Air

San Diego International Airport (SAN)

Approx. 14 miles to venue
3225 N. Harbor Dr.
San Diego, CA 92101

San Diego International Airport (SAN) is 20-30 minutes from UC San Diego by car and 60-90 minutes by public transit. While there is no direct city transportation to the campus, you can access it using the UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley.

City Bus & Trolley To reach the trolley lines, take City Bus Route 992 to the Broadway and Kettner Blvd stop in downtown. From there, you can access the UC San Diego Blue Line at the America Plaza Station, located at the corner of Broadway and Kettner Blvd.

Airport Shuttle & Trolley Alternatively, you can use the ‘San Diego Flyer’, a free airport shuttle that runs every 20-30 minutes to the Old Town Transit Center. From there, catch the UC San Diego Blue Line to reach the campus station. More information about the San Diego Flyer shuttle service is available here.

For planning your journey, consider using SDMTS Trip Planner.

Taxis and Ride-Shares Taxi fares to UC San Diego typically cost about $50, while ride-share services like Uber and Lyft start at approximately $30.

Car Rentals Car rentals are available at the airport. Free shuttle buses transport passengers from the airport to the Consolidated Rental Car Center, where all rental companies are located.

Ground

Public Transit For bus and trolley tickets, you can pay electronically through the PRONTO app (available for iOS | Android), or a contactless credit/debit card. Fares paid with the PRONTO app, or a contactless credit/debit card include free transfers for two hours. Cash is also accepted on buses.For schedules, fares, and more details, visit the Metropolitan Transit System website at www.sdmts.com.

Train For long-distance travel from Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Orange County, or south San Diego County, Amtrak rail service is a practical option. The nearest Amtrak station to UCSD is Sorrento Valley Station, which is just a 10-minute Uber or Lyft ride away from the main campus. Alternatively, you can use Old Town Station (OLT), where you can take the UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley that goes directly to campus. 

Parking on campus

Due to limited parking availability on campus, we highly encourage conference attendees to consider carpooling, utilizing ride-sharing services, or using public transportation.

There are two parking rates available to you: 

• The 1-Day B Permit costs $8 per day and is valid in B and S spaces. To get this rate, park in any B or S space, enter zone number 47800 into the ParkMobile App, and then confirm your information (including your license plate #).  

• The weekend visitor (V) rate is $2.25 per hour or $9 per day. To get this rate, park in a V space and use ParkMobile zone 4752. The first 30 minutes are free of charge. The subsequent rate is $2.25 per hour, capped at $9 per session.

Use ParkMobile App to purchase permits and pay for and extend parking sessions directly through the app. See the Visitor Parking site for more information.

For easy access to the conference venue, consider parking at one of the following locations:

• Scholars Parking Structure at 9655 Scholars Dr N (closest)

• Pangea Parking at 9834 Scholars Drive N

• Hopkins Parking Structure at 9800 Hopkins Dr

For more detailed information on parking options and guidelines, please visit UC San Diego Transportation Services.

Crash space: We regret that we are unable to provide crash space at this time.

Nearby Hotels: Several hotels near UCSD offer convenient access for conference attendees. Within walking distance, you can find the Sheraton La Jolla, the Hyatt Regency La Jolla, and the Estancia La Jolla. Other nearby options, approximately 30 minutes from campus via public transit, include the Embassy Suites San Diego La Jolla, the Hotel La Jolla, and the La Jolla Shores Hotel.

Budget-Friendly Options: For those seeking more economical lodging, the Blue Line Trolley provides easy access to additional accommodations in Old Town and Downtown San Diego. This expands the range of possible stays while maintaining convenient access to the conference venue via public transit.

Places to eat on campus (see this conference map)

At the Conference Venue:

• Tahini: Authentic Middle Eastern street food featuring customizable options like house-baked pita, shawarma, falafel and a variety of sauces all made from scratch. Highly recommended!

• Plant Power: Fast, casual vegan burger chain offering plant-based burgers, 'chicken' sandwiches, salads, and shakes focused on sustainability. Highly recommended!

• Showa Ramen: Healthy ramen selections, along with rice bowls, catered towards student-friendly prices.

• Blue Bowl: Specializes in customizable superfood smoothie bowls with a wide array of bases and toppings. Highly recommended!

• Fan Fan: A wide range of Asian dishes, from street food classics to refined traditional plates.

• Copa Vida: Offers a variety of coffee, tea, and specialized beverages along with quick bites like breakfast sandwiches and burritos.

• Sixth Market: Campus market with groceries, fresh produce, snacks, grab-and-go meals, and a full coffee bar.

• Restaurants at Sixth College: The Restaurants at Sixth College feature five unique platforms (Crave, Noodles, Makai, Wolftown, Rooftop), each offering fresh, delicious, and exciting new menus.

Within 5-10 Minute Walk:

• Roots: The university's exclusive vegan eatery with a variety of hearty vegan entrees and smoothies.

• Art of Espresso: Best coffee on campus, popular among grad students, offering coffee, smoothies, pastries, sandwiches, and salads. Highly recommended!

• Blue Pepper: Features healthy Thai and vegetarian cuisine, focusing on fresh ingredients. Highly recommended!

• Taco Villa: Enjoy authentic Mexican dishes such as tacos and burritos.

• Shores Diner: Classic diner offering fresh and affordable diner staples. Beer served.
  
  

Other Campus Locations:

• Price Center: Includes a variety of dining options such as Burger King, Starbucks, Lemongrass, Panda Express, Santorinis Greek Island Food, Curry-up Now, Subway, and Tapioca Express.

• Dirty Birds: A locally owned restaurant and sports bar, proudly serving some of the best wings in San Diego along with pizza by the slice. Beer available.

• Croutons: Serves fresh made-to-order salads, panini sandwiches, and homemade soups.

Please feel free to ask any of the conference organizers for more information about activities in San Diego. We’d love to share our favorite parts of the city with you.

Things to Do

Beaches

The ocean water temperature will still be warm in November! Parking lots near beaches in La Jolla Shores and Mission Beach feature free parking. Watch out for metered street parking in downtown La Jolla and Del Mar. Beaches listed in order of distance from UC San Diego.

North:

• Torrey Pines State Beach: just north of Black’s Beach, Torrey Pines is a gorgeous narrow beach with good waves, and tide pools. Parking is free along the road, but the State Reserve will charge for parking.

• Del Mar: upscale quiet town north of La Jolla, grassy Powerhouse Park overlooks the beach, good for walking, swimming, boogie-boarding and surfing. Be careful of parking tickets!!
  
  

South:

• Black’s Beach: a quiet beach at the base of Torrey Pines bluffs accessible by a smooth, paved route to the South (walkable from UC San Diego) and a steep, rocky climb to the North; clothing optional to the North, and clothing required to the South.

• La Jolla Shores: a flat beach with soft, white sand; busy on weekends; good for getting in the water; north of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography pier, the beach features rocks and birdlife. Take MTS Bus 30 from UC San Diego or hotels on La Jolla Village Drive down to La Jolla Shores. La Jolla Shores also features kayak tours/surf classes from various outfitters – highly recommended!

• Seal Rock and La Jolla Cove: the rocky stretch of coastline along downtown La Jolla; best for tide pool exploration and seal- and people-watching.

• Pacific Beach/Mission Beach: a long flat beach with soft, white sand; relatively busy on weekends; numerous vendors along a paved path; good for walking, biking, getting in the water, grabbing a bite to eat, and/or people-watching.

• Ocean Beach: small beach with pier, beach town/hipster vibe, great place to watch a sunset

• Coronado – large expansive beach with white sand, featuring the famous Hotel del Coronado
  
  
  

Birch Aquarium at Scripps  (map)

ocated at the southwest edge of the UC San Diego campus, public exploration center for Scripps Institute of Oceanography ($27.95 student)

Torrey Pines Glider Port (map)

located just west of UC San Diego, you can sign up to fly tandem with an instructor, or just walk to watch the hang gliders over the cliffs.

Balboa Park (map)

Botanical Gardens (free) (map)

San Diego Zoo ($74 adult) (map)

Museum of Man ($19.95 | free) (map)

International Cottages (free) (map)

San Diego Museum of Art ($20) (map)

Historic Old Town (map)

USS Midway (map)

Hiking

San Diego features beautiful hiking in canyons and on top of bluffs.

Torrey Pines State Reserve (map)
Mission Trails Regional Park (map)
Tecolote Canyon Natural Park (map)
San Clemente Canyon (map)
Los Penasquitos (map)
Potato Chip Rock, Mt. Woodson, Poway (map)

More Resources

San Diego’s official tourism page

Traveling to Mexico

Tijuana is the city south of the border and the main point of entry to Mexico from the San Diego area. Further south are Rosarito and Ensenada. If you decide to visit Mexico, make sure you have the requisite travel documents. Here are some helpful tips for crossing the border.