One week in San Diego is an incredible experience. Spending 7 days in San Diego is perfect if you want to see all highlights and more! There's so much to do and to see in the city, so you'll have a great time for sure.
San Diego is a gorgeous city in the United States. Most people know San Diego as a city with beautiful beaches, parks, and museums. This city in California has a great climate making it perfect for a relaxing trip.
If you're 7 days in San Diego, you'll have an incredible week. There's so much to see in the city! To make sure you can get the most out of one week in San Diego, I made this perfect itinerary. Furthermore, I included some information for your trip to San Diego.
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Why Spend One Week in San Diego?
Spending one week in San Diego is amazing! San Diego is one of the most beautiful cities in California. It's a very popular tourist destination. And that isn't for no reason.
San Diego is a city with many great things to do. There are parks, museums, beaches and much more. If you're spending 7 days in San Diego, you can see so many things!
One of the most famous places is Balboa Park. This is a gorgeous park where you can find many things, such as San Diego Zoo, California Tower, and a museum.
Balboa Park is only one example of a great place in the city. There's so much more!
For example, La Jolla Cove is a wonderful cove surrounded by cliffs. Another example is Belmont Park, a fun place to visit with a rollercoaster and carousel.
Moreover, if you follow this 7-day itinerary for San Diego, you'll visit all these places!
Besides that, San Diego is a very photogenic city. You can find lots of Instagrammable places in San Diego.
Whether you love beautiful viewpoints, colorful spots, or pretty cafes, it's there! So if you like photography, you'll love this city too.
Also, the climate in San Diego is very pleasant. This is also one of the reasons why traveling there is relaxing.
Throughout the whole year, the temperature in the city is great! It doesn't matter if you're going here in summer, winter, autumn, or fall.
Moreover, 7 days in San Diego is the perfect amount of time. That's because there are many things to see and a week allows you to see everything. If you follow this one week in San Diego itinerary, you'll have the most incredible time for sure!
Where To Stay During 7 Days in San Diego?
There are many places where you can stay during your trip to the city of San Diego. Staying near the places that you like most in the city is most convenient, as it makes it easier for you to get there.
One of the best places to stay in San Diego is Downtown San Diego. Here, you find many of the sights that I cover in this itinerary. For example, you'll find here Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo. Also, this part of the city is close to the airport, which is very convenient if you travel by airplane.
Furthermore, there are lots of shops and restaurants here, which is great! It is a great place to experience the local life of the city! So it's definitely a nice place to stay when you're one week in San Diego.
Another place where you can stay is near the beach. There are so many beaches in San Diego, and staying near one of them is amazing, as you can then more often visit the beach.
For example, you can stay near Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, or Coronado Beach.
A great place to stay when you want to stay at Coronado Beach is Hotel del Coronado. Staying at this resort hotel makes your trip to San Diego very comfortable. Furthermore, the hotel looks very pretty! So I'd definitely recommend checking this place out if you're going to spend 7 days in San Diego.
You can also consider staying in La Jolla. This is a place to the north of San Diego, so it is a bit less convenient for this itinerary. But it is a beautiful place to stay!
Itinerary for One Week in San Diego
Now you know why you should spend a week in San Diego and where to stay. So it's time for the one week in San Diego itinerary!
This is the perfect itinerary if you want to explore San Diego in one week. You will visit beautiful parks, landmarks, beaches, museums, and more! So you'll definitely have the most amazing 7 days in San Diego.
Day 1: The First Day of Your 7 Days in San Diego
During this first day in San Diego, it is time to explore a part of Downtown San Diego.
I recommend spending the whole day at Balboa Park! A whole day at one park? Yes, that's because there is a lot to do here. If you're one week in San Diego, spending a day here is incredible. Furthermore, Balboa Park is definitely a must-see.
In other cities, a park is often only a great place for relaxation, but Balboa Park in San Diego is so much more.
Besides the beautiful park, you find here many sights that are great to visit! This makes the park very unique. So going here when you're 7 days in San Diego is definitely a great idea.
Balboa Park
When you arrive at Balboa Park you should first explore the park itself first! The park is quite large as it spans an area of 1200 acres (or 4.9 square kilometers).
The park is very old, as it's there since the year 1835. In fact, it is one of the oldest public parks in the country! This is also one of the reasons why it's in this itinerary for 7 days in San Diego!
In the past, the park was home to many historic events. For example, the Panama-California Exposition was here!
You find here large open spaces with grass and amazing nature. For example, you can see beautiful palm trees everywhere.
What's great is that there are many hiking paths at Balboa Park. That makes going here a very fun and relaxing activity for your one week in San Diego.
California Tower and other structures
When walking through the park you'll stumble upon the prettiest structures!
The architecture of these structures is very pretty. This is great to see. What's great is that they make you feel as if you are in a foreign country! That's because many of the buildings have a Spanish architectural style.
For example, the buildings at the Lily Pond in Balboa Park are great.
Another great structure to see is the California Tower. This tower is very iconic and stands out in the park. Furthermore, it is a great tower for photography because of the architecture! You should definitely see the California Tower when you're one week in San Diego!
San Diego Zoo
Another great thing about Balboa Park is the San Diego Zoo. This is a popular zoo with millions of annual visitors, making it the most visited zoo in the United States.
This is a great zoo and you can a very large number of animals there. In fact, there are about 12,000 animals at the zoo. Moreover, there are about 650 species of animals.
For example, there are many birds. Also, there are giraffes. And there are flamingos as well.
What makes this zoo special is the places where the animals stay. The zoo designed these exhibits in such a way that it mimics the natural environment of the animals. This is great to see during your 7 days in San Diego.
Some of the animals that you can see here are elephants, gorillas, tigers, and polar bears.
Visit a museum at Balboa Park
Another great thing about the park is the huge amount of museums you find here. This makes the place a great place if you want to learn new things or see beautiful art!
I recommend visiting at least one of these museums when on this first day! Those who love museums will love this activity of this itinerary for one week in San Diego!
One of the best museums in the park is the San Diego Museum of Art, where you can find fine arts.
Another great museum here is the Museum of Photographic Arts which focuses on photos.
And the San Diego Natural History Museum is great to visit as well! This is one of the oldest scientific institutions in the United States. And you find a great collection here!
Day 2
During this second day of your 7 days in San Diego, you are going to do some fun things! On this day you are going to Mission Bay in the north of San Diego!
Mission Beach
The first activity of the day is visiting Mission Beach!
Mission Beach is a beautiful beach that is definitely worth visiting! It is a great place for relaxation.
Furthermore, there is a boardwalk next to the beach where you can find many shops and restaurants.
The beach looks very beautiful. That's one of the reasons why it's on this itinerary for one week in San Diego.
Mission Bay Park
Mission Bay Park is a great part of San Diego to wander through. It looks beautiful, so visiting it when you're 7 days in San Diego is great!
Furthermore, it is the perfect place for many water activities. For example, you can go here for wakeboarding and sailing. But you can also do here lots of other activities, such as skating and skateboarding
Belmont Park
For a large part of the day, I recommend going to Belmont Park! This is an amusement park that is very fun!
You find it in the area of Mission Bay as well, so combining these activities is great!
At Belmont Park, you'll find lots of fun attractions that attract lots of visitors each year.
The amusement park is very old and there are still attractions from the year 1925 when the park opened.
One of the most fun and most iconic attractions of the park is the Mission Beach Roller Coaster!
But you can find lots of other attractions at this great amusement park!
For example, there is a climbing wall, there is a large swing, and there is a carousel.
Also, you can find many restaurants and other food venues here, which is very convenient!
Day 3
Today is the third day of this 7 days in San Diego itinerary. On this day you are going to visit La Jolla Cove, which is very beautiful and fun! That's why it is one of my favorite activities for one week in San Diego.
La Jolla Cove is a small cove along the coast. You find here a beautiful beach that is great to visit.
Besides that the surrounding of La Jolla Cove is amazing. It looks very unique and is very pretty. That's one of the reasons why it is very popular and why many people take photos here as well!
Doing a day at the beach at La Jolla Cove Beach is a very relaxing thing to do in San Diego. It is the perfect place to get a rest!
Besides that, there is also a lot to do a the beach.
One of the most popular activities is of course swimming. The clear blue water is incredible, and makes you want to jump straight into the water when you arrive!
Also, you can scuba dive and snorkel at La Jolla Cove, which is another thing I recommend!
What's also great at La Jolla Cove is that you can see seals and sea lions. It's amazing to see these animals from up close! This makes your day at La Jolla Cove so much more fun!
To get to La Jolla Cove you can travel by car. From Downtown San Diego the ride takes about 30 minutes, so that is very doable! Especially when you're 7 days in San Diego, you have to see it!
Day 4
On the fourth day of this San Diego itinerary, it's time to discover more of the inner city.
Let's explore Downtown San Diego on this day! You already saw Balboa Park, which is a great park to visit.
Today we are going to the other parts of the center of the city.
You find here many sights and beautiful buildings! Strolling through this part of the city is a great activity. Along the way, you can see lots of pretty things! So, you can have a great time by only walking around!
Another great thing in Downtown San Diego is going to Seaport Village. This is a place where you find many restaurants, cafes, and lots of shops. If you are looking for a great place for shopping, then go here! It's very fun to go here when you're one week in San Diego.
In Downtown San Diego you also find the Waterfront Park. This is a small park next to the water with lots of grass. This makes it a great place to sit down at! It's a nice place to relax during your 7 days in San Diego.
Also, when you are in Downtown San Diego, you should definitely visit the USS Midway Museum.
Here you can find the historic aircraft carrier Midway. This ship was in use from 1945 till 1992. This makes it great to see in real life!
Day 5
It is the fifth day of the itinerary for your trip to San Diego. Today will be a very relaxing day.
When you are in San Diego, you should definitely visit Coronado.
You can find Coronado to the south of San Diego. Actually, Coronado is a separate city, but it lies in San Diego County.
To get to Coronado and the beach, you have to cross San Diego Bay.
You can do so by two ferries. One goes from a place next to the USS Midway Museum (that you already went to if you follow this itinerary). And another leaves from the San Diego Convention Center.
Besides that, you can also go to Coronado by car if you drive over the Coronado Bridge. This is a very impressive bridge, that is also great for taking photos.
Next to the arrival point of the ferry, you find Centennial Park. This is a very small park that you should definitely visit.
It is a great place to relax and you find here a great view! From the park, you can see the skyline of San Diego, which is amazing! You can see the many skyscrapers of the city from here.
This makes it also a great place for taking photos during your one week in San Diego!
After that, I recommend spending the rest of the day at Coronado Beach!
This beach is very pretty. In fact, in 2008 it was the sixth-best beach in the United States!
Furthermore, you can find lots of facilities at the beach, which is very convenient.
And you find here Hotel del Coronado, which is a very famous hotel. Many famous people stayed here, including lots of presidents and actors.
I definitely recommend staying here for sure if you are looking for luxury!
Day 6
During the 6th day of your one week in San Diego, it is time to explore some new places. You find these places at the peninsula Point Loma.
A great place here is Sunset Cliffs Natural Park. This is the next place to visit on this itinerary for seven days!
This is a beautiful city park where you can some beautiful cliffs and other natural sights! Seeing this place is a unique experience for your 7 days trip to San Diego!
After going there you can see the Old Point Loma Lighthouse if you follow this itinerary. This is a very pretty historic lighthouse!
Here you'll also find the Cabrillo National Monument. This monument commemorates the day the Spanish explore Cabrillo landed in San Diego. This was the first expedition by the Europeans of the West Coast of the US.
When you are at the southern tip of Point Loma, you can also see whales, which is a great experience!
Day 7: The Last Day of Your 7 Days in San Diego
When you are in San Diego for 7 days you should definitely go to Tijuana in Mexico for a day trip. This is so much fun to do!
It is very easy to cross the border and explore this unique city in Mexico.
It is a great place to try out delicious Mexican food. That alone makes this a great place to visit!
Besides that, Tijuana is also a great place for shopping. You'll find here lots of boutique shops that have great and more affordable items! So if you want to buy something new, that's great.
Furthermore, there is also a great beach in the city that you should definitely visit!
How To Get To San Diego?
If you're going to spend one week in San Diego, you also need to know how to get there! Getting to San Diego is easy, and with this information you know exactly how to do so.
You can travel to the city by airplane, train, bus, or car.
You find an airport in the city that is very close to Downtown San Diego.
This airport focuses more on flights within the United States. But there are also connections to international destinations. For example, you can take a direct flight from Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, and more.
Getting from the airport to Downtown San Diego is easy to do. You can do so by public transport, taxi, or car. From the airport, the journey takes less than 20 minutes.
Besides that, you can also reach the city of San Diego by train. This is a great option if you come from a place nearby.
There are many Amtrak train connections to these places. For example, there is a train from Los Angeles to San Diego that takes less than 4 hours.
Also, there are several bus connections to the city of San Diego. This is often a cheaper option if you want to reach the city. But often the journey also takes longer.
One company that offers bus routes is Greyhound.
For example, they have a route from Los Angeles to San Diego for 15 dollars. This journey takes about 16 hours, so that's quite long! But it is an overnight bus ride, so it is very doable!
Besides these options, you can also get to the city of San Diego by car. This is a very convenient option and often a very fast one! By going by car you can take a lot of luggage with you!
How To Move Around During Your 7 Days in San Diego?
It is easy to move around San Diego. That's because the public transport network of the city is very good and affordable!
With public transportation, you can get to each part of the city in an easy way.
There are 3 trolley lines in the city that can take you to lots of places in the city. That's the main method of transportation in the city.
For example, with the trolley, you can go from Downtown San Diego to the Mexican border.
Besides that, you can also move around by car or taxi. This is a convenient option if you want to get to a specific place in the city fast.
Another way to move around San Diego is by bike. There are bike stations in the city where you can rent a bike for a short amount of time. This is also fun to do if you follow this itinerary!
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