While San Diego offers enough options for longer stays, the California region provides opportunities for shorter, focused trips as well. If you only have a few days to spend in San Diego, choose one attraction or theme to explore. The city and surrounding areas offer choices for groups with or without children.
The film "Some Like it Hot," starring Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis, was shot at the Hotel del Coronado. Stay in the luxurious resort for a seaside weekend and enjoy relaxing on the beach or at the Spa at the Del. Spend time wine tasting at the ENO wine bar featuring almost 500 selections of wine and over 50 types of cheese, along with locally-prepared truffles and chocolates. For an evening treat, reserve a beach fire pit, complete with all equipment and make s'mores under the stars.
Hotel del Coronado
1500 Orange Avenue
Coronado, CA 92118
800-468-3533
619-435-6611
hoteldel.com
San Diego offers the right waves for surfers of every skill level. La Jolla Shores offers surf schools and gentler waves for starting out or practicing the basics. Trestles offers some of the best surfing but requires a long trek in from the parking lot. Expert surfers and some professionals line up for the bigger swells here. Del Mar provides reliable surfing and both patchy reefs and sand bottom beaches. The Central Coast is considered mediocre surfing but is popular because of its easy access. The Wave House at Belmont Park also offers an artificial, perpetual wave.
San Diego boasts 30 museums, with 15 located just in Balboa Park. In addition to the Timken Museum of Art and the park's gardens and architecture, Balboa Park offers theatre and performing arts centers as well. Farther north up the coast, La Jolla offers The Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, which features over 4,000 pieces of art. The Tony-Award winning La Jolla Playhouse hosts productions on the University of California San Diego (UCSD) campus from May through November. Downtown San Diego offers both the San Diego Opera and the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. Families will appreciate the hands-on exhibits at The New Children's Museum, located downtown.
San Diego offers 93 golf courses and hosts the annual Buick Invitational. Play a round at the Carlton Oaks Country Club, where Phil Mickelson played while growing up, or at the four-star rated Steele Canyon. For beautiful scenery, play at Salt Creek Golf Club, surrounded by a wildlife preserve with views of Mount Miguel.
Carlton Oaks Country Club
9200 Inwood Dr
Santee, CA 92071
619-448-8500
carltonoaksgolf.com
Steele Canyon Golf Club
3199 Stonefield Dr
Jamul, CA 91935
619-441-6900
steelecanyon.com
Salt Creek Golf Club
525 Hunte Pkwy
Chula Vista, CA 91914
619-482-4666
saltcreekgc.com
According to the City of San Diego website, Mission Bay Park consists of 4,235 acres, making it the largest man-made aquatic park in the country. The park offers playgrounds, fire rings, jogging and walking paths and aquatic activities. Mission Bay Park hosts professional volleyball events, with admission free to the public. Spend a few days exploring the park during the day and the downtown nightlife, within walking distance, once the sun goes down.
Mission Bay Park
2073 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110-3437
619-275-2377
sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation
Spend a day at the San Diego Zoo. Check out the giant panda exhibit, home to the internationally famous Bai Yun female panda and her newest cub. Visit the seven and a half acre Harry and Grace Steele Elephant Odyssey, featuring elephants, jaguars and California condors. Next, visit SeaWorld San Diego to view killer whales, sea lions, penguins and more. Enjoy featured rides, such as the Shipwreck Rapids. The next day, travel to Escondido to visit San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park. The park offers safaris through the open enclosures of African and Asian animals, personal two-wheeled transporters for off-road rides close to animals and the Flightline zip line adventure over the park.
The San Diego Zoo
2920 Zoo Drive
San Diego, CA 92101
800-407-9534
sandiegozoo.org
SeaWorld San Diego
500 SeaWorld Drive
San Diego, CA 92109
800-257-4268
seaworld.com/sandiego
The San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park
15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd
Escondido, CA 92027
760-747-8702
sandiegozoo.org/park
