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Best Time to Visit San Diego: Seasons and Sights

a body of water with a city in the background

There’s always fun to be had in our beautiful city by the sea, so really, any time is the best time to visit San Diego! San Diego is filled with world-famous attractions, including the zoo, beaches, and plenty of museums that are open during every season! If you’re looking for attractions and activities to experience at any time during the year, you can’t beat San Diego!

If you are looking to visit during the warmest time of year and the least amount of rain, mid-July to October would be the best time to go to San Diego. This is the ideal time to explore all the outside activities San Diego has to offer. You can start your morning surfing the perfect wave and end it on a boat watching the sunset. 

But the summer season isn’t the only best time to go to San Diego — that all depends on what you’re looking to do on your trip.

What are the Best Time to Visit San Diego?

  • November (Craft Beer Celebration)
  • January (Restaurant Week and December Lights)
  • All-year-round (Captain your own speed boat!)
  • May – June (Del Mar County Fair)
  • July (Fireworks celebration)
  • September – October (San Diego GoCar Tours)

a glass of orange juice

November: Craft Beer Celebration

If you’re looking to avoid crowds and save a little bit of money, then the best time to visit San Diego would be from November to February when hotels are slow since fewer people are visiting.

During this time, many attractions offer great deals and almost everywhere will be less crowded than it is during the summertime. Just because the weather is cooler in the winter, doesn’t mean San Diego stops having fun. San Diego is famous for its craft beer, so it’s only fitting that during the month of November they put on a 10-day celebration, promoting the 150 independent craft breweries in San Diego County.

a group of people sitting at a table eating food

December – January: Restaurant Week & December Lights

For those who love anything and everything about the holiday season, December and January would be the best time to visit San Diego. Along with amazing light shows and parades, San Diego also puts on a tasty holiday event called the Taste of December Nights. This event hosts some of the city’s favorite food vendors and trucks in a drive-thru setting in the Inspiration Point parking lot near Balboa Park. This three-day event is the perfect time to join family and friends and celebrate the holiday season.

January kicks off the month with “San Diego Restaurant Week,” which is when restaurants offer special discount lunches and dinners while crowds are low. 

a couple on a date at Charleston Speed Boat Adventures

All-Year Long: Captain your own speed boat!

You can make any time of the year the best time to visit San Diego. With the city’s constantly amazing weather, you can enjoy almost any outdoor activity during the off-season. Captain your own speed boat for an unforgettable San Diego sightseeing journey with the best views on the bay with San Diego Speed Boat Adventures! You’ll experience a once-in-a-lifetime view of Navy ships, the USS Midway aircraft museum, Coronado Bridge, the famous Star of India, the historic ships of the Maritime Museum, the downtown skyline, and so much more!

a group of people flying kites in the air

May – June: Del Mar County Fair

Despite what San Diegans call “May Gray” and “June Gloom”, the temperature is still enjoyable, lingering around 70 degrees. During the month of June, when tourism has not yet peaked, San Diego offers their county fair all month long at the Del Mar Fairgrounds! This is the perfect place for your and your family to experience the wonderful food, art, entertainment and rides Del Mar has to offer. 

a group of fireworks in the sky

July: Fireworks Celebration

Summer in San Diego kicks off with an unbelievable firework show on the fourth of July where anyone can set up a chair and watch the show going off in the San Diego Bay. During the summer, beaches and attractions become filled with people from all around the world and the night life takes off with plenty of fun restaurants and bars to go to. If you’re looking to visit attractions like the San Diego Zoo or Legoland, weekdays are going to be less crowded and the lines will be shorter. 

go car front view

September – October: GoCar Tours

The crowds diminish as fall trickles in and school is back in session, but the amazing weather and activities continue and still make this time of year one of the best times to visit San Diego! 

During September and October the weather is great and many tourists have left, leaving it to be the perfect time to explore the city and walk around without a huge crowd. If you’re not into walking, San Diego GoCar Tours is the perfect way to explore the city. You and a friend can rent a touring car that will follow a GPS route perfectly designed to show you all the highlights San Diego has to offer all year round.

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