1. Balboa Park
Balboa Park is a one-stop wonderland for tourists. This 1,400-acre site encompasses historical buildings, numerous museums, gardens, and green space. The park was created for the Panama California Exhibition of 1915-1916, and most of the buildings remain from that event. The predominant architecture is Spanish-style, with low-rise buildings that blend in with the natural surroundings.
2. San Diego Zoo
You can see all kinds of exotic animals here, but perhaps its most famous residents are the giant pandas, which have been successfully bred here. Other favorite animals include gorillas, grizzly bears, koalas, leopards, bonobos, polar bears, rhinos, and sloths, and all the animal enclosures are designed to recreate natural settings for each species.
If your feet get sore from walking around the park, you can always hop on the Kangaroo Express Bus or glide over the exhibits in the Skyfari Aerial Tram.
4. Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum
5. Seaport Village
San Diego’s Seaport Village is a delightful place to stroll around and spend an afternoon. Located right on the waterfront, this area of unique shops and restaurants is one of the city’s must-sees. Picnic tables, benches, and waterfront patios are sprinkled throughout the area, and weekends can be very busy. Eclectic performers take to the outdoor stage regularly in the afternoons. Kids love riding the historic carousel with hand-carved wooden horses.
6. San Diego Beaches
Year-round sunshine and miles of beautiful surf-washed coastline make San Diego a perfect place to visit for a beach vacation. No matter what you like to do, San Diego’s best beaches offer conditions for every type of activity.
Get off and explore the areas that interest you or just stay on to see the city at a leisurely pace without having to worry about driving or parking. One or two day passes are available. To read more, click here.
