Your ultimate guide to the best activities in San Diego
From the nation’s largest urban cultural park to cruises on a highly scenic harbor, the best San Diego activities are calling.
By David Swanson | June 27, 2025
David Swanson
A San Diego-based freelance travel writer-photographer since 1995, David Swanson has been published in more than 50 North American newspapers and dozens of magazines and websites. As a third-generation San Diegan, he grew up living the quintessential California dream: beaches at the front door, lemon trees and rosemary bushes outside the pantry and mountains and desert in the backyard. Coronado, and Hotel Del Coronado, has been a treasured escape since his childhood. Swanson's recent outlets include Virtuoso magazine, Travel + Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, AARP, the Los Angeles Times, Westways and others. He is author or co-author of 17 different travel guidebooks, most recently, “100 Things to Do in San Diego Before You Die.”
San Diego sprawls across harbors and beaches, canyons and mesas, but bunking down in the city’s compact downtown provides a central location to take it all in. Dining options cover almost any taste and budget, and diversions are as active as you want to make them. For a memorable San Diego sojourn, fill your schedule with museums and harbor tours by day and round out the evening with live music and delectable dining.
Culture and sightseeing
Balboa Park, less than 2 miles (3 kilometers) from downtown, is San Diego’s cultural heart. In addition to the world-famous, kid-friendly San Diego Zoo and more than a dozen separate gardens, the 1,200-acre (486-hectare) park has 18 museums. Collections highlight the development of planes, trains, and automobiles, along with the new Comic-Con Museum, celebrating all aspects of pop culture, and the newly renovated Mingei International Museum, dedicated to folk art. Base yourself at Embassy Suites by Hilton San Diego Bay Downtown, just a short walk to The Rady Shell, a bayside performance venue that hosts the San Diego Symphony as well as concerts by renowned performers.
Dining
San Diego boasts a standout dining scene. Dozens of restaurants sit within a few blocks of the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, whose own Le Petit Chef delivers a gastronomic 3D-animated experience and . Italian fare is ubiquitous in Little Italy, but the neighborhood’s Ironside Fish & Oyster rolls out a mouth-watering lobster roll and the local catch. Born and Raised serves lavish steaks in a swank, nouveau Great Gatsby setting. For a romantic harbor view, dinner at C Level is unmatched, while legendary Tacos El Gordo, straight from taco mecca Tijuana, is the premier late-night snack destination on F Street.
Outdoor sights and experiences
America’s naval history comes alive at the USS Midway Museum, located aboard the longest-serving U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. From there, a 10-minute ferry ride leads to Coronado's picturesque resort community. You can rent a bike in downtown San Diego or in Coronado to tackle the 24-mile (39-kilometer) Bayshore Bikeway that loops around San Diego Bay. Or join Flagship Cruises on a harbor tour, which also offers whale-watching trips from mid-December through mid-April. The 16½-block Gaslamp Quarter is home to more than 90 historic buildings, many of them Victorian beauties. Family in tow? Head to a game at nearby Petco Park, one of America’s most beautiful ballparks. All this and more are just a short walk from Carte Hotel San Diego Downtown, Curio Collection by Hilton.
Find your stay
Read more:
Find travel inspiration