How To Spend One Day In San Diego: What To See, Eat & Do

San Diego California is known for having the perfect weather all year round, a world renowned zoo, and outdoor activities galore. With so much to see and do, it’s hard to narrow it down if you only have one day in San Diego.

Nonetheless, you can see San Diego in one day if that’s all the time you have. This is my San Diego one day itinerary that gives you a mix of coastal and city life.

From discovering hidden gems in La Jolla and Coronado to the bustling action of the Gaslamp Quarter and lively seaport. It’s all about relaxing, seeing the sights, and enjoying everything San Diego has to offer in such a short amount of time.

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

Where Is San Diego

San Diego is in California, about a two and a half hour drive from Los Angeles (making it very doable to see San Diego in a one day trip from there). It’s the last major California city before entering Mexico!

Is One Day In San Diego Enough Time?

One day in any larger city is rarely enough time to see it all. But if one day in San Diego is all you have, then you’ll still be able to see a good chunk of it, and even some popular surrounding attractions if you want.

Unfortunately, if you were hoping to visit the San Diego Zoo or even Sea World, those are both full day activities in themselves. In that case, I would recommend a minimum of two days so you have enough time to explore both the city and the zoo or sea world.

How To Get To San Diego?

You can fly in to the San Diego International Airport, take a train, bus, or drive for a San Diego one day trip.

Funny enough, if you’re coming from Los Angeles, all the modes of transportation (besides flying) takes about the same amount of time (2-2.5 hours). Hands down, the easiest way to get to San Diego is to rent a car and drive, and like most California cities, you’ll be thankful when you have a car once you’re there.

But if you can’t rent a car, check out the other options for getting to San Diego. Alternatively, you can also go on an organized tour (see Viator tour from Los Angeles) which will be the least stressful and take care of all the activities and transportation for you.

And take the stress of organizing your trip to San Diego with my travel planner template.

Driving Tips San Diego One Day Trip From Los Angeles

If you’ve decided to drive from Los Angeles to San Diego for the day here are some things to know about the drive. First, prepare yourself for spectacular ocean views, because the drive will take you on the I-5 along the Pacific Ocean.

You have to watch out for tolls though! If you’re using Google Maps, make sure to turn on “Avoid Tolls” in your settings. If you don’t, it’ll take you onto the 73 toll road through Orange County. They charge you automatically; it’s about a $10 (USD) toll, and you only end up saving about 10 minutes.

Plus! If you’re in a rental car, some companies charge you an administration fee for using the toll road. So it was closer to a $15 toll for us.

One Day In San Diego? You’ll Need To Rent A Car

No matter how you arrive for one day in San Diego, you’ll most likely want to rent a car. having a car just gives you so much more flexibility, or you can book a Hop On Hop Off bus trolley to get around without any stress.

It’s obviously most convenient to choose a rental place closest to your hotel for an easy pickup and drop off. But if you’re looking for the cheapest deal, be sure to check out Priceline. I’ve rented from both Budget and Enterprise and have no complaints about either.

When you’re renting the car, double check the car rental operating hours, or ask if there’s a drop off zone to leave the car and keys. Because you’re only going on a San Diego one day trip, you’ll probably get back after the car rental closes and you want to avoid having to deal with the car overnight.

San Diego One Day Itinerary

As I mentioned, my San Diego one day itinerary combines sightseeing in the city and it’s surroundings like La Jolla and Coronado Island.

The San Diego Zoo, which is a main attraction, isn’t included in my itinerary as you can easily spend an entire day there.

Start Your San Diego One Day Trip In La Jolla

The first stop on my San Diego one day itinerary is the seaside town of La Jolla (pronounced La Hoya). It’s still about a 40-minute drive away from San Diego, but it’s a nice place to stop to cut the drive in half if you’re coming from Los Angeles.

I recommend making three stops in La Jolla, the La Jolla cove swing, the town, and Rubio’s for lunch!

1: The Hidden La Jolla Cove Swing & Overhead Views

Before you even make it into the city, find the hidden La Jolla cove swing for an overhead view of La Jolla. There are two ways to get there: the easy way, or the hard way.

If you’re more of an outdoorsy person, read this guide for how to hike to the swing. But if you’re like me, you can opt for the less than 2-minute hike to the swing and view.

For the simple hike, drive to the Birch Aquarium parking lot. You can park here for 3 hours for free. At the southernmost point of the lot, you’ll see a little path with a tiny bridge. Cross the bridge and walk up the path for about 2 minutes, you’ll see the swing right away.

Take it all in once you’re at the top, snap some pics, relax with a book…etc. Or, if you’re feeling up for more of a hike, you can continue on the path through desert hills. Just a heads up, you might encounter some wildlife among the cactuses and desert terrain.

I am one to scare quite easily, so I didn’t make it that much further on the path. A gecko suddenly scurried across my path sending me running the other way. I think my yelp scared it just as much as it scared me.

2: Head Into La Jolla Town

Next item on the agenda is to actually explore the town you were just admiring from above. Here, park your car in the first spot you find, they’re limited but free! 

Don’t waste too much time looking for a parking spot though (you only have one day in San Diego remember!). There are parking lots where most shops and restaurants will validate it if you buy something.

I recommend stopping by Jim’s Sunny Sea Side cave first. It looks like a simple store on the outside, but once inside you have access to a La Jolla Cove at sea level.

You’ll get a perspective typically only visible if you were in a kayak. There’s a hidden man-made tunnel in the store, that leads you down 145 steps to a cave.

Be careful as you walk down, the steps can get pretty slippery and the ceilings are quite low at certain points. But it’s a lot of fun and the view is worth it at the end. 

After the cave, walk a bit further into town to see the beach and do some boutique shopping. If you’re an outdoorsy person, you can rent snorkelling gear, go kayaking, or go scuba diving on the shores.

Keep an eye out for the sea lions sunbathing on the rocks. FYI, they’re protected under California state law, so keep your distance (legally, that should be at least 20 feet).

Another very popular activity in La Jolla is to kayak to the sea caves instead. This kayak tour offers a unique vantage point to see the caves from the water, any one can join no prior kayak experience is necessary!

3: Lunch Time at Rubio’s

Once you get your shopping and beach fix, it’s lunchtime! I’m sure there are many good coastal restaurants to try, but I’m sure they’re also very expensive. Instead, jump back into the car for a 5-minute drive to Rubio’s.

Rubio’s is a chain restaurant, with franchises all over the southern United States. But they first opened in none other than San Diego itself. They’re also the creators of the fish taco, so make sure you order one! 

And, as a bonus, there’s a parking lot here so you don’t have to worry about finding another spot.

Next Stop Coronado Island

Next stop on my San Diego one day itinerary is Coronado Island. Coronado Island is a resort island in the San Diego Bay. It’s known for the Coronado bridge, having the best beach in America, and being home to the historic Hotel del Coronado.

The Coronado bridge connects San Diego and Coronado over the bay. It’s free to drive across and offers outstanding views along the way.

Once over the bridge, you’ll want to see the beach everyone’s raving about. The Coronado beach offers a beautiful place to sit and relax, and it’s not too overcrowded either. You’ll immediately see why it’s voted the best beach in American year after year.

Along the same beach is Hotel del Coronado (on the south side). Built in 1888, the Hotel del Coronado was featured in the Marilyn Monroe film “Some Like It Hot” (rent it on Amazon) and it’s become one of the biggest attractions on the island.

The hotel is accessible for anyone to visit, there are stores and restaurants to enjoy. If you want to see the infamous hotel, I recommend parking on Ocean Blvd or Ferry Landing Market Place and walking along the beach (about 15 minutes). Parking here is free, otherwise, it’ll cost you quite a bit more valet parking at the hotel (I made that mistake!).

Also just a heads up, it’s also really expensive to eat at the hotel, we couldn’t even afford a coffee (we were on a strict student budget at the time!).

It’s also worth exploring more of the island than. just the hotel, book a history and highlights tour of Coronado Island to learn more about the secrets of this upscale island.

Finally Visit The City Centre: Things To Do In San Diego

Finally, it’s time to visit the city centre. The main area to visit is the Gaslamp Quarter known for its vibrant nightlife scene. During the day, this neighbourhood is very enjoyable to walk around. You can hit up some local pubs, shops, or cafés.

We opted to stop at the California classic, Ghirardelli Chocolate shop. This is one of only a few Ghirardelli locations in California. The ice cream options are delicious, but you can definitely order one to share, they’re huge!

If you’re a baseball fan (like my partner) you can stop by Pedro’s stadium it’s only a few blocks away. (Before you go, check if there’s a game on the day you’re going!)

Parking Tip In Downtown San Diego One Day Trip

Parking in downtown San Diego shouldn’t have been as difficult as it was for us. There are several lots and street parking. We unknowingly visited on a game day (a baseball game that is!). This doubled the price of the parking lots, and all the street spots were taken.

We ended up parking on Union St (And W A St). It’s a bit of a walk (15 minutes) to the Gaslamp Quarter, but there were tons of spots there.

If you happen to be there on a Sunday, street parking is free, so it might also make it harder to find a spot. With only one day in San Diego, you don’t want to be wasting time finding parking spots.

You Can’t Leave San Diego Without Stopping At The Pier

Visiting the San Diego pier is a must do even with only one day in San Diego The pier is on the edge of downtown San Diego. This is where you’ll find my favourite statue: the Unconditional Surrender Statue, and the USS Midway. 

The USS Midway is aircraft carrier ship that’s been turned into a museum. This is great activity for families to enjoy. If you are interested in touring the ship, make sure to get here before 4 (consider going before the Gaslamp Quarter). P.S. book a skip the line ticket to the USS Midway for your trip!

Parking tip: you don’t have to stress about parking here, there is a paid lot right next to the USS Midway.

End Your Day At A San Diego Brewery

After touring and walking around, you’ve probably built up quite an appetite. In typical laid back California style, San Diego has a large local brewery scene.

I recommend hitting up Stone Brewery in Shelter Island. It has a beautiful outdoor patio where you can grab a bite to eat, and it starts you on your journey home (if you’re going back to L.A.).

And if that didn’t sell you, maybe their peanut butter flavoured beer will entice you (it was surprisingly very refreshing and ended up being my favourite flavour!).

If the food doesn’t tickle your fancy here, an alternative to Stone Brewery is the Public Market right next door.

We only stumbled upon it as we were leaving but it seemed like a pretty cool and relaxed place to eat. They offer a lot of different cuisines, I’m sure the whole family could find something to eat here.

Just a heads up, it’s close to the airport so you do get a lot of planes flying overhead.

P.S. Elevate your beer tasting experience in San Diego with a microbrew tasting sheet to rate each beer you taste and find your favourite one!

Enjoy Sunset At Scripps Pier

If you’re not ready to head back just yet, stop at Scripps Pier to watch the sunset. It’s right below Birch Aquarium, where the hidden La Jolla cove swing lives. 

Twice throughout the year, the sunset aligns perfectly with the beams of the pier. But even if you’re timing doesn’t add up, it’s still a beautiful sunset on the beach (weather permitting, of course)!

We arrived right on time for sunset and a completely overcast sky. Just our luck!

Alternative Things To Do In San Diego

There are so many things to do in San Diego that it’s easy to swap out any one of my activities from my suggested San Diego one day itinerary with something you’d enjoy more. This is just how we decided to spend our one day in San Diego.

Some other activities in San Diego are:

Harper’s Topiary Gardens is just someone’s front lawn. A San Diego couple decided to transform their own front-lawns’ shrubs into art pieces. From what I understand, this is more of a drive-by activity. A recommendation from Hidden San Diego to only go here if you find yourself in the area.  

Queen Califias Magical Circle is an outdoor sculpture garden that brings Barcelona in California! They have very specific opening hours, so be sure to check if they’re open before you visit.

Not too far from the San Diego Zoo is the Spruce St. suspension bridge high up in the trees that makes for a great outdoor activity and stunning pictures. You can find more information.

And of course, a pretty big San Diego attraction is the San Diego Zoo. But, like I said, this is really a one day activity in itself.

Opt To Stay The Night In San Diego – Hotel Recommendations

We just visited San Diego for the day from Los Angeles, but I found these hotels if you need a place to stay in San Diego.

Best Location: Stay in the heart of Downtown San Diego at the Staypineapple, Hotel Z. They have everything you need at this pineapple themed hotel and more! Like they offer free bikes to their guests that you can take around San Diego for the day! See room rates & availability.

Beach Vibes: Looking to get away from the city? El Cordova hotel, a Spanish style hotel on Coronado Island, is the ultimate beach vacation. Minutes from the beach and the historic Hotel Del Coronado. But you also never have to leave, with a private pool, 2 on-site restaurants and shopping! See room rates & availability.

Airport Stay: If you only have one day in San Diego, and you’re flying in or out it might be convenient to stay near the airport. I always love staying at Hampton Inns for their consistent quality and free breakfast! See room rates & availability.

Or see more accommodation options in San Diego.

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Last update on 2024-12-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API