The Big Day is just about here!  We wanted to give you a few ideas to help you plan your time in San Diego, especially since some of you were lucky enough to add a few extra days to extend the wedding weekend!  Killer surfing and beaches, great restaurants and shopping, top golf courses, and one of the best zoos in the world are mere minutes from our hotels downtown.  This is just a sampling--try Google or Yelp to get even more recommendations tailored to exactly what you'd like to do!

San Diego Zoo & San Diego Zoo Safari Park

If you can do one non-wedding activity in San Diego then put these on the top of your list.  The San Diego Zoo is in Balboa Park just north of our hotels, and is one of the best zoos in the country.  They have 3,700+ animals from over 650 species & subspecies. 

There is also the San Diego Zoo Safari Park that is well worth a visit.  It is located about 40 minutes north of downtown San Diego in Escondido, CA.  A highlight of the Safari (and probably the Safari & Zoo overall) is definitely Nola, a 41-year-old Northern White Rhino.  There are only four living northern white rhinos alive in the entire world today (three others are in Kenya, with armed guards protecting them 24 hours a day from poachers).  This may be your last opportunity to see this animal live.  

*Insider Tip – Get to the Zoo right before it opens at 9am.  If you have a favorite animal, visit it first; most animals are most active in the morning and evening hours. 

Coronado

Take a short drive or ferry across San Diego Bay to Coronado, a resort city located across San Diego Bay from downtown San Diego.  Coronado, also known as Coronado Island, is Spanish for "the crowned one" and is nicknamed The Crown City.  Great restaurants, beautiful beaches, leisurely biking, and boutique shopping can be found along Orange Avenue and at the three famous resorts—Hotel Del Coronado, Coronado Island Marriott and Loews Coronado Bay Resort.  

Balboa Park

Balboa Park is a 1,200-acre urban cultural park just north of downtown San Diego.  Placed in reserve in 1835, the park's site is one of the oldest in the United States dedicated to public recreational use.  In addition to open space areas, natural vegetation zones, green belts, gardens, and walking paths, it contains museums, several theaters, and the world-famous San Diego Zoo.  There are also many recreational facilities, and several gift shops & restaurants within the boundaries of the park too.

The California Tower, at the San Diego Museum of Man, is a 150-year-old tower that had been closed for 80 years but is now open to the public.  Climb 125 stairs to the top of the tower in Balboa Park to get panoramic views of Balboa Park, Coronado, Point Loma, and more. *ticket reservation required for Tower

La Jolla - For you East Coast visitors, that's pronounced "la hoy-ya"  : ) 

A seaside community along the Pacific Ocean surrounded on three sides by ocean bluffs and beaches.  it is ~12 miles north of Downtown San Diego and is full of great surfing and beaches, amazing restaurants, small shops, kayaking in the caves under the cliffs, snorkeling, whale watches, and Seal Rock.   

Beaches

There are plenty of sandy beaches in San Diego, but some of the more choice destinations are:

Mission Beach/Mission Bay = Rolling surf at the Beach and calm waters in the Bay provide tons of opportunities for kayaking, sailboating, stand-up paddleboarding, windsurfing, wakeboarding, waterskiing, or kite surfing.  Belmont Park is here too, and at night you can find fire pits dotting the beach.   

Ocean Beach “O.B.” = Quirky shops and a laid-back bohemian vibe give O.B. a unique atmosphere that locals love, and visitors don’t want to leave.  The burgers at Hodad’s look incredible. 

Pacific Beach = Iconic beach town dotted with waterfront bars, taco stands, trendy restaurants, fashionable hotels, and a lively bar scene. 

Surfing

If you’re specifically in the mood for waves, some of the best beaches for (beginner) surfing include Wind & Sea beach, Pacific Beach (especially Tourmaline Surfing Park or Crystal Pier), or La Jolla (check out Scripps Pier). 

Eating, Drinking, & Nightlife

While you visit San Diego for our wedding, we tried to keep you in an area where you could walk to everything.  The Gaslamp Quarter in general has TONS of bars and restaurants, and at night the area is filled wall-to-wall with young people out on the town.  Stroll the area from Broadway to Harbor Drive, and the perpendicular numbered streets from roughly Fourth to Eighth Ave, and you’ll have plenty of options.  

A couple restaurants ideas include:

Don Chido (527 Fifth Avenue, Gaslamp) - Authentic Mexican and plenty of people watching.

Comun (935 J Street, East Village) - An inventive menue of light and relatively healthy contemporary Mexican food in a sleek, modern atmosphere.   

UNION Kitchen & Tap (333 Fifth Avenue, Gaslamp) - A neighborhood restaurant and tavern with a funky interior that serves New American food, local craft beer, unique small vintage wines and handcrafted cocktails.   

JSix Restaurant (616 J Street, Gaslamp) - A great rooftop, a beautiful indoor space, and terrific food.

Quartyard Urban Park (102 Market Street, East Village) - This 5,000-square-foot space in the East Village includes a dog park, coffee bar, and rotating food trucks.  You may also find live music, pop-up markets, and a movie night. 

After dinner you may want to take a stroll through the Gaslamp District for some excitement.  You’re sure to find something fun to do; however, here are a couple other ideas:

The Deck at Moonshine Flats (335 Sixth Avenue) - Shuffleboard, ping-pong, foos-ball, air hockey, and even line dancing pair with beer and mason jar cocktails at this large bar in Gaslamp. 

Breweries & Distilleries

With over 100 craft breweries and distilleries located in San Diego, there are enough options to keep even the most discerning beer drinker happy.  Some of the favorites include Stone Brewery, Green Flash, Ballast Point, & Old Harbor Distilling Company but there are quality brews to be had all over town at every bar. 

Football

San Diego Chargers vs. Cleveland Browns is the Sunday after our wedding (1:05pm PST) if you can get tickets and a later flight/drive home!

And Tons More...!

There’s a lot more to do around San Diego too—whatever you’re in the mood for you can probably find.  Other ideas include LEGOland, a spa day, hang gliding, scuba diving, K1 Speed (indoor go-kart track), Sky Zone (indoor trampoline park), USS Midway Museum aircraft carrier tour, Belmont Park (amusements such as a wave machine and the Giant Dipper—a wooden roller coaster built in 1925), deep sea fishing charters, a Trolley Tour of the whole city, or even bowling a block north of the Hotel Indigo. 

Check out the San Diego Visitor Planning Guide online here, which has some coupons listed here.  If you plan to stay for a few days and visit a few attractions, it might make sense to look into attraction combo passes.