By Kevin Wilkerson, San Diego Local
With 325 days a year of sunshine, beaches, solid nightlife. an endless list of fun things to do and a small-town vibe in a big city, San Diego is a great place to visit. And it’s a great destination as a top singles trip destination.
Here is a rundown of the best activities and places to be in San Diego for singles trips. This post lists things to do in the daytime and where to go for nightlife after dark, along with tips from a local, including where to stay and whether or not you need to rent a car.
So kick back and enjoy this singles trip guide to San Diego!
Activities And Fun Things For Singles To Do In San Diego
1.) Party In Pacific Beach
This is where the young(er) and those who have never mentally left college party in San Diego with that relaxed beach vibe. There are bars all over the place and a few of PubClub.com’s favorites as well as the most popular ones are: Hideaway (it’s absolutely nuts on college Thursday nights), the multi-level and very nice Beverly, Duck Dive, PB Local (all along Mission Blvd by the beach) and Maverick’s (a couple blocks up Garnet) . On the divey side, there’s 710 Beach Club with PubClub.com Bartender of the Month Natalie, Open Bar, and for sunny afternoons to sunset is Lahaina Beach House overlooking the walk/bike path, the beach and the Pacific Ocean.
Just to the south is Mission Beach, which has more families than PB tho there are some good places to go, most notably a cool locals’ bar and restaurant called Miss B’s Coconut Club where you can meet PubClub.com Bartender of the Month Cute Kate, Sandbar Sports Grill, a locals dive Beachcomber and right at the beach, the large bar Draft and FIT Social.
Another beach town is Ocean Beach, which has quite a few bars – PubCub.com likes South Beach for its Mai Tais at sunset overlooking the ocean and pier and Holding Company for its weekend rooftop brunch and bands in the club – and its kind of a stuck-in-the-60s hippie beach. To get that vibe, have a burger at Hodad’s, which is like a step back into that time and culture. All of these places are on Newport Ave., and everything is walking distance.
2.) Party In The Gaslamp Quarter
Another prime party place is the Gaslamp Quarter. Here you will find everythings from clubs to party bars (American Junkie) to restaurant/bars to live music (Patrick’s) to a line dancing country music bar (Moonshine Flats) to a trailer park bar (Trailer Park After Dark) to a disco (Good Night John Boy). Weekends along Fifth Ave., are like New Year’s Eve there’s so many people. Dress codes varies depending on where you are going but is mostly casual.
3.) Ride The 100-Year-Old Roller Coaster At Belmont Park In Mission Beach
This is a totally fun thing to do in San Diego. And it’s low key, not like spending all day at an amusement park. The Giant Dipper is a roller coaster in Mission Bay in Belmont Park, a free amusement area. Built in 1925 it provides a brief thrill with great views of the beach and Pacific Ocean. Elsewhere in Belmont Park there are bumper cars, a tiki-themed putt-putt golf course, laser tag and other activities and while yes, there are a lot of families and kids, there are also places to buy cocktails and it’s fun for adults. Learn more about how Belmont Park here. Cost: Belmont Park is free. The roller coaster is $8 and there are various ticket packages for other ridesa and activities.
4.) Go To A Padres Game
San Diego’s Petco Park is consistently rated as one of the best ballparks America by baseball fans. It’s a beautiful stadium with excellent concessions from area restaurants and San Diego craft breweries and the Padres are good enough to likely win one for the home team. I encourage you to get out of your seat and walk around the stadium for different vantage points; there are a couple of bars you can go into and a military display with a replica of the USS Midway aircraft carrier, which is a museum in San Diego Bay. You can also buy seat on the grass beyond the outfield wall, tho you reallly can’t see much and that’s where a lot of families sit. The stadium is downtown and there are several bars and restaurants around it; Bub’s By The Ballpark is the most popular pre-game watering hole. Hey it’s not as lively as Wrigley Field in Chicago or the scene before and after games at Boston’s Fenway Park, but it’s definitely worth doing if you’re here during baseball season (April thru September).
5.) Take The Coaster to North County
When was the last time you were on a train? If ever? The Coaster is a commuter train that goes along the coast (in some cases, quite literally) with stops in Solano Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad Village and Ocenside. Take it to Oceanside and visit restaurants and bars on the way back to San Diego, hopping off and on along the way. Another option is to rent a bike and ride along the coast from Carlsbad Village to Solana Beach. Cost: $6 for an all-day ticket. Click here for the Coaster schedule.
Bonus: Other Fun Things For Singles To Do In San Diego
Have a drink at Kansas City Barbeque, the bar used in the original Top Gun movie. It looks exactly like it does in the movie, complete with the piano and jukebox. Hey, you might even see Maverick having a beer. It’s located on Harbor Drive at Kettner, across from the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel….Watch a sunset. Anywhere along the coast is great for this free activity…Walk through Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave in La Jolla where you walk down 145 slippery steps inside a sea cave to the ocean that was once used to smuggle booze during Prohibition. Down the hill is La Jolla Cove with all the sea lions and a very good snorkeling spot..Just to the north is the glider port at Torrey Pines and you can also take a nice hike at Torrey Pines State Park…Catch a concert at the Rady Shell, an intimate amphitheater on the bay behind the Convention Center. You can buy a ticket and sit inside the venue or simply walk up and take a seat on a rock or bench for free along the sidewalk. Shows run in the spring, summer and fall…You can take a ferry to Coronado Island, which is kind cool, but it’s $9 each way (so $18 total) and goes to a landing area with shops and restaurants but it about two miles to the Hotel del Cornado (there’s a free shuttle from Memorial Day thru Labor Day).
It’s fun to go as a group to the horse races at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. It’s only $10 to enter and there is wagering on the races. Fridays, drinks are half price until 5. The season runs from mid-July thru Labor Day Weekend.
Walk through Balboa Park, a beautiful area with incredible buildings built for the 1915 California-Panama Expo (the wood-framed Botanical Building is free and the art deco-style Prado restaurant is a good place to go afterward for drinks; Happy Hour is 4-6 with all-day HH and Trivia Night on Wednesdays)…Take a day trip or even go overnight to Tijuana. Yes, it’s safe and the main area is Avenida Revolució with restaurants – including Caesar’s where the Caesar salad was created. The best way to get there is to take the Blue Line trolley to San Ysidro and walk across the border. A taxi or Uber will take you into town for about 10 bucks (ask to go to Ceasar’s restaurant as that’s the main area of activity). You must have your passport to enter Mexico.
San Diego Tips From A Local
Here’s a few things to know before you get your boots on the ground in San Diego. I’ll just run through them real quick.
Pack a jacket or sweatshirt, even if you are visiting in the summer. San Diego has a desert climate and it gets cool at night, particularly along the coast at sunset.
Stay in the Gaslamp Quarter, along the bayfront or in Pacific Beach/Mission Beach. This way, you’ll be right in the prime party areas and can walk to many bars and restaurants.
Don’t waste your time in Old Town. Yes, you can get a lot of margaritas there of various taste and quality but it’s mostly tourists with families and is pretty much deserted after dark.
It is not necessary to rent a car. San Diego has good public transportation. To get between the Gaslamp and PB/Mission Beach, take the Green Line trolley to Old Town (15 minutes) and then walk under the tunnel to the 8 bus (20-30 minutes). Buy the all-day pass for $6. An Uber between the two will cost $30-40.
If you are staying in the Gaslamp Quarter or the bayfront, consider taking the city bus from the airport to your hotel. It’s the 992 (the only bus at the airport) and cost just $2.50 each (have exact change). It goes along the bay and for the Gaslamp, take it to the stop on 6th Ave., then walk 5-10 minutes to your hotel. The trip from the airport only takes about 15 minutes.
About The Author: Kevin Wilkerson is a San Diego local and a long-time Southern California resident. This story was written by a human with no assistance from AI or ChatGTP.
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