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San Diego Travel, Hotel, and Visitors Guide

One of the nation’s largest cities, San Diego prides itself in its cultural diversity and dynamic style. Describing San Diego as “the city that has it all,” is an understatement. Where else can visitors find 92 golf courses, dozens of local wineries, a friendly downtown filled with hip restaurant and incessant nightclubs, nearby casinos, the nations largest park, over 100 up and coming neighborhoods, whale watching, pristine beaches, and a mining town, all within the confines of one city? Did I mention Sea World? City slickers, beach bums, and mountaineers all converge in this diverse region of the west coast.

Top rated hotels

Days Hotel San Diego, Hotel Circle
543 Hotel Circle South (Mission Valley)

Bahia Resort Hotel
998 W. Mission Bay Drive (San Diego Beaches)

Ramada Inn & Suites-Gaslamp/Convention Center
830 6th Ave. (Downtown)

Ramada Plaza Hotel Circle South
2151 Hotel Circle South (Mission Valley)

Pacific Terrace Hotel
610 Diamond St (San Diego Beaches)

Grand Hyatt San Diego
1 Market Place (Downtown)

View more San Diego hotel info »«

Top rated attractions

In San Diego
1.	San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park “Lions and tigers and Bears, Oh my!” Let’s not forget the giraffes, cheetahs, ostriches, rhinos and many more. San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park located in Escondido, is 1800 acres of wildlife preserve, with 3500 animals of over 400 species. Visitors can experience the Wgasa Bush Line Railway safari ride or camp overnight at the park for a thrilling close encounter with the zoo animals. Take advantage of the zoo’s 3 for 1 pass which also includes two of the before mentioned attractions. « hide
2.	Legoland Ever thought of being a hero? Well, now you can follow your dreams at Legoland. With over 50 soaring rides, edge-of-your-seat shows, and new and exciting water rides, Legoland promises an unforgettable visit. Visit the Knight’s tournament, or become a firefighter at Fun Town Fire Academy or a high speed car driver at Volvo Driving School. Make extra sure to adhere to the height restrictions. « hide
3.	San Diego Zoo Balboa Park’s own 100 acre park, the San Diego Zoo, located on Zoo Drive, along Park Blvd, is one of the cities main attractions. Visitors can spend the day snapping pictures of bright pink flamingos, rare giant pandas from China, majestic polar bears, and adorable Queensland koalas, among more than 4000 animals of over 800 species, before headed to family education at the Zoo’s Otto Center Auditorium. Park opens everyday at 9 am and closing time depends on the season. Ask about their “Safari Sleepovers” on certain holidays. « hide
4.	Sea World Sea World, located in Mission Bay, is another top-notch San Diego attraction. Minutes away from the heart of the city, Sea World has its own exit on the 5 freeway. Visitors mingle with sea lions, whales, all kinds of marine creatures, and even artic animals like white whales, walruses, seals and gigantic polar bears. Don’t be afraid to get wet riding Sea World’s Journey to Atlantis or Shipwreck Rapids. Plan ahead and take advantage of everything this park has to offer, including a Passport and Fun Card for special pricing. « hide
5.	Balboa Park No Trip to San Diego is complete without visiting Balboa Park, the largest urban cultural park in the U.S. complete with 15 museums, a variety of art galleries, peaceful gardens, shaded picnic areas, the Tony Award-winning The Globe Theatres and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. Minutes from downtown San Diego, Balboa Park’s calendar of events promises a huge variety of fun activities for children and adults. Make sure to inquire about the Passport to Balboa Park, a discounted admission book to 13 park attractions. « hide

Top rated restaurants

1.	Po Pazzo Po Pazzo is not just the Italian translation of “a little crazy,” but also one of Little Italy’s most popular eatery. A bit on the pricey side, this steakhouse bar and grill caters to big tastes and bigger wallets. They offer weekday happy hour and live music (but no lunch) on the weekends « hide	6.	El Agave El Agave, Old Town’s taste of the real Mexico, offers an incredible selection of thousands of fine tequilas to compliment their gourmet foods, including their most popular item, the Mole Poblano. Be sure to have a designated driver or the phone number to a local taxi company before sampling the menu. « hide
2.	Buon Appetito Buon Appetito is highly regarded as a mix of cozy, fancy and artsy. Locals are very fond of this trattoria with high sophistication and nouvelle Italian food and wine. Try their impressive wine list featuring wines from around the world. « hide	7.	Island Prim Island Prime is one of San Diego’s newest rising stars. It begins its rise to fame minutes away from the convention center, amidst amazing panoramic views of the bay. Try the surprisingly delicious mojitos and their incredible tuna tartar. « hide
3.	Filippi’s Pizza Grotto Filippi’s Pizza Grotto is a local favorite for a dressed-down family atmosphere with a lived-in feel. Bring the whole family and a big appetite because in this mom and pop place, the portions are plenty. Take home a souvenir or a tasty treat from their front room market. « hide	8.	Fish Market Fish Market is a standard of downtown San Diego, offering gorgeous views of the harbor, a background for a myriad of restaurants ranging from casual to upscale and inexpensive to pricey. A tourist favorite, you can pick from grilled, fried, steamed seafood or even sushi at this gathering of sorts. For a more sophisticated taste, try the Top of the Market restaurant. « hide
4.	Old Town Mexican Café, Old Town Mexican Café, a landmark of the town, is famous for their award wining “carnitas,” or cooked pork, and their fresh hand-made tortillas, made there daily by the town’s own “Tortilla Ladies.” Try their frozen margaritas, which locals claim can lift any spirit. « hide	9.	Aqua Blu Aqua Blu gives a new meaning to “presentation in cuisine.” If famous chefs and fusion themed restaurants is more to your liking, you’ll enjoy the adventure of eating at at this fancy place. An ever-changing menu and a knack for food pairings make set this restaurant apart from the rest. « hide
5.	Casa Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant and Cantina Casa Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant & Cantina invites you to eat like the locals, and you don’t need to travel to Guadalajara to do so. This Mexican restaurant caters to rush of tourists and locals alike. This colorful joint, is the spot for Old Town’s most popular happy hours with complimentary appetizers, and weekend salsa dancing. « hide	10.	SPREAD For a truly unique culinary experience, head over to SPREAD. Named for their signature item, this “nouveau comfort food” restaurant is modernly styled and if you’re there early enough, you’ll have your pick of one of only two hanging sphere chairs near the front widows. Their vegetarian/vegan menu changes daily and the entrees will depend on the fresh, all–natural organic produce they find that morning at the local farmers markets. Locals recommend their blood-orange sangria with cinnamon, white wine and blueberries or the lavender lemonade. Try their tantalizing chocolate salad with valrhona white chocolate, fresh arugula, rock salt, and for dessert, enjoy treats like a chocolate mélange or a freshly made peanut spread fondue. « hide

San Diego Insider tips

1.	Frisbee Golf The ultimate economical leisure activity, locals highly recommend Frisbee golf. It has been rumored to be an addicting hobby. Whether at Balboa Park or in Morley Field, locals enjoy trying to get the disc into a basket with a minimum number of throws. The rules are similar to golf, where the winner has the lowest score. Disc Golf is the underdog of sports, with its own Professional Disc Golf Association, soon to be a rising star. Morley Field Disc Golf Course -619-692-3607 - Greens fees at Morley Field are $3.00 weekends and holidays. Disc rentals are $1.50 - Monthly passes will be $35 and year passes will be $385 available in January only. - Monthly tournaments begin at 8:00 AM. « hide
2.	Over The Line Tournament A San Diego tradition that has been around forever is considered the NASCAR of softball, or some locals might say “drunken lazy man’s softball” is the Over-The-Line Tournament. This is quite entertaining yet competitive game happens only once a year in Fiesta Island, hosted by Old Mission Beach Athletic Club and is A form of softball, limited to 1,200 teams of three persons each, (ranging from 18-80 years of age), playing almost 2,400 games in two weekends with 52,000 expected to attend. World Championship Over The Line Tournament Fiesta Island, Mission Bay, San Diego « hide
3.	San Diego Weather Perfect San Diego temperature is a cool 70 degrees during the day. However, at night it cools off, so local advice is to wear a jacket, or at least keep one in your rental car. During the winter, when visitors might experience slight rain, an umbrella or adequate cover-up is recommended. « hide
4.	Things to avoid It is local knowledge that the areas of Mission Bay and San Diego’s coastlines are susceptible to contamination from storm water runoffs. Locals avoid contact for at least 72 hours after a storm or heavy rain. This may prove difficult when traveling to this sun filled region, most of the attraction of San Diego’s coastline includes surfing, kayaking, and water skiing among others, but locals strongly advise staying out of the water in and enjoy the rest of your vacation. In order to avoid traffic when attending a game, try taking the trolley to a Padres baseball game at Petco Park or to a Chargers game at Qualcom Stadium. Mission Blvd connecting Pacific Beach and Mission Beach is the main drag thru this area and can get quite congested during summery tourist season. Drive on Ingram, which can also get backed up but can handle the volume of travelers a little better. « hide

San Diego nightlife

In San Diego

On Broadway

The largest nightclub in San Diego is On Broadway, with five different music rooms ranging from rock to top 40s to hip hop and house. Enjoy a variety of ambience per room and match your hearing to your palate. Enjoy a cool cocktail at the Karma Lounge or a soothing tea and eclectic Asian/French influenced sushi at their Zen Café. San Diego’s hottest hip hop Dj’s make On Broadway one the hottest dance floors in the city. « hide