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City in California, United States
Photo: Boatguy619, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
From balmy beaches with a laid-back attitude to a gleaming modern image, San Diego offers much for the tourist to enjoy. Situated on the Southern California seacoast, San Diego is the second largest city in the state, with 1.4 million residents (2020), and has long attracted travelers for its ideal climate, miles of beaches, and location on the Mexican border right across from Tijuana.
A hub of business and nightlife on the bay, downtown has many tourist attractions among its gleaming office and hotel towers.
Balboa is a massive urban parkland in the city's heart, home to many museums and the renowned San Diego Zoo. Next door is Hillcrest, a trendy urban neighborhood.
The site of the first Spanish settlement in California, Old Town is a historic district popular with tourists. It sits at the foot of Mission Valley, a major commercial center.
Picturesque Coronado is a separate city from San Diego that is closely tied to the larger city, sitting directly across the bay from Downtown with a splendid beach and the famous Hotel del Coronado.
A scenic peninsula curving around the bay, this area offers gorgeous views of San Diego, beautiful coastline, and quiet, laid-back beach neighborhoods.
Two popular beach communities with plenty of shops, restaurants, and nightlife, alongside a man-made inlet that is home to Sea World. Mission Bay park is the largest water-based city park in the nation.
An upscale beach community, it features some of the most picturesque coastline and lovely beaches around, an exceptional aquarium, and the University of California at San Diego (UCSD).
A set of neighborhoods in the heights east of Balboa Park. There isn't much in the way of tourist attractions out here, but one can find trendy districts with locally oriented restaurants, shops, and theaters.
A large region of the city composed of many suburban neighborhoods stretching far inland to the hills of the north, with a few scattered tourist attractions, including the popular Safari Park.
Home to one of the world's busiest land border crossings, where one can travel between San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. This section is not contiguous with the rest of San Diego; you have to travel through the suburbs of National City and Chula Vista on the I-5 or I-805 freeways or take the San Diego Trolley.
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Covers admission and express entry to over 40 attractions, including Sea World San Diego, Legoland California, San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, USS Midway Museum, Birch Aquarium, and all Balboa Park museums.
Gives you one day each at SeaWorld San Diego, Legoland California, and a 3-day park hopper ticket for Disneyland, as well as one-day admission to either the San Diego Zoo or the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for an additional fee if purchased online.
By train
There are also secondary rail stations in Old Town and Sorrento Valley, used mainly by the Coaster (Commuter) Train.
By car
San Diego is easily accessible by car via the 5, 8, and 15 interstate freeways:
By bus
The closest thing to a central bus station is in San Ysidro just north of the US inspection station, behind McDonald's.
By cruise ship
By car
Throughout the Downtown and beach communities, on-street parking is metered. Parking meters accept coins, pre-paid Parking Meter Cards, and some newer meters accept credit cards.
By public transit
The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) operates bus service to large portions of the county, although service in many areas is sparse and infrequent.
By bike
The weather in San Diego is ideally suited for bicycle riding, although a good lock is a necessity.
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San Diego · International · SAN
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