San Diego

Best time to visit

San Diego enjoys a mild climate year-round, making it a desirable destination almost any time. However, the best time to visit depends on your preferences for weather, crowds, and activities.

Spring (March-May) and Autumn (September-November) offer ideal weather with pleasant temperatures, warm days and cool evenings. There are also fewer crowds as it's not the peak tourist season offering a more relaxed experience. This is the best time to experience San Diego's stunning floral displays.

Summer (June-August) is perfect for beach lovers as it offers the warmest ocean temperatures making it perfect for swimming, surfing, and other water activities. Summer has the liveliest atmosphere so you can experience the vibrant energy of the city.

Winter (December-February) is best for budget conscious travellers and offers lower prices, enjoy discounts on flights and accommodations. Winter is the best time for whale watching, you can spot majestic whales migrating along the coast.

Ultimately, San Diego offers something for everyone year-round.

Discover San Diego

Just about anyone you speak to will extol the virtues of the weather here and they are quite right to do so; annual daily temperatures average around the 22°C mark. San Diego's shining star comes in the form of a 1,100-acre oasis in the heart of the city. Balboa Park is an architectural and horticultural masterpiece, featuring meticulously manicured gardens, miles of hiking trails, and it provides the exuberant setting for no less than 18 museums. If that's not impressive enough, it’s here that you'll find the world famous 100-acre San Diego Zoo, recognised for its large, exotic, and endangered animal population.

If you consider yourself a foodie or a bit of a fashionista, you’ll certainly want to make your way over to the Gaslamp Quarter, the centrepiece of downtown. Known for its worldwide cuisine, an array of exciting bars and clubs and a mixture of well-known stores and local boutiques, all taking position amongst its most revered Victorian buildings. The adobe survivors of Old Town San Diego serve as a testament to California’s first settlement while the quaint boutiques, colourful art galleries, festive theatres and mouth-watering restaurants populate the central plaza. Mexican cuisine is very much the order of the day here with tasty, authentic fare and refreshing margaritas served up at any of the many cantinas.

Whether you’re attracted to the city’s diverse neighbourhoods, pedestrian-friendly enclaves or miles of spectacular beaches, San Diego offers up endless opportunities for the perfect SoCal adventure, all served up with a generous helping of the city’s renowned easy-going spirit of optimism and general joie-de-vivre.

Things to do in San Diego

Old Town San Diego

Old Town San Diego, the state’s most popular historic park, will take you back in time to the early days of the city - in fact the first settlement to have been established in California. If you’re in the mood to learn about history this is definitely worth a visit as you’ll get a glimpse of life in the 1800s, with a wide choice of museums and restored historic sites within this compelling landmark. But even if history is not your thing, Old Town will still capture your interest as the central Plaza is full of spirited hustle and bustle; it’s here where parades and fiestas once took place and mindful of the past, exciting events and parties still happen all the time. Today it’s all about the numerous eateries serving up delicious Mexican fare washed down with an obligatory refreshing margarita or two.

Balboa Park

San Diego’s cultural heart, Balboa Park is an absolute must-do, just minutes from downtown and considered one of the most beautiful parks in the World. The park is home to 18 major museums, several performing arts venues, stunning gardens and many other cultural and recreational attractions. With a variety of cultural institutions laid out among its 1,200 beautiful and lushly planted acres, Balboa Park is the nation's largest urban cultural park.

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Things to do in San Diego

San Diego Zoo

San Diego is one of the most famous zoos in the world and justifiably so. It’s a chance to see one of the world’s finest facilities for learning about rare and endangered species, spread across 100 beautiful acres in Balboa Park. With more than 12,000 animals representing over 680 species in a beautifully landscaped setting, you’ll be treated to a unique walking experience that exhibits animals in the most natural way possible, adding shows and animal presentations throughout the day for additional enjoyment.

Hotel del Coronado

Movie buffs will be keen to visit the legendary Hotel del Coronado, the film location for the 1959 comedy classic "Some Like It Hot" starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon. Reached by boat or by crossing the pretty Coronado Bridge, this historic hotel is in 28 oceanfront acres on Coronado Island. With luxurious amenities and a beautiful beachfront setting, this designated National Historic Landmark is one of the places to be ‘seen’ and stay in San Diego.

La Jolla

Set between coastal cliffs and coves, the gorgeous resort of La Jolla is home to one the most popular beaches in San Diego County. La Jolla certainly lives up to its nickname as ‘the jewel’ of San Diego where the streets are lined with gourmet chocolate shops, art galleries and restaurants with fabulous views over the Pacific. If you are travelling as part of an itinerary, do call in either on your way in or out of San Diego depending on the direction of travel. Alternatively, you could easily spend a full day in this elegant town.