San Diego stands as US top travel destination where over 35 million tourist’s visits each year. It is moreover recognized as America’s finest city not only because of the endless beaches but also for many city attractions. Over here you find world-class theme parks, galleries, museums, historic districts, zoo, thriving restaurants, and thrilling nightlife. There are unlimited options to see and do in San Diego for an ultimate holiday experience. Over here is our selected list for the top ten things to do in San Diego, US best family-friendly destination.
The Top Things to do in San Diego for an ultimate holiday experience
Visit USS Midway Museum
The USS Midway Museum is basically a retired US Navy aircraft carrier turned into a Museum. This museum is dedicated to the US military as a remembrance of their glorious history. This also remains as the world’s longest-serving aircraft carrier. As you walk inside you find the crew’s sleeping quarters, pilot’s ready rooms, and the carrier’s 25 restored aircraft. There are self-guided audio tours available in over eight different languages. You also learn many interesting stories about this carrier and its importance from the docents who are the retired military members. From the flight deck, you get spectacular views of the downtown San Diego, Coronado Island and the San Diego Bay. This place remains crowded and advisable to book the skip-the-line ticket in advance.
Visit San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo is a popular place to visit with family. This Zoo has nearly 4,000 animals across 650 different species. The animals kept inside the zoo are from different parts of the world. You find lions, tigers, elephants, rhinos, hippos, monkeys, bear, etc. and many such animals. You also find a 4D Theater inside the Zoo. This place is a special attraction for children, and you need time to explore. It is better if you have the tickets in advance so you can save time and enter the Zoo to see and enjoy the activities.
Enjoy at LEGOLAND®
LEGOLAND® is one of the most famous theme parks in California. This place is a complete entertainment for families and children. There are many thrilling rides inside the park spread across several themed areas like Fun Town, Land of Adventure, and Castle Hill, etc. LEGOLAND® also has a waterpark with many attractions and water rides, a popular place to enjoy during the summer months. A huge crowd is anticipated all the time; therefore, the best option is to book the tickets online.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park is one of the top attractions of San Diego, and it’s a place for complete family entertainment. It’s a huge park spread across an area of over 1200 acres with over dozens of attractions. Over here you find art museums, lush gardens, history museums, gift shops, botanical gardens, theaters, restaurants, and so many other attractions. This is one of the oldest parks in the United States builds beautifully for total family entertainment.
Go for Whale watching
Blue Whales are the largest living mammals and in San Diego, you get an amazing opportunity to watch them closely. Whale watching tours are popular day activities where you board on a Yacht and sail to the whale watching spot. Get mesmerizing views of San Diego’s beautiful coastline during the journey. The main attraction is watching the California Gray Whales as they migrate through San Diego’s Pacific coast. This certainly remains a lifetime experience for any tourists visiting San Diego and holds its place on top of the list.
Visit San Diego Zoo Safari Park
San Diego Zoo Safari Park is a gigantic park spread across an area of over 1800 acres. Over here you find more than 2,600 animals roaming in their natural habitat. This is also entitled as the world’s largest man-made safari park. You find animals like lions, tigers, cheetahs, elephants, rhinos, gazelles, etc. freely roaming inside the park. The wild animals found inside the park are from Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, North America, and South America. A tram passes by the different country-specific zones offering you an amazing safari experience. Jeep Safaris is also available if you want to encounter the animals closely. The park remains heavily crowded and early morning visits are advisable with skip-the-line tickets.
Visit Sea World
Sea world is an amazing place in San Diego where you have opportunity getting close to marine life. Over here you find a variety of fishes, otters, seals, dolphins, beluga whales, penguins, and others enclosed inside large aquariums. Visiting this animal theme park and oceanarium is definitely among the top things to do in San Diego. The dolphin point is one of the popular attractions where you find dolphins exhibiting different athletic stunts to entertain you.
Enjoy a harbor cruise
The harbor cruise is the best way to experience the beautiful coastal scenery of San Diego. The observation deck of the cruise offers mesmerizing scenic views. In case you take the north bay route, you get views of the Shelter Island, The Submarine Base and the California sea lions. The south bay route features important sightseeing landmarks like the USS Midway, Coronado Bay Bridge, Surface Force Pacific, Coronado Island, the SEAL Training Compound, etc. This is a two hours cruise experience giving you some of the best memories to cherish forever.
Take a culinary tour
In San Diego, California, if you don’t take the culinary tour, you are definitely going to miss something! The old town of San Diego is famous for cafes, bars and restaurants lined up along the streets selling many iconic local dishes. Taste the traditional tortillas with mouthwatering taste and fill your appetite. Don’t forget trying tequilas at tequileria as they have the best collection of the Mexican liqueur.
Experience San Diego SEAL Tour
The San Diego SEAL Tour is an amazing tour that takes you through a journey by land and sea. This is probably one of the best adventure tours where you travel in a special vehicle built to navigate on both sea and land. The tour starts from the land by exploring all the city attractions and sightseeing. The vehicle then splashes into the water to offer some amazing view of the scenic coastline. This is an extremely popular tour and advance booking for the tickets is highly recommended.
Take a City Tour
Your visit to San Diego is incomplete if you don’t take the city tour. During this tour, you get an opportunity to see many famous landmarks of San Diego, like the historic Gaslamp Quarter, museum-packed Balboa Park and ritzy La Jolla. The city tour is the best way to get an overview of San Diego within a short span of time. Other important landmarks that you visit during the city tour are the old town, Little Italy, the Embarcadero, Petco Park, etc. The tour takes place in an air-conditioned coach including hotel pick up and drop.
Conclusion
San Diego is a great place to visit as it’s packed up with exciting things to see and do. If you are typically visiting San Diego for the first time stick to this comprehensive list of the top ten things to do in San Diego for an ultimate holiday experience.