A Local’s Guide to San Diego Family Vacations

Why travel to San Diego with kids? As a local, I can tell you that San Diego has a little bit of everything and it is a top family travel destination. Between its world-class zoo, its thriving food scene, its culture and history, and its fantastic beaches, San Diego has something to offer for every family. And while Southern California can sometimes seem daunting to families traveling on a budget, there are tons of free things to see and do in San Diego. As a local, I love showing friends and family around when they visit, and that’s how I came up with this guide to San Diego family vacations.

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Arriving in San Diego

The San Diego airport has connections from most major cities and is right downtown, so getting a cab or car service to your accommodations will be pretty fast. Car rentals are also available at the airport.

Getting Around

San Diego is a little difficult to navigate without a car, but it is doable. If you cannot rent a car, I would suggest staying in the downtown/Little Italy/Embarcadero area to have close proximity to the trolley and to be able to walk to many attractions. You can take the ferry to Coronado from downtown; you can catch the train if you want to visit any North County areas (see the Day Trips section); and you can trolley to other parts of San Diego. That being said, it’s much easier with a car.

Things to do on a San Diego Family Vacation

You know what you and your family like, so here is a comprehensive list of a variety of fun activities for San Diego family vacations. If you want something a little more planned out for you, check out my Perfect San Diego Family Vacation Itinerary! Or use both posts in conjunction to plan your perfect trip.

• San Diego Zoo and Safari Park* – These are separate parks, not close to each other. You can buy combo tickets if you want to go to both. It’s really not possible to do both in a day. Each park offers upgraded experiences (private tours, behind the scenes, etc.) I highly recommend them both!

• Coronado Island – Visit the iconic Hotel del Coronado, the beach in front of it has sand castles! Rent bikes and bike the Silver Strand. You can even take the ferry from downtown San Diego.

• Sea World* – In addition to marine life exhibits, Sea World has rides and shows for all ages.

• Old Town San Diego – As the original historic Spanish settlement, Old Town has lots of restaurants, a central plaza with shops, and historic buildings that you can tour. There are often festivals here with Mariachi bands, and Folklorico dancers (traditional Mexican music and dance). FREE

• Petco Park – You don’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this ballpark. It was built around a historic building and has amazing food stalls! There is also the Park at the Park –a playground and grassy area, where families can picnic and watch the game on a big screen, cheaper than buying seated tickets. Additionally, they offer behind the scenes tours; baseball fans will love this!

• Old Town Trolley – This hop on hop off trolley is a great way to see San Diego. It hits all the major spots to see and is a great way to get around without driving! *Note – this is a sight-seeing trolley and is different from the public transit trolley.

• The Embarcadero – This waterfront stretch is a great walk and could easily be a whole day’s itinerary if you stop at the attractions listed here. Start down at Hawthorn or Grape St. and walk along the water. Stop at the Waterfront Park (see below). You’ll go by the Star of India Maritime Museum and the Hornblower Cruises if you’re interested in whale watching or a dinner cruise. End up at the USS Midway (see below) or go all the way to Seaport Village (see below).

• Waterfront Park – This fun family has it all and is great for toddlers through probably middle school age. There’s a fantastic playground, and a huge area for water play – fountains of water on a pad that kids can run around on. There’s plenty of grass to set up with a blanket and picnic. FREE

• USS Midway* – This retired U.S. Navy aircraft carrier is now a museum. You can visit below deck and the flight deck, it has great aircraft displays and interactive exhibits, including films. Check online because they often have special events. If you have older kids, they even do Top Gun movie nights!

• Seaport Village – This quaint shopping/restaurant area is right on the bay. It has a great walking path with views of the Coronado bridge. There is a fantastic carousel and often live performances. Some of the restaurants are pretty touristy, but there are some good finds as well. I actually like coming here after dinner to get ice cream and see the bay lit up at night. Little kids will love the carousel, and the kite flyers along the Bayfront. FREE

• Belmont Park – This historic amusement park is right on Mission Beach. It’s great because it’s small – not an all-day activity – and there’s no admission fee, you just pay for the rides. There are plenty of restaurants in walking distance and, of course, the beach.

• Mission Bay Park – If you like to bike, this is a great area to ride in. There are lots of open grassy parts, several playgrounds and lots of walking/biking paths. It’s easy for strollers, too! FREE

• Balboa Park – this beautiful, historic park is an architectural wonder! It also houses over a dozen museums, several theatres, some restaurants, walking trails, gardens, a carousel and a mini train ride for little kids. You can easily spend a whole day or more here. Some of the museums (Mingei and SD Art Museum) offer family art days with hands-on experiences. The Museum of Man has exhibits for all ages.  San Diego Junior Theatre is housed in the Casa del Prado and it offers kids’ plays at a reasonable price. The Old Globe complex sometimes also has kids’ plays. FREE (except museum admission or play entrance.)

• La Jolla Children’s Pool – this is actually NOT a pool, so don’t be misled. What it is, is a great place to see the Sea Lions right on the beach! If you go in spring you will see the babies. FREE

• Torrey Pines hiking – this is my favorite hike in San Diego. Walk along the bluffs high above the beach with incredible views in a natural setting. There are several easy trails if you have small kids.

• Cabrillo National Monument and Tide Pools – for some reason this spot is only popular with locals, I rarely see tourists here. There’s a historic lighthouse, a national monument, spectacular views of the city across the bay and tide pools for little ones to explore some marine life. It’s run by the National Park Service, so there is a Junior Ranger Program.

• Little Italy Farmers’ Market – on Saturdays from 8-2 many of the streets in Little Italy are blocked off for this fabulous Farmers’ Market. Go hungry – the food booths are superb. There’s more than food, too, with lots of local artisans selling their goods. I like to grab a coffee at one of the cafés in Little Italy, then walk the Farmers’ Market and find breakfast or lunch.

• Surf lessons – If you have older kids, this is a super fun day at the beach. You can find lessons at most of the major beaches.

• The Beach – Beach days are a must on San Diego family vacations, and there are so many great beaches in SD. However, my favorite beaches for families are Coronado; Mission Bay (great for littler kids who don’t do well in big waves – try Ventura Cove or Bonita Cove); and La Jolla Cove. FREE

*These asterisked attractions are available on the Go San Diego Card – a reduced price all-in-one card that gives admission to many San Diego area attractions. It’s worth it if you plan on visiting many of the places on the card.

Day Trips from San Diego

Julian – This fun little mountain town is known for its apple orchards (with u-pick opportunities if you’re here in fall) and its apple pie. It’s about a 1.5-hour drive from San Diego and goes by some great parks and campsites along Lake Cuyamaca. Visit the antique shops, grab lunch and get some pie, while you enjoy the mountains. During the winter, this is one of the places locals go to see snow!

San Juan Capistrano – This is one of my most favorite daytrips from SD. San Juan is known for its beautiful Spanish Mission, which is a fun place to visit. They have hands-on activities for kids, such as panning for gold, and a good audio tour. The trip is even more fun if you take the train! The Amtrak Surfliner takes you up the coast from San Diego and it’s a gorgeous trip to San Juan. There are two train stations in San Diego you could leave from – downtown (Santa Fe Station) and Old Town. It’s an easy trip, the kids love it, and lots of things are walkable from the San Juan train station. You’ll get off the train at the historic San Juan station, and step right into the Los Rios historic district, which is supposed to be the oldest residential street in California. It’s chock full of good restaurants, historic buildings, and shops. My absolute favorite place to eat is the Ramos House Café, but there are plenty of choices within walking distance between the train station and the Mission.

Disneyland – Disneyland is definitely doable in one day from San Diego, but I wouldn’t try it with babies or toddlers. We always stayed the night when our kids were little. But at about age 5 we were able to do it as a day trip. Get up super early so you can arrive at opening, then make the most of it and stay through fireworks if possible! The drive back at night is much faster than the morning drive. If you’re not familiar with Disneyland, definitely research online to learn about fast passes, dining options, etc.

North County – San Diego’s North County has beautiful seaside villages, a great arts scene and spectacular beaches. It’s an easy drive or train trip up the coast; you could pick a town, explore a little, have lunch and hit the beach, or visit a couple of places on a daylong driving trip. My favorites are: Solana Beach (check out the Cedros Ave. Design District), Del Mar (watch out for traffic if it’s fair season or horse-racing season), and Carlsbad (great shopping and restaurants).

Where to Stay on San Diego Family Vacations

Airbnb/Vacation Rentals: There are lots of great deals on vacation rentals in San Diego. You can find everything from luxury beach homes to hip studio apartments. My recommendations for the best neighborhoods to stay in are:

• La Jolla (you’ll need a car)
• Pacific Beach (don’t stay right near Garnet Ave. – it’s a young party scene)
• Little Italy (best restaurant scene in SD and close to everything)
• North Park, South Park (cute family neighborhoods close to Balboa Park)

While I love these neighborhoods, there are many other great places to stay. The more affordable rentals are inland, like the park area, but those are still only 15 minutes from the beach.

Hotels: There are too many great hotels in San Diego to do a comprehensive review in this post, so, again, I’ll just give you the areas I think are the most family friendly for hotels:

• Coronado Island – Great views, surrounded by water, cute village and good restaurants. (expensive)
• Little Italy – great restaurants, close proximity to attractions (moderate to expensive)
• Mission Bay – hotels all have pools and most are right on the water, great option for small kids (moderate)
• Embarcadero/Seaport Village – walkable to lots of attractions, good views of the bay (budget to expensive)
• La Jolla – mostly luxury hotels, great beaches and views, nice neighborhoods, upscale shopping

**A lot of people like the Gaslamp quarter. It’s full of good restaurants, bars and clubs, and is very walkable. I personally don’t love it with kids. It’s quite a party scene in the evening and, just in my opinion, not where I want to stay or go out with my kids. If you’re coming on your own as a couple or for a ‘grown-up vacation’, there’s lots to do there.

If you’re looking for super budget accommodations, I think your best bet is Airbnb because you can get some great little apartments in the Balboa Park area for under $100 -150/nt and you’ll be close to everything. This is cheaper than most of the budget hotels.

Camping: There are several RV Parks and campgrounds in San Diego. Be advised that they are more expensive than in many other areas of the country, so it is not always cheaper to RV in San Diego. Also, pretty much every RV park in the area must be reserved months in advance if you’re coming for Spring Break or summer. There are great, kid-friendly RV parks with lots of amenities in Mission Bay and Pacific Beach. They are really pricey, as far as campgrounds go.

Less expensive options will be: The San Diego KOA in Chula Vista, about 15 minutes south of downtown. Silver Strand State Beach in Coronado (beautiful camping, must reserve WAY in advance) and Sweetwater Regional Park, about 20 minutes southeast of downtown.

Where to Eat in San Diego

(This is my favorite section!!)

San Diego’s food scene has exploded in the last 10 years and there are far too many places to list in this post, so I encourage you to research what’s new and what’s good when you get here. I’ll give you a shortlist of our family’s faves, although people in San Diego would probably be willing to fistfight me over their favorite tacos or ramen spots!

Fun Kid-Friendly Restaurant: Corvette Diner – a 50s style diner with singing/dancing servers; good for large parties, lots of kids or special occasions.

Best Pizza:

• Village Pizzeria in Coronado (the one on the bay, not on Orange Ave.) is right by the water and great for kids and big parties;
• Buona Forchetta in South Park is VERY authentic Italian, has other great Italian food and is good with large parties.

Best Brunch: Brunch is huge in San Diego, so there are great places. Expect to wait on weekends unless you get in early! These are some of our go-to brunch spots.

• Bernini’s – La Jolla
• The Cottage – La Jolla
• Brockton Villa – La Jolla
• Snooze – Hillcrest
• Hash House a Go-Go – Hillcrest
• The Fig Tree – Hillcrest and Liberty Station
• Morning Glory – Little Italy
• The Great Maple – University Heights
• The Big Kitchen – South Park

Best Upscale: If your kids are foodies and do well with fine dining, or if you’re looking for a date night try these

• Juniper&Ivy near Little Italy
• The Marine Room in La Jolla
• Trust near Balboa Park
• Mr. A’s downtown (penthouse view)

Best Desserts:

• Extraordinary Desserts  
• Stella Jean Ice Cream
• Pop Pie

Best Kid-Friendly Brewery:

The craft beer scene in SD is top-notch and if you want to visit some great beer spots that are kid-friendly (playgrounds and all) here are some choices

• Waypoint Public in North Park
• Bottlecraft in Liberty Station Public Market
• Station Tavern in South Park

Best Waterfront dining:

• Coasterra – Harbor Island
• Island Prime and C Level – Harbor Island
• Serea – the Hotel del Coronado
• Duke’s – La Jolla
• Oceana Coastal Kitchen – Catamaran Resort

Best Mexican: This is REALLY hard because the best Mexican food in San Diego is pretty far away from tourist areas. But here are some good choices

• Lucha Libre Taco Shop in Mission Hills or North Park
• Oscar’s Mexican Seafood in La Jolla.

**If you want some super authentic Mexican food and are willing to go off the beaten path (don’t worry, nothing dangerous) try these:

• Tacos El Gordo in Chula Vista: the most authentic Tijuana street style tacos on this side of the border. Don’t be intimidated: when you walk in, it will just look like a giant crowd, but actually it’s different lines for different kinds of tacos: adobada (spicy pork), lengua (tongue), carne asada (steak), buche (stomach) and cabeza (head). Don’t be put off, try them all! Adobada and Lengua are my favorites. You have to get back in a different line if you want a different kind of taco, so split up with your family to get in different lines. You might not hear any English being spoken but don’t worry, they’ll understand you and be helpful.

OR

• TJ Oyster Bar in Chula Vista: Best Mexican seafood! Great ceviche, fish tacos, and more. My favorites are the octopus tacos! Make sure you go to the one at 4410 Bonita Road, it has a larger dining area and a full bar.

I could write a book on San Diego family vacations, but I won’t (yet!). There are lots more things to do and places to see, but this will get you pretty far if you have a few days or even a few weeks in San Diego. Feel free to leave a question or a comment with some of your favorite San Diego vacation ideas! And don’t forget to check out my Perfect San Diego Family Vacation Itinerary