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San Diego Tourist Information and San Diego Tourism
(San Diego, California (CA), USA, US)



San Diego is one of California's most important cities and is known for its superb beaches, natural harbor areas and historic buildings. Full of popular outdoor activities and tourist attractions, including San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld and Balboa Park, the city's diverse neighborhoods boast plenty of shopping, dining, tourism and entertainment opportunities.

The city of San Diego has thrived since the opening of the Santa Fe Railroad in the late 19th century and much of the city is centered around the compact downtown district, the charming Old Town area and the historical Gaslamp Quarter. To learn more about the city's rich heritage, head to the Gaslamp Quarter Foundation, at the William Heath Davis House on Island Avenue, and arrange your own guided tour.




Hotels are plentiful in San Diego, with accommodation located throughout the city, including hotels in downtown San Diego, the Gaslamp Quarter, Mission Bay, Old Town and the Mission Valley District. Further hotels can also be found close to San Diego International Airport (SAN), which is situated around 3 miles / 5 km from downtown and next to Five Points, Loma Heights and the Midway district. Where you choose to stay really does depend on what you want out of your holiday. If fine dining and evening entertainment is required, then downtown San Diego is the place to stay, where both the Civic Theater and the Balbao Theater are based. Visitors who prefer sunbathing should consider the hotels in outlying beach resorts, such as those based around Mission Bay and Point Loma. More information on San Diego Hotels.

Tourism is now a mainstay of the city of San Diego and the Downtown Visitors Center on Horton Plaza is where to come if you are if need of tourist information. Also popular with holidaymakers is the La Jolla Visitors Center on Herschel Avenue - close to the Union Place Circle and the Wall Street Plaza Shopping Center, the Balboa Park Visitor's Center on El Prado, and the San Diego Visitors Information Center along East Mission Bay Drive.

San Diego features many superb tourist attractions, including Belmont Park - a major amusement park dating back to 1925, with an original wooden roller coaster; the Birch Aquarium at Scripps - with extensive exhibits showcasing many creatures from the coast of California; San Diego Zoo - founded in 1916 and home to more than 4,000 animals, including many endangered species; SeaWorld San Diego - featuring regular aquatic shows with killer whales, dolphins and sea lions; and Knott's Soak City USA - a popular water park containing more than 20 water slides, a giant wave pool and an artificial river.

Other tourist attractions in San Diego include the Mission Beach - offering visitors abundant sun-bathing, water sports, and a boardwalk leading to Pacific Beach; the Cabrillo National Monument - with spectacular views that attract many whale watchers during the winter months; the Old Town State Historic Park - home to countless original and reconstructed historic buildings with a Mexican flavor; and Balboa Park - known for being the largest urban cultural park in America, standing in the very heart of San Diego and featuring a landscaped Japanese Friendship Garden. More information on San Diego Tourist Attractions and San Diego Landmarks.

There are also a number of museums, including the San Diego Natural History Museum - containing a wealth of fascinating exhibits, a movie theater and a large atrium area; the Museum of San Diego History - with historic information documenting the development of the city from the 1850s onwards; the Maritime Museum - containing several historic ships, including the Star of India; the Aerospace Museum - full of information about America's aviation heritage; the San Diego Museum of Art - featuring a large permanent collection of art works and regular temporary exhibitions; and the Museum of Contemporary Art - well-known for its controversial collection of modern art. More information on San Diego Museums and San Diego Art Galleries.

Californian tourist attractions situated nearby include the San Diego Wild Animal Park - a unique animal park, with huge natural enclosures and a monorail train; the Disneyland Resort - comprising two superb theme parks, Disneyland and also Disney's California Adventure; Legoland California - a popular family theme park to the north of San Diego, with plenty of rides and attractions; Coronado - standing on a picturesque peninsula just south of the city, with scenic beaches and great dining opportunities; and Tijuana - just a short journey south of downtown, offering the perfect day trip into nearby Mexico. More information on San Diego Attractions Nearby.

San Diego Airport (SAN) Guide - useful San Diego Airport (SAN) information.

San Diego hotels

More San Diego Information / Fast Facts and Orientation

• Country: United States of America (USA)
• Location: San Diego County, California (CA)
• Status: city, county seat
• Area: approximately 324 square miles / 839 square kilometers
• Population: approximately 1.3 million
• Language: American English
• Currency: US Dollar (USD)
• Time zone: GMT - 8 hours Pacific Standard Time (daylight saving time is observed)
• Country dialing code: +1
• Telephone area code: 619, 760 and 858
• Religion: various religions
• Average daily January temperature: 18ºC / 64ºF
• Average daily July temperature: 25ºC / 77ºF

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