San Diego is a wonderful part of Southern California. It offers a family friendly and richly cultured vacation destination. The area is famous for year-round great weather, but going during peak seasons can cost you an arm and a leg. The peak season in San Diego is during the summer. The beaches and tourist attractions are a lot more crowded during June, July and August.



For the best deals on travel costs, choose an off-peak season, such as the fall or early spring. If you time your trip between mid-December to mid-March, you can save on hotel costs and you can also get to experience migrating whales off of the San Diego coast. There are whale sighting boat tours available that are fun for the whole family.

There are so many year round attractions in the San Diego area it can sometimes be tempting to choose them all. Between SeaWorld, LegoLand and the famous San Diego Zoo, you could be looking at hundreds of dollars in entrance fees if you try to squeeze them all in. Despite being out of money, you'll also be exhausted from trying to do it all at once.

There are lots of lower cost activities that you can choose to fill your time with so you can save money. It's best to choose just one big ticket attraction and then select other activities to fill your time. San Diego's Mission Beach and Pacific Beach are popular destinations that are relatively low cost. Enjoy the California coast, soak up the sun and save money at the same time.

The Torrey Pines State Reserve is also another great way to experience the nature in San Diego without paying a whole lot. This state reserve includes 2,000 acres of undeveloped land, including many miles of beach.

The Broadway Pier area is a great place for low cost sight-seeing. You can window shop at the Pier, get something to eat and visit the historic Hotel del Coronado. For more cultural activities, make sure to visit Balboa Park, which has the San Diego Zoo, as well as 15 museums, performing arts areas, and large garden areas where you can have an inexpensive picnic. The Park alone could take your family two or three days to fully explore.

Finally, you can save more money if you'd like to cross the border and experience Tijuana, Mexico, which is just a short drive from San Diego. Here you'll find authentic Mexican cuisine for rock bottom prices, cheap souvenirs and an experience like no other.

One of the best ways to save money on a San Diego vacation is to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Take advantage of the great weather and explore the parks, beaches and outdoor markets. Walking around and seeing the sites is not only fun, but cheap too. You don't have to pay a lot of money to experience all that San Diego has to offer. Save your money for one or two big attractions and spend the rest of your time enjoying the great weather and you've got the makings of an inexpensive and enjoyable San Diego vacation.