San Diego is an incredible city with a whole host of bucket list adventures to enjoy, but something else that makes this city so exciting is its proximity to many other amazing cities, national parks, amusement parks, and more. This means there are plenty of opportunities to explore the nearby areas by taking day trips from San Diego!
Whether you live in San Diego and are looking for nearby adventures, or if you’re visiting and looking for side trips from San Diego, these 15 popular destinations are some of the best day trips from San Diego and will leave you in awe. So go ahead and start planning your next day trip or weekend trip from San Diego—this list will help you decide exactly where you want to explore next!
1. Newport Beach
When you’re looking for fun day trips from San Diego, Newport Beach should be at the top of your list. This awesome coastal city is fun to explore, but also has some exciting activities to enjoy!
In my opinion, one of the top reasons to visit Newport Beach is to go whale watching. My whale watching experience with Davey’s Locker here was one of the best whale watching experiences I’ve been on, and I highly recommend it! Although every day’s marine life sightings are different, you will for sure see dolphins and will hopefully also see one or two types of whales and some other fun creatures as well, like I did when I was here.
The waterfront is also fun to explore with its mini-amusement park and Ferris wheel, plus you can find some fun restaurants nearby like a pizza place that serves pizza slices that are larger than your head. If you feel like being fancy or romantic, you could also go on a dinner cruise here for some excellent views and good food.
Other attractions you may enjoy include Balboa Island or the nearby Crystal Cove State Park. But with so many activities and a driving time of only 1.5 hours from San Diego, a day trip to Newport Beach really packs a punch and is an excellent way to get out and explore the amazing places to visit outside of San Diego!
2. Joshua Tree National Park
One of my favorite day trips near San Diego is Joshua Tree National Park. This stunning park contains beautiful desert scenery you won’t experience anywhere else…from the strange-looking Joshua Trees, to huge boulders, to impressive cacti.
A day trip to Joshua Tree from San Diego is the perfect way to explore this desert beauty. Whether you are interested in hiking, going rock climbing, taking a Hummer adventure tour of the park, or more, there are plenty of outdoor activities to keep you busy all day long. You’ll want to check out some of the iconic features of the park and may even want to stay until it’s dark for some of the best stargazing around!
It takes just under 3 hours to drive from San Diego to Joshua Tree, so this is a perfectly doable day trip…but your day will be a little on the long side, depending on how long you decide to stay in the park. But even though the driving time is a little long, the beauty of Joshua Tree definitely makes up for it and will leave you convinced this is one of the best San Diego day trips ever!
Read next: 9 California National Parks to Visit and Explore
3. Palm Springs
If you’re trying to find a great place to go on a one day trip from San Diego, look no further than Palm Springs! This stylish resort city was often called Hollywood’s Playground and lives up to its name with all sorts of luxurious things to do.
Whether you’re interested in hot springs and spas, golf courses, or shopping at vintage boutiques and eating delicious food, Palm Springs is an excellent place to go (and don’t forget to try a date milkshake from Windmill Market!)
But as Hollywood’s Playground, Palm Springs also has some fun celebrity-related things you can enjoy such as going on a celebrity tour of Palm Springs to learn more about the stars like Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley and their lives in Palm Springs.
Looking for even more fun adventures or the most beautiful views? You can’t go wrong with taking the Palm Springs aerial tram up into the San Jacinto Mountains for spectacular views over the desert below…or going on a fascinating jeep tour of the infamous San Andreas Fault nearby. There are so many exciting activities in the area to try!
Your travel time for your day trip to Palm Springs from San Diego will likely take around 2.5 hours each way, so like Joshua Tree this is a longer day trip. But with beautiful scenery and stylish neighborhoods, you may just decide you want to turn your day trip into a longer holiday here anyway!
4. Salvation Mountain
Of all the one day trips from San Diego, going to Salvation Mountain is one of the most unique day trips you’ll find. This interesting place is essentially a monument in the middle of the desert, and has recently become a super trendy place to visit and take photos.
The colorful Salvation Mountain was created by a man named Leonard Knight, who decided to build a monument based around the Sinner’s Prayer. Although the landscape here is flat all around, he created this mountain by piling bales of straw and other materials and then painting over it to create vibrant patterns and colors on the man-made hill.
Today, you can visit Salvation Mountain and wander through the “rooms” Knight created and see his vision come to life. The mountain is not only vibrant, but is also covered in Christian sayings and Bible verses that you can discover as you wander through, around, and over the mountain.
Your transportation time for your day trip to Salvation Mountain from San Diego should take around 2.5 hours, and once you’re there you shouldn’t need more than 1-2 hours at the absolute most to explore. Some people only stop by for a few minutes, while others enjoy taking photos and exploring every nook and cranny. As such, you can easily combine this with some other fun things to do around the Salton Sea and Niland/East Jesus area.
5. Julian
When thinking of possible day trips around San Diego, Julian is one place you won’t want to miss. While this cute little town is actually a part of San Diego County, it is definitely still worth going here when you’re trying to find fun day trips nearby!
While Julian used to be famous as a mining town, today the name Julian is nearly synonymous with apple pie. On a day trip here you simply must try the pie from either the Julian Pie Company or Mom’s Pies…and while apple is this town’s pie of choice, I find that I love their berry pies even more!
As an old mining town, you’ll also find some fun places to visit to discover the mining history here, such as the Julian Mining Company. So be sure to take some time to visit the mine, eat some pie, explore the shops in the town center, and maybe even go hiking nearby while you’re here!
A day trip to Julian from San Diego will take you a little over an hour in driving time each way, so this is one of the easiest day trips to make. If you’re just visiting San Diego on vacation, then this is one of the best side trips from San Diego that you should take…and if you live in San Diego, then this is definitely somewhere you’ll want to add to your list to visit!
6. San Juan Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano is another interesting place to go if you’re looking for short road trips from San Diego. This city’s main attraction, Mission San Juan Capistrano, is a place filled with history and is fascinating to explore.
For those fascinated by California history, this mission (founded in 1776) is a place you won’t want to miss! It’s the fourth mission that was founded in California and when you visit you can learn about the California missions in general, San Juan Capistrano in particular, and also learn about the positive and negative impacts this mission had on the local Native American population. You can easily purchase admission to Mission San Juan Capistrano on its own, or you can combine admission with a tour of Old Town as well.
So whether you go simply to explore the mission, or decide to stay and explore the town as well, San Juan Capistrano is the perfect place for a San Diego day trip! The distance from San Diego to San Juan Capistrano isn’t far and it only takes around 1 hour to get there, which makes it an easy drive…but this is also one of the best day trips from San Diego by train, so if you prefer you could easily take the Pacific Surfliner instead.
7. Los Angeles
While all of the above are fun day trips from San Diego, one you definitely won’t want to overlook is a day trip from San Diego to Los Angeles. LA is iconic and a popular destination choice with plenty of amazing things to do, so go ahead and add it to your day trip list now!
Los Angeles is fun for visitors of all types, but it’s especially enchanting for those who love large cities and those who love Hollywood. If this is you, then you’ll likely adore many of the exciting activities on offer, from taking a Hollywood tour and seeing celebrity homes, to visiting Universal Studios, to taking surf lessons at Venice Beach!
Other fun things to do in the area include visiting the gorgeous Getty Museum, exploring the Griffith Observatory and grounds, as well as discovering fossils and excavation work happening in the heart of LA at the fascinating La Brea Tar Pits!
If you’re only taking a day trip to LA from San Diego, then you’re going to have to make some hard decisions on what you see while you’re there as there are just so many amazing things to do. You could make tons of day trips from San Diego to Los Angeles and still not discover all the cool things to see!
But with travel time at around 2.5 hours for your Los Angeles day trip from San Diego, this is an easily doable day trip to make. Just watch out that you don’t drive during the heaviest traffic times or your day trip travel time may end up being a lot longer!
Read next: The Best Places to Visit in California
8. Tijuana
If you’re looking for a thoroughly exciting adventure, did you realize you could go on an international day trip? San Diego sits so close to the border of Mexico that you can easily take a quick trip across the border for a day trip to Tijuana!
This vibrant city has a lively and bustling main street called Avenida Revolución, where you can find souvenirs and enjoy strolling around. On your day trip here you can get a taste for Mexican culture, shop at some delightful local stores, and eat your fill of delicious and authentic Mexican cuisine! What’s not to love?
Day trips to Tijuana from San Diego clock in at around 30 min of travel time, which really makes this one of the shortest distance for day trips out of San Diego. However, if you don’t feel like dealing with the hassle of finding your own way to Tijuana, you can easily join up with a sightseeing tour to Tijuana for a few hours of fun across the border! However you decide to travel, don’t forget that you’ll need to bring you passport/ID with you since you are traveling internationally!
9. Disneyland
This next destination—Disneyland—probably makes it into the top 3 best day trips from San Diego, simply because it’s an iconic place and visitors and locals alike adore visiting here! Of course, it’s actually in the Anaheim/LA area, but it gets its own entry on this list because it is such a popular place to go spend the day.
Since the 1950s, Disneyland has been the happiest place on earth and is definitely one of the favorite day trips from San Diego. There isn’t much that needs to be said for Disneyland, as it’s quite simply the place that magic comes to life and you will definitely want to take a trip here at least once in your lifetime!
It takes around 1.5 hours to get to Disneyland without traffic, so this short distance makes it one of the easiest day road trips from San Diego. When you arrive, you’ll still have the whole day ahead of you to enjoy the park…and even if you stay until closing, the drive home won’t be too long!
10. Anza Borrego Desert State Park
If you love desert destinations, then a trip to Anza Borrego Desert State Park could be one of the best day trips from San Diego, CA for you!
This park is an especially good destination for those who love the outdoors, as it is filled with hiking trails to enjoy plus a really cool slot canyon you can hike through. But this is also a great place just to drive through and enjoy the views, especially during the spring when all the wildflowers are in bloom!
Another fun and somewhat quirky aspect to Anza Borrego are all the giant metal sculptures scattered throughout the park. You can go on a scavenger hunt to find the striking sculptures of dinosaurs, dragons, elephants, and more. They’re pretty impressive to see in person and are so fun to take photos of!
So if you’re looking for a desert destination with some unique features, then Anza Borrego State Park is an excellent choice for your next day trip from San Diego!
11. Carlsbad
Interested in day trips in San Diego County? One of the best options is going to nearby Carlsbad, which is famous for its beaches, amusement parks, and more!
When you’re looking for things to do on a day trip to Carlsbad, going to LEGOLAND California is one of the most popular. This fun amusement park is completely dedicated to LEGOs, and is fun for children and for adults who love this iconic brick toy. One of my favorite things to see here is Miniland USA, which contains incredible miniature replicas of famous cities, buildings, bridges and more…including the Golden Gate Bridge, Las Vegas, and even Grand Central Station in New York! And it only took around 32,496,352 LEGO bricks to make…
If you’re looking for beaches in Carlsbad, you have quite a few options. However, Tamarack Beach is one of the most popular and is perfect for those who want a sandy beach with all sorts of fun beach activities to enjoy from playing in the sand to going surfing!
Other activities in the area you might enjoy include taking a historical tour of Carlsbad village, visiting the fun Museum of Making Music, or exploring the Leo Carillo Ranch Historic Park. Plus, if you’re taking your day trip between March and May, you will definitely want to stop by the gorgeous Flower Fields here!
With so many varied things to see and do, this day trip in San Diego is the perfect way to explore a nearby city even if you have limited time. Driving time only takes around 40 minutes, so this is one of the closest and best day trips San Diego has to offer!
12. Santa Catalina Island
Looking for some island time on a day trip from San Diego? Santa Catalina Island is the perfect choice, whether you’re looking for adventure or relaxation!
Catalina has some fun areas for shopping, eating tasty food, and enjoying the laid-back life while you’re here. If you like, you can even take a food tour of the island to help you discover some of the best and most delicious options here!
But one of my favorite reasons to go to Catalina is for the adventure—from snorkeling and kayaking, to going zip lining, to taking an amazing underwater cruise, or even going on an expedition to see the island’s bison population! You’ll never be bored on your day trip here. And if you visit between May and September, you will certainly want to experience one of the most intriguing natural local phenomenons: flying fish! You can take a boat out to see the flying fish as they leap and soar over the water. This is certainly an event you won’t want to miss!
To get to Catalina, you simply drive about an hour to Dana Point Harbor and then take an hour long boat ride across to the island. Just getting there is a fun adventure in itself, but once you’re there the real fun will begin and your day trip will be unforgettable!
Read next: The Most Romantic Getaways in the USA
13. Big Bear
When you’re considering locations within day drives from San Diego, Big Bear is another location that should definitely be on the list. This is an amazing place to visit all year round, with mountain scenery that is gorgeous whether it is summer or winter!
While you’re here, Big Bear Lake is one of the top attractions whether you are interested in swimming or in other water activities. But Big Bear is also known for its winter fun, from skiing, to snowboarding, to even going snowshoeing during the colder months!
If you enjoy cute shops and boutiques, then you’ll also find that scene here in the streets of Big Bear Lake Village…plus beautiful mountain trails all around for those looking to get outdoors and explore! This is the perfect place to go if you’re looking for a cute mountain escape.
With between 2.5 to 3 hours of driving time each way, this is certainly one of the longer day trips from San Diego. However, the breathtaking mountain scenery and fun outdoor activities definitely make a day trip to Big Bear worth it!
14. Palomar Mountain
If you’re interested in more delightful mountain scenery, a day trip to Palomar Mountain from San Diego is an excellent choice! Mount Palomar stands in the northern San Diego County region and has some fun things to do as well as some jaw-dropping views!
One of the things Palomar Mountain is most well-known for is its incredible observatory. The Palomar Observatory is home to the Hale Telescope, a huge 200-inch reflecting telescope that is still used nightly for astronomical observation and discovery. The Palomar Observatory and museum are free to visit, so on your trip you can learn more about the telescope, the discoveries that have been made, and even take a peek at the telescope in person! This is a really fun and unique activity that makes the day trip to Palomar worth it.
If you’re interested in hiking while you’re here, you may also like to stop by Palomar Mountain State Park. This 1,862 acre park is mostly forested and offers up hiking, camping, fishing, and more! But the scenic views from here and as you drive up the mountain are also certainly worth slowing down and taking a moment to enjoy.
With travel time of 1.5 hours each way, this San Diego day trip to Mount Palomar is an excellent place to enjoy a getaway for the day. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the observatory plus revel in the beauty of the outdoors up here in the mountains!
15. Temecula
Looking for the best day trip from San Diego? Temecula is a strong contender for that honor! This city in Riverside County is a particularly excellent destination for those who love getaways to wine country.
The surrounding area, known as Temecula Valley, is the perfect place to go if you’re interested in wine tasting and exploring all the gorgeous hillside vineyards. This all-inclusive wine tasting tour is an excellent way to explore the best wineries Temecula has to offer alongside other wine lovers and your expert guide…or you could even take a winery tour that leaves from San Diego so you don’t have to worry about alcohol consumption and driving.
While you’re in Temecula, Old Town is also a fun place to wander as you can see old buildings from the 1800s, enjoy delicious food at restaurants here, and even go antique shopping. Looking for something a bit more adventurous? Take a sunrise hot air balloon flight! This activity is exciting and, of course, quite romantic…and will leave you with a sunrise memory you’ll never forget!
Driving to Temecula from San Diego takes about 1 hour, so this amazing day trip is easy to get to and offers plenty of activities to enjoy! Whether you like wine tasting or simply want to experience Old Town and related activities, Temecula will soon become one of your favorite day trip destinations!
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