San Diego, California: The Ultimate 3 Day Weekend Guide

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If you aren’t already aware – hi im Kay and California is my favorite place in the world. And one of California’s greatest gems lies in the southern most corner of the state: San Diego. It is a city with ocean to one side and desert to the other, where tacos and surfing reign supreme. And, with about 1/10 of the population of Los Angeles, San Diego offers the amazing Southern California weather without all the LA traffic. As one of my favorite cities in the United States, it’s about darn time I wrote up a guide for it!

If you are unfamiliar with San Diego, let me break down some key stats for ya.

• State: California (that’s on the west coast of the United States)
• Population: 1.5 million
• Ancestral land: The Viejas Band (Kumeyaay)
• Nearby major cities: Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Las Vegas, Tijuana (Mexico)
• Best season to visit (in my opinion): Summer and Fall
• Vibe: Laid back
• Price range: Moderate to expensive, but can be cheap if you chill on the beach every day and/or cook your own food
• Transportation: I would HIGHLY recommend renting a car. But if you ONLY want to stay downtown, Uber/Lyft is readily available as well as scooters and bikes to rent.

Okay now with all of the basic facts out of the way, let’s dive in, yeah?

Where to Stay

IMMA BE HONEST, since I was going to be in San Diego for a week, I stayed in a little Airbnb, private room, outside of town. After already spending two and a half weeks in California, my budget was not moving for a week in a hotel. But the Airbnb was only about 10 minutes from downtown San Diego, as long as I didn’t leave during rush hour.

So I have no recommendations on hotels or hostels or anything, sorry friends. BUT if you do decide to go with an Airbnb, you can use the this link for a discount, though it only works for new members.

What I CAN do though, is give you a quick rundown of the little districts of San Diego so you can decide what part of town you want to stay in!

• La Jolla – a pretty chic beachside community about 20 minutes outside of downtown. Stay here if you want to avoid the city a bit and enjoy fine dining, fancy boutiques, and pristine beaches.
• Little Italy – smack dab in the city, it’s filled with amazing food! It’s really close to the Saturday Farmer’s Market.
• Gaslamp Quarter – super cute when all the lamps light up at night! There’s also a children’s museum, Horton Plaza, and Balboa Theater.
• East Village – it has a cute Victorian twist to it. In my opinion, it’s the hipster option.
• Hillcrest – LGBTQIAAA+ WAZZUPPPP! It’s close to both downtown and Balboa Park, and has very diverse nightlife and entertainment options.
• Barrio Logan – because of its history of providing refugee to Mexican residents fleeing the revolution, it has a very lively Hispanic vibe and some of the best handmade tortillas in San Diego (Las Cuatro Milpas)

What to Eat

I rarely wake up in time for breakfast, so I my favorite brunch places are Hash House A Go Go (your standard brunch affair), Rustic Root (if you’re in the mood for more of a party), Herb & Wood (for a fancier atmosphere), or King and Queen Katina for a Mexican twist! For all my Vegan readers, check out San Diego’s first Vegan breakfast cafe Spoiled Vegans!

For lunch, y’all know I’m obsessed with burgers, so you gotta hit up Crazee Burger. They serve exotic meats, so if you’re in the mood for a camel burger, you don’t have to fly to Dubai. On that same note, Magnolia Tap & Kitchen is incredible as well. But if you’re looking for something more on healthier side, The Mission has a great selection (and I’m pretty sure they have an extensive gluten-free menu as well)!

For tacos, cuz ya gotta get tacos, you can pretty much go anyways and they’ll be delicious, but I recommend Galaxy Taco for a great atmosphere (and Instagrammability).

ALRIGHT LET’S TALK DINNER – the highlight of everyone’s day! San Diego, while known for amazing Mexican food, has a diverse food palette! Starting from the SE Asia region, there’s Dija Mara, which blends Balinese dishes and flavors with Western presentation. There’s even BBQ. Now, I used to live in the South (ask me about my childhood in Alabama for a good story), and I can say that Phil’s BBQ is pretty darn legit. Definitely the best BBQ West of Texas.

Charles + Dinorah is great too! And, okay, this one is a chain, but if you’ve never been to Din Tai Fung – YOU NEED TO GO. Especially if you don’t live on the West Coast.

Dessert wise, my favorite is HANDS DOWN iDessert! First, because there is basically zero interaction, unless you like…want it. You can order directly from a monitor, and the desserts are COMPLETELY customizable! Which is amazing. And they’re fun. AND CUTE. What’s not to love?

For donuts, Side Car and Donut Bar are great options! And I don’t eat a lot of ice cream, cuz yanno, digestive issues, but you should try Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream!

Where to Shop

Everyone has their own shopping aesthetic, but these were some of my favorite shops from San Diego!

• artelexia : Mexican home decor, books, clothing, and trinkets. SUPER CUTE.
• pigment: Another home goods store -very chic- and all made by local artists and artisans!
• legends gallery: this one is a bit more of a gallery, but if you’re in the mood for art, you can buy as well! It’s Dr Suess themed, so even if you won’t buy anything, it’s fun to look!
• BAIT: For all you sneaker-heads, it’s the largest BAIT store in the country!
• stroll boutique: has more of an earthy bohemian feel, very casual and laid back.
• mimi & red boutique: SUPERRR cute resort wear! Great for any tropical vacation!
• wild dove boutique: cute spring and summer-y clothes.
• bubbles boutique: this shop is very eccentric…in a good way. It may be overwhelming when you first walk in, but it’s fun to look around!
• seaport village: this is more of a shopping center than a single store, but there are restaurants, museums, and historical sites to keep you busy between browsing!
• san diego public library: OKAYYY so this one isn’t ACTUALLY shopping, but one – the roof is mad photogenic, and two, they have a great section dedicated to local authors! HOW RAD IS THAT?? So stop by and find some books, then buy them later (like on Amazon or kindle or whatever kids use these days). SUPPORT SMALL AUTHORS!! Speaking of, did you know I wrote a fiction novel? Click here to read an excerpt (and maybe even buy it??)

Things to Do in San Diego

Now getting down to the nitty gritty, right? This is gonna be the bulk of the info, so refill your water flask, grab some popcorn, and get ready to make your itinerary.

Museums

Let’s start with some museums and get those out of the way! So I’m not a huge museum person, so I haven’t been to all of them, but theses three are my favorites so far. First, the Maritime Museum of San Diego and the USS Midway Museum. You can tour a bunch of different ships, which is pretty unique, and learn a bit about life on the sea and also the Cuban Missile Crisis that almost sent us into WWIII. If you could only pick one though, I’d personally go with the Maritime Museum because HOW OFTEN DO YOU GET TO GO IN A SUBMARINE?!

Another museum I would recommend is the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. I like contemporary art a lot more than classical paintings and sculptures, so this was a great break! On the off chance San Diego temperatures drop below the usual 75-80 degrees of brisk perfection, go here.

Obviously, if you make ANY trip to San Diego, you gotta visit Balboa Park. If I were to compare it to anything, it’s kind of like Central Park in New York City, but with like a ton more museums, restaurants, and shops. Okay, maybe it’s not like Central Park, BUT IT’S JUST AS CRUCIAL TO THE TOURISM GAME. I could write a whole post just on Balboa Park, there’s a ton to do there.

History

On the historic side, there are some great insights into San Diego’s past. My favorite and most recommended would be Old Town San Diego. Yes, it’s a little tongue in cheek touristy, but it’s pretty awesome. I think part of it is actually preserved as a state park. It’s set up how San Diego looked from Spanish colonization up until it’s turn over to American soil. There’s great Mexican restaurants here, as well as fun shops.

Speaking of Spanish colonization of San Diego, there are a handful of missions that you can visit. In total, there were 21 missions set up between San Diego and the San Francisco Bay. Their mission (no pun intended) was to convert the Indigenous people of “Alta California” *~*peacefully*~* instead of through brute force (like in Mexico) in order to take over the land. Spoiler – there was still mass genocide and it wasn’t peaceful at all.

The missions closest to San Diego is Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala, which is basically right near town. A little bit of a further drive are Old Mission San Luis Rey de Francia and Mission San Juan Capistrano. All three of them have beautiful gardens and great exhibits.

There is even a National Monument, the Cabrillo National Monument, which I’d recommend visiting at sunset for a beautiful view. In the same area, you can also visit the Old Point Loma Lighthouse.

Amusement Parks

San Diego has a good amount of amusement parks as well! That said, none of them are cheap. But, yanno, none of them are cheap. If you have kids, or are a kid at heart, Legoland is a great option. It’s also the only place in the world you can get apple fries! Don’t quote me on that though.

If you’re looking for a more active theme park, there’s Inflatable World, literally just a giant outdoor playground with bouncy houses and obstacle courses.

And then of course, SeaWorld. I haven’t been in a long time, but I do believe they have stopped all dolphin and orca shows and performances…or at least they are in the process of stopping them.

For bigger rides, you’ll have to drive up North. In Anaheim, there’s Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm(1.5hrs).

Beaches

AND DUHHHH – you can’t go to San Diego without visiting the beach. It’s a necessity. Honestly, there’s TONS of beaches, and you can’t really go wrong here, but I’ll point out some of my personal favorites.

My first recommendation would be Coronado Shores Beach (aka South Beach). It is A LOT less crowded than Coronado Beach, even though there’s free parking. EYYY YOOOO. However, it is a very small parking lot, so you’ll want to start your day here early. If you have any trouble finding it, ask the Coronado Shores entrance booth for directions to the public beach day-use parking area. There are also life guards on duty. PLUS, if you’re visiting in the winter and you’re blessed with super low tides, you can see the shipwreck of the SS Monte Carlo!

And because I love free parking, I’m going to throw Moonlight State Beach into here too. If the free parking fills up, there’s also street parking! So it’s a great beach if you’re starting a little later in the day. The biggest perk is that there are fire pits, beach volleyball courts, and picnic set up available! Life guards on duty!

Have you ever seen that classic San Diego picture under the pier? Yeah, that’s at Scripps Beach. It’s a beautiful beach, but busier than the first two. There are a lot of stairs though, so not the most accessible.

If you’re someone who gets bored very fast at the beach *cough* ME *cough*, then I’d say go to Belmont Park.

There’s a beach, yes, free parking, YES – AND AN AMUSEMENT PARK. Tons of shops, restaurants, and even a rock climbing wall! It’s a great beach for kids too.

And, to end this section, I present to you my favorite beach in the entire San Diego region. The La Jolla Beaches. There are a handful of them, and they are all beautiful. Here’s a quick rundown on all of them.

• La Jolla Shores : the most popular beach, because it’s absolutely stunning. Gets very busy in the summer, parking wise. Good for both swimming and surfing. This is where I first fell in love with La Jolla.
• La Jolla Cove : very tame waters, so it’s great for swimming and snorkeling. San Diego’s famous sea caves are nearby, and you can take a kayaking tour to visit them!
• Torrey Pines State Beach : great if you like a little nature with your beach! The beach is great, but the true medal goes to the nature walks overlooking the Pacific Ocean. If you’re crazy, err…I mean, really skilled and passionate about surfing, over on the south end of the beach is Black’s Beach. Black’s Beach has some of San Diego’s GNARLIEST waves, but it takes a bit of a hike to get there. And you’ll probably see some nudity there as well.
• Windansea : probably the second most popular after La Jolla Shores, this beach was actually featured in Tom Wolfe’s story The Pump House Gang. And there are tide pools!
• Hospitals : terrible beach imo, but has fantastic reefs! During good conditions, it’s the best dive spot in San Diego. There are also tons of tide pools here.
• The Children’s Pool : this one is CLOSED for swimming, but I’m mentioning it because it’s a great place to see wild sea lions and seals.

Where to Get into Nature

There’s a lot of things I love about San Diego, but one of the reasons are some of the great hiking options and opportunities to get closer to nature. I mentioned a few of them earlier (Torrey Pines State Reserve near the beach and Point Loma Tide Pools near the Cabrillo National Monument).

There is also the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. If you’ve been on a REAL safari in Africa, okay it doesn’t NEARLY compare, but if you haven’t, it’s great. You can even camp overnight and hear the roars of the animals, but I haven’t done that. The zoo is already really cool! Perfect if you have kids or just want to chill and watch some animals!

Spruce Street Suspension Bridge is a bit of a unique experience in San Diego. It’s literally just a stroll over the bridge, but it’s a REALLY GOOD stroll. The bridge is suspended across a canyon, which is cool, but it is a bit out of the way.

There’s also great hiking near San Diego! Some of the most popular destinations are Ho Chi Min Trail (near La Jolla), Cowles Mountain (the highest point in San Diego), and Potato Chip Mountain (THE ICONIC POTATO CHIP ROCK). All of them are achievable in a half day. If you leave earlier enough in the morning, you can make it back to town for a late lunch.

Alright, and to finish this off, I gotta mention Sunset Clliffs Natural Park. It’s just…beautiful. And I know literally EVERYONE says to go here for sunset (I mean, ITS IN THE NAME!!), but foreal. GO HERE FOR SUNSET. There’s also a staircase to make it down to the beach, but I seriously couldn’t find it. I’m sure you’re smarter than me though. But the view is gorgeous from either viewpoint.

Where to Party

Okay, so you’re all nature’d-out now, yeah? Throw off your hiking boots and slap a drink in your hand because San Diego has a great nightlilfe as well! I’ll keep this section pretty short, because honestly there’s not too much to say. The drinks aren’t cheap, but that’s true for California in general.

If you’re looking for more of a Vegas-hype club, then hands down Omnia is the club you should go to. It’s huge, the music is loud, the drinks are flowing, and it’s just a slammin good time. A little more chilled down, there’s Oxford Social Club, which has more of a lounge setting. And even MORE chilled down, there’s Vin De Syrah, which is kind of like a wine bar. If you like more variety, hit up Club Crawl San Diego!

So whatever you’re looking for, San Diego has it. Well, except an ice bar. There’s no ice bar here.

Day Trips from San Diego

Those are basically the highlights, in my opinion, of San Diego! If you’re in the area for longer than five or six days, or you’ve already been to San Diego, here are my favorite day trips from San Diego!

One, if you have a valid passport, I highly recommend popping over the border for a visit to Tijuana! You might have heard some rumors about TJ, either that it’s dangerous or scummy or both, but honestly it’s no more dangerous or scummy than any other part of Southern California. And once you cross the border, you’ll see that it feels…EXACTLY LIKE Southern California. Surprise.

There’s surprisingly a lot of fun things to do in Tijuana – even if you don’t drink! If you don’t have a passport, you can just go down to the Border Field State Park to witness the infamous wall separating the United States from Mexico.

Yes. There’s already a wall there.

One of my favorite state parks in California is the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. It’s especially gorgeous in the early spring, when the wildflowers start to bloom, but any other time is great too! And there are some AMAZING sculptures too!

A bit more of a drive, there’s also Slab City and the Salton Sea. It’s a fun day trip, and you can see some great art as well – like Salvation Mountain!

If you want a sand dune experience, consider going to the Imperial Sand Dunes! If you’re into dune bashing, or just playing the sand, it’s a fun day trip! Make sure to pick up food AND GAS beforehand though!

And if you happen to venture up to the OC in the summer, you NEED to check out the OC Night Market. It was the highlight of my trip.

AND BOOM! That’s all folx! Have you ever been to San Diego? What was your favorite (or least favorite!) thing about it? My favorite is still the submarine. Plus, it’s a great place for a group trip since it’s one of the best culture rich destinations in the US!

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