How to Plan One Day in San Diego
Updated July 26, 2023
Have you ever been asked by a friend visiting your city to plan an itinerary for them? They want to know where to stay, where to go, what to see, and what to eat—all the essentials. And now you’re stuck racking your brain, trying to remember what that one fancy restaurant’s name is, and pretending that you know all the ins and outs of your city (whereas you’re better off explaining the ins and outs of your Netflix library).
As experts of San Diego, we offer many San Diego Tours, which means we get asked how to spend one day in San Diego all the time. And we love answering it!
It is kind of our job, after all.
So, if you yourself are visiting this beautiful, wondrous, magical Southern California city of sunshine for the day or you know someone from San Francisco visiting on a quick business trip to San Diego, and you are still knocking your noggin over which restaurant to send your friend and which major San Diego attractions are the best, then tune in. Because we’re about to plan the heck out of your day with the perfect San Diego itinerary.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
From the Southern California tip to the northern beach towns, San Diego has gems to offer for any type of person, any day of the week. You, however, only have twenty-four hours. So, let’s stay central and within short driving distances in order to maximize the fun you can have with your time in San Diego.
For a spectacular one day in San Diego itinerary, we recommend splitting up the day as follows:
- Spend the morning to mid-afternoon (about 3 hours) in the aesthetically pleasing La Jolla.
- Drive, Uber, or Lyft your way to Balboa Park for the afternoon and spend another 2 hours walking the grounds and hitting a museum or two.
- Just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Balboa Park is Embarcadero. This is a great location for afternoon lunch, early evening strolls and spending a couple of hours by the water where you can check out the famous USS Midway Museum.
- Finally, we recommend the Gaslamp Quarter for the cherry on top, the nighttime pièce de résistance.
Now that you have your overview set, let’s point out the wheres and whats in each locale.
LA JOLLA | LUXURY BY THE SEA
Photo Courtesy: La Jolla
The small beach town of La Jolla is the geographical equivalent of an illustrious palace, the northern tip of Mission Bay and Pacific Beach. We’re talking well-kept gardens, fresh green grass, quaint little shops, and of course, golden beaches as far as the eye can see. Did I mention sea lions at La Jolla cove? For some spots to watch the sunrise and enjoy the blazing sun of the West Coast:
- La Jolla Tide Pools – Walk amongst the rocky shoals and spot crabs, fish, sea stars, and plenty of other interesting life.
- La Jolla Cove – take a nice long walk along the pathway overlooking the cove. You’ll spot sea lions bathing in the sun, many species of birds, and you can even take a break to soak in the amazing sunset from here!
- Scripps Park – Situated just behind the La Jolla Cove path is Ellen Browning Scripps Park. This open space of green grass is the perfect place to pack a picnic and still enjoy ocean views, seals and sunsets.
- Boomer Beach – This hidden secret beach is nestled just south of La Jolla Cove. It is less crowded, but the tide is strong here, so no surfing allowed! You can get your tan on or picnic on the sand, and take a dip if you’re a strong swimmer.
- La Jolla Shores Park – Suntan, volleyball, long walks on the beach, La Jolla Shores Park is the place to do it. There are also several vendors in this area that have kayak rentals and even guided tours, so you can experience the La Jolla caves up close and personal.
Coffee Beans, Brunch, and Bottomless Mimosas
Photo Courtesy: Trilogy Sanctuary
Start your day off right with the most important meal: bottomless mimosas, ahem, breakfast, of course. In La Jolla, you’ll find plenty of yogi-centric restaurants to fuel your mind, body, and soul in a hearty, healthy way.
Some of our favorites?
- Trilogy – Part yoga studio, part café, all delicious. Come for the stretching and corpse pose; stay for the smoothies and tacos.
- Shorehouse Kitchen – Want to keep it relatively healthy, but supercharge your caffeine intake. Shorehouse Kitchen offers delicious options like their Seared Salmon & Baby Kale Benedict… mmm.
- Sugar and Scribe – Cure that annoying toothache with a pastry and a coffee at Sugar and Scribe. Wait, did we say toothache? We meant sweet tooth. Although… you’ll be aching for more sweet treats after your last bite.
- Better Buzz – Need a supercharged start to your day? Head on over to Better Buzz for a good caffeine buzz and a breakfast sandwich to wash it down.
- The Cottage – For a delicious breakfast in a sleepy little restaurant, head over to The Cottage. They only use the best and the freshest ingredients in every meal.
- Parakeet Cafe – This healthy California style restaurant has it all, and it’s prepared with love. Some of their popular dishes are an all-day menu with avocado toast with beet cured salmon, quinoa bowls, turmeric lattes and probiotic mimosas.
Shop till you drop, and get your art on!
A lesser known fact is that La Jolla is a premier destination not only for ocean views, but also for high-end shopping and art galleries. Enjoy everything from shopping for high-quality items like jewelry, athleisure, and even make a visit to a gallery that pays homage to the art of Dr. Seuss. Here are a few of our faves:
Galleries
- Lik Fine Art La Jolla – Check out stunning photos taken by renowned photographer Peter Lik.
- Legends Gallery of La Jolla — this gallery honors the works of legendary artists, including the author of Dr. Seuss and Mackenzie Thorpe.
- Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego – stop by to explore San Diego through the prism of modern art.
Boutiques
- Lissilaa Boutique – Haute couture and European streetwear can both be found at this highly curated boutique clothing store. You’ll leave with items that are as unique as you are!
- GK Fashion House — This luxury boutique is home to exclusive, vibrantly colored clothing pieces handcrafted in the U.S. and Italy, and places an emphasis on elegance, comfort, and timelessness through fashion.
- La Donna — This boutique clothing and accessories shop has one-of-a-kind dresses, shirts, accessories and more with exclusive access to a few European designers.
- Vuori – The local athleisure brand that’s taking yoga classes by storm. Vuori Vuori makes premium performance apparel inspired by the active Coastal California lifestyle, with a fusion of surf, sport, fitness, and art.
- Whiskey x Leather – This boutique has double the girl power — the two owners came together to form Whiskey x Leather, which carries an eclectic collection of clothing, shoes and home items.
- Gracie James – Located in the heart of La Jolla Village, this carefully curated boutique is filled with home goods, art, furniture, clothing, jewelry, succulents, and apothecary.
Once you’ve welcomed the day and said namaste, it’s time to head over to Balboa Park.
BALBOA PARK | THE PARK EXTRAORDINAIRE
Photo Courtesy: Balboa Park
To call Balboa Park a park is like calling the Amazon Rainforest a garden. Balboa Park does have long stretches of grass, perfect for picnics, walks, and sunshine-filled days—much like a park—but it also has other incredible attractions to see, like:
- Museums & Workshops – Explore art, culture, and beauty. Or make some of your own. At Balboa Park, there’s always more to see and more to do.
- Gardens – Check out the Japanese Friendship Garden for a waltz through beautiful Japanese architecture and scenery. Or check out one of the other 19 incredible gardens.
- Shopping & Restaurants – Clothing, crafts, wine, and burgers. Find everything you want and more at one of the many shops and restaurants.
- Notable highlight – Panama 66 – Come and enjoy the fresh air, craft beers, salads, and sandwiches at The San Diego Museum of Art with Panama 66.
- Attractions – The famous San Diego Zoo is located in Balboa Park. Roar with some lions or gawk at one of San Diego’s coveted artistic secrets at the Spanish Village Art Center. Looking for the whole package? Check out the San Diego Zoo Safari!
- Notable highlight – Shopping at Spanish Village Art Center – This hidden gem has a ton of artists shops that you can peruse through, buy yourself some art, and support your local artist scene.
Weeks upon weeks could be spent scouring the grounds of Balboa Park, finding new and exciting gems at every corner. However, your time in San Diego is limited, remember? So, shake off the awe and cruise down to Embarcadero.
Savings Tip: If you have a lot of attractions on your list to take down but don’t want to pay full price on individual tickets, you should check out the All-Inclusive Go City San Diego Pass. You can purchase a 1-day San Diego card that will grant you access to all of the top attractions, including but not limited to some of the ones we covered already:
- Seaworld San Diego
- LEGOLAND California
- San Diego Zoo
- USS Midway Museum
- Birch Aquarium at Scripps
- Maritime Museum of San Diego
- Belmont Park Ride & Play Pass at Mission Beach
Explore + Experience
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EMBARCADERO | THE WATER’S EDGE
Photo Courtesy: The Fish Market San Diego
Revel in the beauty of San Diego’s famous waterfront here at Embarcadero. With a waltz through the cute Seaport Village and some gazing out to the sea to spot whales, you’ll be in San Diego heaven. Hungry for some lunch? Check out these amazing eatery recommendations if you’re in the mood for fine dining:
- The Fish Market – Gaze across the bay at the USS Midway while you enjoy delicious sea-to-table fish and other delicacies at The Fish Market.
- Mike Hess – this newest location of Mike Hess Brewing features 23 handles of custom-crafted beers, kombucha, hard cider, as well as a tasty selection of tacos, burritos, nachos and much more via Quiero Tacos.
- Portside Pier — This pier has great views and great dining alongside it to boot! Just a few of our recommendations:
- Miguel’s Cocina – sit outside on the patio and take in the view as you snack on Miguel’s famous (FREE!) queso and their delicious margaritas.
- Brigantine – A true San Diego mainstay. Enjoy fresh seafood and classic American fare.
- Topsail – Enjoy an afternoon sharing seafood tapas and sipping on handcrafted cocktails and fine wines.
- Ketch Grill & Tapas – a casual dining experience with an elevated view! Ketch offers a selection of craft beers and delicious pub fare.
- Portside Coffee & Gelato – And for those with a sweet tooth, Portside serves up artisanal gelato and a variety of espresso drinks.
By this point in your day, you’re probably ready to quench your thirst with a delicious cocktail, beer, or wine. Well, how perfectly timed… because it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere.
SO DIEGO TOURS | IT’S ALWAYS 5 O’CLOCK SOMEWHERE
Ready to take advantage of the “5 o’clock somewhere” adage and sample some of San Diego’s most refreshing adult beverages while getting a history lesson? Head on over to the Gaslamp Quarter or to Old Town San Diego to catch one of our city-famous tours of San Diego. You’ll learn all about the history of the city from your local San Diego tour guide while enjoying some of the best eateries and drinkeries this illustrious city has to offer.
Considering your location and timing, we recommend one of these tours:
- Brothels, Bites & Booze – This Gaslamp Quarter food tour will take you through San Diego’s scandalous history of the infamous red-light district and all the women who ruled the streets. Plus, you’ll enjoy satisfying treats and refreshing beers along the way from local breweries in downtown San Diego.
- Tequila, Tacos & Tombstones – You’re probably well aware of how San Diego’s roots are deeply intertwined with Mexican culture. Of all the many things to do in Old Town, you must come to enjoy authentic Mexican Food and indulge in tequila and tacos while listening to ghost stories that haunt Old Town.
- Vino! Vino! Little Italy Wine Tour! – In a wine tasting mood? So are we! Come on down for a wine tasting in Little Italy, one of San Diego’s hippest neighborhoods and sample wines from a variety of boutique and historic downtown sites.
- One note here – This tour is only offered on Saturdays at 4 pm. So, come a little early for that magnificent wine buzz we all love so much.
As sunset fast approaches, the dreamy buzz of downtown San Diego awakens. After you find a place to watch the best sunset in San Diego, come and witness the allure of this Southern California City at night…
GASLAMP QUARTER | NIGHTLIFE TO ENTICE
Photo Courtesy: Gaslamp Quarter
Speakeasies, dance clubs, and rooftop bars—if you can think of it, San Diego has it. Here is a list of must-visits for your twenty-four hours in SD.
- Enjoy rooftop views at Techo Beso – sip on margaritas and much more at the vibrant space connected to the pool area by the DJ stand. Party it up with the live DJ with sets Thursday – Sunday.
- Enjoy tapas and flamenco at Café Sevilla – Known for their authentic flamenco dance and music show, Café Sevilla is one of San Diego’s hottest tapa and cocktail restaurants.
- Enjoy Mexican seafood and margs at Karina’s — a great spot for a casual meal featuring traditional Mexican dishes, as well as some creative twists.
Trying to get away from the tourist trap? Did we just read your mind…? Check out these locales for an awesome locals-only experience:
- For some fine dining, try your luck at:
- Lou & Mickey’s
- Lionfish
- Check out gorgeous skyline views at these rooftop lounges:
- Rustic Root
- The Nolen
- Laugh your a** off at:
- Great American Comedy Club
- Mad House Comedy Club
- And of course, dance your a** off at:
- Vin de Syrah
- Side Bar
IS IT OVER ALREADY???
With a city so enticing, by the time your twenty-four hours are up, you’ll be wondering, Is the trip over already? Fortunately for you, these San Diego city attractions aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. So come on down anytime to experience some magic, a fun-filled tour, and great eats the SoCal way. Because a day trip to San Diego just isn’t enough.
See you soon!
Written by: Melissa
Melissa hails from San Jose, CA, and has been a San Diego local for five years now after a 10-year long pit stop in Los Angeles. In L.A., she began her writing career crafting digital content for a wide range of clients, including The Real Talk Show, Sharon Osbourne, Hank Azaria, Time Life, and Cardinal Financial. She’s excited to be able to use her passion for writing to introduce people to some of the best spots in San Diego, many of which she has already frequented or has on her ever-expanding list of things to do … In her spare time, she enjoys taking her puppy Milo to all of the best dog beaches in SD, grabbing a glass of wine or a cup of joe at new places, and hosting watch parties for The Bachelor/ette TV show.
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