World City Guide

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview
Most visitors consider SeaWorld, in San Diego’s popular Mission Bay area, to be the city’s key attraction. Just to the north, the city’s beach areas – La Jolla (home of the Birch Aquarium at Scripps and a famed scuba diving area), Pacific Beach and Mission Beach – provide all the sunbathing and swimming that visitors could need. Coronado Island – the tip of a long land spit just west of Downtown – also has several famous beaches, including the Silver Strand State Beach. The historic Hotel Del Coronado, north of the Strand, has been a favourite filming location for many years and is worth a visit.

The Downtown area is home to the old Gaslamp Quarter, with its 19th-century stately houses and jazz and blues bars, as well as over 15 museums and attractions in the lush Balboa Park. The world-famous San Diego Zoo is located at the north end of the park. Old Town, California’s 18th-century birthplace, is located just north of Downtown and contains the majestic Presidio (‘Fort’), overlooks San Diego Bay amid spacious manicured gardens. Northeast of Downtown is the Wild Animal Park, a larger, unique version of the San Diego Zoo. Outlying parks like the Mission Trails Regional Park (again northeast of Downtown) are a nature-lover’s paradise. South of Downtown is Mexico, with the quirky curio shops, old rambling streets and unusual seaside attractions of Tijuana.

Tourist Information
San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau
11 Horton Plaza, at First Avenue and F Street
Tel: (619) 236 1212.
E-mail: sdinfo@sandiego.org
Website: www.sandiego.org
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700.

Passes
The Southern California Value Pass allows admission to both SeaWorld San Diego and Universal Studios Hollywood, within a 14-day period. The pass costs US$75 and can be purchased at either attraction or on their websites.

The Two-Park Ticket includes a ‘deluxe’ admission to the Zoo (with a narrated bus tour and aerial tram tour) and a Wild Animal Park general admission. The ticket, which is available for purchase at either establishment, costs US$40.75 and must be used within five days.

The Passport to Balboa Park Pass provides access to 13 of the museums withing Balboa Park. The pass lasts seven days, costs US$30 and can be purchased from the House of Hospitality, within the park.