CityPASS San Diego articles

Few travel experiences compare to the moment a whale breaks the surface of the Pacific, exhaling a plume of mist against an endless backdrop of blue. Thanks to its position along one of the busiest marine migration corridors on Earth, San Diego delivers that moment more reliably than almost any other city in the country.

San Diego is one of the easier California cities to explore without a rental car. The MTS Trolley links major hubs like Downtown, Old Town, and the Santa Fe Depot; an extensive bus network and rideshare cover coastal spots and hillier neighborhoods; and walking handles compact districts like the Gaslamp Quarter and Little Italy.

Every stretch of sand here has its own personality, whether you want gentle surf for the kids, a sunset worth photographing, or a boardwalk humming with skaters and surfers. This guide sorts San Diego's standout beaches by what each does best, and it highlights nearby stops that make them easy to fit into a single, well-rounded day.

San Diego makes a strong case for your next getaway, and not just because of the beaches. This Southern California city pairs world-class marine life with sprawling animal habitats, family theme parks loaded with rides, and historic neighborhoods worth a full afternoon of wandering.

The San Diego waterfront gathers an impressive amount of sightseeing into a few easygoing miles. You can walk the flight deck of a legendary aircraft carrier in the morning, cruise past the downtown skyline in the afternoon, and watch sea lions lounging near the piers before dinner.

Perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla, Birch Aquarium welcomes you to explore the wonders of marine life in an intimate, family-friendly setting. As the public exploration center for the renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, this Southern California gem offers an extraordinary window into ocean science and conservation.