Location: Balboa Park (3 Miles Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Entrance allowed 9AM – 4PM (8PM during Summer)
Cost: Several options starting at $28.50 ($17.50 for Kids ages 3-11)
Features: World Famous; 4,000 Animals on 100 Acres; 700,000 Exotic Plants; Pandas; Koalas
Location: Mission Bay (6 Miles Northwest of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Hours vary by day. Ranges from 10AM – 5PM during Winter to 9AM – 11PM during Summer.
Cost: Several options starting at $65 ($55 for Kids ages 3-9). Parking is $12.
Features: Shamu, Shows, Amusement Rides, Aquariums, Dolphins, Polar Bears, Penguins, Sesame Street Rides
Location: Carlsbad (35 Miles / 40 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Generally Open 10AM – 5PM (8PM during Summer); Additional Hours during School Vacations
Cost: Several options starting at $67 ($57 for Kids ages 3-12 and Seniors 60+). Parking is $12
Features: More than 50 Family Rides; Focused on Kids ages 2 – 12; Attractions built out of LEGO blocks include Pirates, Dinosaurs, Animals, and National Monuments.
Location: Cleveland National Forest (1 Hour Drive from the Coastal Areas of San Diego)
Cost: Most Visitors Will Need An Adventure Pass – $5 per Day or $30 per Year.
Features: Mountains, Meadows, Views of Ocean and Desert; Scenic Drives; Eagles; Falcons; Trails for Hiking, Biking, and Horseback Riding; Campground & RV Sites
Location: Anza-Borrego Desert (Visitor Center is 93 Miles/ 2 Hours from the Coastal Areas of San Diego)
Visitor Center Hours: 9AM – 5PM; Thursday through Monday From October to May; Weekends from June to September.
Cost: Free (Except for $6 per day parking at 3 Campgrounds)
Features: Sonoran Desert Meets the Peninsular Mountain Ranges Creating the Most Diverse Desert Landscape in the World and offering Hiking, Camping, Horseback Riding, Desert Wildflower Viewing, Stargazing, and Geological Exploration.
Location: South San Diego Bay (9 Miles / 12 Minutes South of Downtown San Diego)
Hours: Varies by Location
Features: Four National Wildlife Refuges; Two Nature Centers; 370 Species of Birds; Guided Nature Walks
Location: Mission Bay (7 miles / 8 minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Features: Largest Man-Made Aquatic Park in the Country; Nearly 20 Miles of Beaches and Paved Trails
Location: Mission Bay (7 miles / 8 minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Features: Water Skiing, Wake Boarding, Sailing, Catamaran Sailing, Wind Surfing, Jet-Skiing, Power Boating, Pedal Boats, Kayaks
Location: Downtown San Diego (Gaslamp Quarter)
Features: Shopping, Restaurants, Nightlife, Performing Arts, Historical Tours
Location: Balboa Park (3 Miles Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Park and Gardens are always open; Many Museums are Open Daily, including Holidays
Cost: Parking is Free; Most Museums offer Discounts for Seniors, Students, and Military.
Features: Home to the San Diego Zoo, 15 Museums, 7 Performing Arts Theatres, 4 Cultural Centers, IMAX Globe Theater, Antique Carousel, Miniature Railroad, and Countless Gardens.
Location: Old Town (4 Miles North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Attractions are Generally Open 10AM-6PM; the Dining Scene Stays Alive Late into the Evening.
Cost: Most Attractions are Free while a Few have a Nominal Cost.
Features: 1st European Settlement in California; Historic Landmarks; Parks, Shops, and Restaurants; Most Haunted House in America
Location: La Jolla (12 Miles / 20 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Features: Art Galleries; Exclusive Shops; Fine Dining; Spectacular Setting
Location: Coronado (6 Miles / 15 Minutes South of Downtown San Diego)
Features: California’s Best Beach; Fine Dining; Theatre; Boutique Shops; Famous Historic Hotel; Magnificent Skyline Views
Location: Torrey Pines (19 Miles/ 20 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Dawn – Dusk
Cost: $8 per Vehicle / Free if You Park on Torrey Pines Road.
Features: Beautiful Landscape of Canyons and Beach-Side Cliffs; Panoramic Ocean Views; Beach; Hiking Trails; Popular Cycling Route; Dolphins, Whales
Location: Point Loma (9 Miles / 20 Minutes West of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 9AM – 5PM
Cost: $5 per Vehicle
Features: Best Views of Downtown San Diego, San Diego Bay, and the Pacific Ocean; Tidepools; Hiking; Lighthouse Tour; Whale Watching; Visitor Center Exhibitions and Films about Juan Cabrillo, the First European Explorer to Arrive in California.
Location: San Pasqual Valley (33 Miles / 40 Minutes Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 9AM – 5PM (8PM during Summer)
Cost: Several options starting at $28.50 ($17.50 for Kids ages 3-11). Parking is $9.
Features: African Safari-like Experience; 3,500 Animals on 1,800 Acres; Tours; Sleepovers; Lion Camp; Owned by the San Diego Zoo
Location: Carlsbad (35 Miles / 40 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Generally Open 10AM – 5PM during Winter and 9AM – 8PM during Summer (More Details Below)
Cost: Several options starting at $19 ($12 for Kids ages 3-12 and $16 for Seniors 60+). Parking is $5
Features: Aquarium Focused on Children Ages 2 – 12; Underwater World of LEGO models; 35 foot long Underwater Tunnel; Touch Pools
Location: Balboa Park (3 Miles Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 10AM – 7PM (9:30PM on Fridays and Saturdays) Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
Cost: $16 ($10 for Kids ages 3-12 and $14 for Seniors 62+)
Features: Dinosaur and Mastodon Artifacts; Over 8.2 Million Artifacts in all; World Class Visiting Exhibitions; Giant Movie Screen for Enjoying Nature Films.
Location: Balboa Park (3 Miles Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 10AM – 4:30PM (Must enter by 4PM). Open until 5:30PM during Summer. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Cost: $15 ($6 for Kids ages 3-11 and $12 for Seniors)
Features: One of the Nation’s Best Aerospace Museums; San Diego has the Richest Aviation History in the World
Location: Balboa Park (3 Miles Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 10AM – 5PM. (Opens at 12PM on Sundays; Stays Open Until 9PM on Thursdays through Labor Day.) Closed on Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Cost: $10 ($4 for Kids ages 6-17 and $8 for Seniors 65+)
Features: Paintings from Old World Masters; Popular Works from French Impressionists; Largest Collection of South Asian Art in America; Numerous Exhibitions available at the Museum and Online.
Location: Balboa Park (3 Miles Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 10AM – 4:30PM. (Opens at 1:30PM on Sundays). Closed on Mondays and Holidays.
Cost: Free
Features: World-Class Collection from European Masters (especially Dutch and Flemish), American Art, and Russian Icons; One of the Great Small Museums of the World
Location: Balboa Park (3 Miles Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Generally open 9:30AM - 8PM Summer & Weekends (5PM on Winter Weekdays)
Cost: $10 ($8.75 for Kids ages 3-12 and Seniors 65+); Additional Cost for IMAX Movies
Features: Over 100 Hands-on Science Exhibits, Southern California’s only IMAX Dome Theater, Planetarium, Simulator Ride.
Location: Balboa Park (3 Miles Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Show Times: Year-round
Cost: $29+ Per Show; Cheaper with Subscriptions; $20 Tickets for those Under 30
Features: Tony Award Winning Theatre is “Home to the Most Acclaimed National Artists, Designers, Directors and Playwrights in the Theatre Industry”. Twenty Productions have gone on to Broadway including Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Full Monty, Damn Yankees, and A Catered Affair.
Location: UCSD (13 Miles/ 20 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Performances: Year-Round
Cost: Individual Tickets from $25 to $75
Features: Dozens of Tony Award Winning Broadway Productions started at the La Jolla Playhouse, a Non-Profit Theatre started by Gregory Peck
Location: Downtown San Diego (Horton Plaza / Core District)
Performances: Year-Round
Cost: Ranges from $15 to $200
Features: Home to One of the Top Opera Companies in the Country; See Pop-Stars in Concert; View Productions from Broadway San Diego, the Classical California Ballet, and Tour Companies from Around the World.
Location: Downtown San Diego (Core District)
Performances: Year-Round
Cost: Copley Hall Tours are Free; Performance Tickets Range from $20 – $93 (Some $10 tickets available for Students)
Features: Watch the San Diego Symphony and other International Music Acts Perform in one of the Most Elegant Theatres on the West Coast. You can also Take Tours of the Historic Copley Symphony Hall, which was an Original Fox Theatre where Walt Disney Premiered his Movies.
Location: Pacific Beach (10 Miles / 20 Minutes Northwest of Downtown San Diego)
Features: Most Popular Beach Area for College Students in San Diego with access to a Boardwalk, Restaurants, Bars, and Shops
Location: Del Mar (22 Miles / 20 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Schedule: Daily from Mid-July to Early-September (except Mondays and Tuesdays). Generally runs 2PM – 6PM. Starts 3PM on Fridays.
Cost: Several options starting at $6. Parking is $8 ($10 for Friday & Saturday Concerts).
Features: One of the Top Horse Racetracks in the Country; Several Stakes Races; Place to See and Be Seen; Free Friday Concerts
Location: Del Mar (22 Miles / 20 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Open: June 12th – July 5th, 2009 (Closed Mondays June 15th and 22nd);
Cost: $13 ($7 for Kids ages 5-12 and Seniors 62+). Parking is $10
Features: Top 10 Fair in the Country; Several Dozen Amusement Rides; Concerts with Top National Performers; Competition in a Wide Array of Activities; Carnival Games & Food; 2009 Theme is ‘Music Mania’
Location: Julian (62 Miles / 1.25 Hours Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Features: Historic Town in the San Diego Mountains with Hiking, Wine Tasting, Gold Mines, Stargazing, Shops, Famous Apple Pie, and Surrounded by Forests
Location: Chula Vista (20 Miles / 25 Minutes Southeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 9AM – 5PM; Guided Tours take place 1:30PM Tuesdays through Saturdays
Cost: Free
Features: Tour the Only Year-Round U.S. Olympic Training Center
Find out what the locals know.
Top 10 Reasons San Diego is more than just a leisure destination.
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