San Diego is pretty much the definition of California. It has it all – the miles of beautiful beaches dotted with surfers, the almost guaranteed daily dose of sunshine, and an endless assortment of things to do for all ages. We never tire of our visits to San Diego and have made up a list of a few of our favourite must sees.
Like many of the destinations we travel to, we find that the trolley or hop on/off bus is a great way to get acquainted with the city (as well as a great way to get around!) The regular city tour covers a lot of ground and most of the popular points of interest including Coronado and Old Town, and there is also another tour that goes to La Jolla and the Mission Beach area – the Lucky Bugs highly recommend both. One of our most recent trips, we decided to change things up and did a SEAL tour (comparable to the popular Duck tour that other cities have).
Seal land and sea tours
Seaport Village
Seaport Village is a nice little touristy area to explore, located right on San Diego Bay. It has several shops and restaurants ranging from sit down to food court type offerings. It is also a pick up stop for several tours that you may want to do.
Further down the waterfront walkway you will find the U.S.S. Midway Museum, a fun, interesting and interactive museum on a real aircraft carrier. Very easy to spend a lot of time here – there is a lot to see and do. Admission is approximately $20 for adults and $8 for children (also student and senior discounts are available).
The world famous San Diego Zoo is located in Balboa Park (another beautiful spot to explore), and is well worth a visit. The grounds are gorgeous and there are many unique animals and exhibits to enjoy. Sea World is also located close by.
San Diego Zoo
Old Town is probably best described as a historical little neighbourhood right on the outskirts of the city. Full of delicious Mexican restaurants, souvenir shops and cute boutiques, as well as several historic museums and sites – Old Town is another area definitely worthy of a stop. There are also some little kiosks and markets set up throughout the 5 or 6 block stretch.
The two restaurants we tried were delicious – great atmosphere and great authentic Mexican food! Freshly made tortillas and chips to die for!
Old Town, San Diego
Cafe Coyote, Old Town, San Diego
Looking for a relaxing, laid-back place to get away from it all? Look no further than Coronado. Coronado is an island like peninsula connected to San Diego by the Coronado bridge. Here you will find many nice shops and restaurants and beautiful beaches. One of the most iconic places found in Coronado is the Hotel Del Coronado. Beautiful grounds and fun to walk around but a little out of the Bug’s price range for a stay.
Hotel Del Coronado
Transportation tip: We have recently been finding extremely reasonably priced flights to San Diego. If you are looking to explore some other areas, San Diego is a great base to end or begin your adventure. The Amtrak route from San Diego to Anaheim is a great, affordable and beautifully scenic way of getting to Orange County while avoiding some of the Southern California traffic . If you are interested in the Disney Parks you will also be able to save the cost of a car rental which really isn’t necessary once you are there.
