Guide to Things to Do Around San Diego
By Inigo Figuracion, About.com Guide to San Diego
From where to go shopping to who's coming in concert to family activities and attractions to gambling, dining and nightlife - you've come to the right place. This is your guide to things to do in San Diego. Looking for the best shopping mall? Making the rounds of dive bars? Scoping out the best views in San Diego? This is where you'll find the best suggestions. So, what are you waiting for? Get going and find something to do!
- San Diego Casinos
- San Diego Dining and Nightlife
- Theatre, Museums and the Arts
- San Diego Sports and Recreation
Shopping in San Diego
For better or for worse, shopping malls have become the town squares of American society. Entertainment, along with shopping, is the name of the game for malls these days. So, a trip to the mall means a little shopping, something to eat, then catch a movie. And some malls do the entertainment thing better than others. So, here's my subjective take on the malls around San Diego County. I'll also steer you to the Best Outlet Centers and Best Big Box Shopping Centers in San Diego, as well.
- San Diego's Best Regional Shopping Malls
- San Diego's Best Outlet Shopping Centers
- San Diego's Best Big Box Shopping Centers
San Diego Concerts
Who's on tour? Are they coming to town? Where are they playing? And when? Lucky for us, San Diego has a lot of quality venues to watch live music - from the large (Coors Amphitheatre) to the intimate (the Casbah) to everything in-between. So we have an opportunity to see a wide variety of musical acts and genres (even though some major tours still bypass San Diego for L.A.)
Family Activities Around San Diego
As we all know, San Diego is a great place to raise a family, and one of the reasons is that the area offers a lot of stuff for families to do together. From the obvious, like going to the San Diego Zoo, to the less-obvious, like going bowling. Well, here are some great suggestions to get you and your family started.
- Budget-friendly Educational Fun
- Great Places to Have a Kids Birthday Party
- About San Diego Profile: San Diego Zoo
San Diego Attractions
From the beaches and bays to the San Diego Zoo and Sea World, San Diego has an abundance of attractions for both visitors and locals alike. Here are some obvious - and not so obvious - attractions to take in depending on what mood you're in.
- San Diego Landmarks
- Best Panoramic Views Around San Diego
- Real World San Diego Locations
- Veronica Mars San Diego Locations
- About San Diego Profile: Hotel del Coronado
San Diego Casinos
If you're at all familiar with gambling, and Indian casinos specifically, then you know that gaming venues around San Diego are extremely competitive. In fact, most local Indian casinos are in many aspects on par with their Las Vegas counterparts. Sure, it doesn't replace heading to Sin City, but when the gambling bug hits, you have some fine establishments to choose from.
- Top San Diego County Casinos
- About San Diego Profile: Pechanga Casino
- About San Diego Profile: Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino
San Diego Dining and Nightlife
San Diego isn't traditionally known as a culinary capital, but with the emergence of the Gaslamp Quarter as a nightlife destination, the city's taste quotient is rapidly emerging. But downtown isn't the only place you can find good eats and nightlife - some of the best places have a decidedly local flavor. Here are some ideas.
Theatre, Museums and the Arts
Under San Diego's laid back lifestyle lies quite a bit of culture. From live theatre to vibrant museums to the performing arts, San Diego's art community provides a perfect balance to the region's sun and fun personality.
San Diego Sports and Recreation
They say San Diegans are fair-weather fans. Well, with our fair weather, why wouldn't you be spending much of your time doing, insteead of just watching?

