April 2024
Perfect 5 Day Itinerary for San Diego, California
San Diego is one of those places in the world that is hard to believe exists – how can that beautiful sun be so perfect all year round? Those that have the fortune of living here have a slice of paradise. Not only is the weather always wonderful, but you are central to so many wonderful things. San Diego has so much to offer and within a short drive you could be hiking in the mountains, exploring national parks, indulging in a wine region, and so much more. We have been lucky to visit San Diego many times and making this perfect post has been a long time coming.
When to Go
That is the beautiful thing about San Diego – the weather is simply exceptional! We have visited different parts of the year and have always found the weather enjoyable. Rainy is more likely during the winter months but overall, San Diego is a great spot any time of year.
Where to Stay
San Diego is very large so there is not going to be one spot that is ideal for seeing everything. I would avoid downtown San Diego and instead pick one of the neighborhoods north of Balboa Park such as Hillcrest, University Heights, or North Park. Those areas are ideal for Airbnb stays and there are some fantastic listings here. For hotels, you will have to go closer to downtown but I would suggest being along the marina. If you are looking to do-it-up, stay across the water on Coronado Island and stay at the Hotel del Coranado for the ultimate experience.
How to Get Around
The airport is directly in San Diego so it is very easy if you are arriving by plane. It is wild how close it is to the downtown area and because of that, flight times are limited in the evening hours to not disrupt residents. For your trip, you are going to want to rent a car. San Diego County is really large and there is not a viable public transportation system to depend on, even if you did not plan on extending outside of San Diego. Having a car really opens your options and in our experience, parking in the city has not been a deal breaker and it especially helps reach some awesome destinations for your trip. Be mindful of traffic as well – despite the large multilane highways, this part of California suffers from the reputation that Los Angeles has for traffic.
What is There To Do
San Diego Country
- Visit the famous San Diego Zoo! Spanning over 100 acres, you can spend all day here exploring the various exhibits and animals. This can occupy adults and kids alike to explore the offerings in the park.
- Balboa Park has many different sections to enjoy. If in season, swing by the Rose Garden for a beautiful display of flowers or the Desert Garden for native plants and catci. There are several museums, including Natural History Muesum, Museum of Art, and the Fleet Science Center, multiple parks and playgrounds to visit.
- Spend the day at La Jolla for the beautiful beaches, water activities such as surfing or kayaking, shopping, dining, and more. Do not miss the tide pools and opportunity for spotting sea life.
- Gaslamp Quarter is the downtown area of San Diego that features dining, bars, live music, and nightlife.
- See the Padres play at Petco Park for an afternoon baseball game.
- Walk along the marina and discover the many piers. Of particular interest is the famous Unconditional Surrender statue, the USS Midway Museum where you can actually board and explore the ship, and the Seaport Village. You can even attend a concert at the outdoor venue The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park – check their offerings during your visit.
- Go over the Coronado Bridge to Coranado Island and the famous Hotel del Coranado. The beach here is amazing and this is a great place to watch the sunset.
Day Trips
- Visit Torrey Pines State National Reserve for hiking and the beach. You can really spend the entire day here. Go for a hike, then take a dip into the ocean and finish the day watching the sunset. For the best sunset, go to Torrey Pines Gliderport to watch the paragliders (or paraglider yourself!) and watch the most perfect sunset.
- Take a drive to neighboring beaches. We enjoyed bopping around each town and exploring their offerings by making it a tasting menu of sorts with coffee, snacks, lunch, and drinks as we traveled throughout the day.
- Joshua Tree National Park is a unique national park that is full of Joshua Trees under 3 hours from San Diego. Here you can see the best night sky. There are many different trails to explore as well. We ended up making it an overnight experience so that we could see the nigh sky but you can do this as a long day. Just be mindful that the temperature this direction is much different than San Diego so check before you go as it is often much hotter and can get dangerously hot in the middle of the day certain times of the year when it is not recommended to intensely hike.
- Spot by the town of Julian for their old charm downtown and the best pie.
- Spend the afternoon wine tasting in the Temecula Wine Region known for cabernet, zinfandel, and merlot.
- Disneyland is under 2 hours from San Diego so you know that is high on my list as a great way to extend your trip. If you have never been or have only done Walt Disney World, I highly recommend adding this if you are into the theme parks.
- Cruise port here as well so if you want to extend your trip even more, hop abroad a cruise ship.
Where to Eat
There are so many places to eat in San Diego County and while we have certainly visited enough to try many options, there is just no way to encompass everything. So I will give you some areas to focus your attention on when you are making your decisions. Thankfully, San Diego has a great food scene.
- Farmer’s markets across the town as many neighborhoods have their own. This is a great way to get snacks for the day, set up a picnic for beach time, or even get a full meal. We have enjoyed visiting the Hillcrest Famer’s Market when we visit and it is always a hit.
- Little Italy is located just north of the downtown area. Make sure you have a meal here or visit the Little Italy Food Hall. This location also features a farmer’s market weekly.
- Hop in the car and take a drive to Kearny Mesa for the best concentration of Asian eateries. There is representation for countless cuisines – if you want something specific, the odds are high you will find it here. We love visiting this area cause the food is just amazing.
- For many, in-and-out is a pilgrimage and if that is high on your to do list, make sure to incorporate a stop when you are out and about as there are none directly in San Diego downtown but a few locations around the county.
- There are tons of breweries to take advantage of as well!
- Salt and Straw is in Little Italy and is a daily mission for me every time we visit San Diego.
- We have yet to have a bad meal in San Diego and there are still so many places I want to try. Our favorite spots so far all over the San Diego area:
- We had the best seafood tacos at Blue Water Seafood
- Liv Juice Bar and Big Front Door for grab and go
- Clos Wine Shop is a great place to find amazing wine but also has seating to enjoy drink and snacks
Perfect Itinerary
This itinerary works very well as a stand alone trip or as part of a longer trip exploring Southern California. There is so much to see so if you have more time to explore, I highly recommend it! You can mix and match days or double up in activities you really want to do.
| Day 1 | Arrive in San Diego Check into accommodations |
| Explore your neighborhood or Balboa Park – Gardens or museums | |
| Day 2 | San Diego Zoo |
| If not at the zoo all day, go to Balboa Park if not done already or head to a nigheborhood to explore like University Heights or Kearny Messa | |
| Day 3 | La Jolla – Tide pools, beach, water activities such as surfing or kayaking, shopping, and dining |
| Walk the Marina – Unconditional Surrender statue, the USS Midway Museum, the Seaport Village Travel to Coronado for sunset | |
| Day 4 | Explore more of San Diego or Day trip of choice – I would recommend take a drive to neighboring beaches |
| Day 5 | Day trip of choice – I would recommend spending the day at Visit Torrey Pines State National Reserve |