The city of San Diego in southern California was the starting point of our almost four-week road trip through the USA. We had been to the city many, many years ago, but could only vaguely remember our visit there. We were therefore full of anticipation as to what we would experience in the city. We spent a total of five nights in California’s second largest city, trying out all kinds of activities and seeing the sights.
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Things to know about San Diego
San Diego is located in the southwest of the USA in the state of California, relatively close to the Mexican border. The Mexican influence is omnipresent and has a positive impact on culture and life in the city. With a population of almost 1.4 million, San Diego is the second largest city in California after Los Angeles and the eighth largest city in the USA. San Diego stretches along the Pacific Ocean and San Diego Bay. In 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo was the first European to land here – the Cabrillo National Monument, which can be found on the Point Loma peninsula, was opened in his honor.
During the Second World War, the US Navy established its most important base in the port of San Diego. Today, it is the headquarters of the US Third Fleet, whose area of operations covers the eastern and northern Pacific. There are also three other bases in San Diego: Naval Base San Diego, Naval Base Point Loma and Naval Base Coronado. The city is home to one of the world’s largest military bases and is considered the city’s largest employer.
San Diego in California
The Californian coastal city has a pleasantly warm climate all year round due to its southern location. The best time to visit San Diego is during the summer and early fall months from June to October, when temperatures range from 20 to 26 degrees. During our visit, it was still a little cloudy in the morning before the clouds cleared around midday and bright sunshine came out.
Although we were in the city for several days, we unfortunately didn’t manage to go to one of the many beaches. And there are plenty of them: An incredible 112 kilometers of coastline meander along the Pacific. Sandy beaches, rocky cliffs, bays and seaside resorts alternate here and create a dreamlike ambience.
A little fun fact: Two thirds of all avocados consumed in America come from San Diego 🙂
Our accommodation in San Diego
It was very important to us that after the long flight and due to the time change (9 hours) and jet lag, we had a nice place to stay where we felt comfortable straight away. That’s why we rented a vacation apartment consisting of two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and bathroom. The apartment was located in a quiet and safe part of town; free parking was always available on the street directly in front of the building. The accommodation was perfectly equipped: Plenty of towels, utensils for cooking, a huge fridge, games, TV, washing machine and dryer etc. We wanted for nothing here.
Thanks to its central location, you can get to all the famous sights such as the zoo, SeaWorld or Old Town in 10-15 minutes. You can book the really nice apartment on AirBnB or Booking.com. We paid 180 EUR per night.
San Diego CityPASS®
If you are planning to visit many of San Diego’s sights, then the San Diego CityPASS® is definitely worthwhile. With this sightseeing pass, you can visit all the sights included for a low fixed price, saving you time and money.
The pass can be easily purchased via the CityPASS® website or from GetYourGuide. The price includes admission to 3 attractions (San Diego Zoo or Safari Park, USS Midway Museum, City Cruises, Birch Aquarium, Old Town Trolley Tours, Maritime Museum of San Diego) as well as tickets to SeaWorld San Diego, LEGOLAND California or both. We had the largest ticket package, i.e. LEGOLAND + SeaWorld + 3 attractions, for EUR 240 per adult and EUR 220 for children aged 3 and over. Depending on which attractions you visit, you can save up to 42% (compared to buying them individually).
Top 12 sights, attractions & photo spots in San Diego
San Diego, also known as“America’s Finest City“, is a city full of sights that attracts visitors from all over the world. From beautiful beaches to historic sites and exciting theme parks, San Diego has something for everyone. The variety of sights and attractions makes the city on the southern Californian coast a real magnet for visitors.
Old Town Trolley Tour
The Old Town Trolley Tour in San Diego is a great way to explore the city in a comfortable and informative way. We took a hop-on hop-off tour of San Diego with the trolley, which gave us the opportunity to discover the various sights at our own pace and with complete flexibility. There are eleven stops along the 25-mile route, including the famous harbor, Balboa Park, downtown and Coronado Island. Where we liked it, we got off, explored the area and continued on the next trolley. It couldn’t be more relaxed!
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
The starting point of the Old Town Trolley Tour was the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, which we explored before starting our trolley ride. In the open-air museum, which incidentally does not charge admission, you are whisked away into the past of San Diego. Here you can get to know the historical roots of the city and experience the atmosphere of old California. The park is home to several historic sites, including the Casa de Estudillo, which dates back to 1827 and is one of the oldest buildings in San Diego, offering a glimpse into the lives of early settlers.
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park is home to restaurants, stores and craft stores where you can buy souvenirs and sample traditional Mexican cuisine. At the entrance, the colorful Old Town Market invites you to stroll and store.
Maritime Museum of San Diego
The Maritime Museum of San Diego is located directly on the harbor, just north of the cruise terminal, and is open to visitors every day. It was founded in 1948 and enjoys a very good reputation worldwide for the restoration, maintenance and operation of historic ships. The museum has one of the world’s best collections of historic ships, including the oldest active ship in the world, the Star of India. The ship was built in 1863 and has even been designated a California Historical Landmark and a United States National Historic Landmark. We found it really exciting to go on board the USS Dolphin – a US Navy submarine from 1968 that holds the record for the deepest dive. The harbor is also home to the sailing ship “H.M.S. Surprise”, which might look familiar to fans of the film “Pirates of the Caribbean”.
Admission to the museum is USD 24 for adults and USD 12 for children aged 3 and over. If you want to visit all the ships and view the exhibitions at your leisure, you should allow several hours.
USS Midway Museum
The aircraft carrier USS Midway, which is now a museum ship, is located directly on the harbor promenade. When we stood in front of it, we were totally impressed by the size of the aircraft carrier and it quickly became clear to us that we wanted to visit the museum. The USS Midway Museum is included in the CityPASS San Diego, alternatively you can buy tickets online or on site from 32 USD.
The USS Midway is considered the longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century. It was built within 17 months and was inaugurated shortly after the end of the Second World War on September 10, 1945 into service. The ship had an armored flight deck and a powerful air fleet of 120 aircraft. The Midway carried out numerous combat missions all over the world before it was was decommissioned in San Diego on April 11, 1992. The USS Midway Museum was opened in June 2004. In the museum, you can take a self-guided audio tour to learn interesting facts about the history of the US Navy and gain an insight into the daily life of the sailors on board. Here we were able to visit rooms such as the sleeping and washrooms, the engine rooms, the galley, the officers’ quarters, the ship’s prison and much more.
The flight deck at the top impressed us the most. In principle, you are standing in the middle of a mini airport with a runway and 20 airplanes, some of which you can even walk into. We found that super interesting! Incidentally, our older daughter also really enjoyed sitting in the pilot’s seat and pressing buttons in the cockpit like crazy 😉 The exhibitions were very interactive and informative, so that the time on board flew by.
Kissing Sailor Statue – Embracing Peace
The 7.60 meter high Embracing Peace statue is located right next to the USS Midway Museum on San Diego Bay. It is the image of a photograph that captured the spontaneous moment of a sailor and a nurse kissing as they celebrated Victory Over Japan Day in New York’s Times Square in 1945. It marks the end of the war on the Pacific front.
The artwork was first installed in Tuna Harbor Park in 2007 as a 15-month loan – at that time still under the name‘Unconditional Surrender‘. Over time, the sculpture proved to be a real visitor magnet, so that at the end of the loan period, the decision was made to return the sculpture as a permanent exhibit – which happened in 2013. Since then, the statue has become an unmissable sight and popular photo motif.
Unconditional Surrender – Kissing Sailor Statue
Seaport Village
Seaport Village is a cool neighborhood in the Marina District right on the waterfront with numerous restaurants, cafés, boutiques and souvenir stores. We had fish and chips for lunch at ‘Marion’s Fish Market & Restaurant’, which was delicious. There is plenty of outdoor seating and dessert is also available at ‘Ben & Jerry’s’ or the ‘Seaport Fudge Factory’. An attraction for children is certainly the ‘Seaport Village Carousel’ from 1895, which looks really nostalgic. For 5 USD you can take a ride on one of the 54 animals.
Balboa Park
One of the most famous attractions in San Diego is Balboa Park, founded in 1868 and the largest public park in the city. Covering an area of 4.9 km², it is home to a variety of cultural institutions and museums, including the Comic-Con Museum, the San Diego Museum of Art, the Natural History Museum and the Museum of Photographic Arts. You can also visit beautiful botanical gardens that impress with their flowers and plants, such as the Alcazar Garden, the Palm Canyon, the Japanese Friendship Garden or the Zoro Garden.
We took our trolley tour right across the park, but unfortunately we didn’t have time to get off the trolley once. If you want to get to know several corners of the park, it’s worth planning a whole day for it.
San Diego Zoo
Opened in 1916, the San Diego Zoo is located in Balboa Park, just a few minutes from downtown San Diego, and covers an area of over 40 hectares. With around 4 million visitors a year, it is the most visited and best-known zoo in the United States. According to the international TripAdvisor ranking, it has been one of the most beautiful zoos in the world since the early 1990s. The zoo is home to more than 12,000 rare and endangered animals, representing over 680 species and subspecies.
We spent a wonderful day at the San Diego Zoo and can highly recommend a visit. We particularly liked the spacious enclosures, the natural boundaries between humans and animals and the extensive greenery throughout the facility. You can find our detailed travel report about our visit here.
Gaslamp Quarter
The Gaslamp Quarter in the city center is also known as the ‘Historic Heart of San Diego’. Victorian-era buildings stand side by side with modern skyscrapers over an area of 16 blocks. With its numerous restaurants, bars, nightclubs and stores, it is one of the hippest nightlife districts on the American west coast.
The most famous photo motif in the quarter is probably the arch with the inscription‘Gaslamp Quarter – Historic Heart of San Diego‘. This is located at the beginning of Fifth Avenue right next to the Hard Rock Hotel (on Google Maps you can find it under ‘Gaslamp Quarter Sign’ or ‘Gaslamp Quarter San Diego Arc’).
Coronado Island
Coronado Island, located in San Diego Bay, is known for its picturesque beaches, historic landmarks and luxurious accommodations. Since 1969, the peninsula has been connected to California State Route 75 via the 3,407-meter-long Coronado Bay Bridge.
One of the main attractions on Coronado Island is the Hotel del Coronado, a historic landmark dating back to 1888, famous for its Victorian architecture and celebrity guests. The hotel has also served as a backdrop for numerous Hollywood companies. Of course, this comes at a price – the cheapest room rates start at around EUR 500 per night. Coronado Beach, often rated as one of the best beaches in the USA, offers fine white sand and ideal conditions for swimming and sunbathing. Orange Avenue is the island’s main street and is lined with boutiques, restaurants and galleries. A great view of the San Diego skyline can be enjoyed from the Coronado Ferry Landing, from where ferries depart for San Diego (Convention Center or Broadway Pier) every hour. Another highlight is Glorietta Bay Park, ideal for families with picnic areas, a playground and water sports facilities.
Also located on Coronado Island is the Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI), a significant and historically important naval base of the United States Navy. Founded in 1917, it is known as the “birthplace of naval aviation”. The base is home to several aircraft carriers, including the USS Carl Vinson and the USS Abraham Lincoln, and serves as headquarters for the Pacific Fleet’s Naval Air Forces.
SeaWorld San Diego
The SeaWorld San Diego theme park is a mixture of theme park and animal park and offers its visitors lots of roller coasters, animal encounters and many other attractions. It was founded in 1964 by four graduates of the University of California and was the first park in the SeaWorld Group. Originally planned as an underwater restaurant with an accompanying marine animal show, the park eventually developed into a theme park with a variety of sea creatures.
We spent a day immersed in the world of SeaWorld, rode a few rides and observed numerous animals. You can find our detailed travel report about our visit here.
LEGOLAND California
Even as adults, we loved playing with LEGO as children. So it’s not surprising that we have lots of boxes of the small, colorful building blocks at home and that our older daughter loves playing with them. So it was only natural that we should make a stop at LEGOLAND California Resort on our road trip to the USA this year. The leisure and theme park resort is located in Carlsbad (California), which is only about 30 minutes north of San Diego and one hour south of Anaheim. LEGOLAND is aimed at families with children aged 2 to 12 and offers a variety of experiences in different areas, all built from Lego bricks.
We spent a sunny day at LEGOLAND California, rode the carousel, tried out lots of rides together as a family, traveled across the United States at Miniland USA, saw impressive dinosaurs at Dino Valley and our older daughter got a LEGO driver’s license at the Ford Driving School. You can find our detailed travel report about our visit here.
Is a visit to San Diego worthwhile?
We can unanimously affirm this! We are really glad that we planned five nights for San Diego and therefore had plenty of time to explore the city and all its attractions. We could have easily added another two or three days to take a closer look at Balboa Park and Coronado Island, for example, or just to go to the beach. We’ll just save that for the next visit 😉