Our most recommended especially for anyone who has children. This is easily is the cream of the crop on our list. This was the ORIGINAL Seaworld. View many types of animals such as polar bears, dolphins, penguins, manatees, orca whale and beluga whales.

The rides are entertaining especially for children.

We do recommend that you pay extra to get the 2 day pass if you plan on being in the city for a while. This pass includes a behind the scenes tour which differs every day but always has something that is unique and interesting. For instance we got a close up view of a rescued pilot whale.

Wild Animal Park: 

This is the future of zoos as far as we are concerned. Animals roam free amongst one another in over 2000 acres of land. The animals which are mostly of African origin seem quite happy. This location is 35 miles outside of the city limits which makes renting a car the best option to get there.

This was our favorite attraction, and we actually preferred it to the San Diego Zoo (which was still impressive as described below)

The amount of animals is spectacular. For us a must-see exhibit is the lions it is incredible how active they are at times. You can watch them in all of their glory only feet away from you.

We do recommend that you take time to feed the giraffes. Little children will enjoy the one hour train ride. Make sure to eat at the 'Heart of Africa' which feels like eating inside the African savannah as it offers amazing views of the nearby habitat.

World Famous San Diego Zoo: 

The most famous zoo in the world has had a lot written about it. This zoo is famous for both how well they treat animals and the number of animals on exhibit. This zoo placed San Diego on the map as a tourist destination and it should not be missed.

They have all of the major animals such as mountain gorillas, primates, panda bears, lions, giraffes, and much more.

Other Attractions:

Whale Watching

San Diego is well located on the map for whale watching. This is because whales migrate for feeding from December to March. Grey whales are well worth seeing in this area.

Birch Aquarium at Scripps

A gem of an attraction that is not well known but it should be. This is first and foremost a research station but they also offer an educational public exhibit. You can view various types of sharks including nurse, horn, leopard, and angel sharks.

For children they offer a small aquarium for to touch tide pool animals such as starfish. Something else that should entice you is the amazing view that overlooks the ocean, it is simply one of the best views anywhere.

The aquarium raises their own coral reef (as to not damage wild reefs) and these are amazing to see.

Our favorite is nonetheless the large number of sea horses, with 100s of different species that you have never heard of and certainly never seen anywhere else. These sea horses are majestic in how they camouflage themselves.

Old Town

A cute area of town that enables you to walk around and visit different museums and small shops. You can take the trolley but we recommend walking to get a more immersive experience.

Balboa Park

You cannot visit San Diego without stopping at Balboa Park. This is essentially the heart of the city. This is the home of the San Diego Zoo as well as 13 museums. Museums include the Natural History Museum and the San Diego Museum of Man. There's also a Science Center which is nice for the children.

Sea Port Village

This is a great place to go for a leisurely walk around the harbor. They have stores to visit, an old aircraft carrier, or take a harbor tour which last two hours.