San Diego life revolves around sun, surf and sand so the essential first stop on any trip here is to Pacific Beach. To do as the San Diegans do, bike the boardwalk that links Pacific to nearby Mission Beach, stopping off at one of the many casual eateries that line the strip. Or stroll down the long jetty for marvellous views of the ocean.

The San Diego Zoo is one of the few in the world that’s successfully bred the giant panda – but that’s not all the top tourist spot has to boast. Every animal from the komodo dragon to the polar bear can be found here; all up, more than 3700 animals, many of them rare and endangered, call the zoo home. There’s even an Australian outback area fittingly named “Koalafornia”.

Balboa Park is more than San Diego’s favourite green space. The 4.8-square-kilometre expanse is home to world-class restaurants such as The Prado, a historic landmark first built in 1915, and more than 15 different museums including the San Diego Museum of Man, the USA’s only anthropological museum. Take a picnic and recharge on the grass, or work through the park’s wealth of cultural sites to make a day of it.

There’s so much more to explore in San Diego. Discover its many charms on a holiday in southern California. Book your flights now.

Positioned just 30 minutes drive from the border, it should come as no surprise that San Diego is a great place to find authentic Mexican food. There are taco stands all over the city but to taste the cult favourites, grab a seat at one of the hardwood booths in the Old Town Mexican Cafe or visit cult seafood shack Oscar’s for ceviche and shrimp-stuffed tortillas.

Tacos aren’t all San Diego does well. In Little Italy, cosy mom-and-pop restaurants serve up big plates of ragu and alfredo while pizza tasting tours offer visitors a slice of the neighbourhood’s history. This is one of the most walkable parts of the city so after dinner be sure to take a stroll through Amici Park where locals play bocce and European movies are screened during the Little Italy Summer Film Festival.

By day, the historic Gaslamp Quarter is the place to go to sift through the racks at San Diego’s best boutique stores. By night, it transforms into a 16-block hive of activity that spans nightclubs, bars, restaurants, comedy shows, live music and theatre. Arrive after dark to dine at the likes of upscale seafood restaurant Lionfish or join the revelry at a bar like Shout House.

Eat and drink your way around this Southern California food-obsessed city. Start planning your trip.

Herds of seals descend on the shores of La Jolla every day, a site that draws equal numbers of adoring onlookers (and their cameras). You can watch the mammals swim, sunbake and splash around from viewing points at La Jolla Cove, Shell Beach or the Children’s Pool but keep an appropriate distance – touching the mammals is a no-no.

Make the short drive over San Diego’s most recognisable bridge and you’ll hit Coronado, an island oasis full of pristine beaches and whimsical ice-creameries. But the island’s best-known attraction is Hotel del Coronado, a dazzling whitewashed resort that famously featured in the classic Marilyn Monroe film Some Like It Hot and still retains its old-world Hollywood charm.

California’s incredible natural beauty is in full flight at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, a rugged eight-square-kilometre reserve full of sandstone cliffs, rare pine trees and walking paths that offer ocean views. Hikers can choose from six different trails varying in length and intensity, while those who’d rather put their feet up can paraglide over the rocks.

Sealife encounters, pristine beaches and coastal hikes – discover the wilder side of California. Get great deals on flights now at qantas.com.

Thirty minutes drive north of central San Diego lies Encinitas, arguably California’s most mythologised surf town. Come here to watch surfers catch waves, stroll through the local farmers market, duck into new age crystal shops or just hang out on the sand and soak up the mellow, sun-kissed atmosphere.

Catching a ball game is a quintessentially American experience and Petco Park is an unbeatable place to do it. Set in front of San Diego Bay, the stadium is one of the few in the country with a water view and, a short stroll from the Gaslamp, it’s close to wealth of great drinking and dining options. If you can’t make it to a Padres game, Petco also offers behind-the-scenes tours of the stadium.

Thousands of Pacific Gray Whales migrate from Alaska to the lagoons of Baja California each year, a natural spectacle that’s made San Diego – which is directly on the migration path – one of the best places in the world to whale watch. Traditionally, the whale-watching season runs from December to April but because blue whales also migrate here on a different schedule, many companies offer boat tours year-round.

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