Things to Do in San Diego: 3-Day Plan, Costs and Tips

What are the best things to do in San Diego?

These are the stops we'd put on a first trip, with the time each really takes. Prices were checked on each attraction's own page on 31 October 2026.

If you only have one day, we'd pick Balboa Park in the morning and La Jolla Cove for sunset. That gives you the city's best park and its best stretch of coast without a long drive.

How should you plan 3 days in San Diego?

San Diego is spread out, so the trick is one area per day. Here's the order we'd follow for a three-day trip, with a fourth day if you have it.

1. Day 1, Downtown and Coronado: the USS Midway in the morning, the ferry from Broadway Pier to Coronado for the beach in the afternoon, then dinner in the Gaslamp Quarter.
2. Day 2, Balboa Park: the gardens and one or two museums, then the San Diego Zoo, which sits inside the park. On a Sunday, catch the free 2 pm organ concert at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
3. Day 3, La Jolla: the Torrey Pines trails early before the heat and the crowds, then La Jolla Cove for the sea lions and sunset.
4. Day 4, Old Town and Point Loma: Old Town's historic park and restaurants, then Cabrillo National Monument for the harbor views and, at low tide, the tide pools.

Without a car, days 1 and 2 work well on foot, bus and ferry. For La Jolla and Point Loma we'd rent a car or use rideshare for the day.

What does Balboa Park cost in 2026?

The park itself is free to walk, but parking isn't anymore. San Diego started charging for Balboa Park parking on 5 January 2026 and revised the rates on 2 March 2026. City residents park free in many lots; visitors pay.

Our advice: park in a Level 3 lot and walk in, which keeps a museum visit inside the free three hours. The San Diego Zoo sells its own tickets, so check the zoo's website for its parking on your day.

How do you see the sea lions at La Jolla Cove?

Walk the coastal path above La Jolla Cove and you'll see California sea lions on the rocks most of the year, plus harbor seals at the nearby Children's Pool. Keep your distance: NOAA Fisheries asks people and pets to stay at least 50 yards from seals and sea lions on shore, about the length of a football field, and harassing them is prohibited under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

• Children's Pool: the beach closes to people each harbor seal pupping season, which runs from December to 15 May, so view from the sea wall.
• Torrey Pines next door: dogs aren't allowed anywhere in the reserve, and only water is allowed above the beach, so eat before you go.

Go early or close to sunset. Midday is when the coastal path is busiest.

When is the best time to visit San Diego?

September and October are the best months, in our view: warm days, almost no rain and fewer crowds once the summer school holidays end. Winter is mild and usually cheaper. Late spring is the surprise, with grey, cool mornings that locals call May Gray and June Gloom.

On a rainy winter day, Balboa Park's museums and the USS Midway are the easy indoor picks.

Related: Another warm-weather city: the best time to visit Key West

How do you get from San Diego Airport to downtown?

San Diego International Airport (SAN) is about 15 minutes from downtown by bus. MTS Route 992 costs $3 one way, including two hours of transfers, and MTS added more frequent and later trips from 6 September 2026.

1. Find the Route 992 stop outside your terminal and pay the $3 fare.
2. Ride to Broadway and Kettner, one block from Santa Fe Depot, in about 15 minutes.
3. Heading to Old Town instead? The airport's free San Diego Flyer shuttle runs to the Old Town Transit Center about every 20 to 30 minutes, for transit riders.

SAN opened its new Terminal 1 on 23 September 2025 with 19 gates, and Southwest is among the airlines that moved into it. Check your airline's terminal before you're dropped off, since Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 have separate curbs.

Related: Carry-on size limits on every major US airline · Cheap flights to San Diego: our latest fare check

What are the best free things to do in San Diego?

• Spreckels Organ Pavilion: a free one-hour organ concert in Balboa Park every Sunday at 2 pm, rain or shine.
• La Jolla Cove and the coastal path: sea lions, seals and some of the best sunset views in the city.
• Coronado Beach: a wide, flat beach in front of the Hotel del Coronado; the ferry costs $9 each way, the beach is free.
• Old Town's historic park: restored buildings and five original adobes, with free parking lots nearby.
• Cabrillo National Monument on a fee-free day: the next one is 11 November 2026, when the usual $20 car fee is waived.

Walking the Gaslamp Quarter and the downtown waterfront costs nothing too, and it's the best way to spend your arrival evening.

Common questions

How many days do you need in San Diego?

Three days covers the four main areas: Downtown with Coronado, Balboa Park with the zoo, La Jolla, and Old Town with Point Loma. Four days lets you add a slower beach day or a day trip inland. Two days is enough for Balboa Park, the waterfront and La Jolla if you skip the zoo.

Is Balboa Park free?

Walking the park and its gardens is free, and the Sunday 2 pm organ concert is free. Museums charge their own entry, and since January 2026 visitors pay to park: $16 a day in Level 1 lots and $10 in Level 2 and 3, with the first 3 hours free in Level 3 lots. Check the lot signs.

How much are San Diego Zoo tickets?

A 1-Day Pass costs $78 for adults aged 12 and over and $68 for children aged 3 to 11, as listed on the zoo's website in October 2026. It includes the guided bus tour and the Skyfari aerial tram, subject to availability. Value Days tickets bought online in advance cost $5 less on select dates.

Can you see sea lions in La Jolla?

Yes. California sea lions rest on the rocks at La Jolla Cove most of the year, and harbor seals use the nearby Children's Pool. NOAA Fisheries asks visitors to stay at least 50 yards away from seals and sea lions on shore, and the Children's Pool beach closes to people during pupping season, December to 15 May.

What is the best month to visit San Diego?

September or October, in our view. The National Weather Service's long-term airport averages put highs at 77°F in September and 74°F in October, with very little rain, and summer crowds have gone. May and June often start grey and cool along the coast, which surprises many first-time visitors.

How do you get from San Diego Airport to downtown without a car?

Take MTS Route 992, which costs $3 one way and reaches Broadway and Kettner, a block from Santa Fe Depot, in about 15 minutes. The airport's free San Diego Flyer shuttle also runs to the Old Town Transit Center for transit connections. Check the MTS website for current times before you land.

Is the USS Midway Museum worth it?

For most visitors, yes, if you have the time. Tickets cost $39 for adults and $29 for ages 4 to 12 online, the museum suggests 4 to 5 hours on board, and same-day re-entry is allowed. Active-duty military and children 3 and under get in free. Navy Pier parking runs $20 for up to 6 hours.

What can you do in San Diego for free?

Walk Balboa Park and hear the free Sunday organ concert, watch the sea lions at La Jolla Cove, spend an afternoon on Coronado Beach, explore Old Town's historic park and stroll the Gaslamp Quarter at night. Cabrillo National Monument waives its entrance fee on 11 November 2026, its next fee-free day.

Mark Flyingscanner as a preferred source and our travel guides are more likely to show up in your Google results.