Cheap Flights to San Diego

What are the top things to do and see in San Diego?

Balboa Park

Built for the Panama-California Exposition more than 100 years ago, San Diego’s Balboa Park was originally designed for temporary use only. Today, the grounds of Balboa Park make up the largest urban cultural park in the USA, home to more than a dozen major museums, including the San Diego Automotive Museum, the San Diego Natural History Museum and the San Diego Museum of Art, eight themed gardens and plenty of other great attractions. Spend some time exploring the park’s 485 hectares at your leisure after your flights to San Diego or join a guided tour to discover the park’s highlights.

Gaslamp Quarter

Considered to be one of the city’s trendiest neighbourhoods, San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter is home to more than 100 restaurants, as well as an assortment of bars, nightclubs, art galleries, shops and more. Covering a total of 16 blocks, the precinct transforms after dark as locals and visitors alike descend on its streets for an evening of drinks and dancing, but there’s also plenty to do during the day. Sample the diverse cuisines served by the Gaslamp Quarter’s eateries, shop up a storm in local boutiques or simply take some time to soak up the lively atmosphere once your cheap flights to San Diego touch down.

San Diego Zoo

Situated within the grounds of Balboa Park, San Diego Zoo is thought to be one of the finest of its kind in the world. Across the zoo’s 40 hectares, more than 3,500 rare and endangered animals are housed, allowing you to see species originating from across North America, Europe and beyond. San Diego Zoo also offers a selection of special experiences, allowing visitors to tour the zoo before it’s opened to the public, learn more about how the animals are cared for and enjoy some great photo opportunities.

What are the top tips for first-time travellers to San Diego?

As with most other cities in the USA, when shopping in San Diego you’ll find that the local sales tax isn’t included in the advertised price for groceries, clothing and most other items. Instead of the price on the shelf being the price that you’ll pay at the register, an additional 8% will be added to the total cost. To help avoid a holiday budget blowout, be sure to factor in the additional cost when shopping after arriving on your flights to San Diego. If maths isn’t your strong suit, there are a number of smartphone apps that can help you calculate the final cost.

San Diego’s peak hour traffic is notoriously bad. What might be a short 20 minute drive in the middle of the day, may become a two hour crawl at the height of peak hour. To help avoid being stuck in traffic for long periods of time, try to plan your day so that travel takes place either before or after the morning and evening rush.

Home to more than 110 kilometres of beautiful coastline, it’s likely that you’ll want to head to the beach at least once before you head home on your return flights to San Diego. To ensure your safety, look for flags on patrolled beaches that indicate if the current conditions are fine for swimming. If you’re unsure of where along the beach is best to swim, ask a lifeguard. The flags used to indicate the conditions do vary from beach to beach, so it’s important to read all relevant signage before you enter the water.

Although tipping is not mandatory in the USA, it is often expected when dining at a restaurant, riding in a taxi after your flights to San Diego or when a service, such as housekeeping, is provided to you. As a general rule of thumb, a tip between 15% and 20% of your final bill is recommended, but you may choose to tip more or less depending on the quality of service you receive. In some places, particularly restaurants, a tip may be automatically added to your bill, so be sure to check for this before settling your bill.

The USA’s border with Mexico is only 24 kilometres south of San Diego. If you plan to enjoy a day trip to Mexico after arriving on your cheap flights to San Diego, it’s important to ensure that you not only have a visa that allows you to reenter the country, but that you also have the appropriate documentation to allow you to enter Mexico. Before you cross the border, it’s best to get in touch with the Mexican and USA consulates to ensure you receive the correct advice.

What San Diego packing tips should you know?

Year round, temperatures in San Diego average between 19℃ and 25℃. If you’re set to touch down on flights to San Diego in summer, autumn or spring, you should be fine packing a few t-shirts, pairs of shorts and some sturdy walking shoes. A smart casual outfit or two are also worth adding to your packing list if you plan to head out for a nice meal, drinks with friends or a night of dancing in the city’s clubs.

If you do plan to book your flights to San Diego to arrive during the American winter, you’ll find that the mornings and evenings can be quite cool. Consider packing a couple of pairs of jeans, a few jumpers and a jacket if you’re thinking about exploring the city at this time of the year.

Although temperatures are generally quite mild during the day, mornings and evenings in San Diego tend to be quite cool thanks, in part, to the city’s coastal location. Even if your flights to San Diego are due to arrive in summer, it’s a good idea to pack a jacket in case the temperature does drop.

If you’re wanting to hit the beach after touching down with your cheap flights to San Diego, be sure to pack a swimsuit, as well as a hat, a pair of sunglasses and some sunscreen to help protect your skin from the warm southern Californian sun.

FAQs

What is the cheapest month to fly to San Diego?

The cheapest month to fly to San Diego is typically February, which falls within the city’s low season. At this time of the year, which coincides with the North American winter, the city sees its highest amount of rainfall and tourist numbers are generally lower than average.

What airlines fly to San Diego?

No direct flights are available from New Zealand to San Diego. After arriving in the United States, you will need to join a connecting flight in Los Angeles or San Francisco from a domestic airline such as United Airlines, American Airlines or Alaska Airlines.

How far is San Diego from LA?

San Diego is a one hour flight or a two hour drive from Los Angeles.