San Diego · Things to do

A 1,200-acre park just north of downtown holding most of the city's museums, gardens and theatres as well as the zoo. The grounds are free to walk; individual museums charge, and residents get free days on a rotating schedule published on the park's own site.

2920 Zoo Drive, inside Balboa Park, opening at 9:00 with a closing time that shifts by season (18:00 in late summer). Tickets are date-priced online. The ground is steep, so use the guided bus tour and the aerial tram; allow most of a day.

Aircraft carrier moored at Burnham Navy Pier on the downtown waterfront, open daily 10:00 to 17:00 with last admission at 16:00, closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. The self-guided audio tour covers the hangar and flight decks plus the crew spaces below; two to three hours is realistic.

At the tip of Point Loma, 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive, with the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, views back over the harbour and a tidepool area reached by the Oceanside Trail. The coastal trail is open 09:00 to 16:30; there is an entrance fee, and the tidepools only work at low tide.

Coastal reserve between La Jolla and Del Mar protecting the rare Torrey pine, with trails down sandstone bluffs to the beach. Gates open 07:15 to sunset and the visitor centre 09:00 to 17:00; parking is demand-priced from about $10 to $25 per vehicle. No dogs, and no picnicking or food in the reserve.