San Diego in 5 Days: everything you need to know

San Diego is a coastal city that can be visited all year round, with cultural proposals for all tastes, sandy beaches, cliffs, natural parks and the spirit of the Californian cities, where you can live the most memorable experiences.

Besides enjoying its beautiful beaches, some of the things you can see and do in San Diego are boarding a whale watching cruise, touring historic neighborhoods with colonial buildings, visiting outdoor maritime museums, doing water sports or having fun in its theme parks. Here is an itinerary to help you organize your next 5-day visit to San Diego.

Your first day in San Diego you can tour downtown, where some of San Diego's best museums are located. The first point on the itinerary is the Maritime Museum, which is located in Waterfront Park, and the second is the USS Midway Museum, which is 800 meters away.

After strolling along the Embarcadero, you can go to the Gaslamp Quarter, which is considered the historic center of the city; and then go to Coronado Island, where you can visit some of its most beautiful beaches, such as Coronado Beach and the famous Hotel del Coronado.

San Diego Maritime Museum

The San Diego Maritime Museum is an open-air coastal museum where you can see various antique vessels, such as submarines, sailboats and yachts, and view exhibits on San Diego's naval history. One of the most prominent vessels is the 1983 iron sailing ship Star of India, which is considered the oldest ship in the world.

A convenient way to get from one point to another is to take a sightseeing streetcar, which you can hop on and off as often as you like.

• Location: 1492 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101.
• Hours: daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Last admission at 4 pm.
• Admission fee: about 20 € for adults and 10 € for children.

USS Midway Museum

800 meters from the Maritime Museum is the USS Midway Museum which is actually a huge aircraft carrier that has been converted into a floating museum after 47 years of service. There you can walk the runways, see historic planes and helicopters, and tour the ship's facilities, such as the engine room, operations room and galley.

You can also participate in flight simulations and learn what life was like on the ship, where some 220,000 sailors could have lived. It is advisable to buy your ticket in advance, especially if you visit San Diego in summer, as it is one of the main attractions of the city. Touring the aircraft carrier can take 2 or 3 hours, depending on your interest.

• Location: 910 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101.
• Hours: daily from 10 am to 5 pm.
• Admission fee: about 30 € for adults and 20 € for children.

San Diego Pier

As you leave the USS Midway Musseum you will come across the San Diego Embarcadero, a cruise port with some green spaces, where there are also restaurants and souvenir stores. 300 meters from the museum is the Embracing Peace statue, about 7 meters tall, known as the kissing statue, depicting a sailor and a nurse in that classic pose.

Gaslamp Quarter

From the Embarcadero you have about 1.5 km to the Gaslamp Quarter, which is considered the historic heart of the city. You can get there on foot in about 20 minutes or by cab in about 10 minutes. On Fifth Ave, near Market St, you will find the famous old arch that reads: Gaslamp Quarter - The Historic Heart Of San Diego.

Gaslamp Quarter is a small neighborhood that covers about 16 blocks, where there are about 100 historic buildings, where today restaurants, banks, hotels, bars, etc. operate. Some of these buildings are the Yuma Building, Old City Hall, Keating Building, Louis Bank of Commerce, St. James Hotel and Royal Pie Bakery. This neighborhood is often the site of San Diego food tours, so it is a good place to have lunch or dinner.

Coronado Island

From the Gaslamp Quarter, you can walk back for about 20 minutes to the Embarcadero and take a ferry for another 20 minutes to Coronado Island. You can also take a cab and be there in about 15 minutes, or as a last option a bus that will take about 30 minutes. Actually, the island is a peninsula that is connected to the city by the Coronado Bridge and the Silver Strand sandbar, where you can also cross.

The ferry drops you off at the port very close to Centennial Park, where you have one of the best panoramic views of San Diego and the sea. Coronado Beach, which is about 4.5 km from the park, can be reached on foot, in about 30 minutes; by cab, in about 5 minutes; or by bus, in about 15 minutes. Coronado Beach is one of the best beaches in San Diego and the most emblematic. If you go by cab or bus, you can take the bus to Coronado Beach or get off at the port.

Coronado Hotel

Walking south along Coronado Beach, you will come across one of the most visited buildings in San Diego: the Hotel Coronado. Built in 1888, with its characteristic red roof and Victorian style, it is remembered for its appearance in Marilyn Monroe's movie Some Like It Hot.

The hotel hosts many events and festivals, so it's a good idea to check its agenda before you go. Also, if you go in the summer to San Diego, you can go to the seasonal ice rink that runs from November to January in San Diego.

On your second day in the city, I recommend that you visit Old Town, the oldest part of the city, where the first European settlements took place. Once you have toured Old Town, you can go to Balboa Park, a large green area with many museums, a zoo and a botanical garden. It is located 3 km from Downtown and is ideal for both summer and winter in San Diego.

San Diego Historical Park

The tour of Old Town begins at the San Diego Historical Park, which is located about 7 km from downtown. You can get there by bus (20 minutes), cab or car (10 minutes). There you can see original colonial buildings, such as the Estudillo House, the Machado and Stewart House and the Carillo House, which is located in the Presidio Park, next to the Historic Park.

You can also see other historic buildings, such as the Blacksmith Store, Temple Beth Israel, the Whaley House, a museum with strange stories, the Immaculate Conception Church, from 1868, and craft markets. Halloween celebrations are often held in the Historic Park and are not to be missed if you visit San Diego in October.

• Location: 4002 Wallace St, San Diego, CA 92110.
• Hours: daily from 10 am to 4 pm, or until 5 pm in summer.
• Admission: free.

Whaley House

About 100 meters from the Historic Park is the Whaley House, an 1857 house that serves as a historical museum, where you can tour its rooms and garden, which recreate the way of life of the nineteenth century.

It is considered the oldest brick structure, and the first commercial theater, as well as the most haunted house in the United States, for the paranormal events that have been reported.

• Location: 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Dr, San Diego, CA 92106.
• Hours: daily from 10 am to 4:30 pm. Sunset and evening visits must be reserved.
• Admission fee: about 13 € per person during the day, about 20 € at sunset and about 90 € at night.

Carrillo House

Leaving the Historical Park, you will find the Casa de Carrillo, the oldest adobe house preserved in the city. It was built by Commander Francisco María Ruiz for one of his soldiers, Joaquín Carrillo, around 1808.

• Location: about 100 ft NE of Juan St at Wallace St, Presidio Golf Course, San Diego.

Balboa Park

From Old Town you can take a bus for about 30 minutes, or a cab for about 7 minutes to Balboa Park, a huge green space where there are about 16 museums, a zoo, a Botanical Garden, the iconic theater The Old Globe, cultural centers and restaurants. In addition to green areas and beautiful gardens, the park is home to colonial-style buildings and many curiosities.

Here are some of the most interesting attractions of the park, but I recommend you to visit the Balboa Park website to read the complete list and choose the ones that interest you. Remember that with the San Diego Explorer Pass you have discounts and free admission to many of the attractions of Balboa Park.

• Hours: all day.
• Admission fee: free. Some attractions have a cost.

What to see in Balboa Park

• Visitor Center: is the recommended place to start your tour and get information about the park and its attractions. It is located in the Hospitality Center.
• California Tower: it was built in 1911-1915. It is located in the center of the park and offers a great panoramic view of the city. It is advisable to book in advance because it has an admission cap every 40 minutes from Wednesday to Sunday.
• Miniature train: you can take a ride on this miniature train, an ideal activity if you go to San Diego with children. The entrance costs about 3 € per person and is located near the zoo.
• San Diego Zoo: it covers about 40 hectares and is open daily from 9 am to 9 pm.
• Spreckels Organ Pavilion: has one of the largest organs in the world, which was donated to the city in 1914. It offers free outdoor concerts.
• House of Pacific Relations International Cottage: it is a theme park that houses 32 replicas of country houses of different origins.

Balboa Park Gardens

The Botanical Garden exhibits more than 100,000 plants and has free admission. It is not to be missed if you visit San Diego at Christmas, when it is illuminated in a very special way. Also not to be missed are the Alcazar Garden, which overlooks the California Tower; Zoro Garden, a garden dedicated to butterflies; and Palm Canyon, which houses some 450 palms of 58 different species.

Balboa Park Museums

One of the most interesting museums you can visit in Balboa Park is the Timken Museum of Art, where there is an original painting by Rembrandt and works by European and American artists of the 19th century.

Other outstanding museums in this park are the Comic-Con Museum, ideal for fans of this art form; the Air and Space Museum, for those who are more interested in science; the Automobile Museum, where a great variety of cars and motorcycles are exhibited; and the Railroad Museum, where you can learn about the history of this means of transportation.

On your third day in San Diego I suggest you go to Point Loma, where you will find Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, Cabrillo National Monument and Point Loma Lighthouse. It is a tour where you will get to know the north coast of San Diego, of great natural beauty, which is always included in the 5 or 7 day stays in San Diego.

Point Loma

Point Loma is a neighborhood of the city of San Diego located on the San Diego Peninsula, which has protected natural areas and beaches. It is also a historic site, as it is where the Spanish entered San Diego. To get there, you can take a bus from Downtown (1 hour and 15 minutes), or go by car/taxi (about 15 minutes). It is about 14 km from downtown San Diego.

At the tip of the peninsula is the Cabrillo National Monument, which honors Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the first European to reach the area. The entrance fee is about 20 € per person and you can get there by bus. About 300 meters from this monument is the Point Loma Lighthouse, located about 130 meters above sea level, which is one of the places from where you can see whales.

• Location: 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Dr, San Diego, CA 92106.
• Hours: daily from 9 am to 5 pm.
• Entrance fee: about 20 € per person.

Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery

Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery has been declared a California Historical Monument, because it is the resting place of war veterans. It is located 2 km from Cabrillo National Monument and has a nice view of the ocean.

• Location: 1700 Cabrillo Memorial Dr, San Diego, CA 92106.
• Hours: Sunrise to sunset.

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park and Panoramic Points

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, as its name suggests, is a privileged place to watch the sunset in San Diego and discover the marine wildlife. From the Cabrillo National Monument visitor center it is about 7 km to this park, which you can reach by bus, in about 30 minutes, or by cab, in about 15 minutes.

You can start your coastal tour at Ladera Street and continue north, where you will find several scenic spots such as Sunset Cliffs Cave, Luscomb's Point, Sunset Cliffs Beach and Sunset Cliffs. Up to Ocean Beach there are about 3-4 km of beaches with cliffs and panoramic views that you can see as far as your feet will take you. You can also head south, where you have a 1.5 km trail to the beach.

Ocean Beach

Ocean Beach is a bohemian neighborhood where the beach of the same name is located. A place to swim, sunbathe, surf or walk along the promenade, and then go into the neighborhood, to know their craft markets and murals, and snack in one of its bars and restaurants.

If you have time, you can visit Dog Beach, about 2 km away, a canine-friendly beach. A good way to get around this neighborhood and the coastal promenade is by bicycle, as it has an extensive bike path. Bicycle rentals are included in the tourist cards, such as the Explorer Pass.

On the other hand, if you decide to visit the Ocean Beach neighborhood, don't forget to check its events calendar, as there are usually concerts, shows and varied events, ideal for enjoying the night.

On your fourth day in San Diego, I suggest you take a gray whale watching tour in the morning, which is one of the best excursions to do in San Diego. On your way back, after lunch, you can go to Mission Bay, where there are beaches and theme parks, and many options to enjoy the day.

Whale Watching

Cruises depart from the San Diego Embarcadero, although many tours offer a transfer from your hotel. San Diego cruise tours usually start early in the morning and last about 4 hours, so you'll be back around noon. From the Embarcadero to Mission Bay is about 7 km, and can be reached by bus (1 hour) or taxi/car (15 minutes).

Gray whales are one of the largest cetaceans in the ocean, and every year they migrate from Alaska to Baja California to breed, so you can see the whales in their habitat, especially if you visit San Diego in January. Although, if you prefer not to take a cruise, you can watch the whales from Sunset Cliffs or Point Loma, but don't forget to bring binoculars.

Mission Bay

Mission Bay is located about 7 km from the San Diego Embarcadero. It is a bay that has been artificially enclosed, and contains islands, wetlands and marshes. There you can enjoy a day at the beach, take sailing lessons and practice water sports such as stand-up paddle boarding, kite surfing and water skiing. They also offer cruises in San Diego to tour the Bay and surrounding area at sunset.

Mission Bay Theme Parks

In Mission Bay you can go to one of San Diego's two theme parks: SeaWorld and Belmont Park. Sea World is an amusement park with adrenaline rides and a marine zoo, where concerts and events are also held; and Belmont Park is a historic amusement park (1925) where you can pay for each ride you participate in or purchase a full-day pass.

SeaWorld

• Location: 500 Sea World Dr., San Diego, CA 92109.
• Hours: daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. generally.
• Admission fee: about $90 per person for access to all attractions.

Belmont Park

• Location: 3146 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109.
• Hours: daily from 11 am to 10 pm generally.
• Admission fee: about 40 € per person for a full day pass.

On your fifth day in San Diego, you can visit the Torrey Pines Preserve, where you can walk on trails surrounded by nature, and then visit the La Jolla district, a coastal neighborhood where there are beautiful beaches to enjoy the afternoon.

From downtown San Diego it is about 25 km to the Torrey Pines Preserve, but you can get there by subway in an hour and 20 minutes, or in 20 minutes by cab. If you take public transportation, it will drop you off 1.5 km from the visitor center, which is open from 9 am to 5 pm.

Torrey Pines Nature Reserve

Torrey Pines Nature Reserve is home to a species of pine tree that you can only see on the coast of San Diego, the Pinus torreyana. It is also home to one of the last marine ecosystems called marshes, which are refuge and food for many marine animals. The visitor's center offers guided tours of one hour to learn about the park and its ecological importance, but they have limited spaces.

In the Reserve, you can choose from 12 trails of varying difficulty to get to know the park, the cliffs and its beaches. Remember to bring enough water, sunscreen and food.

• Location: 12600 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037.
• Hours: daily from 8 am to half an hour before sunset.
• Admission fee: about 10 €.

La Jolla District

Before returning to Downtown San Diego, you can stroll through the La Jolla District, where there are 11 km of coastline and beaches, promenades, art galleries and some of the best restaurants in the city, so it is ideal for a gastronomic tour. Some of its most popular beaches are La Jolla Shores Beach, La Jolla Cove, Children's Pool Beach and Black's Beach, a nudist beach located in the reserve.

From the Torrey Pines Reserve you can go to the Village of La Jolla, which is an hour away by bus, to visit this coastal district, where seals and dolphins are often seen swimming in the ocean. It is also a great place for water sports. To return to downtown San Diego, you can take a bus for about 40 minutes, or taxi/car for about 15 minutes.

This is the itinerary I propose for your 5-day stay in San Diego, with proposals both in nature and in the city. And if you have some extra time here are some last suggestions: visit the Little Italy neighborhood, where you can find restaurants, cocktail bars, bars and nightclubs very close to downtown; visit the Legoland theme park, the Lego universe that is an hour away from the city; or watch a baseball game in San Diego.