three days in san diego, vegan style.
if you follow my instagram, you probably have seen me in san diego all. the. time. although i live in the absolute beauty of colorado, something about san diego just calls to me. it’s the perfect mix of beautiful beaches, rocky coast, amazing people and a sick vegan scene.
while i’m definitely not a local (yet), i have a pretty rock solid agenda of things i have to do every time i’m in socal. i originally started this guide for my friend who is visiting with her boyfriend in a few weeks, but hey, content is content.
i got inside the botanical building right when it opened in order to take a nice self timer picture. not even mad.
the best thing about this guide is that 90% of the attractions are free. unless i list otherwise, there is no entrance fee to experience the top places in san diego.
if you head to any of the places i suggest, send me a dm on instagram! i would love to see your pictures. :)
day one: ocean beach and pacific beach.
the moment you touch down, you want to head straight into the hippie heart of san diego. ocean beach is the. vibe. walking down newport ave, you’ll see old stoners, trolley beach bars, acai bowls, and the beach straight in front of you.
the best thing to do here is wander, as that’s all there really is to do. stop into all the cute boutiques, get your doggie fill at dog beach, or watch the surfers near the pier.
every wednesday, newport ave fills with vendors for their weekly farmers market. there are tons of amazing crystal, jewelry, and vegan food booths. you can never go wrong with a good far mar. you may want to grab some picnic items for later.
once you’re done there, rent a bike from any one the local stands and bike north towards pacific beach. on the way, you’ll pass by the beautiful marina on mission beach.
pacific beach is where the people are out. take a loooong stroll along the beach, and people watch the locals play volleyball, surf and you may even be so lucky to see a pod of dolphins in the surf. one of my favorite memories was watching my sunset while getting serenaded by a guy with a 12 string guitar playing johnny cash, then getting invited to play volleyball with the honey hole crew the next day. whole i declined, turns out he is an ex-nfl player. if you see deven and his guitar on the beach, definitely say hi and request some ring of fire for me.
sunset cliffs, good job nature a+
as the sun starts to set, it will be tempting to stay at pacific beach. instead, head back to ocean beach to sunset cliffs. this beautiful beach outcropping is the place to see the most amazing sunset of your life. now would be a great time to break out that picnic and bask in the golden light.
if you’re not exhausted, most nights there is a drum circle on the beach. go dance your wild heart out, dunk off the sweat in a late night ocean swim, and collapse into bed for the best sleep of your life.
where to eat.
-plant power fast food. lemme tell you, i walked like 30 minutes over to get a milkshake from here and it was 100% worth it. it’s mcdonalds but with the best vegan junk you’ve ever had. the buffalo chicken sandwich and vanilla milkshake is my go to.
-peace pies. if you’re craving some veggies after your travel day, peace pies is the place. they’re menu is totally raw. don’t let that turn you off! they have pizza, nachos, and even stroganoff. it’s right along newport ave too, so you’re probably gonna walk by it anyways.
soul shine vegan cafe. i forget what i normally get, but it has peanut sauce that haunts my dreams it’s so good.
-soulshine vegan cafe. i’ve been here too many times to count. this place is my hippie DREAMS. think superfoods, crystal infused teas, and abundant whole foods. it’s on the main drag, so you can pop over after your beach day at pacific beach.
-breakfast republic. while they’re not vegan, i still think breakfast republic has the best breakfast in san diego. they have a whole vegan section on their menu that includes omelettes, frittatas and ave toast. they also have a variety of komuchas, juices and even vegan bloody marys if that’s your thing.
this is the infamous use hostels ocean beach, where you can stay in this gorgeous building for super cheap.
where to stay:
-usa hostels ocean beach. if you don’t stay here, you’re gonna end up taking a picture of the building. this colorful hostel is the first hostel i’ve ever stayed in and i loved it. the dorms are clean, there’s free breakfast and good wifi, and they have lots of community events like yoga on the beach and trips down to tijuana.
blacks beach, right before we got a little nsfw.
day two: la jolla.
la jolla is gorgeous. she’s the prettiest girl in school. it’s cliffs and beaches for miles.
you’re gonna want to spend the whole day just wandering. explore sea caves, lay on the beach, hike along the cliffs.
there’s beach for everyone here. if you’re looking for the Big Popular Beach, la jolla shores is perfect for swimming and laying about. if you wanna see some seals, head to the children’s pool. if you want a smaller beach, la jolla cove is where it’s at. and if you’re wild like me, head to black’s beach in torrey pines state park to get a lil naked.
other fun things to do: sunny jim sea cave (the only sea cave in california that can be accessed by land), watch some people glide at the torrey pines glider port, or watch the surf at windensea beach.
whatever you decide to do, you truly can’t waste a day here.
where to eat:
-trilogy. if you want to know the vibe of la jolla residents, go to trilogy sanctuary. half whole foods vegan cafe, half amazing yoga studio, take a class, get a smoothie, embody your inner californian.
-veggie grill. it’s a california vegan staple. you’re not allowed to leave san diego without eating their wings. sorry, i don’t make the rules.
-green door cafe. another amazing vegan spot, but this time covered in plants! if you’re looking to get away from the beach for a second and rest that sunburn, head inland for some healthy options with amazing service.
where to stay:
california dreams hostel. this one is down the coast in pacific beach, but the service and atmosphere make it worth the distance.
not only does toccata have wonderful food, but also the whole place can be made into a photo shoot.
day three: downtown.
i don’t think anyone really thinks of downtown san diego when they think of san diego, but they should! i think san diego has a ton of variety to it. they’re fancy restaurants, skyscrapers, world class shopping, everything you think of when you think of a city.
if you’re not much of city person, welcome. me neither, but i still loooove downtown. it still feels so hippy and fresh compared to most citifies. i spend most of my downtown days in balboa park or little italy.
another picture inside the botanical building at balboa park. i could live in here.
balboa park is hands down the coolest urban park in the united states. cooler than central park. it’s like you put every single culture san diego has and put it on a rolling green field. even if you were just planning on staying in ocean beach, you still need to uber your ass to balboa park.
truly, you can’t do balboa park in one day. there’s simply too many museums, shows, gardens and restaurants to experience. the entrance into balboa park is free, but certain attraction do have their own separate entrance fee. if you only have one day, you absolutely have to do these.
-the japanese friendship garden. this garden rivals any of the gardens i’ve been to in japan. it’s lush and zen and you forget you’re in a huge city. just wander around, hang out with the trees, sit and meditate, just chill. the entrance fee is around $10, but there is a tea house outside the gate that looks over the gardens.
-the botanical building. it’s a huge building full of tropical plants. what else do i need to say?
-the museum of man. this is an anthropology dream. come for the native american and mesoamerican art, stay for all the egyptian artifacts and touring exhibits about humanity. super cool experience. there is an entrance fee of $13. you can also climb the california tower for 360 degree views of balboa park, but as of january 2020 it was under refurbishment.
-wander. you know me, always wandering. there’s so many beautiful gardens, buildings and fountains within balboa park, and the best way to explore them is to just let your intuition guide. my favorite area is the spanish style architecture near the museum of man.
ice cream courtesy of salt and straw in little italy. this flavor was a vegan
on the west end of the city is little italy, the food mecca of san diego. like the name says, there is a lotta italian food and heritage, but also pretty architecture and a surprisingly large vegan scene. go food.
where to eat:
i mean look at those PLANTS
-tocaya. this mexican inspired california staple isn’t 100% vegan, but has amazing vegan options including fake meats and cheeses. i had a quesadilla for the first time since going vegan three years ago there, and it blew my mind. i ended up going back four times over three days. the lush decor is also a plus.
-salt and straw. never a bad time for ice cream. salt and straw always has at least three vegan flavors. two years ago they had an orange blossom flavor with edible flowers, which is the best ice cream i’ve ever had. their menu rotates seasonally, so you always have incentive to go back.
-cafe gratitude. another california staple, cafe gratitude has a plant forward menu with good vibes all around. they do use honey in a few recipes, so make sure you specific no honey. otherwise, everything is plant based! i had some amaaaazing cauliflower wings there.
where to stay:
usa hostels downtown san diego. yep, usa hostels has a second san diego location, with all the same amazing amenities as the one in ocean beach. free breakfast, good wifi and clean rooms.