Why go
- City in California, United States.
- 9 curated must-see attractions on record, including San Diego Zoo.
- 3 recommended spots to eat and drink.
- Served by Gillespie Field (SEE).
History
San Diego is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, next to the Mexican border. It is the eighth-most populous city in the U.S. and second-most populous city in California with a population of over 1.4 million, while the San Diego area with over 3.3 million residents is the 18th-largest metropolitan area in the country. San Diego is the county seat of San Diego County. It is known for its mild Mediterranean climate, extensive beaches and parks, long association with the United States Navy, and recent emergence as a wireless, electronics, healthcare, and biotechnology development center.
Must-see attractions
Eat & drink
Airports
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 29 airlines, 55 direct destinations
- Alaska Airlines AS (737-800, 737-800, 737-900, 757, Dash 8-400, 73J…) · 21 routes: Atlanta*, Boise*, Boston, Chicago*, Dallas-Fort Worth*, Detroit*, Fresno*, Honolulu, Kahului, Lihue, Los Angeles*, Minneapolis*, Monterey*, New York*, Orlando, Portland, Puerto Vallarta, Salt Lake City*, San Jose Del Cabo, Santa Rosa*, Seattle
- Southwest Airlines WN (737-700, 73C, 737-300, 737-800, 737-800) · 20 routes: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Nashville, New Orleans, Oakland, Phoenix, Reno, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Jose, St. Louis, Tucson
- American Airlines AA (737, 737-800, A320, A321, A319, 757…) · 18 routes: Boston*, Calgary, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, London*, Los Angeles*, Miami, New York, Orlando*, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland*, Puerto Vallarta*, Santa Rosa*, Seattle*, Tokyo, Washington
- AirTran Airways FL (737-700, 737-800, 737-800, 73C) · 11 routes: Atlanta*, Baltimore*, Denver*, Houston*, Kansas City*, Las Vegas*, Louisville*, Phoenix*, Reno*, San Antonio*, San Jose*
- US Airways US (737-800, A320, A321, A319, 757, M83…) · 9 routes: Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles*, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Washington
- Delta Air Lines DL (737-900, 737-800, A320, 737-800, 757, A319…) · 7 routes: Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles*, Minneapolis, New York, Salt Lake City, Seattle*
- United Airlines UA (737-800, 737-900, A320, 757-200, A319, 737-700…) · 7 routes: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles*, Newark, San Francisco, Washington
- Spirit Airlines NK (A319, A320) · 4 routes: Dallas-Fort Worth, Las Vegas, Portland, San Jose Del Cabo
- JetBlue Airways B6 (A320) · 2 routes: Boston, New York
- AeroMéxico AM (73J) · 1 route: Puerto Vallarta*
- Air Canada AC (A319) · 1 route: Toronto
- Air France AF (737-900, 767-300, 737-800) · 1 route: Atlanta*
- Alitalia AZ (737-900, 767-300, 737-800) · 1 route: Atlanta*
- Allegiant Air G4 (MD-80) · 1 route: Bellingham
- British Airways BA (777) · 1 route: London
- Finnair AY (777) · 1 route: London
- Frontier Airlines F9 (A319, A320) · 1 route: Denver
- Hawaiian Airlines HA (A330-200) · 1 route: Honolulu
- Iberia Airlines IB (777) · 1 route: London*
- Japan Airlines Domestic JL (787-8) · 1 route: Tokyo
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL (737-900, 767-300) · 1 route: Atlanta*
- Malaysia Airlines MH (787) · 1 route: Tokyo
- Qatar Airways QR (737-800) · 1 route: New York*
- SeaPort Airlines K5 (CNC) · 1 route: Imperial
- Sun Country Airlines SY (737-700) · 1 route: Minneapolis
- Virgin America VX (A319, A320) · 1 route: San Francisco
- Virgin Atlantic Airways VS (737-900, 767-300, 737-800) · 1 route: Atlanta*
- Volaris Y4 (A319) · 1 route: Mexico City
- WestJet WS (737-800, 737-700) · 1 route: Calgary
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 5 airlines, 32 direct destinations
- Volaris Y4 (A319, A320) · 29 routes: Acapulco, Aguascalientes, Cancun, Chihuahua, Ciudad Juarez, Ciudad Obregon, Colima, Culiacan, Del Bajio, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, La Paz, Los Mochis, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Mexico City, Monterrey, Morelia, Oaxaca, Puebla, Puerto Vallarta, Queretaro, San Jose Del Cabo, San Luis Potosi, Tepic, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Uruapan, Vera Cruz, Zacatecas
- AeroMéxico AM (737-800, 777, 787, ERJ, EMJ, 737…) · 9 routes: Ciudad Juarez*, Culiacan, Del Bajio, Durango*, Guadalajara, Hermosillo*, Mexico City, Shanghai, Tokyo
- Interjet (ABC Aerolineas) 4O (A320) · 2 routes: Guadalajara, Mexico City
- Birmingham European VB (737-300) · 1 route: Culiacan
- Korean Air KE (787) · 1 route: Tokyo*
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Getting there by ferry
Where things are
Photographs
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page
When to go
The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.
Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.
Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.
Getting there & around
Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Gillespie Field (SEE); 1 other airport serves the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: SAN has direct flights to 55 destinations on 29 airlines (incl. Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth…). By water: 4 ferry terminals within 12 mi (nearest: Broadway Pier, 1.7 mi); routes include Coronado, Coronado to 5th Ave Landing, Coronado Ferry Landing – Convention Center/ 5th Avenue Ferry Landing.
Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for San Diego, California. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.
Local transit
Trains & rail
Coaches & shuttles
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.