Cheap Date Ideas in San Diego

Start a free afternoon at Balboa Park with a walk through the rose garden, past 130 varieties of roses, and on to the fountain. Plenty of museums are free or pay-what-you-wish, giving you another place to wander into together.

On Sundays at 2pm, a free concert plays near the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.

Wander the bamboo groves at Japanese Friendship Garden, then pause at its koi ponds and waterfalls. The 12-acre garden sits inside Balboa Park. Benches sit beside trickling water, and a traditional tea house is on the grounds.

Adult admission is $16, and students, seniors 65 and over, and military pay $14. Children 6 and under get in free. Arrive by 5pm, since last admission is an hour before the garden closes at 6pm. It opens daily at 10am.

Walk six blocks of West Date Street at the Saturday market, snacking on pastries and sampling olive oils and cheese. Browsing is free.

The market runs Saturdays from 8am to 2pm and Wednesdays from 9:30am to 1:30pm, rain or shine. The Wednesday market covers three blocks, with produce, flowers, honey, and crafts.

Look out over the bay and ocean from the Old Point Loma Lighthouse at Cabrillo National Monument, then check the tide charts for the tidepools at low tide in fall or winter. When parking fills up on weekends, holidays, or a good low tide, the tidepool road can shut for 30 to 45 minutes.

Entry is $20 per car, covering everyone inside. Visitors 16 and up on foot or bike pay $10 each, and the pass is valid for 7 days.

Play a friendly round of mini putt at The Loma Club in Liberty Station, where no golf experience is required. Pick the Gopher or Gator course for nine holes at $14 for adults, or play both for 18 holes at $21.

The Bar & Grill is open daily with a sunny patio, and there is live music some evenings. Mini putt runs Sunday through Thursday from 9am to 9pm and Friday and Saturday from 9am to 10pm.

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve has a 2.3-mile beach trail loop with bluff views over the coast, and the beach is open for a walk at low tide. The hike is free, and parking runs $15 to $25 per vehicle. The San Diego Public Library lends California State Parks passes that can cover the parking fee.

The reserve is open daily from 7:15am to sunset.

Bring a blanket and a picnic for a late-afternoon sunset on the cliffs at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, a 68-acre park along the Pacific on the western edge of Point Loma. Ocean Beach is nearby for dinner and drinks afterward.

Head to the Ladera Street area for the sunset, where you can park on the street or in one of a few small lots.

Watch the seals, and sometimes sea lions, resting beside the seawall at La Jolla Children's Pool, where the view is panoramic. The beach is closed to people from December 15 to May 15 each year, but you can still watch from the sidewalk above or the sea wall.

Browse folk art in the free lobby gallery at Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park, with a craft cafe for coffee, tea, and treats. Everyone gets in free to the Exhibitions Level on the third Tuesday of each month, with no ID check.

The museum is open Tuesday through Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10am to 5pm, Fridays from 10am to 8pm, and closed Mondays.

Admission is free at Timken Museum of Art in Balboa Park, where the collection includes Russian icons and European masters. Guided tours of the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions are free and run 45 to 60 minutes.

The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm and closed Mondays and Tuesdays.