Welcome to San Diego, California!
Where is San Diego?
San Diego is a large city located in the southern part of California state in the USA. It is approximately 120 miles away from Los Angeles. This west coast city is next to Mexico border.
San Diego is the second largest city of California in terms of population with more than 1.500.000 inhabitants. San Diego County has more than 3.000.000 inhabitants. English is the primary langage there but Spanish is also strong in second position as a good portion of the population is coming from latino and hispanic origins.
Best time to visit San Diego
Travelers from the world enjoy the pleasant atmosphere and temperate climate of San Diego. The wheather in San Diego is pretty good year round. Warmest period if from July to October with temperatures above 70°F. Best period to visit is March to May. During spring time, temperatures are perfect, around 60-70°F and you'll see few visitors in the streets. September to November is also a good period during autumn.
Don't expect to see much rain in San Diego. Winter months (November to March) will see some rainfall but nothing heavy.
Traveling to San Diego
San Diego International Airport (also known as Lindbergh Field) is located ten miles away from downtown. A lot of major airlines are operating daily flights to San Diego. It is pretty easy to find a direct flight to San Diego from Canada, Mexico or Europe.
If you arrive in LAX, you can easily reach San Diego via the road. It only takes 2 hours via I-5 highway. Bus and train are also options to connect both cities if you don't want to drive a car.
What to do in San Diego?
San Diego has a lot of activities to offer to travelers. Museum lovers will enjoy San Diego Natural History Museum where they can discover dinosaurs. Take a deep into space at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. If you like surfing, the California Surf Museum in Oceanside is the place to be.
San Diego is a famous beach destination with more than 70 miles of beaches. Coronado Beach offers a stunning view of San Diego skyline. Next to Mission Beach and La Jolla, Pacific Beach is a long beach along the ocean, perfect for a family stroll. Ocean Beach is a pet friendly beach with a lot of restaurants and bars. You can find more details in our guide of best beaches in San Diego.
Birch Aquarium in La Jolla will allow you to discover local marine life through educational exhibitions. If you want to see more animals, go to San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park. With more than 800 species and 4.000 animals, it is the largest zoo in the US. Balboa Park has a lot of free activities set for families.
San Diego smooth Jazz Festival takes place every year at the end of June. In July, you can attend the famous San Diego Comic-Con International. Il s'agit d'une convention de comics qui existe depuis les années 70. C'est l'occasion de rencontrer des artistes de renom.
What to do around San Diego?
San Diego is in the southern part of California. California is a pretty large state. So going north, you can easily reach Los Angeles and then San Franciso. If you want to enjoy something special, you can get to Nevada and discover beautiful Las Vegas hotels. Vegas is undoubtedly one of the craziest place in the world. Make sure to stay there for at least 3 or 4 nights so that you have enough time to enjoy everything it has to offer. Then, take advantage of the trip to explore the Grand Canyon. You will be shocked by the landscapes natural beauty. You will find a lot of ideas related to things to do in this part of United States on Escape Tours.
You can also go to Mexico in the south. San Diego desert is also something to discover. You can go to Borrego Springs. At night, the sky is spectacular as there is no light pollution. You can see some falling stars. Why not camping under the stars? If you like hiking, you can go to Torrey Pines where the views are pretty amazing.
Where to stay in San Diego
While traveling to San Diego, you will have multiple options for your accomodation. You can find a lot of luxury hotels in the United States on Olielo. Here are the different neighborhoods :
- La Jolla : classic beach destination
- North Park : downtown San Diego with a cultural twist
- Little Italy : close to downtown area, well known for its restaurants
- Coronado Island : perfect for a romantic getaway
- Mission Bay : close to SeaWorld
- Old Town : the Hotel Circle is a great value for money option
The choice will really depend on your budget and what you intend to do while visiting San Diego.
How to pay expenses in San Diego?
Credit cards such as Visa and Amex are accepted almost everywhere. You will pay all expenses in US Dollars. You can easily find Public ATM to withdraw some cash.
Best views of San Diego
San Diego has great views to offer. Whether you are looking to discover natural scenic views or vanilla city views, you will find on our site the best spots to enjoy a panoramic view in San Diego. These places are great for photographers looking to capture magic landscapes but also for couples looking to enjoy a romantic time in a stunning place. Coronado Ferry Landing offers a great view over San Diego skyline. Head up to Mt Soledad veterans memorial in La Jolla to enjoy a panoramic view of San Diego. At Powerhouse park, you will see breathtaking ocean view, perfect at sunset. You'll appreciate the diversity of scenic views you can find in San Diego. Between natural environment and modern city, those are really exceptionnal, definitely worth the trip.