Quick Guide to a Weekend in San Diego: What to Do & See
I say this a lot about different cities, but San Diego is one of the places I could see myself living. The weather is great year-round, there are beautiful beaches, and the restaurants are great.
In the middle of my first Arizona summer, I was getting a bit defeated by the heat, and a weekend in San Diego was the perfect cure.
A few weeks back, we hopped in the car and took the quick 5-hour drive for a weekend in San Diego. The weekend was full of water activities, sightseeing, and tons of eating.
This guide to a weekend in San Diego explains the best things to do, where to stay, what to eat, and an easy 2-day itinerary.
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Itinerary for a Weekend in San Diego
This 2-day itinerary for a weekend in San Diego will explain where to eat and what to do during your trip. I put into an itinerary format to make planning your trip super easy.
However, you can easily rearrange these activities to best fit your schedule.
Day 1: La Jolla & Pacific Ocean
For your first day in San Diego, I recommend spending most of your time in the nearby town of La Jolla.
La Jolla is a beach town to the North of San Diego and is home to UC San Diego, a couple beaches, great restaurants, and high-end shopping.
Morning Coffee: Better Buzz Coffee
Start your day off with an iced tea, cold brew, or your favorite morning drink. Better Buzz Coffee is a super cute and instagrammable coffee shop in the heart of La Jolla.
Grab your drink, then make the short walk to La Jolla Cove to soak in the ocean views and watch the sea lions. Some days, there will also be local vendors selling handmade goods and art at the beach, so check those out as well.
Brunch: Dukes La Jolla
After enjoying your coffee at La Jolla Cove, make the short walk up to Dukes La Jolla for some of the best brunch in San Diego.
Dukes is a Hawaiian restaurant, with gorgeous views of the water. Some of the best brunch items are the loco moco, eggs benedict, and tropical mimosa.
All Day Activity: La Jolla Cove Kayak Tour
Following a tasty brunch, burn off some of it by taking this Kayak tour of La Jolla Cove. This was one of my favorite activities during my recent San Diego vacation.
The tour will begin in La Jolla Shores, which is a 10-minute drive from La Jolla Cove. Arrive early because parking is awful (it took us 45 minute to find a spot). If you don’t want to deal with parking, opt for an Uber instead.
Meet up with your guide, grab your gear, get a quick safety briefing, then head out onto the water. I was nervous to paddle into the crashing waves, but the guides helped pushed us out over the surf, making it super easy.
Once you are out on the water, you will paddle to the nearby seven cave area, learning about the nature reserve along the way. You can expect to see wildlife such as sea lions, dolphins, leopard sharks, turtles, and whales.
At the caves, learn about their history and even go inside one of them with the help of your guide. After spending some time at the caves, you will paddle back to the beach.
This activity is the perfect mix of exercise, sightseeing, and even history. If you only do one activity during your trip to San Diego, it should be this kayak tour.
Note: If you want to take photos during your tour (unlike me), invest in a waterproof phone case like this one.
Dinner: Herringbone
Round out your first day in San Diego with a delicious dinner at Herringbone in La Jolla. This restaurant has the best ambience.
Inside the restaurant, is a large courtyard with trees and string lights, making it super unique and romantic. The menu features great options such as oysters, fish, and other ocean-to-table eats.
Day 2: San Diego City Sites
Breakfast: The Hen House
For day two breakfast, visit the Hen House for some of the best chicken and waffles. They also have great breakfast cocktails and are conveniently located in pacific beach.
Morning Activity: Explore Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo
After breakfast, head to Balboa Park for a morning stroll. Balboa Park is a giant park that includes museums, gardens, restaurants, theaters, dog parks, and the San Diego Zoo. There are a few options of things to do when visiting Balboa Park.
The first option is simply wandering the park and exploring the grounds. This is what we did, since we had our dog with us. Park near the Organ Pavilion for easy access to popular sites such as the Japanese garden, alcazar garden, and plaza de Panama.
The second option is to take this Balboa Park Segway tour. Yes, Segways are the epitome of touristy, but they’re also a great way to cover a lot of ground quickly.
When we walked around the park, we lamented that we couldn’t cover more ground. This tour is a great way to see a lot of the park and learn about its history in a short amount of time.
The third option is to visit the San Diego Zoo. Conveniently located in Balboa Park, the zoo is one of the best in the world.
Be aware that the Zoo is huge and may take more than just the morning to visit. Save a bit of time by purchasing your ticket ahead of time.
Lunch: The Taco Stand
For lunch, enjoy tacos from the Taco Stand, one of the most highly rated taco restaurants in San Diego. You can’t go wrong with any of the tacos, but I recommend trying the Carne Asada, Al Pastor, and Baja tacos.
Afternoon Activity: San Diego Sailing Tour
In the afternoon, unwind with a relaxing sailing trip, complete with an open bar. This three-hour sailing tour will take you around the San Diego Bay, with hopes of seeing wildlife such as seals, whales, and dolphins.
You will also see popular San Diego sites from the water such as downtown, the Midway Museum, and the Maritime Museum. Included in the ticket price is beer, wine, soft drinks, and snacks.
Dinner: Puesto
More tacos? I vote yes. For dinner, head to the fun and trendy Mexican restaurant, Puesto. Since San Diego is so close to Mexico, the Mexican food cannot be beat.
Even though you already had tacos for lunch, these are different. Each taco includes meat or vegetables wrapped in crispy cheese, inside a fresh corn tortilla. In addition to fantastic tacos, Puesto has amazing margaritas you need to try.
Other Great Things to do in San Diego
If you have more than two days in San Diego, I recommend purchasing this San Diego city pass. It includes access to many of the top activities such as:
- Knott’s Berry Farm
- Legoland
- Paddle Board & Bike Rentals
- Whale Watching Tours
- USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum
- Museum of Contemporary Art
- And a lot more
This pass can be purchased for one day up to seven days and can easily keep you entertained, with a variety of activities for all ages. Be sure to compare the price of the pass to the price of doing the activities alone, but it will likely save you a lot of money.
Where to Stay in San Diego
Downtown San Diego | The Pendry
If you want to stay in the heart of San Diego, the Pendry is a great option. It is walking distance to popular sites such as Balboa Park and Seaport Village.
This 5-star hotel has luxurious, modern rooms, three restaurants, a large pool with a bar, and is even pet friendly.
Coronado | Hotel Del Coronado
Coronado Island is a great place to stay if you are craving ocean views and beach time. The Hotel Del Coronado is the most popular place to stay on the island.
This huge, family friendly property includes a golf course, pool, beach, six restaurants, and a spa. The rooms are a modern-coastal design, and a good size.
La Jolla | La Valencia Hotel
My favorite neighborhood in San Diego is La Jolla, which is a college town a bit north of the city. It’s high-end, has a ton of restaurants, and there are great beaches.
My favorite hotel in La Jolla is La Valencia Hotel. It’s located in the heart of La Jolla, walking distance to shopping, restaurants, and the La Jolla Cove beach.
The hotel has a Spanish style that is traditional to the area the carries throughout the rooms and grounds. There is also a great restaurant on site, a large pool, and amazing ocean views.
Best Time to Visit San Diego
San Diego has great weather year-round. When to visit depends on what you plan to do during your trip. If you hope to spend time in the water or at the beach, the best time to visit is late spring to early fall. San Diego is notorious for a “June gloom” with many grey, cloudy, days, but it will still be warm.
If you don’t need to be in the water, honestly, anytime is great to visit. To avoid crowds, skip holidays or school breaks.
How Long to Visit
San Diego is one of those places you can visit for a couple days or an entire week. There are many great things to do, but it is also small enough that a weekend in San Diego is enough time to see the highlights.
This guide explains how to spend two days in San Diego. If you stay longer, you will have additional pool or beach time, and can spread out these activities over a few extra days.
Getting to San Diego
There are two ways to get to San Diego – fly or drive. If you are coming from a distance, there is a large international airport in San Diego with direct flights from most cities in the United States.
It’s also easy to drive to San Diego from nearby cities such as Los Angeles, Palm Springs, and even Phoenix. On my recent visit, we drove from Phoenix, and it only took 5 hours each direction.
Transportation Around the City
The public transportation around San Diego is not great, and the major sites are too spread out to walk. For this reason, I highly recommend renting a car for your trip.
If you plan to mostly spend time at your hotel, you can also get away with using rideshare services such as Lyft or Uber.
Summary of a Weekend in San Diego
Overall, I’d consider your San Diego weekend trip a success if you do at least one activity on the ocean and have one good Mexican meal.
However, this travel guide and itinerary will help you do much more than that.
While two days is a quick trip, if you optimize your time, you will be able to have a packed agenda with fun activities, great food, and even some relaxation.
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