Your friend is visiting San Diego. But not for you. It’s for a business conference. Or maybe a long layover. Anyway, they have an extra day and want to explore the city. So they call you. And you are excited to hear from them (or maybe not, in which case press ignore on your phone and stop reading this itinerary). You also happen to be available that day. But what are you going to do with them?

It might seem overwhelming to explore San Diego in just one day, especially when trying to show some of the best parts, but we’ve got you covered. Below is an itinerary for an all-encompassing San Diego day trip that hits a few popular highlights as well as some more local hangs.

The Itinerary

Pick up your friend
Get breakfast at the Harbor Breakfast Cafe
Head to Bankers Hill neighborhood and grab coffee
Check out Quince Street Bridge over Maple Canyon
Walk over and explore the Balboa Parks museums or San Diego zoo
Grab lunch at Panama 66
Go to Ocean Beach
Hike Sunset Cliffs and watch the sunset
Get tacos for dinner at La Dona
Call it a night
Map to this itinerary

Morning

Pick Up Your Friend

Wherever they are it would be nice to pick them up. They are probably in Gaslamp. Go pick them up from Gaslamp. While Gaslamp has some decent restaurants and bars (it has its merits) it is more conducive to a big night out with lots of drinks and that is unfortunately not part of this itinerary.

Get Breakfast At The Harbor Breakfast

Harbor Breakfast is a pretty sea-blue cafe in Little Italy near the harbor. It’s a nice scene with the breeze of the bay coming up the block, the view down to the harbor, the tree lined streets with folks walking by, and smell of fresh breakfast cooking.

They offer standard fare breakfast fare like eggs and bacon, bagel sandwiches, eggs benedicts, and challah bread French toast, but their highlights are their specials. Try the Shrimp Diablo or their chilaquiles for something with a bit more kick. The service is friendly and the atmosphere inside is warm and cozy with simple, homey decor.

This place keeps it pretty simple and that is part of the charm. It is consistent, tasty, and leaves you plenty full. Skip the coffee here (not that it’s bad) so you can enjoy the next step on the itinerary.

Alternative: If you do want a breakfast experience that is more extravagant go to Morning Glory in Little Italy. Be warned – this place opens at 8AM, but on the weekend the line will start forming at 7AM and will be a few dozen people long within 45 minutes. Make reservations or get to Morning Glory cafe early. It is a very Instagramable restaurant (beware of the all-seeing eye when you walk in), but the food is legitimately good. Morning Glory has an exciting menu including their famous soufflé pancakes. You can even grab a bottle of Dom Perignon from a vending machine (yes, you read that right).

Head To Bankers Hill And Grab Coffee At Cafe Bassam

Bankers Hill in San Diego is one of the more refined neighborhoods in the city. We hesitate to say “elevated”, but you could call it that too, as evidenced by the glimmering new apartment complexes, trendy restaurants, and chic cafes. But this is not a bad thing, Bankers Hill is a great place to walk. The streets are quiet and tree-lined and it is within walking distance to plenty to do in the city.

We suggest going to Cafe Bassam, not only to pick up some coffee, but because it is in walking distance to a lot of the other activities you will be doing this afternoon. Cafe Bassam is an eccentric and old school coffee house that serves great coffee, wine, beer, and a few snacks. It looks as if this was once an old library or antique store that was converted to a coffee shop, but they never removed the antiques or the books. This gives it lots of character to say the least. We dig it.

Once you have your coffee walk down to a true hidden gem of San Diego – the canyons and bridges.

Check Out The Quince Street Bridge Above Maple Canyon

Here, you will want to check out the Quince Street Bridge that stretches over the beautiful Maple Canyon in Bankers Hill. It’s a beautiful, large wooden bridge that provides great views into the canyon and surrounding neighborhood. Hang out for a bit, sip your coffee, and listen to the sounds of nature right in the middle of the city. If you’re feeling up for it, walk down into the canyon on the Maple Canyon Trail. The entrance to the trail is across the Quince Street Bridge and to the right, here.

The urban canyons in San Diego are a unique part of the city that surprises many visitors, as well as some locals. There is a whole network of them, many of which you can hike. Learn more about them with the San Diego Canyonlands. The Quince Street Bridge is also part of the 7 Bridges Hike in San Diego, which is a great afternoon activity and shows you some of the other canyons throughout the city.

After exploring this local gem, head over to the best part of San Diego – Balboa Park.

Afternoon

Walk Over To Balboa Park And Explore

Or drive towards Balboa Park. We suggest parking near 6th avenue and El Prado which offers a beautiful walk across the Cabrillo Bridge straight into the heart of the park.

Significantly larger than Central Park in New York, Balboa Park is home to 17 museums, the world famous San Diego Zoo, and dozens of miles of trails, canyons, gardens, and open spaces. Balboa Park is the true epicenter of San Diego.

Your options for adventures and culture are plentiful. Try the San Diego Comic Con Museum, the San Diego Museum of Art, the Natural History Museum, or the Fleet Science Center. If you want to keep it outdoors, the Botanical Gardens or the Japanese Friendship Garden are a good way to spend the time.

Don’t forget the world famous San Diego Zoo. In all honesty, the San Diego Zoo is as amazing as they say it is. The botanical diversity throughout the walking paths and trails is so impressive on its own that you don’t even need to see the animals. Ok, you definitely want to see the animals, but the entire experience is beautifully designed as you truly feel transported to another land. There is a lot to explore there. So if you do decide on the zoo, just know that tickets are expensive (around $72) and you’ll want a good amount of time there.

Don’t want to check out the museums or zoo? No problem, just go for a stroll. The architecture is exceptional and the gardens beautiful. Take in the view at the California Tower, The Lily Pond, Casa Del Prado, or the Spreckels Organ Pavilion where you might catch a free concert.

After all that, you’ll probably be hungry for a snack and a refreshing beverage. We recommend heading over to Panama 66, located right next to the San Diego Museum of Art.

Grab Lunch At Panama 66 In Balboa Park

Panama 66 is a great outdoor bar and restaurant that has live music every night, usually jazz or Latin. The patio is surrounded by beautiful columns, with the Balboa Tower in the background, and a grassy lawn and fountain to explore. You’ll often find patrons dancing classic Latin or swing with the live music.

Panama 66 offers a full menu and bar, including sandwiches and burgers, salads, and appetizers like hummus dip.

In general, Panama 66 is a fun, lively place to bring friends, family, or even enjoy a moment yourself just listening to the beautiful music, catching the afternoon sun, and sipping a cocktail.

Alternative option: Another great neighborhood spot is the North Park Beer Co in Bankers Hill. Be mindful! They have another location in the North Park neighborhood, but you want to go to their location in Bankers Hill). Arguably one of the top breweries in San Diego, this place has a great vibe. For us it’s the soft yellow lighting, the green walls and dark, pub like furniture. It makes us feel cozy. This North Park brewery in Bankers Hill also has what we consider the best smash burger in San Diego. It’s just that simple, backyard BBQ your dad would make on a summer afternoon. It’s nostalgic, and delicious, which you can enjoy with your crisp beer.

Afterwards, head back to your car to make your way to OB (that’s Ocean Beach) for some classic beach town vibes, ocean vistas, and good Mexican food.

Drive To Ocean Beach

Ocean Beach San Diego is the quintessential SoCal beach town. It’s what a lot of people imagine when someone mentions SoCal in general. Cliffs hanging over the sea, surfers in their old Volkswagen vans, everyone in flip flops and unbuttoned shirts or bathing suits. This place is seemingly stuck in the 60s – or perhaps the 90s – and is worth a visit for the scene alone. Parking can be a pain here, but there is plenty of it, so don’t fret. Worst case scenario, you walk a few extra blocks through a beautiful neighborhood.

Evening

Walk Around Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

Visiting Sunset Cliffs is one of the best things to do in Ocean Beach. It would be a shame to not bring anyone here. Even if they have seen it, go again. Because as far as a San Diego sunset goes, this is the ultimate. You’ll see all the locals and tourists stop what they’re doing during golden hour, migrate towards the cliffs, and enjoy the gorgeous view. It never gets old.

Driving down Sunset Cliffs Blvd., the trails and lookouts along the cliffs will begin at Adair Street. We suggest heading all the way down to the “Stairs Lookout” and park anywhere you can (even on busy days you should find a spot nearby), then walk the trails of the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park and admire the Pacific Ocean views.

There are a few places to hike down to the beaches below. Depending on the tides it is an excellent spot to see some tide pools, maybe check out some cool sea creatures. This area is also a popular spot to explore sea caves, carved out over eons by wind and crashing waves. Depending on the time of day and year, go ahead and stay for sunset or watch the surfers catch waves.

After you’re done with the beautiful views and ocean breeze, head back inland.

Get Tacos At La Dona Restaurant For Dinner

While you settle into the vibe of OB (that’s what you’ll call it now), make your way to La Dona for some delicious tacos. This is a relatively new place (opened in 2020) that has great food, a tiki style beach vibe, and tasty margaritas. Owned and operated by chef Gabby Lopez who was born and raised in Tijuana, this place offers some best tacos and Mexican food in Ocean Beach.

The menu at La Dona is a bit pricier, but the food is definitely a step up from the standard fare and is completely worth it. Enjoy the time and catch up with your friend.

Call It A Night

Time to drop them off at the airport and head back home.

Alternative option: Don’t call it a night, and head to Mike Hess Brewery in Ocean Beach for a night cap.

A Map To This Itinerary

See the spots.

About The Author

Jeremy lives in San Diego, does not have a dog (yet), and writes about exploring new cities and public lands. If you run into him, there’s a good chance he’ll be hugging a tree.