Attractions and Events

From Jan. 14 to March 6, 2022, the Wyland Center at Del Mar Fairgrounds will host Beyond Van Gogh: An Immersive Experience, an alluring exhibit that uses projection technology to create a journey into the world of Van Gogh masterpieces as they are freed from their frames to come alive across a variety of surfaces.

The PGA TOUR’s Farmers Insurance Open returns to the Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla for its 70^th Anniversary from Jan. 26 to Jan. 29, 2022 with upgraded venues and unique experiences.

The 3.2-acre Denny Sanford Wildlife Explorers Basecamp at the San Diego Zoo, which opens February 2022 on the former Children’s Zoo site, will blend innovation with opportunities to explore a variety of species, ranging from leafcutter ants and orb weaver spiders to prairie dogs and sloths.

Opening March 2022, Sesame Place San Diego will feature seven Sesame Street-themed rides, an interactive musical play area and 11 water attractions, including a 500,000-gallon wave pool—one of the largest in Southern California. The park will also have an interactive Sesame Street Neighborhood complete with the iconic 123 Stoop, live character shows, daily parades, photo opportunities, and, of course, everyone's favorite Muppet characters.

Also, in March 2022, SeaWorld San Diego will unveil its highly anticipated dive coaster Emperor. Joining other thrill rides at the park, Emperor will be the tallest, fastest and longest dive coaster in California as well as the only floorless dive coaster in the state. Named after the world’s largest penguin, the new coaster will mimic this species’ underwater diving ability.

The world’s first LEGO® Ferrari “Build and Race” interactive attraction is coming to LEGOLAND® California in spring of 2022. Featuring a life-size Ferrari F40 model developed by the LEGO® Group, Build and Race features three zones, with each offering riders different obstacles and challenges while trying to clock the fastest time.

New Hotels & Renovations

Slated to open in early 2022, the Cormorant Boutique Hotel, formally the La Jolla Inn, has undergone an extensive, three-year renovation that brings a mid-century modern aesthetic to the heart of La Jolla. The hotel includes 26 nautical-inspired guestrooms, each with a balcony and expansive views of the Pacific Ocean; a new rooftop terrace bar, Birdseye, which features craft cocktails and small plates; and Prospect Market, an upscale grab-and-go marketplace.

Arts and Culture

Now its 33^rd year, San Diego Museum Month is returning from Feb. 1 to Feb. 28, 2022, with half-off admission and in-person museum experiences at 45+ local museums and cultural attractions. The Museum Month pass is available for free at all Macy’s store locations in San Diego County. Visitors can use each Museum Month pass all month long for up to four half-priced admissions at any of the participating museums.

The Whaley House in Old Town San Diego reopened in October 2021 under the operation of Old Town Trolley Tours. Besides being home to the prominent Whaley Family, it also housed San Diego’s first commercial theater, the county courthouse and a general store. The Whaley House is widely regarded as one of the most iconic landmarks in San Diego due to its rich Greek Revival architecture style, authentic décor, mysterious past, and haunted pedigree.

From January through June 2022, the newest exhibit from the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, Out of the Vault: Items from Our Collection, will showcase unique and rare items from its collection, including decades-old locomotives made of pewter and brass. Some of the pieces in this exhibit have never been on public display, so museum visitors will be among the first to see them.

Reopening April 2022, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego will be expanding its La Jolla campus, allowing for the dedicated display of the permanent collection alongside the presentation of temporary exhibitions. The expansion includes clarifying the entry sequence to the building and expanding gallery space while integrating the complex existing conditions into a harmonious whole. A large, flexible multipurpose gallery on the lower level will provide capacity for public programs, artist talks, performance art, music and other immersive educational activities.

Restaurants, Breweries and Bars

PARU Tea Bar, opened November 2021 in La Jolla, focuses on creating nostalgic, traditional tea blends with modernized twists. PARU sources its teas from family-owned tea gardens in East Asia and Southeast Asia and draw on a range of global flavors primarily from Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, South Africa, the Philippines and Laos.

Opened December 2021 in University Heights, San Diego’s first absinthe bar and bistro Wormwood showcases more than 30 absinthes sourced from Europe and the United States, which are served in slow-drip fountains with a cube of sugar. The bistro’s French-influenced fare revisits classic dishes and features small plates and shareable entrees prepared with local ingredients from Southern California and Baja, Mexico.

Opened December 2021 in Little Italy, RakiRaki Commons will feature four favorites of Junya Watanabe’s beloved San Diego brands. Concepts will include RakiRaki Ramen—a nationally recognized and award-winning ramen spot, as well as brand offshoot, JCK or Junya's Crispy Karaage, known for its namesake specialty,  Japanese fried chicken. The menus feature both vegan and non-vegan sushi offerings from The Yasai by RakiRaki—a chef-driven, vegan sushi concept, and from its non-vegan counterpart, Matsuoka.

San Diego’s famous breakfast spots—Breakfast Republic and Eggies—will be opening brand new locations in La Jolla in February 2022. Nestled along Pearl Street, the breakfast duo will feature dishes from benedicts and scrambles to omelets, pancakes, French toast and more. Eggies specializes in grab-and-go fare like breakfast sandwiches and jars. Both will serve coffee and morning cocktails.

Joya Organic Kitchen, which opens February 2022 at The Boardwalk at Science Center Drive in La Jolla, is the newest addition to Clique Hospitality’s portfolio that includes Lionfish and Serēa. The menu will range from smoothies and acai bowls for breakfast to daily seasonal specials at lunch, with grab-and-go salads and sandwiches also available.

Madam Bonnie’s, located in the historic Hotel Lester building, will open in February 2022 and will feature a menu of sharable plates, a variety of salads, Bonnie’s Rotisserie meats and delectable side dishes. Dessert includes Warm Brioche Bread Pudding, an ice cream flight and a tasty house biscuit. Madam Bonnie’s will also serve cocktails, wine and a daily selection of draft beers.

Coco Maya, by Miss B's Coconut Club, set to open on Little Italy’s buzzing India Street in March of 2022, will offer an open-air aesthetic designed to reflect the boho chic vibes of Tulum, Mexico. Its main cocktail bar will sit under a massive skylight and the roof will be removed to create a 900 square foot deck. The restaurant’s Caribbean-inspired menus will feature tequila drinks and modern takes on Jamaican coal pot cooking from a Josper Charcoal oven-powered kitchen.

Temaki Bar Handroll & Sake, opening March 2022 in Encinitas, will offer counter-side and made-to-order hand sushi rolls for guests, highlighting the freshest seafood featuring blue crab, yellowtail and salmon. Temaki will debut a signature Tuna roll, featuring the restaurant’s famous spicy sauce, alongside an eclectic sake program.

Transportation

In November 2021, the San Diego Trolley opened its expanded UC San Diego Blue Line that now runs all the way from the U.S.-Mexico border to UC San Diego in La Jolla to the UTC Transit Center, adding nine new Trolley stations. The Trolley has on three color-coded lines connecting San Diego's east, south and north county communities with downtown San Diego.

San Diego International Airport (SAN) launched the “San Diego Flyer,” a free electric shuttle bus service between San Diego International Airport (SAN) and Old Town Transit Center in November 2021. The shuttle operates seven days a week, with an average arrival every 20 to 30 minutes. The first pickup is at 4:45 a.m. and the last pickup/drop-off at 12:30 a.m., which are timed to match the schedules of the Trolley, Coaster, Amtrak as well as MTS bus lines.

Starting March 20, 2022, the San Diego International Airport (SAN) will add non-stop service to Munich, Bavaria, Germany via Munich Franz Josef Strauss International Airport (MUC) on Lufthansa German Airlines. Flights will initially operate three times a week on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays and grow to five times weekly service in May 2022, adding service on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
  
Happiness is calling you back to San Diego. For more information on San Diego’s offerings, including exciting vacation packages and valuable coupons for attractions, restaurants and more, visit the San Diego Tourism Authority’s website at www.sandiego.org.