30 Top things to do in San Diego with kids: Unmissable attractions & gems!

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San Diego is simply a existent playground by the Pacific. It promises some relaxation and adventure, and for families, it’s wherever you tin fto your child’s curiosity tally arsenic chaotic arsenic the lions astatine the world-famous San Diego Zoo.

From hiking on the coastal cliffs to riding roller coasters to discovering that “tide pooling” truly means treasure hunting, determination are truthful galore things to bash successful San Diego with kids too hitting each the large summons attractions.

woman and miss Bike riding on Pacific Beach promenade

San Diego has a knack for turning mundane moments into memory-making magic — whether it’s going for a motorcycle ride, uncovering the cleanable taco, oregon realizing your kids person conscionable discovered a caller favourite destination successful the USA.

So if it’s your archetypal sojourn to San Diego with your family, and you’re acceptable to commencement exploring, present is what to bash successful a metropolis wherever the forecast is ever sunny with a accidental of memories.

If you program connected visiting respective San Diego attractions, get yourself a San Diego Go Attraction Pass. You tin physique your ain based connected what you privation to spot and do. It volition prevention you money!

Table Of Contents

1. Bike thrust on the promenade astatine Pacific Beach

woman and miss Bike riding successful Pacific Beach,

First connected our database of things to bash was to leap connected a mates of bikes we rented from Action Sport Rentals astatine Bahia, and rhythm the motorcycle way down the formation astatine Pacific Beach.

We had a stressful clip flying to San Diego, and we recovered this an amazingly cathartic archetypal enactment to bash successful the city. The hostility released a small much with each caller peddle and enactment of caller salty air. It’s astonishing however overmuch quality and getting progressive with it tin alteration your psyche, which is wherefore we bash truthful galore outdoor activities with our kids and volition take it archetypal implicit immoderate depository oregon attraction.

woman and miss Bike riding on Pacific Beach, San Diego

We followed the motorcycle way astir to Mission Bay, which is the quieter country for h2o activities, boating, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding. The motorcycle way wasn’t arsenic engaged and filled with joggers and walkers arsenic the formation path.

At the apical of the bay, we chopped westbound to deed the motorcycle way and into the San Diego energetic vibe for our archetypal sensation of the beaches, Pacific Beach and Mission Beach.

people playing Beach volleyball successful San Diego

This thrust ended up being 1 of favourite things we did successful San Diego with the kids. We enjoyed bike dodging betwixt each the characters sharing the way with us. It besides became my greeting moving way – a large mode to commencement the San Diego day!

We cycled past Lahaina Beach House successful Pacific Beach, which brought backmost memories of San Diego successful 2006 earlier kids and having beers connected the platform watching the unthinkable sunsets.

2. Eat nachos and portion trade brew astatine South Draft Mission

woman holding pint with nutrient successful beforehand of her similing astatine camera with young miss astatine the table

San Diego is known to person 1 of the champion trade brewery scenes successful the country. One of our favourite places to illustration brew by section trade breweries we discovered was South Draft Mission, which has a beforehand structure overlooking the ocean. They service plentifulness of section brews, and a sheet of ginormous shredded beef nachos. The nachos present are 1 to retrieve – afloat of spirit without being excessively heavy.

As for beer, we had the Coconut Contender from the section Duck Foot Brewery – the laminitis has celiac disease, truthful each beers are gluten-free, truthful we could indulge!

For the kids, bid them a Mexican soda, which is each the rage successful San Diego. Its soda made from axenic cane sweetener and nicer tasting than that different stuff. We tried Squirt, the grapefruit flavor, which became Kalyra’s favorite.

3. Stand up paddle boarding and kayaking connected Mission Bay

mother and girl Stand up paddle boarding connected Mission Bay

You whitethorn cognize by present that 1 of our favourite household activities is stand-up paddle boarding. I emotion the stillness and serenity of conscionable maine being retired determination connected the h2o with the salty breeze connected my back. I gaffe into existent Tao tone connected a SUP.

I’m balanced, strong, and focused, yet humble, relaxed, and successful flow. I emotion to paddle with Kalyra and ticker her execute handstands, jumps, and cartwheels.

I was immensely arrogant of her arsenic we were paddling astir Mission Bay. She stopped and fell down maine and erstwhile I turned to spot what she was doing. I saw her maneuvering her committee and paddle, truthful she could prime up a integrative h2o vessel she passed floating successful the water. My bosom swelled. These are the moments that marque each the challenges and sacrifices of this full-time household question beingness worthwhile.

womand and girl Kayaking successful Mission Bay

Savannah is h2o cautious, truthful she doesn’t often clasp supping. However, she loves kayaking, truthful we jumped successful the tandem kayak unneurotic to research the bay.

You tin prosecute paddle boards and kayak rentals from Action Sport Rentals adjacent The Bahia Resort. They besides person different locations successful the Mission Bay area.

4. Get retro astatine the Corvette Diner

old 50s car connected show successful diner

The Corvette Diner is similar thing I’ve ever seen before. It’s a diner that pays homage to each epoch clip has gone by since diners were a thing.

From a brightly colored 50s retro diner with a beverage barroom and vintage attraction down the hostess to the bid country with a achromatic and achromatic movie showing supra each booth, to a modern reddish country dedicated to corvette car lovers.

A vigor DJ booth pumps retired Frank Sinatra, New York, New York, and different classical tunes similar Wild Thing, which matches the 70s groove country we dined in.

The achromatic walls are painted with Fluro signs reminding america to Make Love Not War; admit Peace, Love, and Music; and clasp Woodstock arsenic our therapy. Look up and you’ll proceed the messaging with psychedelic posters connected the ceiling. How did they cognize this was my vibe?

people eating astatine the Corvette Diner successful San Diego -

Waitstaff deterioration rainbow-colored scrunchies and achromatic dresses with Fluro trim. Our energetic waitress stops to decorate the girls’ hairsbreadth with multi-colored popsicle sticks and gives the girls flashlights to gully connected the array with.

They soon interruption into a Mashed Potato pom-pom dance and stitchery astir those having a day to sing to them. The Corvette Diner is similar a nightclub for families. I committedness you earlier the nighttime is through, you’ll beryllium singing astatine the apical of your lungs with the DJ – “Let’s perceive it for the boys!”

When the kids are done with their hair, a spot of array art, and their dinner, they tin caput retired to the arcade retired backmost for immoderate bully old-fashioned games – much amusive things to bash with kids successful San Diego! Be definite to high-five a fewer of the greats on the partition erstwhile you do. Hello Elvis, you good happening you!

5. Watch the sunset astatine Pacific Beach Pier

people walking on the formation astatine Sunset successful San Diego

Sunset successful San Diego can’t beryllium missed! You tin bask the sunset from immoderate of the beaches successful San Diego. No substance wherever you basal you’ll spot a elephantine orangish orb dip beneath the ocean’s horizon. And due to the fact that summertime seldom sees rainfall successful California, you’ve got large likelihood for a terrific nightly show.

Our girls were blessed cartwheeling and playing connected the soil connected Pacific Beach adjacent to the pier portion we watched the prima spell down. The sunsets are 1 of the astir beauteous things to spot successful San Diego, and there’s lone 1 happening to bash aft specified a beauteous adjacent retired to the day…celebrate with crystal cream!

6. Grab an crystal pick from Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream

Speaking of sunny weather, if you’re craving crystal cream, caput to Garnet Road, the main thoroughfare starring to the pier astatine Pacific Beach. Tucked successful betwixt a batch of large restaurants and casual cafes is section crystal pick favorite, Hammond’s Gourmet crystal cream.

Not definite which spirit to buy? You tin sensation test. Or effort 1 of their waffle cone flights. Ice pick is always a item for our girls! They had a mint choc spot and Craig had his accustomed favorite, food pecan. Whilst we didn’t get it anyplace else, it would beryllium hard to bushed arsenic the best crystal pick successful San Diego.

7. Experience the civilization astatine Balboa Park

two girls looking astatine presumption of pind and historica gathering successful Balboa Park, San Diego, California

Balboa Park is simply a taste playground for children and adults. Balboa Park is America’s largest municipality taste park, is ranked arsenic 1 of the champion parks successful the world. You could walk a afloat time here! It has everything to suit each ages and your family’s preferences:

art galleries
historic buildings
New Children’s Museum San Diego
science centers
performing arts centers
Museum of man
San Diego Botanic Garden
and adjacent 1 of America’s champion zoos, the San Diego Zoo!

Even conscionable wandering astir and appreciating the stunning Spanish Renaissance and Southwest architecture and beauteous gardens is enjoyable. We lone managed to walk a fewer hours astatine Balboa Park, and retired of the 17 Balboa Park museums and endless lush and landscaped gardens, present is what we experienced.

You mightiness privation to see this San Diego Walking Tour: Balboa Park with a Local Guide

8. Learn astatine the Spanish Village Art Center

woman and miss lasting connected colored tiles astatine Spanish Village Art Center, Balboa Park

Pop into the Spanish Village Art Center truthful your kids tin get a look astatine a moving artist’s workplace successful a charming Spanish municipality square. Small adobe studios painted with bluish walls and yellowish trims big a assortment of artists and adjacent connection creation classes, glass-blowing lessons, and adjacent much to research your originative side.

From the studios to the flowers, this spot bursts with colour and reflective energy. Kids volition emotion hopscotching and cartwheeling implicit the rainbow chalky colored chromatic tiles.

9. Get educated astatine the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

The Science Center is an interactive acquisition playground for the kids. These are the benignant of places we look for to cheque disconnected a fewer of our homeschooling boxes.

The girls learned much astir the h2o cycle, vigor and motion, and antithetic knots. We had a blast successful the peculiar grounds (extra fee), which astatine the clip was each about Mythbusters. We didn’t adjacent cognize it was a TV amusement until going wrong the Science Center.

We had amusive trying retired the antithetic myth-busting experiments similar getting changed into a superhero costume successful a telephone booth arsenic accelerated arsenic you tin and investigating however bedewed we’d get walking and past moving nether a rainfall shower!

There are implicit 100 hands-on exhibits successful the Fleet Science Center astatine Balboa Park. Admission besides includes an IMAX film. Unfortunately, we conscionable missed the movie and didn’t person clip to enactment for the adjacent showing.

10. Admire the Botanical Building

woman and girls looking astatine the botanical gardens and buildings Balboa Park

The Botanical Building houses much than 2,000 tropical plants. Capturing the wood operation with the lily pond successful beforehand is 1 of the astir photographed sections of Balboa Park.

11. Relax successful the Japanese Friendship Garden

There is an other interest to participate the Japanese Friendship Garden, which is an look of relationship betwixt San Diego and its sister city, Yokohama.

There’s an precocious and little strolling way wherever you tin spot koi pond, landscaped gardens and a Zen plot viewing deck. It’s a precise tranquil space. There’s besides a beverage pavilion overlooking the gardens. Some different museums and Balboa Park attractions that came highly recommended were:

the Natural History Museum Center
San Diego Air and Space Museum
San Diego Zoo Safari Park and riding the Skyfari Aerial Tram
and The San Diego Museum of Art

11. Explore Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

girl lasting successful beforehand of motion that says Old Town San Diego State Historic Park connected a achromatic wall

San Diego County is not conscionable astir the astonishing beaches and delicious food, determination is heavy past present to experience. One of the champion places to uncover that histotry, is Old Town San Diego, which was the archetypal downtown San Diego and represents San Diego’s Hispanic practice from 1821 to 1872.

There are plentifulness of beauteous aged buildings to look astatine specified arsenic the one-room Mason Street School, the San Diego Courthouse, and the Colorado Hotel which features the archetypal stagecoach.

There are plentifulness of museums you tin look astatine to assistance archer the story. Many different buildings situation the La Plaza de Las Armas which was the spot of spiritual processions, governmental activities, equine races, and bullfights. You tin besides interact with interpretive merchants who formal successful play attire and chat astir the activities successful the pueblo.

woman and girls walking down the roadworthy past aged buildings astatine Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

The parkland is free, though immoderate of the museums whitethorn person a tiny introduction fee. Of course, we had to halt successful to sojourn the astir haunted location successful America, oregon truthful they say. Whaley House Museum, whose haunted estimation dates backmost to the 1850s, is 1 of the apical things to bash successful San Diego Old Town and was built connected the onshore wherever Yankee Jim, a vessel thief, was hanged!

Savannah clung to my near limb the full time, which made it hard for maine to tally from immoderate ghostly figures. Unfortunately, they did not privation to travel retired to greet us. I did bask looking astatine the theatre upstairs and imagining however 150 radical erstwhile acceptable successful the tiny country for colony entertainment.

We enjoyed walking astir the marketplace country of Festa de Reyes. There are restaurants present arsenic good arsenic vino and cocoa tasting rooms. It inflamed our kid’s curiosity for Mexico and present privation to visit. I emotion however places similar this tin broaden their horizons. I anticipation they instrumentality maine with them. If you’re looking for a spot to devour successful Old Town, Casa Guadalajara successful Old Town has award-winning Mexican food.

Check retired this Old Town San Diego: Hop-on Hop-off Narrated Tour!

12. Have a formation time astatine Ocean Beach, San Diego

Come arsenic you are and bash your happening successful Ocean Beach, oregon OB arsenic the locals telephone it. All visitors are invited successful this formation municipality conscionable implicit the San Diego River estuary from Mission Beach.

Ocean Beach reminds maine truthful overmuch of Byron Bay successful Australia earlier it became yuppified. There are a fewer tidy waves retired beforehand to the close of the Ocean Beach Pier and past further astir are formation volleyball courts.

road with thenar trees connected either side

When we stayed successful Ocean Beach successful 2004, we loved spending our days playing formation volleyball and enjoying relaxed formation living. There’s a grassy portion retired the beforehand which is afloat of adults who haven’t mislaid the joyousness of unencumbered play with friends and strangers.

Groups of men and women enactment each other’s AcroYoga poses, different radical encourages equilibrium mastery connected the slack lines, hula hoop wannabees wiggle those hips (my girls included) and others fto their spirits escaped successful drumming circles with bongo drums, acoustic guitars, and voices. It’s an experience. Be definite to propulsion a mates of dollars successful the extremity bucket for the usage of the hoops if you determine to articulation in.

OB benignant is axenic grit. You cognize what they say, we should each devour a small much dirt!

13. Eat luncheon with astonishing views astatine Wonderland Ocean Pub

people looking astatine the formation retired of a window

Wonderland Ocean Pub successful Ocean Beach is kid-friendly and the champion spot to devour for water views and tasty nutrient – deliberation poke, surfer bowls, caller outpouring rolls, and tacos, instrumentality your pick.

Yummy food tacos connected a sheet astatine Wonderland Ocean Pub successful Ocean Beach, San Diego

Grab a precocious array oregon model seat spot and bask watching the surfers and the carnival ambiance of the grassy portion below. I grabbed guacamole for lunch, and it was delicious. It’s not your mean guacamole, this has the California twist to it. And of course, we enjoyed our food tacos!

14. Visit Ocean Beach Farmers Market

view of radical walking done the Ocean Beach Farmers Market

We emotion visiting a bully section farmers marketplace with our kids and the Ocean Beach Farmers Market did not disappoint. How could you not beryllium blessed with unrecorded music, caller produce, delicious section food, alternate stores, and clothes, and jewelry? They adjacent disconnected the main thoroughfare connected Wednesdays betwixt 4pm and 8pm for it.

We wandered up 1 side, past stopped astatine Belching Beaver Brewery for a speedy section trade IPA brew, and the kids enjoyed a crippled of Jenga, earlier wandering down the different side.

That was the broadside wherever we discovered an full stall devoted to gluten-free, dairy-free desserts. Of course, we grabbed respective things to effort – we seldom get spoiled similar that.

We besides recovered Mystech wherever we spent immoderate clip learning astir the earthy healing vigor of 7.83HZ and parent quality (duh) and bought a bracelet for each of america to counteract each the machine clip we person and vulnerability to harmful EMFs.

We past listened to immoderate unrecorded music, which had the thoroughfare jammed and pumping, and past grabbed a steadfast quinoa vessel from Fresh of the Bowls Street Food for dinner. Then, we took meal with america to Sunset Cliffs for different 1 of those unthinkable Southern California sunsets.

15. Enjoy the sunset astatine Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

aerial presumption of Sunset Cliffs with roadworthy winding on and homes

Many radical recommended we instrumentality successful 1 of the celebrated San Diego sunsets from Sunset Cliffs, which is conscionable a mates of miles southbound of the Ocean Beach pier.

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park is simply a 68-acre City of San Diego determination parkland which extends 1½ miles on the Point Loma peninsula’s occidental shoreline.

You get expansive water views, melodramatic cliff formations and caves, an intertidal area, and successful immoderate spaces plentifulness of abstraction and rocks for the kids to tally implicit mode backmost from the edge.

kids playing connected the Sunset Cliffs

Look retired for the mermaid atop Ross Rock that juts retired from the cliff face. We parked connected Sunset Cliffs Blvd, past walked a spot to the ample unfastened quality cliffs area.

Watch your children walking on Sunset Cliffs Blvd to get to the quality cliffs area. There are steep driblet offs from the cliff. There are pathways to get down to the beaches beneath for the adventurous and fashionable for surfers and those successful their twenties. Although we had a cloudy sunset, we inactive enjoyed the acquisition – adhd it to your database of household things to bash successful San Diego!

16. See the seals astatine La Jolla Cove

rocky shoreline of La Jolla Cove, San Diego

Just up from the main Pacific Beach country of San Diego is the tiny beachside assemblage of La Jolla. You’ll request astatine slightest fractional a time to research present the La Jolla shores Beach area. La Jolla rapidly became 1 of our favourite places to sojourn successful San Diego County with kids, adjacent though we didn’t person overmuch clip there.

One happening you cannot miss erstwhile you spell to La Jolla is The Cove, a tiny formation tucked betwixt sandstone cliffs and 1 of La Jolla’s best-known spots. La Jolla Cove is seemingly a bully spot for diving and snorkeling erstwhile surf conditions are calm.

mother and babe Seals astatine La Jolla Cove,

Follow the odor to scope the nonmigratory oversea lions playing and sleeping connected the rocks. There were plentifulness of pups astir erstwhile we visited. We had a large giggle astatine the babe seal that sounded similar a lamb arsenic helium waddled implicit to get immoderate beverage from Mum. He could beryllium a contender for the America’s Got Talent crown.

Seals astatine La Jolla Cove, San Diego, California

There are much seals adjacent the Children’s Pool astatine Casa Beach. All ages emotion the La Jolla seals and oversea lions astatine Children’s Pool Beach and La Jolla Cove. Around from the Cove are the La Jolla Caves.

You tin wage to spell down into 1 of the caves oregon conscionable basal connected the constituent to respect the views, including the galore kayakers successful beforehand of you looking backmost to the cave ridden coastline.

La Jolla’s Shores is simply a mile-long formation and large for families. The portion is besides good known for its seal beingness and oversea creatures successful the tide pools during debased tide and the municipality is large for eating and shopping.

Thinking of visiting La Jolla? Here are immoderate tours you should cheque out.

17. Go connected a coastal hike astatine Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

two girls looking astatine presumption of formation

We loved our sojourn to Torrey Pines State National Reserve. It’s a mates of miles northbound of La Jolla and is made up of 2,000 acres of coastal authorities park, and 1 of the astir beautiful places to sojourn successful California.

It has a postulation of coastal hiking trails with water vistas and autochthonal vegetation, including the uncommon Torrey Pine, which is lone recovered in Torrey Pines State Reserve and Santa Rosa Island. The Torrey Pines hiking trails are of assorted levels for each ages and tally on the cliff faces oregon power backmost down to the shores below.

two girls hugging connected a way astatine Torrey Pines State Nature Reserve,

We hiked the Guy Fleming trail, which is an casual 2/3-mile loop locomotion and 1 of the astir popular Torrey Pines hikes. It offers a small diverseness done shady pines, rugged orangish cliffs, purple and achromatic wildflowers and cactus with wide spiky leaves. Observing the Torrey Pines adjacent the cliff look and further backmost gave the girls a large acquisition connected erosion. Thank you, beingness learning!

woman and 2 girls hugging looking astatine presumption of formation

The locomotion rapidly turned my girls from whining to giggling and feeling relaxed and grounded. Nature knows best. I privation we had much clip to bash the Razor Point Trail arsenic you walk by beauteous reddish sandstone cliffs and get to ascent the Red Butte which we gazed astatine from afar. Hiking successful Torrey Pines State Park is 1 of the champion San Diego activities for getting retired successful nature. We volition beryllium back!

READ MORE: Easy tips for hiking with kids

18. Eat food tacos astatine Oscars Mexican Seafood, a section fav!

tray filled with food tacos astatine Oscars Mexican Seafood

We asked our waiter astatine South Draft successful Mission Beach, wherever is the best Mexican nutrient successful San Diego? He instantly recommended Oscars Mexican Seafood arsenic a large local, hole-in-the-wall spot to drawback food tacos successful San Diego.

He warned america determination whitethorn beryllium lines, and we avoided them by visiting the shack adjacent La Jolla astatine lunchtime. I can’t determine whether I liked the smoked food taco oregon the spicy grilled shrimp tacos better. Get 1 of some and fto maine know!

pistillate and 2 girls sitting astatine countertop successful beforehand of a mural of taco motortruck

Grab a squirt and a abstraction connected the stool successful beforehand of the graffiti partition and excavation in. Not lone tasty but 1 of the inexpensive places to devour successful San Diego.

19. Splash astir astatine the Waterfront Park

Perhaps 1 of the champion escaped things to bash with kids is splash astir successful the Waterfront Park successful Little Italy. The parkland features fountains and a tiny paddling area, which toddlers volition emotion moving astir in.

There’s besides a grassy country to beryllium connected and bask the sunshine. There’s besides a walkway with picnic tables and benches, arsenic good arsenic tons of climbing frames and play instrumentality for the kids to play on.

20. Spend a time exploring San Diego’s Museums

San Diego has immoderate fantastic museums, truthful it would beryllium a shame to sojourn without exploring a fewer of them. The USS Midway Museum is located crossed from the Waterfront Park truthful it’s casual to harvester these 2 attractions.

It’s a erstwhile naval craft bearer that’s been turned into a Navy museum. Located connected Navy Pier, the depository houses an extended postulation of aircraft, naval memorabilia, and objects, and is 1 of the fewer places wherever you get an wrong glimpse into what it is similar onboard a navy ship.

Next to the USS Midway is the Maritime Museum of San Diego, which features 1 of the largest collections of historical oversea vessels successful the U.S. The item of the depository is the Star of India, an 1863 robust bark ship.

The San Diego Natural History Museum is besides worthy checking out. It’s located successful Balboa Park and has been unfastened since 1874, making it the 2nd oldest technological instauration westbound of the Mississippi (and the oldest successful Southern California). Kids volition emotion gazing astatine the life-size dinosaur models that look freakishly lifelike!

21. Go whale watching

If you’re visiting San Diego from December until April, you person travel astatine the premier clip to spot whales! It is estimated that up to 20,000 grey whales migrate disconnected the seashore of San Diego during these wintertime months.

If you privation to spot whales successful their earthy habitat, past you tin opt for 1 of the vessel tours to instrumentality you disconnected the shores to spot them from a adjacent (but not excessively close) distance.

Check retired whale-watching tours online earlier you visit!

22. Learn astir marine beingness astatine Birch Aquarium astatine Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Perched precocious supra La Jolla’s rugged coastline, the Birch Aquarium astatine Scripps Institution of Oceanography has been reeling successful funny minds since 1905, erstwhile it archetypal opened arsenic a tiny nationalist grounds showcasing the pioneering marine probe happening conscionable down the hill.

Today it’s a bright, modern model into the Pacific, wherever families tin regard upon glowing jellyfish oregon research hands-on tide pools. You tin rotation done vibrant reef tanks, larn however scientists way seahorses successful the wild, oregon measurement extracurricular to ticker the water agelong endlessly beyond the Blue Penguins’ playful domain.

If you besides similar learning astir marine life, past you mightiness besides similar to sojourn the Living Coast Discovery Center.

23. Go tide pooling astatine Cabrillo National Monument

Cabrillo National Monument is San Diego’s lone nationalist parkland and a fashionable determination for tide pooling. It was named aft Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the person of the archetypal European expedition to the West Coast of the US successful 1542. The Old Point Loma Lighthouse is simply a highlight.

24. Visit the world-famous San Diego Zoo

We personally don’t sojourn zoos, but the astir celebrated attraction successful San Diego is SeaWorld San Diego and the San Diego Zoo, truthful we can’t miss it disconnected this list.

A century-old icon, the San Diego Zoo opened successful 1916, erstwhile Dr. Harry Wegeforth gathered a ragtag postulation of animals near down from the Panama-California Exposition and dreamed up a revolutionary open-air zoo.

It was pioneering astatine the time, and paved the mode for unfastened aerial enclosures astir the world. Today, it’s a 100-acre safari of satellite habitats and wildlife play zones. Here, everyone tin marvel astatine conservation successful action.

25. Take a time travel to Legoland successful Carlsbad

Just a breezy thrust up the seashore from San Diego successful Carlsbad is LEGOLAND California, which opened its brightly bricked gates successful 1999 — the archetypal LEGO taxable parkland successful the U.S.

Built connected the whimsy of those beloved integrative bricks, the parkland volition ignite your child’s imagination. See Lego dragons swoop done medieval castles, pirate ships splash done sunlit lagoons, and full metropolis skylines emergence successful miniature form. It’s bricks load of fun!

26. Go to the beachfront amusement park, Belmont Park

And of people Belmont Park, the historical oceanfront amusement parkland is the spot to spell if you and your kids similar a roller coaster.

Belmont Park is the seaside amusement parkland connected Mission Beach. The parkland has truthful overmuch for kids to do, specified arsenic thrust the historical roller coaster, play games successful an arcade, thrust carnival rides, whizz connected a zip line, play laser tag oregon miniature golf, and thrust astir connected go-kart track.

27. Take the Old Town Trolley to Coronado Island

tram successful aged municipality san diego

The Old Town trolley circuit travels done Old Town San Diego and implicit the iconic San Diego-Coronado Bridge to Coronado Island connected a continuous 25-mile loop.

Let its nostalgic clang transportation you crossed San Diego’s story-soaked streets and driblet you disconnected connected the sun-splashed shores of Coronado Island. The trolley line, inspired by San Diego’s historical streetcars of the precocious 19th and aboriginal 20th centuries, has been offering narrated adventures since the 1980s.

On Coronado Island, you tin rotation the manicured streets lined with Victorian homes, sip thing chill on Orange Avenue, oregon descend your toes into the postcard-perfect sands of Coronado Beach, past fto the trolley beryllium your question home.

And conjecture what? If you are visiting successful October, the trolley circuit is free! Yay for a escaped tram!

See Prices & Availability Here

28. Go buying successful Seaport Village

For families who emotion to shop, caput implicit to Seaport Village, a waterfront buying and eating complex.

This waterfront maze of boutiques, unsocial shops, cafés and restaurants has been charming visitors since it opened successful 1980 connected onshore that erstwhile served arsenic a bustling hub for maritime trade.

Today, its clapboard buildings and carousel euphony connection a storybook feel, cleanable for an unhurried afternoons spent browsing for souvenirs oregon unsocial finds.

29. Watch a shot crippled astatine Petco Park Baseball Stadium

Take maine up to the ballpark… Catching a crippled astatine Petco Park is simply a bona fide rite of passage. Located successful the bosom of the Gaslamp Quarter, the Padres’ location tract makes it casual to drawback a crippled erstwhile visiting the city.

Famously the beautifully restored 1909 Western Metal Supply Co. warehouse sits close into the left-field line. Fans sprawl connected the grassy Park astatine the Park, nutrient stalls crockery retired snacks and trade beers, and the open-air stands connection a large spot to ticker the fame from.

30. Hike the Annie’s Canyon Trail

Metal Ladder Up a Cliff, Annie's Canyon, Encinitas, California adjacent San Diego

One hidden gem successful San Diego that’s cleanable for kids is Annie’s Canyon Trail successful Solana Beach. This abbreviated but magical hike takes you done a constrictive sandstone slot canyon (think people carved walls, small ladders, and twists that spark a consciousness of adventure).

It’s similar a mini treasure hunt with miles of coastline views astatine the top, and it’s peaceful capable that your kids tin run, explore, and marvel without the immense crowds.

Where to enactment successful San Diego

aerial presumption Bahia Resort Hotel and marina successful Mission Bay

We stayed astatine the Bahia Resort Hotel during our visit, and highly urge it. We loved the determination – it’s set backmost from the formation connected Mission Bay, and portion it definite is hard to bushed formation views from a hotel, but I liked however Bahia was a mates of blocks backmost arsenic it was overmuch quieter.

The boardwalk moving on Mission Beach to Pacific Beach tin get precise lively, truthful being close connected the beforehand mightiness not beryllium perfect with younger kids. In fact, you won’t find a batch of hotels on the boardwalk; it’s mostly formation rentals, and the unusual backpacker hostel thrown successful between.

girl sitting connected formation lounge successful beforehand of Bahia Resort Hotel, Mission Bay

With the Bahia Hotel, you are a 3-minute locomotion to the beach, but person implicit serenity. And you get views anyhow – Mission Bay views from your ain backstage beach! We loved its laid-back look and having a compartment close connected the beachfront was awesome. The edifice has antithetic events similar movie nights for families and offers motorcycle rental, arsenic good arsenic kayaks and paddle boards.

I loved walking retired my compartment doorway and being conscionable a abbreviated locomotion to the sand. I would walk my mornings connected the formation chairs and meditating, and bask it with a solid of chardonnay successful the evening.

When you archetypal get astatine the Bahia, you’ll deliberation it doesn’t look overmuch similar a resort, yet erstwhile you statesman to research San Diego, you recognize it’s wholly successful keeping with the San Diego style.

There is simply a excavation and tennis courts and a fittingness center. And the nutrient was besides terrific. We don’t usually similar edifice buffet breakfasts, but this 1 was 1 to rave about. Espresso coffees were included (with almond milk) and the nutrient choices were fresh, diverse, and tasty.

See Prices & Availability Here

Café Bahia

family smiling astatine camera portion eating dinner

Another bully crushed to enactment present is due to the fact that the onsite edifice is fantastic, and I don’t request to archer you however hard it is to find a spot to devour with kids, particularly erstwhile you’ve been exploring each time and they’re tired.

We had meal 1 nighttime astatine Café Bahia, the Bahia hotel’s signature restaurant. You bash not person to beryllium staying astatine the edifice to devour here, truthful adjacent if you take not to enactment astatine the Bahia, I urge it for a meal spot.

We were fortunate capable to effort the oversea scallop specialty that was lone coming retired connected the paper the week aft we left. It was genuinely innovative and delicious, and the kids were kept afloat and blessed with classical child-friendly dishes similar burgers and chickenhearted tenders! The work present is besides affable and exceptional.

Is San Diego a good, family-friendly formation destination?

surfers holding baords connected the soil and galore peopl connected Ocean Beach

We hadn’t been to San Diego before, truthful our travel was mostly astir ticking disconnected the main San Diego tourer attractions, but we besides emotion to acquisition the chill section vibe and culture, and immoderate big worldly too. When we question arsenic a family, we similar to onslaught a equilibrium betwixt kid and big activities, truthful neither of america gets bored, which equals a blessed household trip!

Our archetypal content of San Diego was seeing surfers contention with boards nether their arms to drawback the breaks their friends are already cutting escaped on.

We wanted to spot guys and girls cruising by connected bikes holding onto handlebars 5 feet precocious with stereo speakers, and young friends playing formation volleyball and falling implicit each different giggling, past walking towards the San Diego sunset with arms draped implicit each other.

With 70 miles of pristine coastline on the Pacific Ocean successful San Diego County, you person endless opportunities for endless household amusive astatine the beach. And of course, the beache is escaped to visit, truthful who doesn’t emotion that?

people sitting astatine tables astatine a formation cafe successful Pacific Beach, San Diego

The boardwalk stretching from Pacific Beach to Mission Beach is simply a substance of brightly painted two-story homes, smaller formation shacks, and achromatic Adobe structures with cactus gardens of each shapes and sizes. Mixed successful betwixt Pacific and Mission Beach are taco corners, cafes, bars, and truthful overmuch more.

San Diego’s adjacent proximity to Mexico gives you a colorful and unsocial flavor. You tin warrant the food tacos volition beryllium afloat of cilantro and the section brew airy and citrusy.

Final thoughts

You cognize you’ve landed successful a family-friendly destination erstwhile you spot your children rapidly gaffe into a relaxed and joyful state. Both our girls kept saying however overmuch they loved San Diego, particularly Kalyra, who kept saying however it reminded her truthful overmuch of our erstwhile Australian formation home. She could not halt sharing her memories and started to consciousness homesick.

She truly loved the San Diego activities we experienced and immersing herself successful that formation manner and energy. San Diego is not conscionable a metropolis packed afloat of things to do, it has a laid-back vibe, a harmless and hospitable atmosphere, and a large foodie scene. For those reasons, we deliberation it’s a large spot to abrogation to with kids.

When you sojourn San Diego arsenic a family, you’ll observe truthful overmuch to offer. It’s wherever food tacos reign ultimate and sunsets acceptable the code of the evening with a vibrant show of personalities.

And if you’re reasoning San Diego attractions are each astir Seaworld and San Diego Zoo, past hopefully by present you’ve discovered however overmuch much determination is for kids to bash present than research taxable parks and zoos.

More California Travel Tips

More Road Trip Ideas

Are you adding San Diego onto your California roadworthy trip? Here are immoderate different resources to assistance you program your trip.

Are you readying to sojourn California? Still person questions astir what to spot successful San Diego with kids oregon wherever to spell successful San Diego? We’d emotion to perceive astir them successful the comments below!

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