7 reasons to visit San Diego - USA

Index

California's second-largest city has the perfect travel package: with limitless outdoor adventure, jaw-dropping natural scenery, bustling nightlife, shopping and local traditions. Need more inspiration? Here are 7 reasons to visit San Diego – USA why now is the time to plan your itinerary.

Nowhere else in the world will you be able to kayak through sea caves in the morning, see giant pandas in the afternoon, and party in a tiki-themed speakeasy at night.

Balboa Park

San Diego's premier urban oasis is an incredible destination. Appropriately known as the “cultural gem” of the city, Balboa Park is home to a treasure trove of must-see gems such as the San Diego Zoo, 17 museums (with a new Comic-Con International museum in the works), the 1910 Balboa Park Carousel museum and the famous Botanical Building, built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition.

although the Balboa Park North America's largest urban cultural park (and nearly 400 acres larger than New York City's Central Park), the expansive green space maintains a backyard vibe.

People from all over San Diego and around the world walk around the park to picnic, relax and explore. Stroll through acres of lush, landscaped gardens.

Take a deep dive into Balboa's natural side by hiking some of the park's 100+ kilometers of trails. Watch local artisans at work in their studios and shop for handmade jewelry, ceramics and other originals at the Spanish Village Art Center .

Surf, sand and sun

Sandy beaches, soaring cliffs and a laid-back beach atmosphere make San Diego the postcard-perfect place to embrace California beach life.

In imperial beach — the southernmost beach in the state, located just 5 miles north of the Mexican border — north of Oceanside (home of the California Surf Museum), San Diego has 112kms of coastline.

The coast is an eclectic collection of beach enclaves and reserves, each with a distinct personality and many ways to play.

swim with leopard sharks and explore sea caves on a kayak and snorkel tour at La Jolla Cove La Jolla Cove . Take the ridiculously scenic cliff-to-beach hike to the Pacific at Torrey Pines State Wildlife Refuge.

Rent a skateboard or fat-tire bike to cruise along the Mission Beach – Pacific Beach boardwalk.

Dive into the waves with your four-legged best friend at the famous dog beach from Ocean Beach.

Watch daring cliff jumpers at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park 🇧🇷 Explore tide pools teeming with marine life at Cabrillo National Monument .

Stay and play at The Del – the iconic Hotel del Coronado – a luxurious waterfront National Historic Landmark celebrating 130 years in 2018.

End a perfect day with a sunset horseback ride along Imperial Beach or roasting marshmallows over a sand pit in Ocean Beach.

Little Italy

Or little italy, old-world charm meets cutting-edge cuisine at foodie-favorite Little Italy, located just east of the North Embarcadero waterfront.

Traditionally home to San Diego's Italian-American fishing families, the bustling neighborhood spans 48 blocks and boasts the highest concentration of celebrity chef restaurants in the city.

The restaurant lineup on Kettner Boulevard (nicknamed Top Chef Alley) includes superstar Juniper & Ivy and The Crack Shack. Top Chef Richard Blais, and Food Network star Brian Malarkey's Herb & Wood and Herb and Eatery.

Little Italy - San Diego — Little Italy – San Diego

Soak up the tantalizing aromas of Little Italy at the new Little Italy Food Hall. Conveniently and symbolically situated near the neighborhood's cultural heart – the car-free, cobblestone Piazza della Famiglia – the modern and vibrant emporium features six locally sourced food stations, pop-up cooking demonstrations and local craft beers.

Shop local at cozy stores like Rosamariposa and at the colossal Mercato, Little Italy's six-block farmers' market. Stick around for dinner at Craft & Commerce, followed by drinks at False Idol (reservations recommended), the restaurant's wildly fun tiki bar.

Craft Beer Capital of San Diego

With over 150 breweries and a reputation for innovative beers, San Diego more than lives up to its hoppy hype as “The Craft Beer Capital of America”.

The area's craft brewers exclusively produce San Diegan foam like The Thief, Societe Brewing Company's 2018 Beer World Cup award-winning beer, blended with house-grown Grenache blanc grapes.

Start a tasting tour in the craft beer hall of North Park's 30th Street , filled with beer-centric local bars and restaurants and lively tasting rooms – including new member of the beer team: Bivouac Ciderworks .

Find your way to more tastings using the interactive map on the application SD Beer by the San Diego Beer Guild.

Choose from 40 craft beers – and try bocce – at the bustling Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station.

Meet local brewmasters and sample artisan foods, new releases and dozens of different beers on the San Diego Beer Week , which takes place every year for 10 days in November .

Nightlife in the Gaslamp Quarter

When the sun goes down, the party heats up in the historic Gaslamp Quarter , the epicenter of San Diego's non-stop nightlife.

With over 50 bars, 10 nightclubs and 180 restaurants across 16 and a half blocks, the Gaslamp hums lights up the night with music, dancing, dining and drinks to match any mood.

As a bonus, the downtown district is adjacent to Petco Park – home to Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres – making it easy to grab dinner or drinks before or after a game.

Gaslamp Quarter - San Diego — Gaslamp Quarter – San Diego

Among the Gaslamp's dizzying array of night spots are San Diego originals like the underground Vin De Syrah Spirit & Wine Parlor, the deliciously sophisticated Star Bar, and the kitschy Trailer Park After Dark.

Unwind into the evening with an Easy Breezy (vodka, green chartreuse, fresh lime, mango and pineapple puree) or another craft cocktail at The Nolen , a sophisticated open-air rooftop lounge atop an elegant skyscraper.

On Fridays and Saturdays, join a club crawl in VIP style to dance in up to four top-notch Gaslamp clubs such as Analog, Bassmnt, F6ix, OMNIA and Parq.

Keep the party going in the nearby East Village neighborhood, which is home to an array of quirky bars, like the rooftop Beachyweather Bar of Rare Form restaurant and deli (overlooking Petco Park) and You and Yours Distilling Co. , an unmissable place .

Binational culture and gastronomy

The art, cultures and foods of Southern California and Mexico blend seamlessly in San Diego, producing a distinct binational style.

Take the blue line trolley to San Ysidro and cross the border into Tijuana, Mexico for an easy Two Nations day trip.

Back in San Diego, taste the flavors of the city's cross-border connection through its unique Cali-Baja cuisine.

The tantalizing fusion of Californian-Mexican-Mediterranean-Asian culinary influences and ocean- and farm-fresh ingredients can be experienced seemingly everywhere – from Balboa Park's weekend food trucks to La Jolla's Georges at the Cove , the cool and casual Galaxy Taco , and Sunny Puesto .

Delve deeper into San Diego's binational identity in Barrio Logan, the city's Mexican-American heart and vibrant center for the arts.

Start your tour at the National Historic Landmark Chicano Park, whose concrete walls – pillars of the Coronado Bridge – I-5 junction looming overhead – display the world's largest collection of outdoor Mexican American or Chicano murals.

The open-air gallery is a visual tour of Mexican-American history. More than 80 vibrant murals depict diverse themes and faces from millennia, such as Aztec mythology, Our Lady of Guadalupe and Pancho Villa.

Explore more Mexican art and culture on the free monthly Barrio Art Crawl and The La Vuelta Car Cruise, the parade of bouncy retro lowriders rolling down Logan Ave, every other Wednesday night from late April to early August.

Performing Arts in the Park

Live theater, dance and music take center stage at Balboa Park. Among the park's more than 10 permanent performance spaces is the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, built in 1914 and home to the largest outdoor organ in the world (5,017 pipes in 80 rows).

Watch the free weekly show on Sunday at 2pm Watch the wildly entertaining street performers – such as acoustic musicians, balloon artists, magicians and street gymnasts – perform along the El Prado walkway and at other designated entertainment venues in the park .

The shining star of Balboa Park's performing arts lineup is The Old Globe, San Diego's Tony Award-winning regional theater.

Originally built for the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition, The Globe features three stages and 15 annual productions, and is a must-have on any theater-goer's bucket list.

Check out upcoming shows, ranging from classic Shakespeare to world premieres like 2018's new musical, The Heart of Rock & Roll , inspired by the songs of Huey Lewis and the News.

Craving more world-class theater?

Head 15 miles north of the park to La Jolla and the campus of UC San Diego, home to the legendary La Jolla Playhouse. Founded by actors Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire and Mel Ferrar in 1947, the theater is fertile ground for Broadway productions, including the current hit musical Come From Away .