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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 San Diego 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, San Diego's diverse neighborhoods include 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 San Diego's compact downtown district, the Gaslamp Quarter and the charming Old Town area.




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 San Diego. More information on San Diego Hotels.

Tourism is now a major industry in San Diego and the city's main tourist information centers are the Balboa Park Visitor's Center on El Prado and the San Diego Visitor Information Center along East Mission Bay Drive. Offering a wealth of tourist and tourism information about festivals, public transport, shopping and restaurants, San Diego's tourist information centers also provide detailed information about local sightseeing and tourism throughout the city's vibrant districts, including brochures, directions, opening hours and admission costs.

San Diego features many superb tourist attractions, including Belmont Park - a major amusement park dating back to 1925, with an original wooden rollercoaster; 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 22 water slides, a giant wave pool and an artificial river.

Other tourist attractions in San Diego include Mission Beach - offering visitors abundant sun-bathing, water sports, and a boardwalk leading to Pacific Beach; Cabrillo National Monument - with spectacular views that attract many whale watchers during San Diego's winter months; 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.

San Diego also contains a number of museums and art galleries in and around central San Diego, offering historic information about the San Diego area, together with many exhibitions. The main museums and art galleries in San Diego include 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 San Diego from the 1850s onwards; the Maritime Museum - containing several historic ships, including the Star of India; the San Diego Aerospace Museum - full of information about America's aviation history; the San Diego Museum of Art - featuring a large permanent collection of art works and regular temporary exhibitions; and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego - well-known for its controversial collection of modern art. More information on San Diego Museums and San Diego Art Galleries.

Tourist attractions situated near to San Diego 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 San Diego, with scenic beaches and great dining opportunities; and Tijuana - just a short journey south of downtown San Diego, 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.

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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