Nine Things You Must Do When You Visit San Diego
BY INIGO FIGURACION

If you’re visiting San Diego for the first time, you may be overwhelmed by all the options. From the world-famous zoo to the gorgeous beaches, ultra-trendy nightclubs to the grand historic districts. In San Diego there is something fun for everyone to do. Most of these can be done even if you only have one day in town.

Hit The Beach

Mission beach
No matter what time of year you visit, you need to make your way to the beach; it’s what personifies the San Diego lifestyle. Watch the waves roll in from a bluff or on the sand. Soak in the beach life all along the coast and then watch the sunset.

Best bet: Make your way to Mission Beach and the Belmont Park rollercoaster for some exhilarating fun by the waves.

Try a Fish Taco

It’s San Diego’s unofficial delicacy: deep-fried, battered fish wrapped in a corn tortilla with cabbage and sauce. If you’ve never had one, it sounds weird. If you try one, you’ll crave it every time you visit San Diego.

Best bet: Hit one of the many Rubio’s restaurants, the originator of the San Diego fish taco or check out one of the favorite San Diego fish taco options, like Brigantine or South Beach Bar and Grille.

Ride the Trolley

San Diego doesn’t have the greatest public transit system, but the San Diego trolley can zip you around to some of the city’s top sites. The bright red cars can get you from downtown to East County down to the border and through Mission Valley. If the San Diego freeways seem intimidating, then the trolley can get you to a lot of places, especially within the urban core.​

Best bet: Buy an all-day pass and just ride; you’ll get a good idea of what San Diego is all about.

See the Pandas

Sure, you can go to Sea World or Legoland, but you’ll regret missing the lovable giant pandas at the world-famous San Diego Zoo. The city’s venerable tourist attraction is home to numerous giant pandas, which you can also watch on the Panda Cam on the Zoo’s website.

Best bet: Visit the Zoo early in the morning; that’s when you’re most likely to see the pandas active and not sleeping.

Wander Through Balboa Park

After you visit the pandas at the zoo, head over to nearby Balboa Park, which is San Diego’s public playground and cultural center. Enjoy the lovely green space and visit one of the many wonderful museums as well as the famous Old Globe Theatre.

Best bet: Visit the park on Tuesdays, when many museums have free admission. Dine at the Prado Restaurant for great food in a fantastic setting, or just bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the scenery.

Drink & Eat in the Gaslamp District

It’s San Diego’s center of nightlife. Gaslamp Quarter in downtown is where you’ll want to be if you’re looking for restaurants, dancing, or just people watching. You’ll find restaurants to suit every taste, all within walking distance of one another, plus a variety of bars and dance clubs.

Best bet: Stroll along Fifth Avenue to take in the vibe of the Gaslamp Quarter and then enjoy a meal sitting at a sidewalk table as the world walks by. Cap off the night with a show at the nearby House of Blues.

Walk Around La Jolla

La Jolla is the seaside enclave and it is deserving of its reputation. A beautiful village around a picturesque cove, La Jolla is where the rich and beautiful people live and hang out, but is unpretentious and fun for the non-rich and famous, too. Moreover, eating at the gourmet restaurants, visiting the stylish boutiques, and watching the surf and seals by the La Jolla Cove makes for an enjoyable full day outing.

Best bet: Head down to the La Jolla Cove and look for sea creatures trapped in the tide pools within the rocky terrain when the tide is out.

Take a Harbor Cruise

Get an idea of how important the waterfront and sail on San Diego Bay. The Harbor Cruise gives you the best vantage to do this. Furthermore, you’ll cruise by Navy ships, waterfront hotels, the downtown skyline, and go under the Bay Bridge.

Best bet: Don’t miss spotting the Star of India tall ship and maybe even an aircraft carrier docked on North Island.

Explore Old Town

Lastly, historical San Diego isn’t always evident, but a sure bet to take in the city’s past is to visit Old Town. In Old Town you can find authentic snippets of San Diego’s past.

Best bet: The Old Town Mexican Cafe with its homemade tortillas is among the most popular choices.

Don’t forget to stop by San Diego’s best dispensary, Golden State Greens. Centrally located this cannabis dispensary is a must when visiting San Diego.