10 Things to do in San Diego at Christmas

Christmas is one of the most joyful times to visit San Diego, when the mild weather is ideal for exploring its beaches and green spaces, and doing activities such as ice skating, tasting its typical gastronomy, buying Christmas gifts and enjoying outdoor shows.

During the Christmas season you will find many things to see and do in San Diego to celebrate with your family or friends. You'll find a wide variety of shows, Christmas musicals, children's games and illuminated gardens that will amaze you. Here are some of the most interesting options for you to enjoy during your stay in San Diego at Christmas time.

Balboa Park is one of the largest parks in San Diego, where you will find many museums, shops, bars and restaurants, theatres, gardens and a zoo. In this park, they light a Christmas tree in early December and illuminate the whole place with Christmas decorations.

There are also food stalls and craft markets, as well as live music, various activities and public performances. Among the activities on offer are the Family Zone, which offers free public entertainment and games for children, such as drawing booths and treasure hunts.

For teenagers and adults, there are places with craft beer and traditional food, usually in the Plaza de Panama. Without a doubt, visiting Balboa Park is one of the best things to do in San Diego in December because of the wide variety of outdoor shows, plays and cultural events that take place there.

Balboa Park is also home to many of San Diego's museums, which have free admission at Christmas. For example, the Museum of History, which shows films and musicals for a small fee; the Air and Space Museum, which offers recreational and educational activities for children; and the Automobile Museum, which displays an interesting collection of cars and motorbikes.

Coronado Island is actually a peninsula located 20 minutes from downtown San Diego, home to the Coronado Hotel, a very popular and luxurious hotel that offers San Diego' s only ocean-view skating rink from mid-November to early January.

The island is ideal for a sunset stroll along the coast and has one of the best beaches in San Diego, Coronado Beach. The entire peninsula is often decorated with lights, Christmas trees and even bonfires on the beach.Supaseo Maritime is one of the most beautiful in San Diego.

As for the Hotel Coronado, it is a hotel built in 1888 that has been declared a Historic Site. It offers different activities and Christmas shows, so I recommend you to check their schedule of events before you go.

There are many rinks in San Diego, some of them permanent, but the opening of the rinks is doubled during the second half of November until 1 January due to the festive atmosphere of Christmas and New Year's. The rinks are suitable for all ages and are open all year round. They are suitable for all ages and also for beginners. In addition, around the slopes you will find places to have lunch or dinner.

Interesting facts:

• Opening hours: from 11 a.m. onwards.
• Address: The Coronado Hotel is located at 1500 Orange Ave. Coronado, CA 92118, on Coronado Island which is located 20 minutes from San Diego.
• Admission fee: from €20 per person for 2 hours, including skate rental.

Little Italy is a traditional Italian neighbourhood located near downtown San Diego, where you'll find a festive atmosphere at Christmas time. It is one of the most visited places in the city and is often included in San Diego city tours by trolley. At Christmastime, don't miss the Little Italy Market, where farmers offer produce from their farms and orchards, including fresh fruits, plants, meats and fish, at more than 150 stalls.

In December, a huge Christmas tree is set up at the Little Italy Market for the holidays, and children can have their picture taken with Father Christmas. If you arrive between 2 and 4 December, you can watch the Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

The whole neighbourhood is decorated with nutcrackers and Christmas lights on the trees, and there are shows, live music and various festive-themed activities. Some of the most popular places to see Christmas decorations are Piazza Basilone and Piazza della Famiglia. You'll also find several flea markets for gift shopping.

Useful facts

• Location: Little Italy Market. 600 W Date St, San Diego, CA 92101.
• Hours: from 4pm.
• Admission: free.

The San Diego Botanical Gardens is a site with some 29 themed gardens and around 5,300 plant species. From 17 November in San Diego until 1 January, the garden is illuminated and decorated to celebrate Christmas and New Year's Eve, and offers shows, musicals and concerts.

One of the most incredible events in the city is the Lightscape, an international event that has become very popular in the city. During Christmas, more than a million lights are installed in the gardens, which are filled with displays, tunnels of lights and artistic sculptures. In addition, there are night shows such as the Fire Garden, the Cathedral of Light and the Star Tunnel.

An important recommendation is to buy your ticket in advance, as Lightscape is a very popular event in the city. Without a doubt, visiting the Botanical Garden is one of the best things to do in San Diego at night and you can take the best photos of it with your family and friends.

Interesting facts

• Location: Quail Gardens Drive and, Ecke Ranch Rd, Encinitas, CA 92024.
• Hours: 5pm to 8.30pm, except Christmas Day.
• Admission: about €27 per person.

One of the best times to sample the gastronomy of the historic Gaslamp Quarter is during the Christmas and New Year's Eve holiday season. The neighbourhood is known for its wide variety of food, from meat and fish to vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes.

In this neighbourhood, you can sample the most exquisite dishes at some of the best restaurants in the city, which is why many of the food tours of San Diego take place here. Festive dishes offered at these restaurants include herb-roasted turkey, rack of lamb, red onion quesadillas, lobster and black truffle risotto.

Some recommended bars and restaurants where you can sample holiday fare include The Smoking Gun, which is noted for its smoked meat dishes and craft cocktails; and Café 21, which offers vegetarian and gluten-free dishes. Other notable bars include Tin Fish, the Meze Café and Grill and Bolillo tortas. Don't forget to book in advance if you decide to dine at any of the restaurants in this neighbourhood.

A good option if you are especially interested in gastronomy is to take a guided tour, as it is usually conducted by expert guides who will surely make the best recommendations for you to enjoy during your stay, especially if it is 5 days or more in San Diego.

Legoland is a theme park located on the outskirts of the city, which is decorated for the holidays and is ideal for families to visit. It features the world's largest Lego Christmas tree, about 10 metres high, and children can make a wish to Santa and enjoy different games, shows and musicals created especially for them.

The park has several rides and games for children from 3 to 12 years old mostly. There are usually elves and different characters who interact with the children and with whom they can take pictures. Father Christmas also makes an occasional appearance and surprises the little ones. It's definitely one of the best things to do in San Diego with kids. There are also fireworks shows at dusk.

Legoland has food stands, bars and restaurants for lunch. They also offer toys, gifts and sweets in the shape of fun Lego figures. Please note that it is best to buy your ticket in advance, as it is a very popular park at this time of year.

Interesting facts

• Location: One Legoland Dr, Carlsbad, CA 92008.
• Hours: daily from 9.30am to 10pm.
• Entry fee: about €90 per person.
• How to get there: Legoland California can be reached by bus in about 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Sea World is a water park that offers many attractions and shows for children at Christmas time, such as Christmas caroling shows and ice skating shows. In addition, the park has over 100 Christmas trees and is decorated with lots of lights for a festive atmosphere.

These events start on 17 November, so you can enjoy the festive atmosphere at SeaWorld throughout December in San Diego. Among the most popular Christmas events are the fireworks shows that take place at the end of the day.

In addition, at SeaWorld, children can enjoy fun rides such as the roller coaster, and various water rides. It is also a marine zoo, so various species of animals can be seen there, such as orcas, sea lions and otters.

The park is located in Mission Bay, a man-made enclosed bay with beautiful beaches, where you can enjoy water sports and cruises around San Diego. Don't forget to buy your ticket to the park in advance, as it's a popular place to visit all year round.

Interesting facts

• Location: 500 Sea World Dr., San Diego, CA 92109.
• Hours: daily from 10 am to 7 pm.
• Entry fee: around 90 € per person.

At Christmas, a great option is to embark on a San Diego cruise and enjoy a multi-course dinner and even free drinks. These coastal cruises allow you to see the Bay's most interesting sights, such as the Colorado Bridge, the USS Midway aircraft carrier and the Maritime Museum, which are not to be missed on a 1 or 3 day San Diego itinerary.

At Christmas time, the city's traditional Christmas dishes of meat and fish of your choice are often served. Many cruises even feature Christmas carol serenades to liven up the evening, or other live music shows. You may also be greeted with a glass of champagne or cider to toast.

There is no doubt that dining on a cruise ship is a great way to celebrate the holidays in the city, as the ship is decorated with Christmas lights and decorations, and the atmosphere becomes very festive, with music that invites you to dance. Other highly recommended cruises are grey whale watching cruises, which are not to be missed if you're in San Diego between September and March.

Interesting facts

• Duration: approximately 2 hours.
• Cost of the tour: around 110 € per person.

Another option if you're visiting the city with children is to explore the San Diego Safari Park at Christmas time, as the site is decorated with Christmas trees and offers shows for the whole family. There you can sample traditional treats and celebrate with music and entertainment shows.

This safari-style zoo can be explored by cable car, tram, bus or car, from where you can see animals roaming freely over large tracts of land. You can tour the zoo freely with a map, or take a guided bus tour, which often provides interesting facts about the animals.

During the Christmas season , Father Christmas can be seen in the park and live Christmas music is played. You can also see a large Christmas tree and explore a colourful forest. Celebrations run from the second half of November and throughout December, except for public holidays. But if you visit at other times, there are always fun activities not to be missed, such as the Fall Festival, if you visit San Diego in October.

Safari Park is located about 50 km from downtown San Diego on San Pasqual Valley Road. You can also visit the San Diego Zoo at Balboa Park, which is close to downtown and offers special holiday decorations and events.

Facts of Interest

• Location: San Diego Zoo, Safari Park 15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd Escondido, CA 92027-9614.
• Days and Hours: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 7 pm.
• Entry fee: from €66 per person. Parking costs about €15 per car.

During the Christmas season, you'll find interesting flea markets to visit in San Diego to buy your Christmas gifts, Christmas decorations, crafts and souvenirs, and take advantage of the festive food and drink tastings that are often on offer. Some of San Diego' s top flea markets include Little Italy and the Flea Market in Northpark.

The Little Italy Flea Market is a farmers' market that hosts Christmas gift and craft shops as well as artisan food and drink shops during the Christmas season. You'll find a huge selection of fruits, meats, fresh fish, eggs, honey, vegetables, plants and much more.

The Vintage Flea Market is a street market with stalls where you can find crafts, gifts and Christmas decorations to give to your family or friends. It is located in the Northpark neighbourhood, 15 minutes from downtown.

A good way to get around the city of San Diego is to take a tourist tram, as it has stops at the city's main attractions. Another fun and different way is to drive a GoCar, if you have a driving licence.

Useful facts

• Location: Little Italy Market: 600 W Date St, San Diego, CA 92101; Vintage Flea Market, 3000 N Park Way, San Diego, CA 92104.
• Hours: from 10 a.m. onwards.