PerkJolt destination guide
San Diego in 5 Days: Balboa Park, La Jolla, Coronado, Beaches and the Real Costs
A 5-day San Diego plan: Balboa Park and the Zoo, La Jolla, Coronado, Cabrillo and the beaches, with verified fees, transit and a cost sheet.
Why this guide
12 chapters, day by day
A 12-chapter plan with a day-by-day route, where to stay, what to skip and a half-day cut for each day.
Costs traced to official pages
43 prices, fees and rules carry the date we checked them and the official page to re-check.
A points playbook for this trip
Which points programs and hotel brands fit this trip and the order to book them. No card offer quotes.
A sample day from the guide
- Step 1 Balboa Park is a cluster of Spanish-style buildings, gardens and museums set in a…
- 9:00 a.m. Botanical Building and the Prado. Start at the long reflecting pond in front…
- 10:00 a.m. Museum of Us and the California Tower area. This is one of the…
- 11:45 a.m. Timken Museum of Art. The Explorer Pass page describes the Timken as "always-free"…
- 1:00 p.m. Japanese Friendship Garden and Museum (also an Explorer Pass venue). Hours and prices…
- 2:30 p.m. San Diego Zoo. A 1-Day Pass online is $78 for adults and $68…
Free lite guide
Free lite guide: the at-a-glance plan, when to go and where to stay.
- Lite guide
Full guide adds
- Start here
- 1. Day-by-day plan
- 2. Where to stay by area
- 3. Getting in from the airport and getting around
- 4. Eating well cheaply + safety basics
- 5. Day trips with costs
- 6. Money, connectivity, etiquette, tipping
- 7. Booking order + the points chapter
- 8. Insider's checklist and the cost sheet
- 9. Printable
- 10. Update notes
- SOURCES
What’s inside
Read the full guide online in your PerkJolt account.
Last verified (Mountain Time)
12 chapters · About 21 pages (estimated) · Maps: count pending · Photos: count pending
Table of contents
- Start here
- Day-by-day plan
- Where to stay by area
- Getting in from the airport and getting around
- Eating well cheaply + safety basics
- Day trips with costs
- Money, connectivity, etiquette, tipping
- Booking order + the points chapter
- Insider's checklist and the cost sheet
- Printable
- Update notes
- Sources
Sample
Try the complete first chapter before you buy. No email or account required.
Sample spread images are not yet available for this guide.
Questions before you buy
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Questions
What is included?
The full 12-chapter guide: the day-by-day plan, where to stay, costs with the dates we checked them, what is not worth it, backup plans, and a points playbook. You read it online in your PerkJolt library.
Who is it for?
Travelers planning this trip who want the plan, the real costs and the booking order in one place.
Does it cover points and miles?
Yes. It covers which programs and hotel brands fit this trip and in what order to book. It does not quote card offers.
How current is it?
Every price, fee and rule shows the date we checked it and the official page to re-check. Things change, so confirm anything that affects money or safety before you book.
Can I get every guide instead?
Yes. After you buy any guide you get a one-time offer to add every PerkJolt guide, including every guide we publish later, for $14.99.
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