Looking for the best things to do in San Diego in one day? Are you wondering what there is to see/do in San Diego on a budget? Well then, you have come to the right place. Here you can find the perfect, budget-friendly 24 hours in San Diego itinerary.
San Diego is one of the most visited cities in all of America, and for good reason! There is so much to do here, you won’t have any problems filling up 24 hours in San Diego.
This 24 hour itinerary covers 3 main parts of San Diego: Downtown San Diego, Coronado Island, and Balboa Park. Of course, there are so many other places that you shouldn’t skip while visiting San Diego, but there’s only so much you can do in one day!
The very last section will include other must-sees in San Diego that weren’t covered in this itinerary so you won’t be worried that you’re missing out on something.
Where to Stay in San Diego on a Budget
San Diego isn’t the easiest place to stay on a budget, which you most likely know already! But you can still find places for under $150 per night.
The best way to budget this would be to stay for only a few days in San Diego before moving on to somewhere cheaper. Or you could try staying quite a ways outside of the main parts of San Diego to save money.
This spacious beach studio, for example, is just 2 miles outside of Mission Bay for around $130 per night and it has over 200 positive reviews.
Or this cozy 1-bedroom in a quiet neighborhood just south of Barrio Logan for $110 per night.
There are also some fabulous deals on Booking.com. I will recommend to check by rating and by budget.
Booking.com*Make sure you stay in a place that has at least a few good reviews, as booking a place with no reviews can be risky.
How to Get Around San Diego
Unfortunately for us budget travelers, the USA is incredibly lacking in good public transportation and San Diego is no different.
There are buses that can get you around but the timetables are unreliable and you definitely won’t be able to see everything in 1 day.
Even if you are on a budget, renting a car is still the best option when traveling in San Diego, or California in general. You will be able to see more in 1 day and get to places that aren’t accessible by public transport anyway.
Best Things to do in San Diego in one day
BALBOA PARK & SAN DIEGO ZOO AREA
Although there are areas in Balboa Park that you’ll need to pay to enter, there are still a lot of free things to do there.
The Botanical Building
The Botanical Building has over 2,000 plants and is completely free to visit. However, it is only open on Friday to Wednesday from 10am to 4pm.
Even if the building is closed when you visit, the gardens surrounding the building are definitely worth seeing!
Balboa Park Visitors Center
If you are looking to buy tickets to the museums around Balboa Park, this is where you’ll want to go! It’s free to enter and also has a souvenir shop.
Since Balboa Park is quite big, you can also check out these other fun ways of exploring the park.
- A self-guided scooter tour of Downtown and Balboa. Quickly get a feel for the city as you cruise around.
- Take a GPS-guided tour in the Storytelling Car® and see for yourself why TIME Magazine called GoCar “The Most Amazing Invention of the Year!” Let GoCar be your guide through an exciting loop of San Diego.
- Solve clues and complete challenges on an interactive 3-hour scavenger hunt adventure. Combine the fun of the race with a sightseeing tour of Balboa Park.
San Diego Natural History Museum
One of the best museums inside Balboa Park is the San Diego Natural History Museum, also known as the Nat. If you are really into science and interactive museums, then you’ll love this place.
However, it costs $19.95 per adult to enter, so consider skipping this if you are on a budget.
San Diego Zoo
If you plan to visit the Zoo while in San Diego, you’ll probably want to spend most of your day there as it’s quite expensive. An adult ticket to the San Diego Zoo costs $62 per person.
It’s not a super budget-friendly attraction, but if it’s on your bucket list because it’s one of the oldest zoos in the world, then definitely still go!
The Zoo has over 650 different species and there’s plenty to see and do. For that reason, you should probably dedicate a whole day if you decide to go here.
An Attraction Pass for San Diego
If you are set on visiting multiple museums and zoos in San Diego, you may want to consider getting a Go San Diego Card. It costs $79 per person, so it would only be worth the cost if you plan to visit at least 4 of the attractions on the list.
Some of the main attractions included are:
- San Diego Zoo
- San Diego Zoo Safari Park
- USS Midway Museum (which we’ll talk about more in the Downtown San Diego section)
- San Diego Air & Space Museum
- San Diego Natural History Museum
- Japanese Friendship Garden
- One Way Coronado Ferry
Just be sure that you actually plan to do at least 4 of the things on the list or the $79 would be a waste of money.
They purposefully list a ton of things that would be impossible to do all in one day, like taking a tour of Hollywood and then magically making it down to the San Diego Zoo. So make sure to do your calculations to decide whether this will save you money or not.
DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO
Harbor Island Park
For some of the best views of Downtown San Diego, Harbor Island Park is hard to beat. There’s free parking and it’s directly on the water.
From here you can see the skyscrapers of San Diego that appear to be right on the water. You can take a seat at one of the benches or walk along the path that goes through the park.
USS Midway Museum
Visiting the USS Midway Museum is definitely not very budget-friendly at $26 per ticket, however, it is quite an incredible sight even from the outside.
The giant ship has helicopters and planes resting on the top that seem to make the USS Midway even bigger.
PARKING?
Unconditional Surrender Statue
Right next to the Midway Museum, you’ll see the famous Unconditional Surrender Statue, which depicts a photo taken in New York when World War II ended in 1945.
The Seaport Village (Shopping)
Just a quick 9 minute walk from the area with the USS Midway Museum and the Statue is the Seaport Village. Instead of moving your car again to find new parking, just make sure you have enough time on your parking meter at the Museum and then walk to the Village.
The Seaport Village has about 70 shops and restaurants directly on 90,000 square feet of waterfront property.
Even if you aren’t looking to shop or eat in this area it is still such an adorable part of San Diego to walk around. Also, if you are on a strict budget, you definitely shouldn’t try to eat here. Don’t worry though, you’ll be heading to some budget friendly restaurants in just two more stops.
You can stroll through the beautiful buildings and shops while also enjoying the ocean breeze.
After you’ve visited The Seaport Village, you can head back to your car at the Museum to head to the next stop!
The Gaslamp Quarter
On to the Historic Heart of San Diego: The Gaslamp Quarter! This walking street has Victorian-era buildings and skyscrapers alongside each other with tons of great shopping and restaurants.
Don’t miss the iconic entrance sign to the Gaslamp Quarter, which perfectly frames the street behind it!
You will need to find parking in the area. The best place with the most parking spaces available is Park it on the Market. It costs $5 for one day of parking here and you can reserve your spot online ahead of time to make sure you get a spot.
Park it on the Market is right in the Gaslamp Quarter, so you won’t be walking far at all.
If you are staying in Downtown San Diego, consider coming back to the Gaslamp Quarter at night when the area lights up and has tons of great night-life.
Barrio Logan & Authentic Tacos
One of the best somewhat hidden gems of San Diego is the Historic Barrio Logan. As you enter this area, there is a burst of color and the influence of Mexican culture is immediately apparent.
This is where you’ll find the best tacos in San Diego, which also happen to be very budget friendly! The best taco places in the area are El Carrito and Salud.
To add a bit of a challenge to your vacation, try practicing a bit of Spanish while you order your tacos.
You can use the free app Duolingo to up your language level before your vacation or even to pass the time while at the beach.
Chicano Park
A visit to Barrio Logan wouldn’t be complete without stopping by Chicano Park, which has become an art gallery with huge, colorful murals. Most of the murals are of famous activists or moments in Latin history and the area has been named one of California’s 14 Cultural Districts.
CORONADO ISLAND
One of the best perks about Coronado Island is that there is plenty of free parking, so it’s a great place to visit on a budget!
Coronado Bridge
Get your camera ready because some of the best views of the bay are going to be right as you are crossing the Coronado Bridge!
It’s completely free to cross and it is quite an amazing bridge, which you can see best from the Centennial Park (the next stop).
Centennial Park
Centennial Park has free parking and is right on the water (like so many attractions are in San Diego!) There are plenty of incredible viewpoints at this park because it directly faces Downtown San Diego which is across the bay. The main one you shouldn’t miss is the “San Diego Skyline Viewpoint.”
The path through the park will lead you by a few small beaches, restaurants right off piers, as well as the Coronado Ferry Center market.
This park is where you can take the Coronado Ferry straight to San Diego.
You can also rent bikes to ride along the path all the way to the Coronado Bridge.
Coronado Beach
The next stop is Coronado Beach, which is consistently voted the best beach in America. It is 1.75 miles of near-white sand beach and has incredible views of the cliffs of Point Loma off to the right.
Of course, beaches are an excellent budget activity, but to make it even more fun, walk down Ocean Boulevard and check out the beachfront mansions along the street.
You can even check them out on Zillow to see how much they’re worth! Some of the houses are super colorful and you can also spot fancy historic vehicles and expensive cars driving along this road.
The parking along Ocean Boulevard is free as well!
Hotel del Coronado & Walkway
The last stop on this budget itinerary of San Diego is the Hotel del Coronado. This deep red hotel sits directly on Coronado Beach and one night there will cost you anywhere from $400 to over $1000 depending on the view and distance to the beach.
It’s a gorgeous backdrop for pictures as well!
There’s also a small walkway that goes along the Hotel where you can walk along the beach and enjoy the views.
Other Must-Visit Places in San Diego
24 hours is definitely not enough time to see all that San Diego has to offer. So if you are planning to stay more than one day, here are some other areas you definitely shouldn’t miss:
- La Jolla
- Torrey Pines
- Mission Bay & Mission Beach
- Point Loma
- Sunset Cliffs
This is a post by guest contributor Dayna from Happily Ever Travels.
Author’s Bio: Dayna Brockbank is a budget-crazy travel blogger at Happily Ever Travels. She has lived in 8 countries, has gotten lost in every single one, and somehow still has miraculously never broken a bone even after scootering around Southeast Asia for 2 years. She speaks 3 languages and is a bit obsessed with Duolingo.
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