Can you help me plan my San Diego itinerary?

Question

I'm going to San Diego all day Saturday and Sunday (the 22-23). I have researched things to do, but I'm trying to pick the best ones and how to organize each day. Can you please help me make a mini-itinerary of when do these activities and in what order (I'm also not sure which things are close to each other), where to have my meals and suggest anything that I'm missing? We are 21 year old girls and Sat. night we want to go to a club, so if you know what the best ones are that would be great. Thanks!

Old Town
Gaslamp Quarter
Horton Plaza
Little Italy
Coronado
La Jolla
Seaport Village
Pacific Beach

I'm going to San Diego all day Saturday and Sunday (the 22-23). I have researched things to do, but I'm trying to pick the best ones and how to organize each day. Can you please help me make a mini-itinerary of when do these activities and in what order (I'm also not sure which things are close to each other), where to have my meals and suggest anything that I'm missing? We are 21 year old girls and Sat. night we want to go to a club, so if you know what the best ones are that would be great. Thanks!

Old Town
Gaslamp Quarter
Horton Plaza
Little Italy
Coronado
La Jolla
Seaport Village
Pacific Beach
Balboa Park

forgot to add Balboa Park

Answer 1

Here are some ideas, I just helped my boss plan a 3 day trip there:
Welcome to SD and La Jolla
9:00
Visit the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla/Scripts. Fun for all ages they have a tide pool, a change to feed the Sting Rays, and a chance to pet a SHARK! Plan to spend 3-4 hours here. Parking is free for the first 3 hours. If you can it is best to park and walk the rest of the day.
Noonish:
Have lunch at the Hard Rock in La Jolla. Who doesn’t love a Hard Rock. They have seating outside if you like located in the hear of the La Jolla shopping district.
1:30:
Take time to stroll the shops of La Jolla. There are all kinds of shops here, just wander up and down streets.
4:00
Check into hotel; get ready for dinner and tour

5:30
Dinner time:

Evening:
Ghost tour time. A great way to see SD, and some of it’s places. There are tons of tours in SD for all price ranges:

Ghost Tours with Michael Brown. Cost is $19 per a person for a two hour tour. You get to enter some buildings. Tour is a walking tour, and the tour guide is a local Ghost Hunter of SD. (Start time is 11:00)

Ghost and Gravestones Tour Brought to you by the Old Time Trolley Company. You get to ride on this tour but, be prepared for a lot of theatrics. They hirer actors in costume to run their tours and sometimes they can be cheesy. Still the tour is fun. Cost:

Ghostly Tours In History: Tour is a one hour walking tour, you can either choose Old Town or Gaslamp. Tours leave at 7:00 and 8:30. Cost is $10 per a person.

After the Ghost Tour:

Once you get done with your tour if you all are looking for drinks there are several places to go right in the area you are starting from. Also IN-N-OUT BURGER IS OPEN TILL 1, STOP AND GET A LATE NIGHT SNACK!!

Beach Day! Explore the beaches of SD
If you want to see the beaches of SD you might have to “rush” through some of them. If you want to see the culture you are best just walking around, if you want a beach to relax at for half the day I would recommend Ocean Beach or Pacific Beach. Pacific Beach can get a little crowded, good surfing. PB has more restaurants around it. Also PB is a great place to hang out at night, there is always something going on here

9AM:
Take off for Ocean Beach. There are some very unique shops here, a small surfing town. Be sure to take the time to walk out on the Pier. I recommend a cup of coffee from Your Mamma’s Mug! Please don’t go to the Starbucks here, the locals really did try to keep them out.

10:30/11ish:
Head out to Pacific Beach for Lunch and more beach lifestyles. Take the time to stroll the streets of PB there are tons of shops and restaurants here. I Also PB has a public restroom, um not usually that clean given it is on the beach. They also have showers that you can use to rinse off, if you want to spend time on the beach.

Suggestions for Lunch:
Big Bertha's Fish Joint 1165 Garnet Ave.
San Diego, CA 92109 • [phone] They serve great seafood! Laid back very casual.

The Green Flash: 701 Thomas Ave. 858-270-7715. Nothing to write home about the food. Typical bar food, although they used to have fish taco’s which are an SD must! Great for people watching!
Filippi's Pizza Grotto 962 Garnet
San Diego, CA 92109 • [phone]- Best pizza by the beach! They also have a ton of other dishes. Portions are huge! Split a salad they are large. Check out the wine bottles hanging up….I used to have one.

Taco Surf 1820 Garnet Ave.
San Diego, CA 92109 • [phone]- Great FISH TACO’S! Again an SD must! They have more kinds of taco’s than you can imagine, they also have other dishes. If I remember correctly very cheap, and large portions! I recommend the fried fish, but the grilled is good also.
The Fishery Market & Restaurant 5040 Cass St.
San Diego, CA 92109 • [phone]- Freshest seafood around, one of my favorite places! Food comes right off the dock and the menu changes given the fishing season. They used to also have a fish market attached. They have the best fish tacos around!

Tijuana Oyster Bar 1730 Garnet Ave.
San Diego, CA 92109 • [phone]- for a great Oyster bar and more go here. They have great seafood, and fresh oysters. Also they have some very interesting dishes think Mexican and seafood. Somehow it works!
There are a ton of restaurants to choose form here and most of them post part/all of their menu outside the door. However I DO NOT recommend the Typhoon Café/Restaurant whatever it is called. I have been there about 4 times and each time it sucked! Over priced, weak drinks, crappy service, enough said.

Side note: A great place to see is Sinbad Café & Hooka Bar (1050 Garnet Ave. [phone]). Something you can only find in SD. Drinks are good, for the two young ones in the crowd…this place was a favorite hang out of the Real World SD Crew. Good drinks, gets very crowded at night but a lot of fun!!!

3:00ish
You can walk from PB to Mission, however I suggest taking the car and parking in the lot by the roller coaster. Free and saves time.
Time to see the Big Dipper! Mission beach is were all the tourist go, the best thing about it is the Roller Coaster! The boardwalk here is nice and filled with surf shops, not too much to see in the way of shopping. They have your typical “board walk” food, such as funnel cakes, and corndogs. Ride the Big Dipper, old wooden roller coaster. Cost is $6 per a person and well worth it! Check out the Coaster Museum, free, short and tells the great story behind it. All of these beaches are very different! Mission Beach also has showers and restrooms.
Before you leave Mission:
Stop in and have a drink at the Coaster Bar. Locals love to come here, they have some great drink deals, and it is right across from the coaster.
6:00ish
** The rest of the day will depend on a few choices
** Head downtown to eat dinner and see the Gaslamp District. I love downtown SD, very different. There are tons of shops and wonderful restaurants to go to. Also there are tons of historical places….you should see most on the ghost tour. However there is the Horton Mall, and some other places. The mall is open late so you will be able to do shopping. This is also a good place to eat and go see the nightlife of San Diego. There are tons of places to go, there are a lot of bars, restaurants and clubs.
**Take a dinner cruise:
Okay there are several of these around, they can get expensive but, it would be soo cool. The city at night is just amazing and the Emerald Plaza with its green roof is something to see! Here are a few options:
SD Dinner Cruises. Cost is $58 per a person. Boarding starts at 7:00, cruise starts at 7:30. Goes till 10:00. Three course dinner, and champagne. You are in the same bay as the others so I am thinking that you can also see the fireworks from here.
Cal Adventures: Cost is $58 per a person. They had a menu that I could look at and it is a 3 course meal and you can choose your entrée selection. Boarding is 7:00 cruise sails at 7:30 till 10:00.
** Go to Pacific Beach and hang out with the locals. All I can promise you here is good food, and great bars. If you all just want to relax and hang out, this is the place to do it. Downtown is fun, but this is more “surf” and “beach” culture. Most of the stores close early, but the restaurants and bars are open late.

Coronado, Ponte Loma, and other misc. SD stuff!
9:00:
Hit up downtown/Gaslamp. While you were down at Gaslamp if there were any shops that were closed and you wanted to go to go now and finish that.
If not then head on over to Coronado Island. The drive is just amazing, the bridge gives you great views of the bay and ocean.
Visit Hotel Del Coronado. Famous hotel has been here since the 20’s. Huge tourist destination, the famous people stay here, also said to be haunted. Ask the front desk of the hotel for a map, it has several historical/haunted things listed on it. Just walk around; you do not have to be a guest to wander. The ice cream shop is cool, their pool and beach are wonderful!
Walk Around. Be prepared to walk! Parking here is at a premium and once you park you need to walk! There are tons of shops, art galleries, and unique shops that line the street of Coronado. Great views of downtown, and beautiful houses. There are a couple “seaside malls” which really means unique shops about 20 of them.

Lunch: I would eat here, not much going to Point Loma, except In-N-Out Burger which you just have to have on this trip.

Suggestions for Lunch:
Beach 'N Diner
1015 Orange Ave.
619-437-6087
Very cool place, CA twist on diner food. Cheap.

Peohe’s
Coronado Ferry Landing
1201 First St.
619-437-4474

The Fish Company
1007 C Ave.
619-435-3945

1:30ish
It is time to head to Point Loma. One of the most famous lighthouses in CA. The drive there is awesome! The drive will take about 30min. to get here. The lighthouse is located inside the Cabrillo National Monument. Be sure to stop at the visitor’s center, they have a museum explaining the monument and the history behind it. Then you can take a self guided tour through the lighthouse, they have brochures telling you about the history. You also get some of the BEST VIEWS of the ocean from here. If you are lucky you might see sea lions. Depending on the tide, you will want to check out the tide pools. Sometimes you can see some cool creatures.
Park Info:
Cabrillo National Monument
1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive
San Diego, CA 92106-3601
619) 557-5450
The Tide Pool is only open to 4:30 the rest of the park is open till 5.

Check out this website and request your FREE vistiors packet, comes with MAPS, coupons and information. Very helpful, they also have tons of info on the website.
http://www.sandiego.org/nav/Visitors

Here are some other sites to help:
http://www.infosandiego.com/
http://www.seeyouinsandiego.com/nav/Visitors
http://www.visitsandiegoeast.com/

I hope this helps you, SD is an awesome city you will have a great time! The weather is wonderful, the beaches are great and the people are Fantastic!

Answer 2

I'd suggest dropping from your itinerary Old Town and Seaport Village. Old Town's management company changed a year ago; it's now more historically correct but frankly a lot more boring as the best restaurants and shops were forced out in favor of historical accuracy. And I'm someone who likes history!

Seaport Village is a big bore to me and the restaurants are both overpriced and bad.

You might want to consider a boat tour of the harbor; several companies on the downtown Embaradero offer them almost every hour. Maritime Museum is nearby with interesting ships to see. Anthony's for seafood and the Fish Market for seafood are nearby and both good bets for place to eat. Anthony's has a "fishette" next to their restaurant for less expensive but very good takeout seafood, you can grab a chair on the deck and watch the life of the harbor as you eat.

Definitely keep Gaslamp Quarter. Horton Plaza is a fun plaza but if where you're from has big shopping malls I wouldn't think you'd find much unique about it.

Little Italy is ok but not fantastic. Coronado has the hotel del coronado and the silver strand beach, both worth visiting.

La Jolla has unique shops, great restaurants, beautiful beaches and option of kayak tours of La Jolla Caves area with snorkel available. Water's still warm enough for this to be a good idea.

Pacific Beach has nice beaches and a fun night life scene...tends to be a younger bar crowd than the Gaslamp but only by a few years. GAslamp more dressy.

Might want to consider Balboa Park and the zoo.

Answer 3

Whatever you do don't go downtown or to Coronado during the day. The Red Bull air race is happening that weekend.
Both of these areas will packed during the day.

Try Old Town in the AM then to La Jolla to shop early afternoon. Then to Belmont Park on Mission Beach.
Have a drink at the Wavehouse. Then to the Gaslamp for dinner and clubbing. End Day 1

Day 2. Sleep late then to Horton Plaza for early shopping, have lunch in Little Italy. Then to Balboa Park and visit a museum or two.

Answer 4

First day: Gaslamp, Horton Plaza, Little Italy, Old Town, Seaport Village, and the rest of downtown.

Second day: La Jolla, PB (Pacific Beach), Balboa Park...however, you'll need to drive from PB to Balboa Park.

It's going to be a little difficult to fit all those places into a two day itinerary.

Answer 5

you'll need a car to get to pacific beach &/or la jolla:
1/ depending on weather you may want to spend sat at the beach/pacific beach or la jolla. you can find places for breakfast/lunch all around.
2/ stop off at old town to walk around on the way back to san diego
3/ then to horton plaza (in gaslamp) to walk around & gaslamp for the night. eat dinner anywhere in the gaslamp that looks good to you, there are a million places & menus w/ prices are posted outside. lots of clubs to choose from. (at some point you'll have to stop back at your hotel to change but you didn't say where it is so whatever time is good for you) otherwise you can get from gaslamp to old town on the trolley & back.

sunday you may end up sleeping late: in any order, take the boat taxi from san diego harbor to coronado & do seaport village. little italy is tiny & not really much there so you could skip if you want -- if you have the time & like museums go to balboa park. restaurants are everywhere so don't worry about good food.

Answer 6

Do shopping at Horton Plaza and lunch at Little Italy during the day on Sat. If you have time, check out Seaport Village since it's within the downtown vicinity. Gaslamp Quarter should be done Sat night - be sure to check out these clubs, or at least one of them: Stingaree, On Broadway, Faces, Envy.
The other places could be done on Sunday. La Jolla is a little out of the way from the other places though. Have fun!!!

Answer 7

Hi, The Westin will be fine. For a late arrival in San Francisco no problem. The next tow days will be a lot of fun. You picked one of the best times of year to visit The City by the Bay. You'll have great weather. It might get a little cool in the evening but not like the UK. For your first full day, walk a the few blocks to Market street and take the "F" line street car. This is a rolling museum. All the street cars are antiques. Make sure it's the "F" line to Fisherman's Wharf. You're not to early for this trip. Make sure you make reservations for the Alcatraz boat trip and tour they could be sold out. The "F" line will stop real close to the Ferry line to Alcatraz. Once you have done tour and returned you are right in the middle of the Wharf and Pier 39, lots and lots of shops to purchase things you don't really need. Once back from you trip to "The Rock" have lunch at one of the wald-up or sit down places. Make sure you see all of the area. Stop in the Buena Vista for an Irish coffee or another special drink. Walk to the Cable car turn around and ride the Powel street cable car back over the hill to the Westin. On your way stop at the Fairmont Hotel and ride the outside Glass Elevator to the Crown room and check out the views. Keep your Cable Car transfer it's opod for the continued trip to the end of the Powell Street line and close to your Hotel. At the Fairmont have dinner at the Tonga Room it's a fun place, it rains inside and there is a dance band as well. For the rest of the eveing visit the Hyatt Embarcadero and check ou the lobby, if you can go up to the Equanox for a drink, this is a 360 degree revolving resteraunt. For your second day visit Chinatown, Coit tower, North beach and the Golden Gate Bridge. You can find your way around on the Muni, the buses and street cars run all the time. To get tot he Golden Gate Bridge take the underground Muni, the "N" Judah. get off on 19th Ave and take the 25 line or ask for the bus to the Golde Gate Bridge. Have Fun

Answer 8

you should definitely add Del Mar to your itinerary. A great place to go at night would be Del Mar Plaza, it has an excellent outdoor bar. Check out the needapedia page on del mar plaza.

http://needapedia.com/Del_Mar_Plaza