TIPS
Local know-how for San Diego — where to go, what it costs, what trips people up — checked against the agency, the dataset or the law that decides it, and dated so you can see how fresh it is.
20 tips · showing 1–15
USS Midway Museum tips: 2026 tickets, parking and how long to allow
The Midway is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at 910 N. Harbor Dr. Adults pay $39 online, veterans $26, active duty free. Allow 4 to 5 hours, arrive early for the $20 Navy Pier lot or take the trolley.
Adult ticket$39 online
Kids Free San Diego 2026: what's actually free this October, and the catch
All of October 2026, kids get in free with a paid adult at 70-plus museums and big attractions. The Zoo and Safari Park admit up to six kids 11 and under per adult. The catch: rules vary by place, and CityPASS-style passes don't count.
DatesOct 1-31, 2026
Día de los Muertos in San Diego 2026: where to go, and what's free
Old Town is the heart of it: altars, a street market and a candlelit procession to El Campo Santo cemetery, mostly free, October 31 to November 2. Barrio Logan, Sherman Heights and the San Diego Museum of Art hold free celebrations too.
Old TownOct 31-Nov 2
Julian apple picking: when to go this fall
Right now: Julian's u-pick season runs from early September into mid-November 2026 — Volcan Valley is Saturdays only through mid-October with no reservation needed, and Julian Farm & Orchard is Friday–Sunday through November 15 by reservation; October is peak for Fuji.
SeasonEarly Sept – mid-Nov 2026
Where to swim with leopard sharks in La Jolla (and when they show up)
Every summer and fall, hundreds of harmless leopard sharks gather in waist-deep water off La Jolla Shores near the Marine Room. Go June to early December, peak August–September, on a calm morning at low tide.
SeasonJun–early Dec
The big free holiday events in San Diego, December 2026
December Nights in Balboa Park (Fri–Sat, Dec 4–5), the Mission Bay Parade of Lights (Sat, Dec 12) and the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights (Sundays, Dec 13 and 20) are all free; the Holiday Bowl is Monday, December 28 at Snapdragon Stadium.
December NightsDec 4–5 · free
San Diego Zoo vs. Safari Park: which one for your trip
They cost exactly the same, so price is not the tiebreak. The Zoo is walkable and 15 minutes from downtown; the Safari Park is 1,800 acres in Escondido, 45 minutes to an hour away, and built around vehicle-based viewing.
Adult day ticket$78 at both
The best tide pool days this winter
Go on a winter afternoon with a minus tide: the best 2026–27 dates at Cabrillo National Monument are Dec 22–24, Jan 20–22 and Feb 18–19, when the tide drops below −1.4 feet between about 2 and 4 p.m. — just before the tidepool area closes at 4:30.
Lowest tide of winter−1.97 ft · Jan 21, 2:51 p.m.
6 things to do in San Diego when it rains
The USS Midway Museum, Fleet Science Center, The Nat, Comic-Con Museum, Liberty Public Market and a Convoy food crawl. All keep you mostly dry. Note the Comic-Con Museum is closed Wednesdays.
Priciest$39–$41
5 easy coastal hikes in San Diego while Torrey Pines is closed
San Elijo Lagoon's Nature Center loop, the Tijuana Estuary River Mouth loop, Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, Cabrillo's Bayside Trail and the Batiquitos Lagoon Trail. All are 3.25 miles or less round trip.
Shortest0.5 mi
Grunion runs in San Diego: when the fish come ashore, and when you can catch them
On spring and summer nights after the highest tides, from March to August. April through June is look-only; in March, July and August you can catch up to 30 by hand with a license. CDFW posts each year's dates in advance.
SeasonMar–Aug
Sea lion pupping season in La Jolla: when it is, what's closed, and how close you can get
Sea lions pup from about May through October. Point La Jolla's bluffs are closed year-round to protect them, but La Jolla Cove is open. NOAA says stay at least 50 yards back. Children's Pool closes Dec 15 to May 15 for harbor seals.
PuppingMay–Oct
Where can you borrow a free beach wheelchair in San Diego?
At lifeguard stations around the county. The City lends manual and power beach chairs free at Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla Shores, Ocean Beach and Mission Bay; Coronado, Imperial Beach, Del Mar and Oceanside have them too.
CostFree
Can a San Diego library card get you into museums for free?
Yes. The San Diego Public Library card is free for California residents, and cardholders 16+ can reserve free passes to places like the San Diego Museum of Art and the New Children's Museum through Discover & Go.
CardFree
Do you need a fishing license to fish off a San Diego pier?
No. California doesn't require a license on public piers, and San Diego County has about a dozen, from Shelter Island to Oceanside. Size and bag limits still apply, you get two rods, and the OB Pier is closed.
License on public piersNone
