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10 Top Rated Things to Do in San Diego, California

Balboa Park
Photograph by Bernard Gagnon, via Wikimedia Commons

Balboa Park

#1 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in San Diego

Balboa Park is a most popular 1,200 acres public park of San Diego. The park is home to 16 museums, multiple performing arts venues, gardens, trails, venues, and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. With a wide variety of attractions for everyone, Balboa Park is the best place to visit in San Diego.


San Diego Zoo
Photograph by Jim1138, via Wikimedia Commons

San Diego Zoo

#2 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in San Diego

The 100-acre San Diego Zoo located in Balboa Park is the most visited zoo in the United States. The San Diego Zoo is home to more than 3,500 animals representing more than 650 species and subspecies, and a prominent botanical collection with more than 700,000 exotic plants.


Gaslamp Quarter
Photograph by Bernard Gagnon, via Wikimedia Commons

Gaslamp Quarter

#3 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in San Diego

The Gaslamp Quarter is a historical neighborhood in Downtown San Diego known for entertainment and night life venues, festivals including Mardi Gras, and home of the San Diego Padres. The Gaslamp Quarter includes 94 historic buildings of the the Victorian Era. Covering 16 square-blocks, the area is known for finest restaurants, shops and nightclubs.


USS Midway Museum
Photograph by Mark40930, via Wikimedia Commons

USS Midway Museum

#4 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in San Diego

The USS Midway was the longest-serving aircraft carrier from 1945 to 1992. Today, The USS Midway Museum located at Navy Pier houses 10 acres of exhibits and displays. Midway has more than 30 restored aircraft and helicopters on display.


La Jolla Cove
Photograph Flickr by Ajay Suresh, via Wikimedia Commons

La Jolla Cove

#5 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in San Diego

La Jolla Cove is a small cove and beach surrounded by sandstone cliffs. The Cove is protected as part of a marine reserve. With rich marine life, La Jolla Cove is popular for swimmers, snorkelers and scuba divers. Water visibility at the Cove can sometimes exceed 30 feet.


Mission Beach
Photograph by Vlastula, via Wikimedia Commons

Mission Beach

#6 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in San Diego

Mission Beach is San Diego's popular boardwalk beach with two miles of ocean front. Attractions near Mission Beach include Belmont Park amusement park with Giant Dipper Roller Coaster as well as miniature golf, bumper cars, rock climbing and an arcade. Mission Beach offers many activities for everyone to enjoy including biking, beach volleyball, boogie boarding, surfing, whale watching, sport fishing and scuba diving.


Torrey Pines State Reserve
Photograph by Nauticashades, via Wikimedia Commons

Torrey Pines State Reserve

#7 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in San Diego

Located on the Southern California coast, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is a coastal state park. The park is a wilderness island and it preserves rarest pine tree - Pinus torreyana, salt marshes and waterfowl refuges. The reserve features high cliffs and deep ravines overlooking the ocean.

THINGS TO DO

Cabrillo National Monument
Photograph by nps.gov

Cabrillo National Monument

#8 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in San Diego

Cabrillo National Monument commemorates Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo - the first European to set foot on the West Coast of the United States. The park offers spectacular views of San Diego's harbor and skyline, as well as Coronado and Naval Air Station North Island. The rocky intertidal area, also known as the tidepools, is a favorite spot at Cabrillo National Monument. The Old Point Loma Lighthouse is the highest point in the park.


Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
Photograph by Db9023, via Wikimedia Commons

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

#9 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in San Diego

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park is a historical park commemorates history of early San Diego periods of 1821 to 1872. Many historic buildings in the park are reconstructed sites. Five original adobe buildings includes museums, unique retail shops, and several restaurants.

THINGS TO DO

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
Photograph by Greg Bulla, via Wikimedia Commons

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

#10 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in San Diego

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park is a 68-acre city park stretching along the Pacific Ocean bordering the western edge of Point Loma. The park is a popular place to view the sunset. The park includes carved coastal bluffs, arches and sea caves. The Luscomb Point area at the end of Hill Street is a favorite spot for sunset viewing.


San Diego Museums

  1. USS Midway Museum

San Diego Parks

  1. Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
  2. Balboa Park