1000 Best San Diego things to do + city tours by air, land & sea + eat, shop, travel & Tijuana

San Diego is the 2nd Most Popular Vacation Getaway in America

According to Conde Nast, the world’s #1 online & print travel magazine, Hawaii was ranked #1 and San Diego was ranked #2 for the most visitors thus far in 2024.

With a Mega 32 million people visitors annually, you wouldn’t know it because there aren’t that many hotel rooms. Thus, San Diego does not look nor feel like a tourist town. It’s because half of the overnight guests do not stay in San Diego’s 74,000 hotel rooms. Instead they stay with you and me as our out-of-town guests. Thus, the need for an accurate, non-hyped informative city guide to assist locals to entertain both themselves and their out-of-town-guests was more than apparent.

56th Annual City Guide (1969) used by millions

Thus, in 1969 the need for a local’s “Honest Tourist Guide” to entertain ourselves and our out-of-town guests was created. So, 56 years later we are the trusted resource locals, visitors and residents use. We research and fact-check what we publish. Thus, millions of visitors use us to see San Diego the way locals see us as noncommercial, non-paid, and non-hyped playground.

Locals Love Visiting Attractions

Our city’s Tourism Board says that one-third of the attendees to San Diego’s attractions annually are locals, who like you, came here for a vacation and never left. So, we show locals how to buy annual passes to attractions. Residents are really just visitors who live here year around. They are San Diego’s Best Advertisement for sharing the good life San Diego has to offer by telling everyone who will listen how great the weather is and how much fun the 1,000 fun things to do are.

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE NOT PAID FOR

Advertisers are told up front that they can say what they want in their display advertisement, but we reserve the right to say what we personally experienced because we paid for our own meals and admission. Plus, they NEVER see what we have written before it is published. So, our recommendations are unbiased just like a newspaper.

Entertain Your Guest at Top 200 Restaurants

San Diego’s many historic sites and theme parks are must-see attractions, but where you take your out-of-town guests to eat is just as important as the attraction they see. So, we feature the top 200 personally reviewed restaurants reviewed by Barry Berndes, San Diego’s Dean of Restaurant Reviewers. He has literally dined in 10,000 restaurants since 1969, paying for his own meals and inspected their kitchens. The same extensive research is done for attractions, museums, cities, suburbs and more. It’s like your best friend is giving you a personal tour of their hometown.

Tijuana Offers Fun Shopping & Dining

Getting to Tijuana is half the fun. Here too we have been showcasing Tijuana for 56 years. So forget the online hype. We research everything. Plus, we work with the Tijuana Tourism office. If you dine at the World Famous Caesar’s Restaurant “Home of the Original Caesar’s Salad” expect to be served by a tuxedo clad waiter. Plus, being a duty free port of entry, expect to buy French perfume at duty free prices. An extra bonus on the U.S. side of the border are literally hundreds of factory outlet store housed in mega malls, where you can shop till you drop.

San Diego is a Local’s Year Round Vacation Getaway

There is just so much to do here that most visitors are repeat visitors with a high percentage who vacationed here that when they got home they realized that living in San Diego year round was the only way to live. Thus, we feature a great newcomers section you should look at too as you discover the 50 FREE DIY city tours to find the perfect place to live with it’s soothing year around ocean breezes..

Access 50 tours & attractions Click Here

TOP 10 ATTRACTIONS & 50 TOURS ARE Hot Linked Here For Instant Access

HERE’S 1000 MORE FREE THING TO DO——— Hot Linked.

FREE ADMISSION FOR RESIDENTS TO BALBOA PARK TUESDAYS on a rotation basis visit balboapark.org

San Diego Zoo October 2 which isFounders Month for Kids 12 and Under

A San Diego Must Have is the San Diego Union Newspaper Reader’s Poll 40 page annual tabloid showcasing the best of San Diego from A to Z.

City Gives BARRY a San Diego Day

The Mayor of San Diego and all of the city council members gave Barry a BARRY BERNDES DAY on Jan. 14th, 2018. This prestigious award was given to Barry in recognition of his over 50-years of showing his hometown to millions of newcomers, visitors and residents..

Sandiegan.com is an Internet Pioneer

In 1995, three years before Google was founded SanDiegan.com was already an active resource for Newcomers, Visitors and Residents. With its vast 650 pages of researched content Google categories San Diegan.com as an authority just site like The New York Times.

Navigate Site Faster:

(1) Click here for instant access to 50 suburbs & city walking & driving tours with maps. (2) Click on the Barry Icon at the top left corner of every page to return to the home page. (3) Click on the little box with the arrow in it in the right corner to instantly return to the top of any page. (4) SEE Today’s most visited Pages at Bottom of the Home page.

Hot Linked: Most Popular Pages Everyday

200 Personally Reviewed Restaurants Recommended

Having literally dined in 10,000 Restaurants in San Diego, publisher Barry Berndes knows all of the great restaurants and recommends the best San Diego restaurants to you. He often suggests a specific table offering a spectacular ocean or bay view. Barry is always on the lookout for spectacular views or special seating to make your excursion memorable. Check out Eat FREE Free on your Birthday in San Diego and where Kids Eat Free in San Diego for an extra FUN Adventure. So, without a doubt, his 200 personally reviewed restaurants are indeed one of the 1000 fun things to do in San Diego.

Outlet Shopping Attractions

San Diego has awesome factory outlet centers, where you can literally shop till you drop! Outlet Shopping is one of the TOP 100 San Diego Attractions and one of the 1000 fun things to do in San Diego by air, land and sea. We also showcase the major shopping centers, as they are glamorous major attractions too.

Coupons Galore

Enjoy major discounts for major attractions and high-end shopping. No less wonderful are the host of restaurant discounts. We are also top ranked on Google for Eat FREE on your birthday and where kids eat FREE.

Beach Towns are Fun Attractions

Aquatic activities abound including visiting the world-famous La Jolla Shores for swimming, surfing, sunbathing and strolling on beach. Beach towns are one of the most popular TOP 100 San Diego Attractions and one of the 1000 fun things to do in San Diego by air, land and sea.Be sure to read the chapters titled Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, and Oceanside to introduce you to these fun beach town adventures.

Calendar of Events

The HUGE constantly updated calendar of events page is under construction. It is a constant resource for fun things to do and attractions to discover in San Diego and regionally. One seasonal adventure discovered via the Calendar page is San Diego’s freeway close wine country. Also freeway close is a day excursion to Temecula and Baja, California, Mexico.

Churches

Click on Churchfinder.com for an extensive and informative list of over 100 places of worship. Since San Diego is Paradise on Earth, it should come as no surprise that locals love to worship God. Also, unique to San Diego and the state of California were the establishment of the 21 Missions founded by Father Serra as the… Read more »

Local Getaways

Being visited by 32 million visitors annually, San Diego is a perfect vacation getaway. But when locals really want to get away their favorite destinations include romantic Catalina Inland, the nearby gold rush town of Julian, the desert getaway of Borrego Springs, the wineries in Temecula and Baja California, Mexico. Each destination has its own chapter with a map featuring where to stay, dine and what to do, which we independently researched and paid for ourselves. Plus, Romantic Getaways is one of the 1000 fun things to do in and around fabulous San Diego.

sandiegan.com Breweries, San Diego, Beer

Brewery Tours are Fun

San Diego County is the Microbrewery Capital of the World. Thus, a fun self-paid-for-personally-researched easy-to-navigate brewery tour of 13 must-visit breweries can be discovered by reading the brewery Chapter. Microbrewery hopping is one of the TOP 100 San Diego Attractions. Plus, Cabrillo Monument is one of the 1000 fun things to do in San Diego by air, land and sea. The idea of the Top 10 Attractions is nonsense. The truth is there are easily 1,000 must-see attractions in San Diego, which is why visitors, military stationed here, and college students end up relocate here. San Diego is a FUNNER PLACE TO LIVE, WORK & PLAY.

Mexico’s Wine Country is a day trip away.

Wineries Tours are Great Escaes

San Diego is blessed with ideal weather and suburb terrain and coastal breezes, which are the key ingredients nor growing grapes. Thus, San Diego is home to two in San Diego wine growing regions and two freeway close regional wineries: Temecula and Baja California, Mexico. All are great attractions for the day or weekend getaways. Plus, wineries are one of the 1000 fun things to do in San Diego by air, land and sea.

Cabrillo Monument offers Spectacular 360 degree View

From the tip of this vantage point, you’ll see a spectacular 360-degree view of San Diego’s majestic harbor and the lay of the land for 30 miles in all directions. Thus, you’ll be able to understand the layout of San Diego and together with the many maps on this website you’ll fall in love with the simplicity of navigating your way from one suburb or attraction to another. Plus, Cabrillo Monument is one of the 1000 fun things to do in San Diego by air, land and sea. VISIT THIS SITE.

Sandiegan.com Hotel Getawayss in Baja California, Mexico

HOTELS: Stay in the Coastal Zone

Where you rest your head even for a night is an important decision. Therefore, we personally reviewed every hotel as if we going to stay there by inspecting three rooms and inspected all of the amenities at the hotel we have recommended. Plus, the added enjoy of finding 1000 fun things to do in San Diego by air, land and sea. WE WERE NOT PAID FOR OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.

Newcomer Relocation

A high percentage of San Diego residents were once visitors, in the military or college students. Thus, the need for an online relocation chapter arose out of the necessity for where to live, find a job and navigate the city with ease arose to find and enjoy the 1000 fun things to do in San Diego by air, land and sea. We personally research our recommendations before we recommend them including best places to live near each military base and military housing with personal inspection of multiple units and apartment complexes. Thus, SanDiegan.com is a trusted resource.