San Diego is full of so many great attractions, restaurants, and experiences, so you might not readily be thinking of taking a day trip away from this amazing city. However, in just a short trip from the city proper, you can explore much more that might never have been on your radar. Whether you are looking for mountain pie shops, expansive desert wildflower blooms, or rolling vineyard hills, Southern California offers a massive variety of landscapes just a short drive from the coast. These are the top San Diego day trips according to locals. Each location has something unique to offer everyone while being easy to reach. Start planning your one day in San Diego itinerary to these areas today to see a completely different side of the county.
- Stroll Through Seaport Village
- Experience Island Magic on Coronado
- Visit the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
- Taste the Apple Pie in Historic Julian
- Wine Tasting in the Temecula Valley
- Stay Cozy with Comfortable Accommodations
- Start Planning Your Day Trip from San Diego
- Frequently Asked Questions About Local Excursions
Stroll Through Seaport Village
Who doesn’t love a day by the water? Seaport Village is right on the bay, offering great harbor views, delicious food, and a very relaxed walking path. Even though you’re only minutes away from the downtown area, you’ll feel you’ve entered a coastal town from a movie set. It’s perfect, with little cafes to discover, specialty shops and boutiques, and sitting areas to enjoy lunch or just watch the Navy ships go by. There are hop-on, hop-off trolley tours and boat cruises you can take around the harbor right from the boardwalk. The entire Seaport Village area is flat and easy to cover on foot, making it the perfect easygoing day trip that you can enjoy without even needing a rental car. If you want to expand your walking tour, you can easily continue north along the Embarcadero to explore the USS Midway Museum or the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
Experience Island Magic on Coronado
Adventures by the water continue with our next day trip suggestion. Visit Coronado Island which can be accessed with a drive over the iconic Coronado Bridge or via the commuter ferry. Honestly, we recommend taking the ferry from downtown. It’s a fun way to see the San Diego skyline from the water and it is a very relaxing ride. Coronado is a great place to spend a full day, loaded with wide beaches, highly rated restaurants, and historic sites. You can’t come to Coronado without visiting Coronado Beach. The sand literally sparkles due to high mica content, and the views stretching out into the Pacific are spectacular.
Consider stopping at the historic Hotel del Coronado for lunch. Their outdoor patio offers front row seats to the ocean waves. After you eat, you will want to rent beach cruiser bikes to ride along Orange Avenue or head south along the Silver Strand bike path. The terrain is completely flat, making it an easy ride for children or older adults. Stick around to watch the sunset over Point Loma as it closes out your amazing coastal day trip.
Visit the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Our next day trip destination takes you a couple of hours outside of the city and into the rugged beauty of the desert. It is a complete change of scenery as you go from a busy coastal city to wild, expansive desert terrain. This is California’s largest state park, offering amazing views of arid landscapes like badlands, cactus dappled hills, and valleys that go on for as long as your eyes can see. Depending on the time of year that you visit, the views differ greatly but are always incredible. Early spring brings with it the famous wildflower blooms, where the desert shows off bright pops of purple, yellow, and red flowers along the rust colored sand.
Hiking is strongly advised only during the cooler winter and early spring months, since the desert warms up very fast with summer temperatures regularly exceeding 100 degrees. In addition to the natural wonders of the Anza Borrego, there are massive metal sculptures of dragons, dinosaurs, and wild horses placed throughout the town of Borrego Springs that will captivate your imagination while making for epic photo-ops. Visiting the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is a day trip that feels like you have journeyed to a whole new planet, but it is close enough for you to make it back to the coast in time for evening dinner plans.
Taste the Apple Pie in Historic Julian
If you want a break from the beach and crave a bit of mountain air, heading east to the historic gold mining town of Julian is one of the most fun day trips from San Diego. Located in the beautiful Cuyamaca Mountains, Julian is a town that feels frozen in time. The drive up Highway 78 is incredibly scenic, winding through pine trees and elevated mountain passes that look completely different from the palm trees back on the coast.
Julian is famous across Southern California for one specific thing: fresh baked apple pie. Visitors line up down Main Street to grab warm slices from the Julian Pie Company or Mom’s Pie House. After securing your treat, you can spend hours walking along the wooden boardwalks, popping into antique stores, cider mills, and old fashioned candy shops. If you are traveling with kids, you can even take a guided tour of the old Eagle and High Peak gold mines to learn about the region’s rich pioneer history. Julian even gets a light dusting of snow during the winter, making it a very popular getaway when the coast is rainy.
Wine Tasting in the Temecula Valley
You do not have to drive all the way to Napa or Sonoma to experience incredible California wine country. Located just about an hour north of downtown San Diego, the Temecula Valley offers rolling hills covered in beautiful vineyards. This area has exploded in popularity and now features over forty distinct wineries offering everything from heavy Cabernets to crisp Pinot Grigios.
Many of the vineyard estates in Temecula have large outdoor patios where you can order a charcuterie board, listen to live acoustic music, and spend the afternoon looking out over the grapevines. For early risers, Temecula is also famous for its sunrise hot air balloon rides. You can float high above the valley floor just as the morning fog lifts, and then touch down for a champagne breakfast. If you are planning sightseeing journeys across San Diego, dedicating a full afternoon to the wineries in Temecula is highly recommended for couples or adult travel groups.
Stay Cozy with Comfortable Accommodations
We think we can all agree that day trips are always better when you have someplace cozy to come home to when the day is done. Choose a comfortable and stylish vacation rental instead of a cramped hotel room. These rentals are perfect for weekend getaways or extended stays, and vary from ocean view condos by the beach to large family homes in coastal neighborhoods like our popular La Jolla vacation homes.
These rentals will feel like a vacation in themselves, with excellent resort amenities, spacious interiors, and private outdoor spaces to enjoy in your downtime. You can cook meals in your gourmet kitchen after a long day of hiking the desert, walk down to the beach to watch the sunset, and get the deep rest you need to fuel more excursions. Finding the perfect home base is easy when you search for San Diego rentals ideal for larger groups. If you own a home in the area and want to offer this level of quality to travelers, our San Diego property management experts can help you elevate your listing.
Start Planning Your Day Trip from San Diego
As you can see, San Diego is an incredibly accessible region with a massive amount of diversity that can be explored in a 24-hour window. Within minutes and miles, you can be walking through a cute coastal village, relaxing on an island, sipping wine in a vineyard, or exploring the rugged beauty of the desert. All of this can be done in a single day, and you do not have to spend long hours stuck on an airplane getting there.
Let us help you start planning that perfect itinerary. If you are dreaming of exploring the coast and its surrounding areas, you can learn about our founder and our commitment to local hospitality. We are always happy to answer questions, so feel free to contact our local team to find the ideal property for your travel dates. Reserve your stay today, and you will be one step closer to these awesome day trips from San Diego!
Frequently Asked Questions About Local Excursions
Can you take a day trip from San Diego to Mexico?
Yes. The border city of Tijuana is just a 30-minute drive from downtown San Diego. Many visitors take the trolley to the San Ysidro border crossing and walk across for a day of authentic street tacos and shopping. Just remember to bring your valid passport.
How far is the drive from San Diego to Los Angeles?
Without heavy traffic, driving from central San Diego to Los Angeles takes about two hours. However, Interstate 5 traffic can be unpredictable. Many locals prefer taking the Pacific Surfliner train up the coast for a stress-free day trip to LA.
Are the wineries in Temecula family-friendly?
While wine tasting is an adult activity, several large vineyard estates in Temecula feature expansive lawns, outdoor games, and food trucks that are very welcoming to families with children during the daytime hours.
Do I need a rental car to enjoy day trips around the county?
It depends on your destination. Coronado and Seaport Village are easily accessible via public transit, ferries, and rideshares. However, if you plan to visit Julian, Anza-Borrego, or the Temecula wineries, renting a car is required.
What is the best time of year to visit the Anza-Borrego Desert?
The prime viewing window is late February through early April. This is when the weather is mild enough for hiking, and if the winter brought enough rain, the desert floor erupts in massive wildflower blooms.
Written by Kimberly Jackson
Founder & Owner
A native San Diegan with over 16 years of real estate and management experience, Kim is dedicated to making the vacation rental process stress-free and financially beneficial for her clients. When she isn’t securing bookings, you can find this powerhouse single mom surfing with her three sons, boxing, hiking, playing beach volleyball or supporting local businesses.
