Proposed San Diego itinerary
 

Thoughts welcome on the nine-day itinerary below. Will be staying at a hotel with local shuttle service to Seaworld, the Zoo, Balboa Park, Old Town, and Downtown/Gaslamp District. Have researched opening days and hours for all attractions and have planned the days accordingly. Will not have a car, and that is nonnegotiable.

One day each: Seaworld, Zoo, Safari Park (this last via bus)

Three days: Balboa Park museums.

One day: trolley over and back to Mission San Diego de Alcala Church, rest of the day seeing Old Town attractions (Junipero Serra Museum, El Campo Santo, Whaley House, State Historic Park, etc.)

One day: Downtown/Gaslamp District attractions (USS Midway, Contemporary Art Museum, Chinese Historical Museum, Davis-Horton House, evening at Maritime Museum) and some walking around the area.

One day: La Jolla attractions via bus 30 (Birch Aquarium, Stuart Collection, Athenaeum)

Will go to a San Diego Padres game one evening.

Not interested in going to Tijuana. Will likely not have time for Cabrillo National Monument, Coronado, or the Fire Museum.

It doesn't look like any of the buses go to the beaches. Will probably only go to them if the hotel shuttle takes us to one in the early evening.

Many thanks.

See if this interests you enough to hire a car and driver for a day - many consider this the high point of their San Diego experience:
http://www.astro.caltech.edu/palomar/visitor/

The Midway tour is excellent but it may take longer that you are allowing.
Coronado is a quick ferry ride from downtown. I can't imagine missing it.
Also, Old Town doesn't take long.

Will pass on the Palomar Observatory, but thanks.

HappyTrvlr, appreciate the suggestions.

Question: what's to see in Coronado besides the Hotel and the history museum in the Visitors Center (both over a mile from the ferry landing)? The latter closes at 5 pm. Also, what's the best day to hook this onto? Having a tough time seeing an opening for it. Maybe after Old Town?

Also, was figuring ca. 2 hours for the USS Midway (open at 10). Thinking I could still be able to find an hour-and-a-half (12:30-2:00) for the Contemporary Art Museum, ca. 2 hours total (2:30-4:30) for the Chinese Historical Museum and Davis-Horton House, then ca. 6pm-8pm for the Maritime Museum. No good? How long for the USS Midway?

Bus #8 will take you fairly quickly (15 minutes) from the Old Town Transit Center to Mission Beach and Pacific Beach. Without knowing where you are staying, it's impossible to be more detailed.

https://www.sdmts.com/schedules-real-time/trip-planner

Try to get to Cabrillo Monument if you can. Awesome viewpoint above the city

Barbara, many thanks. Don't know how I missed that one. Will likely visit at least one of these beaches during one of the evenings. Have looked at both and am a bit torn on which to choose if I only go to one. Any recommendations?

tchoiniere, thanks for the info. Like Coronado, Cabrillo (daily 9-5) may be hard to fit in but will take another look.

bachslunch,

sorry, I haven't been to either beach for many, many years. It's actually one very long beach. Pacific Beach has more restaurants and bars if that helps. Mission Beach has a long, busy, boardwalk. You can rent bikes in Mission Beach. Just across the road is Mission Bay, also good to walk or ride round.

The beaches I prefer are further north and much harder to reach using public transport.