museum or two.
Local tip: The Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park hosts a free, roughly one-hour organ concert every Sunday at 2 PM, year-round and rain or shine, per spreckelsorgan.org. The Visitors Center tours cost nothing, with a $5 donation requested at the end. Details at balboapark.org. See our Balboa Park area page.

2. San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo, at 2920 Zoo Drive inside Balboa Park, is open daily and features a Giant Pandas exhibit. A one-day pass is typically around $78 for adults and includes the Guided Bus Tour and the Skyfari Aerial Tram.

What to do: Ride the Guided Bus Tour first to get oriented, then walk back to the exhibits you liked.
How long: A full day. Hours typically run 9 AM to 5 PM.
Local tip: The official site also sells a cheaper Value Days pass, around $73 for adults, bought in advance online. Buy ahead at zoo.sandiegozoo.org.

3. USS Midway Museum

The USS Midway Museum, at 910 N. Harbor Drive on the Embarcadero, is a real aircraft carrier you can walk through. The museum says the 1,001-foot ship was commissioned in 1945 as the largest ship in the world.

What to do: Walk the hangar deck, climb up to the flight deck and the island, and go below to the crew spaces.
How long: Three to four hours.
Local tip: Hours are typically 10 AM to 5 PM with last admission at 4 PM, and the museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Buy tickets ahead at midway.org and arrive at opening, before the flight deck fills up. See the Embarcadero page.

4. Cabrillo National Monument

Cabrillo National Monument, at 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive at the tip of Point Loma, is a National Park Service site with sweeping views over San Diego Bay and the downtown skyline. It is open daily, typically 9 AM to 5 PM, and closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

What to do: Walk to the overlook and the old lighthouse, then drive down to the tidepools.
How long: Two to four hours.
Local tip: The National Park Service may close the road to the tidepools when the area hits capacity, usually for around 30 minutes, so go early. Entry is about $20 per private vehicle or $10 per person on foot or bike, valid for seven days. Details at nps.gov/cabr. See Point Loma.

5. Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, at 4002 Wallace Street, tells the story of the place where San Diego became California's first Spanish settlement, when a mission and fort were established here in 1769. The official page lists no entrance fee and free parking lots for up to four hours. The Visitor Center and select museums are typically open 10 AM to 5 PM and closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

What to do: Walk the historic buildings, pop into the museums, and eat lunch nearby.
How long: Two to three hours.
Local tip: The park's official page at parks.ca.gov lists what is open. See the Old Town area page.

What else is worth your time?

Once the anchors are done, these nine picks fill out a longer visit.

6. Whaley House Museum

Whaley House Museum, at 2476 San Diego Avenue in Old Town, is a historic house museum that the San Diego Tourism Authority describes as one of only two officially designated haunted houses in California. The house dates to 1856.

What to do: Take the self-guided daytime tour, or book the evening guided tour.
How long: About an hour.
Local tip: Daytime tours are first-come, first-served, with no reservations, and typically open 10 AM to 4:30 PM. Admission starts at about $15 for the daytime tour and $20 for the evening guided tour. See whaleyhousesandiego.com.

7. Maritime Museum of San Diego

The Maritime Museum of San Diego, at 1492 N Harbor Drive, is a fleet of historic ships on the bay, including the Star of India, which the museum calls the world's oldest active sailing ship. Work began on the ship in 1863.

What to do: Board the ships and go below deck.
How long: Two hours.
Local tip: Typically open daily 10 AM to 5 PM with last entry at 4 PM. Adults pay about $28 at the door, slightly more online. Walk here from the USS Midway in under ten minutes and do both on the same day. See sdmaritime.org.

8. Fleet Science Center

The Fleet Science Center, at 1875 El Prado in Balboa Park, is a hands-on science museum that includes the Heikoff Giant Dome Theater. It is typically open daily 10 AM to 5 PM and closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.

What to do: Try the interactive exhibits, then catch a dome film.
How long: Two to three hours.
Local tip: Adult admission of about $29.95 includes one Giant Dome Theater film. Details at fleetscience.org.

9. San Diego Natural History Museum

The San Diego Natural History Museum, at 1788 El Prado in Balboa Park, is open daily, typically 10 AM to 5 PM, and closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Adult admission is about $24.95 and youth ages 3 to 17 about $16.95.

What to do: Pick one gallery rather than trying them all.
How long: Two hours.
Local tip: Pair it with the Fleet Science Center next door and skip the park's other museums on that day. See sdnhm.org.

10. Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Birch Aquarium, at 2300 Expedition Way in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, is open daily, typically 9 AM to 5 PM, and its Axolotl's Garden exhibit is open. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

What to do: See the exhibits, then step outside to the ocean view.
How long: Two to three hours.
Local tip: Adults pay about $39.95 at the door or $34.95 online; children 3 to 12 pay about $34.95 at the door or $29.95 online. Buy online at aquarium.ucsd.edu. More on La Jolla.

11. Mission Bay Park

Mission Bay Park is a City of San Diego park of over 4,235 acres, roughly half land and half water, with 27 miles of shoreline, 19 of them sandy beaches, and eight official swimming areas, according to the City.

What to do: Rent a sailboat or walk and bike the shoreline paths; there is close to 14 miles of bike path.
How long: Two hours to a full afternoon.
Local tip: The park is free, but the City lists nighttime park closures, so check sandiego.gov before an evening visit. See Mission Bay.

12. Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park runs along the west edge of Point Loma, west of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard between Adair Street and Ladera Street, and the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department lists no entry fee for it.

What to do: Walk the cliff edge for ocean views.
How long: One to two hours.
Local tip: The Ladera Street, Luscomb Point and Osprey areas have no restrooms, so plan ahead. Details at sandiego.gov.

Where should you spend the evening?

Spend the evening in Downtown San Diego, where the Gaslamp Quarter and Little Italy sit a short walk apart. Our Downtown San Diego page covers the whole district, and you can find dinner through our food and dining listings.

13. Gaslamp Quarter

The Gaslamp Quarter is a downtown historic district that the Gaslamp Quarter Association says was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and has over 200 restaurants, bars and shops. Walking the district is free.

What to do: Stroll the streets, then pick a restaurant.
How long: Two to three hours.
Local tip: The association says the district began as William Heath Davis' New Town in 1850, well before Alonzo Horton arrived in 1867 and paid about 33 cents an acre for the waterfront land. See gaslamp.org and our Gaslamp Quarter page.

14. Little Italy

Little Italy, a neighborhood of Downtown San Diego, has six named piazzas, among them Piazza della Famiglia and Piazza Basilone, and a twice-weekly farmers market called the Mercato.

What to do: Walk between piazzas and browse the Mercato.
How long: Two to three hours.
Local tip: The Mercato typically runs Saturdays 8 AM to 2 PM and Wednesdays 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM, and the Little Italy Association says it is the largest in the county with over 200 vendors. See littleitalysd.com and our Little Italy page.

Save this: a three-day route

Day one: Balboa Park in the morning, the Fleet Science Center or Natural History Museum in the afternoon, dinner in Little Italy.
Day two: San Diego Zoo for the day, then the Gaslamp Quarter in the evening.
Day three: USS Midway and the Maritime Museum on the Embarcadero, then Cabrillo National Monument and Sunset Cliffs Natural Park in Point Loma for the afternoon.
Spare half day: Old Town and the Whaley House, or Birch Aquarium and La Jolla, or Mission Bay Park.

How do you get around?

San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) runs buses and four trolley lines; see sdmts.com. Downtown, the Embarcadero and Little Italy are walkable from one another. Balboa Park, Point Loma and La Jolla are easier with a car or a rideshare. For events during your trip, check our events page and the weather page.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best things to do in San Diego?

The best things to do in San Diego are Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, the USS Midway Museum, Cabrillo National Monument and Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. Add an evening in the Gaslamp Quarter and Little Italy.

How many days do you need in San Diego?

Three days covers the main attractions comfortably, with one day for Balboa Park, one for the San Diego Zoo and one for the Embarcadero and Point Loma. A long weekend covers the highlights.

Is Balboa Park free?

Yes, walking Balboa Park is free, though its museums charge separate admission. Free organ concerts take place at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion every Sunday at 2 PM.

How much does the San Diego Zoo cost?

A one-day pass, any day, is typically around $78 for adults ages 12 and up and includes the Guided Bus Tour and Skyfari Aerial Tram. A cheaper Value Days pass, around $73 for adults, is sold in advance online. Check zoo.sandiegozoo.org for current prices.

What are free things to do in San Diego?

Walking Balboa Park, the Gaslamp Quarter, Little Italy, Mission Bay Park and Sunset Cliffs Natural Park is free, as is walking Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. Cabrillo National Monument charges a vehicle or per-person entry fee.

Best Things to Do in San Diego: A Local's 14 Picks