Aloha, We will be going to San Diego for the first time to visit family the second week in October.Only have 3 1/2 days there.They gave us the choice of San Diego Zoo, Tijuana,or Wildlife Park for one of the days. I have limited walking as I have a foot condition.Our kids are grown and it will be myself and husband with retired cousin & wife that lives there.Please Advise, Thank You, Pakepf3

My sister and I both went thru temporary periods of having limited walking in the last 3 years, so I have done all three of these spots with an eye for the problem.

I can tell you that you will not be able to do TJ with limited walking.

I would say the Zoo would be the best..You can go on the open bus or the skyrail and see a lot of the zoo while seated. You could even rent a wheelchair if you were in pain, yet wanted to be closer to the animals.

The wildlife park also has "mass transit, but it is a bit more difficult (uneven paths) for walking or if you want to try a wheelchair.

definitly not tj.
the wild animal park has a nice trolly that you take around to see the animals from a distance but that's only 45 minutes. the rest of the time you'd want to walk the trails. they probably rent wheelchairs.
the zoo is a TON of walking and if you choose this, definitly rent a wheelchair but then i often feel sorry for the people pushing them. the pathways can be very crowded and maneuvering a wheelchair difficult. there are also some hills so pushing uphill can be a pain.
out of the three, i'd probably pick the wild animal park. you could ride the trolly with the whole group and then maybe while they walk some trails, you could take it a second time and then bring a good book and relax. there is also a cool area where you can go feed some birds. stand around and they land all over you. you could hang out there for a while and just sit and watch.

I haven't been to the zoo in a while, but I have to believe that they have electric-scooter-type wheelchairs for rent. I believe you'll get more out of the zoo. (Too bad Sea World wasn't a choice!)

My mom had foot surgery before a recent visit, and we were able to do theme parks with the help of those electric scooters.

Forgetting about the foot problem for a minute, Tijuana is a waste of time anyway. Don't do it. Crossing the border takes a long time now. If you are going to Mexico, I've heard it's only worthwhile if you go to Rosarita. But in your short trip, I think there's so much more to see in San Diego.

Now, is none of these options an accetable answer? Unless you especially want to go to the zoo or the Wildlife Park, there are so many other places that I think would be more enjoyable for adults. I'm not putting down these venues. I just think seeing some of the natural beauty of the area (Coronado, La Jolla) or the manmade beauty at Balboa Park (museums, gardens) with MAYBE a quick stop at the zoo would be better.

There's a tourist tram that takes you around all the highlights including Balboa Park and Coronado that might be a good idea.

Having lived in San Diego for many years, the best advice I can give you is DO NOT GO TO TIJUANA! The only reason to go to TJ is if you are under 21 and want to be able to drink at bars and clubs. It is a dirty, gross city with Mexican food no better than what you'll find in San Diego. Also, due to increased security, it now takes a very long time to get back over the border. The last few times I have been down there, I have ended up wishing I'd stayed home. Crossing the border on foot, it took a few hours of standing in the sun in a never ending line to get back in the states. Not much better by car, either.

I agree with the other posters. You definitely don't want to go to Tijuana and it will involve all walking. I do go to Rosarito Beach a lot but I just bypass Tijuana. Secondly, you can take the tram around the zoo but to really see it better you need to walk and it is hilly.

Two places that I go with visitors is Coronado or La Jolla. We just enjoy a short stroll, look at the views and have a nice lunch. The views from downtown La Jolla are spectacular and there are many restaurants where you can enjoy the ocean.

I believe the tourist tram mclaurie is talking about is the trolley tour that takes you around town. I have never done the tour but one my friends took guests on it and they enjoyed the trip. I just looked it up and it's a two hour narrated tour of San Diego area that covers areas such as Old Town, Seaport Village, Balboa Park and Coronado. It does say that you can have off and on privileges so you could do a little walking, then ride some more on the trolley stopping to have lunch along the way. The restaurant on the patio at the Hotel Del Coronado would be lovely.
You can check it out at www.historictours.com/sandiego/ and select trolley tours.

Perhaps your family members have already planned to visit those areas on others days but it does seem like the activities they picked don't take your foot condition into consideration. If those three are your only choices, I would probably go with the Wild Animal Park for the reasons mentioned by itt.

Thank You for all the great reply's.We will not go to Tijuana, that would be hard on my feet.I am looking forward to visiting Coronado and will hopefully get to some of the other places posted.

Yes, the tram I was talking about is the trolley tour with "on and off" privileges. One idea might be, if the others want to do the zoo, they could put you on the trolley tour which has a stop at the zoo, while they walk the zoo. The URL that Paula gave you has online discounts, lists several other tours plus some combination options with discounts.

BTW, just because your relatives live there, don't assume they know everything about sightseeing there. Many natives don't do the touristy things in their own city. I have been able to show a friend who recently moved there "new" things using tips from my friends here on Fodors.

The only "highlight" place the trolley doesn't cover is La Jolla. You mentioned you'd be seeing Coronado (I agree with Paula, lunch at the hotel Del is lovely) but you really shouldn't miss La Jolla IMO. It is a fairly compact village and a number of the restaurants have wonderful water views. Brockton Villa is a fun, relatively inexpensive place in an old house that sits across from the water. There are tables inside and out all with views. They're open for breakfast (known for their french toast),lunch and dinner.

http://brocktonvilla.com/

Georges at the Cove (which has an expensive restaurant on one level) has an open terrace where lunch is not very expensive and the view is great. Both of these places do require climbing stairs to get in.

mclaurie-I second doing lunch at Brockton Villa in La Jolla. I was trying to think of the name of that particular restaurant last night so thanks for suggesting it. I take guests there and you could just sit on their patio forever enjoying the view. Food is good, too.

Those are such boring things to do - change your plans andsee the real SD - go to LaJolla and take inthe beauty, then go over toSeaport village, then swing over to the Gaslamp District. Also try to see MissionBay and the beach.