How to Spend a Weekend in San Diego

The average climate in San Diego ranges from 50 degrees Fahrenheit to 77 degrees Fahrenheit making it the perfect travel destination year round. Plus, as an added perk for the traveler, the most rain the city gets per month historically is 2 inches between December – March. So, if you are trying to avoid rain entirely as your main goal, don’t travel during December – March.

But what does one do when they only have a weekend to explore? Well, I may have not explored all the typical first visit tourist sights, but I did have two jam packed days filled with awesome activities and tasty food.

What to Do:

1. San Diego Zoo
2. Sunset Sailboat Tour
3. Little Italy
4. Pacific Beach
5. La Jolla Farmer’s Market
6. Cabrillo National Monument
7. The Taco Stand

Honorable Mentions: These are activities I did not get to do, but wish I had and know I would have loved.

1. USS Midway Museum
2. Maritime Museum
3. La Jolla Cove

What To Do:

1. San Diego Zoo: 2920 Zoo Drive

If you’re like me, you grew up hearing that The San Diego Zoo is one of the best zoos in the world; and let me tell you… this is so true! With over 3,500 animals (650+ species) throughout the 100 acres there will be hours worth of activities to do and you still might not get it all done.

I never thought I would say this, but I highly recommend that you rope drop the zoo. Not only will you get prime parking (parking is free by the way), the staff put on a little presentation which is followed by several macaws being released to fly overhead the crowd. It is such a neat sight to been seen, plus you will feel like you have the zoo all to yourself for a little bit before the crowds really start rolling in.

I also recommend you make a B-Line to the Skyfari Aerial Tram to be one of the first ones to ride it to the other side of the park. From the rope drop area, you can go straight, right, or left… you will want to go left and the Skyfari Aerial Tram will at the end of the pathway. The Skyfari Aerial Tram is running throughout the day, but lines can and do form and there are way better things to do than wait in a line.

You can buy your tickets there at the zoo, but by buying online you can skip the ticket sales line at the zoo and it saves you a little bit of money — Buy Tickets Online.

2. Small Group Sunset Sailing Experience on San Diego Bay: 955 Harbor Island Drive

10/10 recommend booking a Small Group (maximum of 6 guests) Sunset Sailing Experience. Unlike other tours on larger boats, this small group sailing doesn’t feel like a tour at all. It just feels like you have an awesome friend with a sail boat. This tour is 2-3 hours long with white wine (no red wine, it stains when spilt), water, soda, and chocolates included in the price. You will get amazing views from San Diego Bay and pass by areas of interest such as the USS Midway Museum and the Maritime Museum of San Diego.

3. Little Italy: 1805 Columbia St

With 97 food and drink establishments in the Little Italy neighborhood you will always have options. I recommend Mona Lisa Italian Foods located at 2061 Indian Street for either a delicious deli sandwich to-go or a classic sit down restaurant meal. In the deli, they have several bread options available and it is all baked daily. However, they are not consistently baking bread throughout the day and they prefer to run out of fresh bread than have food waste. We got deli sandwiches pretty late at night and although they were delicious, we only had one bread option and it was hard.

4. Pacific Beach: 4500 Mission Blvd

Ever wonder if the Southern California beaches are like what you see in the movies? I am here to tell you that they absolutely are and Pacific Beach (or as the locals call it – PB) emminates that quintessential surfer and beachy vibe. We spent the afternoon walking along the boardwalk and watching the surfers from Crystal Pier, but there are tons of restaurants, boutiques, and street vendors to check out in addition to just having a beach lounging day.

5. La Jolla Farmers Market: 7335 Girard Ave

I am a big fan of checking out farmer’s market’s whenever I travel to a new place as a way to support small local businesses. The La Jolla Open Air Farmer’s Market is open 9 am to 1 pm every Sunday, and we decided that we would go first thing in the morning for breakfast since there are roughly 50 food vendors. We got so many tasty treats from the various vendors and had a hodge podge of a breakfast to start off our day. I totally encourage you do the same!

6. Cabrillo National Monument: 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Dr

Built in 1949, Cabrillo National Monument commemorates the landing of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo at San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. A visit here can be met with a small hike, a visitor’s center, tide pool exploration, history, and expansive views of San Diego Bay. Lines of cars do form at the entrance, but it goes quick… most importantly though, don’t forget your America the Beautiful Annual Pass or prepare to pay $20 per vehicle for entry.

7. The Taco Stand: Multiple Locations

No trip to San Diego is complete without having amazing Mexican food and I cannot recommend The Taco Stand enough. They have a secret menu posted on the register when ordering, so have an idea of what you’d like to get – because it moves very fast – but be open to getting something off the secret menu. Additionally, get the churros. You’ll think you don’t want or need them, but you must get them. They’re amazing!