San Diego is not short of beautiful parks, but Balboa is the undisputed king of them all. You’re going to want to factor in at least half a day for this, as the 1,200-acre park is home to 18 fantastic museums, some international houses and the unmissable Old Globe Theatre. You could get lost for hours strolling through its gardens and admiring its architecture, but if you want to do it properly, book a walking tour of the park.

Oh yeah, Balboa Park is also home to San Diego Zoo. Did we mention that? Well anyway, add it to your list, because this zoo is a must see in San Diego. The first zoo to introduce cageless, open air exhibits, San Diego Zoo pioneered these natural animal habitats, which are really something to behold. It’s one of the only places outside China where you can spot Giant Pandas, and the zoo offers everything from strolls at sunrise to overnight camping.

No, you’re not going crazy. You might well have seen this hotel before, whether you’re a local or not. The Hotel del Coronado was featured in none other than Some Like It Hot – and that’s not all it’s known for. This is a buzzing, tourist-filled, iconic landmark in San Diego, serving up Hollywood history and great food (yes, there’s brunch) in a seriously glamorous setting.

The thrilling centerpiece of this vintage amusement park in Mission Beach is called the Giant Dipper–and it's a national, historic landmark in its own right. Why? Because the construction of this incredible wooden roller coaster dates back to 1925, the so-called "Golden Age" of wooden coasters, but it can still be ridden today thanks to a $2 million restoration. You can ride its famous dips and turns (at 48 mph!) while you take in beautiful views of neighboring Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

La Jolla Cove is just one of the beauties to be found in La Jolla, where you'll almost always find groups of seals and sea lions sunbathing. Dubbed the “jewel of Southern California,” La Jolla is a curiously quaint Mediterranean-style village just a few minutes drive from downtown—but feels like you’ve accidentally taken the exit for Greece or Italy. There’s plenty to keep you entertained here, including some of the city’s finest restaurants like Nine-Ten in the Grande Colonial Hotel.

Enjoy a bird’s-eye view of San Diego’s exceptional Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve by swooping serenely overhead in a paraglider. Torrey Pines Gliderport is home to one of the most successful paragliding schools in North America, and you’ll be strapped to a qualified pilot so there’s nothing to worry about except enjoying the sweeping ocean views of the 2,000-acre reserve, its numerous hiking trails and sandstone cliffs beneath you.

Home to the San Diego Padres MLB team, Petco Park baseball stadium is located smack-dab in the middle of downtown San Diego, and it's a great family-friendly destination to watch America's favorite pastime. Sure, hot dogs and beer are par for the course here, but some of San Diego's top restaurants also have food stalls within the stadium for a high-end culinary experience. And there's no shortage of craft beer options, so it's also a great chance to try different local brews.

As the alluringly charismatic and historic heart of downtown San Diego, the 16-and-a-half-block Gaslamp Quarter blends Victorian charm with a 21st-century entertainment, shopping and nightlife scene. Impressively, the Gaslamp Quarter celebrated its 150th anniversary in recent years. As the former site of San Diego's red light district in the 19th century, the area has been revitalized over the last 25 years and is now home to more than 100 retail stores.

The monumental USS Midway was the longest-serving aircraft carrier in U.S. Navy history when it was decommissioned in 1992. Now the feted ship—the size of a floating city—is a maritime museum open to the public, berthed along San Diego Bay in downtown. Climb aboard for a fascinating insight into what naval life is really like, courtesy of a self-guided audio tour narrated by some (refreshingly honest) former Midway sailors.

The Whaley House in San Diego’s Old Town is one of only two officially designated haunted houses in California (yes, official!). Built in 1857, on the town’s former gallows’ site, the house was once home to the wealthy but troubled Whaley family—and rumor has it that various members of the clan never left. Other ghosts said to haunt the house include a grand larcenist who fought ferociously to keep himself alive at the gallows.