San Diego

No matter how many times we visit California we always find new places to visit and things to do.

Here is a quick guide on some of our favorite activities & places to eat.

Famous for it’s beautiful beaches, great weather year-round, bustling craft brewery scene, and countless outdoor attractions.

Whether you come for a weekend, or spend a few weeks hanging out, you will fall in love with San Diego!

Check out my ultimate San Diego travel guide with the best places to eat, stay and play!

Where to Stay:

We decided to stay at the Marriott Residence Inn Hotel in the Gaslamp Area of San Diego; locates within steps to the convention center, walking distance to the marina & access to public transportation this hotel was perfect for our stay.

Although we had an issue at check in we were happy that the staff went above and beyond to ensure the rest of our stay was perfect.

We opted not to rent a car during our stay in San Diego (parking prices at the hotel are $50/night) so instead we opted to cab it but you can also take advantage of the Old Town Trolley which makes stop at the must see areas of San Diego.

Things to Do:

Hop on the Old Town Trolley and head over to Hotel del Coronado for a fun and relaxing day on the beach.

The hotel offers direct beach access and you can rent lounge & beach chairs while there. (prices range from $20-$50 for the day - totally worth every penny)

After you spent your morning/afternoon on the beach jump back on the trolley and head over to the marina. You can either take the trolley back to Gaslamp or if you are feeling energezied you can walk back. (about a 30 min walk)

Make sure to book the two day access to the Old Town Trolley - so that you can take advantage and head over to Balboa Park. You can easily spend and entire day here and still not get to see everything. I love that it's a big park in the middle of the city, it has so much to do but also gives people space to just relax in the grass and soak up the sun. My favorite part was the botanical gardens & the Spanish Art Village.

Save some energy and make sure to book the San Diego City Lights Tour with the Old Town Trolley to see San Diego light up and come to magic at night. This narrated city night tour was the perfect way for us to get to see the city and learn some of its history.

If you love animals then no trip to San Diego would be complete without visiting the San Diego Zoo - we opted to visit the Safari instead. Make sure to pack water and loads of sunscreen the heat/sun in this area was EXTREME!

If time allows visit La Jolla beach, take the Old Town Trolley to Old Town San Diego or go on a whale watching tour.

Places to Eat:

Our hotel offered complimentary breakfast so we made sure to take advantage of that.

Here is a list of some of our favorite places:

If you are looking for delicious New York style Pizza (recommended by my foodie icon Guy Fieri) then make sure to visit Pizzeria Luigi! You will not be disappointed by this super hip and laid back pizzeria.

San Diego has some of the best Mexican food north of the border....no trip would be complete without stopping at Casa Guadalajara locates in Old Town San Diego!

This restaurant is super popular especially on the weekend so make sure to make reservations ahead of time.

The food was delicious, the staff very attentive and we enjoyed listening to the live mariachi band.

Make sure to order the guac....the food portions where huge and we wish we could have save some appetite for their churros! But this gives us a reason to come visit again.

If you fancy Italian food then make sure to head over to Bucca di Bepo for authentic family style Italian food.

Once you walk in the door you feel like your at grandmas for Sunday dinner. Loved the restaurants decor but don’t get creeped out when you see the Pope’s head on the table.

We got a few options and shared and STILL had a ton of food left over so make sure to come on an empty stomach!

The staff was extremely attentive and we enjoyed our dinner here.

Even though we only had a couple of days to explore San Diego we had a good feel for what the city has to offer and our counting the days until we can visit again.