San Diego, California is one of my favorite cities in the United States because it offers beautiful beaches, stunning scenery, breathtaking mountains, desert, a fun city life and neighborhoods as well as delicious food and drink spots. Although I don’t like to travel to a city more than once, mainly because I like to see new places, San Diego is a destination I never get sick of. Check out my San Diego city guide!

I have been to San Diego three times: once in October 2015, another time in late August/early September 2016 and then again in January 2018.

Even though I already have a blog post on the best things to see in Southern California, I put together a great city guide on the top things to do in San Diego itself so that you can experience the best of it during a week vacation, long weekend or even a day trip!

**Please note that this blog post uses affiliate links meaning that if you make a purchase via my affiliate link, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only promote and talk about products and services that I have used and like.

Pin the Below Image to Keep Handy

Traveling to San Diego:

By using Skyscanner, you could find great flights into San Diego. (I flew from Newark International Airport in New Jersey to San Diego International Airport in California.) You could also take Amtrak to get to San Diego from Los Angeles or even rent a car if you are traveling around California.

In regards to public transportation in San Diego, the city has a bus through the Metropolitan Transit System. There is also a waterfront shuttle as well as a trolley!

If you’re looking for an RV for your next trip, reserve it here!

Where to Stay in San Diego, California:

During the times I’ve been to San Diego, I either traveled there from Orange County or I stayed with friends, so I never had the opportunity to stay in a hotel during my time in the city. San Diego does, however, offer a wide range of hotels that accommodates all budgets and you could also choose from a variety of Airbnb and Vrbo options as well.

Below are my recommendations for hotels in San Diego based on budget:

Luxury: Hotel del Coronado

Boutique: Hotel Marisol Coronado

Mid-Budget: Tower23 Hotel

Budget: Stay Classy Hostel

Best San Diego City Guide:

Things to do in San Diego, California:

Enjoy an Adventurous or Relaxing Day at the Beach:

Whether you are relaxing in Coronado, surfing in Mission Beach or hiking Torrey Pines, San Diego’s beaches offer something for everyone, even if you are not a beach person!

Below are a list of my favorite beaches in San Diego and everything they have to offer:

La Jolla Cove:

One of my favorite places in the city of San Diego is La Jolla. This beautiful seaside village offers rugged coastal cliffs; sea caves on the beach and wonderful tide pools where you can hang out with the cutest seals.

In addition to the Cove, the town of La Jolla features posh boutiques, waterfront restaurants and so much more! No matter what, La Jolla in San Diego should not be excluded on your city guide!

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve:

Torrey Pines is a state park that preserves 3,000 of the US’ most rare pine trees, salt marshes and so much more! There are eight miles of trails that offer different experiences for hikers.

During my trip to San Diego in January 2018, I adventured along the Beach Trail where I was able to go under pine tree paths to a beautiful overlook of the Pacific Ocean. In addition, this trail offers cool canyon paths that lead you down the cliffs onto the beach. I had a blast! Once you are on the beach, there are incredible views of the cliffs!

Coronado:

Although, the above two beaches are the most scenic in San Diego, I love Coronado Beach to sit down and have a relaxing and peaceful beach day.

The beach in Coronado is wide and flat and the ocean offers the best swimming area since there are no rocks and wild seaweed like what you’d normally see in La Jolla and Torrey Pines. I personally like to sit on the beach near the famous Hotel del Coronado because there is a beach bar and I think the hotel is so pretty!

In addition, I love the town of Coronado because it offers some of the best restaurants and shops. Along with the beach and cute town, I also enjoy walking around the neighborhoods and admiring the gorgeous mansions!

Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach:

If you are looking to enjoy a fun beach day with friends, watch a surfing competition or experience a “boardwalk” type of day, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach are the perfect places to go!

I personally love hanging out in these towns because there is so much lively action and you could even grab breakfast or lunch at a beach café that directly overlooks the ocean.

In addition to foodie spots, these beaches also offer great breweries with live music. If you have little kids and are looking for a place where they can go on rides, Belmont Park in Mission Beach is the perfect place to go!

Have Fun in Downtown San Diego:

Gaslamp Quarter:

The Gaslamp Quarter in Downtown San Diego offers some of the best nightlife in California. Easily accessible by car, public transit or bike, this great area is where modern architecture meets the Victorian-Age. Besides nightlife, the Gaslamp Quarter has great shops, gastropubs to watch a sporting game and amazing restaurants and candy stores.

Little Italy:

Years ago, a large group of Italians came over to make their living by the Pacific. They lived in a specific neighborhood (now called Little Italy) that is currently flourished with cute patio cafés, the best Italian restaurants, urban wineries, Italian art galleries, boutique hotels and so much more!

Plenty of our nation’s top chefs have created restaurants in Little Italy and I highly recommend putting at least one of these amazing eateries on your San Diego city guide!

Seaport Village:

This cute little area is the perfect place to shop with a view. As you search for the perfect souvenir, watch sailboats and U.S. Naval ships sail on by!

Petco Park:

Known as The World’s Best Ballpark in America, Petco Park is home to the San Diego Padres. Not only can you watch the Padres and another one of your favorite U.S. sports teams play in the stadium, but you could also catch stunning views of San Diego Bay and the city’s skyline.

Explore Balboa Park:

Balboa Park is known to be a place where culture, science and nature blend together. I love how this gorgeous park features beautiful Spanish architecture; it gave me a déjà vu of being back in Spain. In addition to going into the museums, Balboa Park is a great place to picnic, hike, bike ride and so much more!

Go on a Hike in the Desert:

When I visited San Diego back in January 2018, my friend and I went on a desert hike in the beautiful Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Wintertime is the best time to visit a desert since the weather is perfect for hiking. If you decide to go during the summer, expect to be hiking in 100-degree weather.

As the largest state park in California, Anza-Borrego is located in the Colorado Desert and offers 500 miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas and many miles of hiking trails. The drive into the desert was spectacular and it made me feel like I was on Mars.

If you are looking for a cool adventure, I definitely recommend doing the trail my friends and I did called the Palm Canyon Oasis. This 3.25-mile, easy loop trail begins in the heart of the desert with floral cacti and ascends into a magical oasis with waterfalls and palm trees. It is truly an alluring desert canyon! You can even catch unique animals hanging out in the canyon. (Make sure to download the AllTrails app if you plan to hike in Anza-Borrego.)

About an hour south of Palm Canyon Oasis is the Borrego Springs. Surrounded by the beautiful marble rock of the canyons, enjoy relaxing in Anza-Borrego’s geothermal pools. It was the perfect way to end the day after a great hike.

In addition to hiking and relaxing in the geothermal pools, Anza-Borrego is a great place to also find the perfect camping ground!

Other great hikes in San Diego County are Mount Laguna, Mission Trails Regional Park, Cabrillo National Monument and so much more!

Sip on the Best Craft Beer:

San Diego is considered to be the “Craft Beer Capital of America”. Beer in this city is embraced with the local food.

A few of my favorite places to sip on a delicious brew are Barrel Republic in Mission Beach, Pizza Port in Point Loma, Ballast Point Brewing Company in Little Italy and Knotty Barrel in the Gaslamp Quarter. In addition to beer, I loved Madison, a fancy cocktail bar with a cute courtyard located in University Heights.

Taste Your Way Around the Different Neighborhoods:

In addition to beer, San Diego is also known for its crafted food made by renowned chefs from all over the world. In fact, California ranks second, behind New York, as having the best food (in my opinion).

Not only can you find the best Mexican and Asian Fusion food in this great city, but you can also find delicious Italian, Indian, Greek, Middle Eastern and American restaurants in San Diego. Below is a list of my favorite places to eat at in this city, which you should add to your San Diego city guide:

• Bistro d’Asia (Asian Fusion): Coronado
• RoVino (Italian): Little Italy
• Catania (Brick Oven Pizza): La Jolla
• City Tacos (Tacos): North Park, La Mesa, Encinitas and Imperial Beach
• Brockton Villa Restaurant (American/Breakfast): La Jolla
• Bangkok Spices Thai Restaurant (Thai): North Park
• Moniker General (Coffee House): Point Loma
• Woody’s Breakfast and Burgers (Beachside Food): Pacific Beach
• Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream (Ice Cream): Pacific Beach, North Park & Point Loma
• Donut Bar (Donuts): Gaslamp Quarter
• Somi Somi (Korean-style Ice Cream): Kearny Mesa
• Gelato Paradiso (Gelato): Coronado

Watch the Sunset on the Pacific or Catch the Sunrise Over the Mountains

No matter where you are on the Pacific Coast, you will be sure to catch an amazing sunset along the ocean and among the swaying California trees.

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park offers intricately carved coastal cliffs, panoramic views of the ocean and you can even catch California gray whales from a distance (unfortunately, I didn’t see any when I was there).

The moment we reached Sunset Cliffs, I felt immediate bliss! The views were incredible and the ocean mist felt amazing against my skin. Experiencing a summer-like sunset in the middle of the winter is by far one of the best feelings!

Sunset Cliffs runs 68-acres along the western edge of the Point Loma area and it is a place you cannot skip on your San Diego city guide. The cliffs are super steep and you definitely need to watch where you step because there are no fences or guard rails. One of the cool things you can do is walk down this staircase to the beach area where you can catch the waves crashing along the cliffs. It was truly a beautiful evening.

A few other places you can catch the sunset in San Diego is at Mission Bay, Cabrillo National Monument, Seaport Village, a rooftop downtown and more!

The sunrise is also amazing to catch early in the morning. Depending on where you are, you can catch it at Mount Julian, Cabrillo National Monument and Coronado to name a few.

Spend Mornings Drinking Coffee on the Beach:

Besides beer, coffee has also become a popular staple in San Diego. (Seattle is another great city for coffee lovers.) No matter what neighborhood you are in, you will sure find an amazing coffee shop!

What is cool about San Diego’s coffee shops are that you can find them in some interesting areas and even on the beach! There is nothing more amazing than sipping a fresh cup of coffee with a view.

Get Cozy at a Bonfire on the Beach:

What is awesome about San Diego is that some of the beaches have fire pits lined up so that you and friends could get together and enjoy a cozy night snuggled up by the fire, while hearing the ocean crash.

During one of the nights I was in San Diego, we all enjoyed a bonfire on Coronado Beach. We had a blast sharing stories, making s’mores and drinking San Diego’s locally crafted beer.

What was cool about our bonfire in San Diego was that the weather went from being clear to foggy. We felt like we were out in limbo since you could not see anything except your shadow in the fog. It was definitely one of the most memorable times in San Diego.

Visit a San Diego Winery:

You don’t always have to travel to Napa to taste great California wines; Southern California also has amazing wineries with gorgeous scenery like what you can find in Northern California.

If you are looking to do something different than going to the beach or taking a hike, visiting a winery is definitely a great idea! Urban wineries are booming throughout the region and you can find a few of them in San Diego’s downtown area. Since I was in San Diego though, I just HAD to go to an outdoor winery.

My friend and I found a great wine village in Escondido called Bernardo Winery. What is cool about this winery is that it is known as “Southern California’s Oldest Operating Winery”. As you taste your wine, you are allowed to walk around and enjoy the beautiful weather, head into the little shops and buy a souvenir, admire local art and even get a chocolate pairing with your tasting from the village’s sweet shop.

What is also great about visiting San Diego, California is that it’s close to the scenic Temecula Valley Wine Country. There are 14 amazing wineries in Temecula you have to visit if you plan to do a day trip from the city. From reds to sparkling wines, you won’t be disappointed when you go wine tasting in this region.

Stay Active in San Diego:

Last but not least, San Diego is the best city in the country to stay active. Since the city has sunshine for over 300 days out of the year with an average temperature around 65 degrees (Fahrenheit), there is no excuse to not be outside.

In San Diego, there is something for everyone! Some popular activities to get involved in are hiking, surfing, cycling, yoga, golfing, swimming, beach volleyball, skateboarding, basketball, soccer, football, tennis and so much more!

I hope you all enjoyed reading my city guide on San Diego, California. If you have any questions about San Diego or California in general, please email me at info@browneyedflowerchild.com.

Make sure to pin this post if you find it useful!

Basic Facts of the United States:

Currency: United State Dollar, Capital: Washington D.C., CA State Capital: Sacramento, Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time

Looking for the best agency to book your next bespoke travel experience? Contact Crawford Concierge!

*Anything could happen during your travels. Always make sure you are insured in case there are unforeseen circumstances such as lost luggage/theft, natural disasters, personal liabilities and more. Click here to get insured for your next trip.

Shop my San Diego Look: