San Diego Family Vacations: Plan Here with Expert Tips
By Katie Dillon • Last modified: October 8, 2024
By popular demand, I’m sharing the best family hotels and things to do with kids — all in one spot to help you design an unforgettable family trip to San Diego.
Not only that, but you will learn how to walk through the decision process of figuring out what time of year to come, how long to stay, itinerary ideas, and what to consider when choosing a hotel that best fits your San Diego family vacation in 2024 and beyond.
Planning Your San Diego Family Vacation
The Decision Tree
Helping people plan family trips to San Diego is a large part of my work. I am here to help you break down the planning process into manageable stages that are fundamentally split into four decisions:
The first two decisions are usually the easiest because other factors, such as work and school holidays, may determine your dates and how long you can stay.
However, family travelers tend to agonize over the latter two decisions far more than couples or single travelers. When kids are involved, everyone is highly incentivized to minimize drive time, stay organized, and maximize the fun quotient so that everyone on the family trip is fuss-free.
I hope that outlining the thought process below will help you plan the best San Diego vacation for your family.
How to Decide When to Visit San Diego
The top three things that come into play when deciding the best time to visit San Diego are usually school holidays, price, and beach weather. Some families also may plan around special events like Comic-Con or Padres home games, but this is less common.
School Holidays
Families tend to visit San Diego mostly during winter break, President’s Day weekend, spring break, and summer break.
If you are locked into these dates, don’t fret. These may be peak dates, but they are still fantastic times to come. Our attractions will not feel as crowded as attractions in other major cities can be. And, you don’t have to ever pay gate pricing at our top attractions between the Go San Diego sightseeing pass and my ticket discounts.
The one piece of advice I have for those planning a San Diego vacation with kids during the school holidays is to book your hotel as soon as possible. Rates during these times will usually only increase as dates get closer. Popular beach hotels will also sell out quickly.
Beach Weather
Our air temperature averages 70 degrees year-round, so there really isn’t a bad time to visit when it comes to weather. Air temperature and ocean temperature can impact your beach day. If you’d like the best possible beach weather (almost) guaranteed for ocean swimming, sunbathing, and general beach-going, plan to visit between mid-July and Labor Day Weekend. This is when the sun is out, and the ocean temperatures are warmest of the year.
We also usually have pretty amazing September and October weather. We do have morning, sometimes all-day, seasonal coastal cloud cover in May and June, known as May Gray and June Gloom. It’s still a good time to come and shorts weather, but you should know that it might not always be sunny.
We residents still go to the beach year-round though we use it differently in the “colder” months. Winter minus tides reveal spectacular tide pools during the days. It is always awesome to lay out a blanket on the sand and soak up some rays, even if it’s December and you have no intention of going in the water.
People surf, swim, kayak, snorkel, and SUP year-round, but from late fall through early spring, they usually wear wetsuits because ocean temperatures are not as warm as they are in the summer. You can rent wetsuits (even for kids) at many places near popular beach hotels around town. However, you’ll see kids and adults heading into the water in winter without them (I personally think the ocean is a bit chilly for this, though).
If you decide to visit while it’s not peak beach weather, there is still upside. Sightseeing and walking around theme parks will be less hot and perhaps a bit less crowded, though you will still need sunscreen.
When Rates Are Best
As mentioned earlier, you don’t need to worry about tickets to major attractions rising and falling on peak dates. Prices are more or less the same year-round, aside from special promotions that some parks may occasionally offer.
October is one of the best times of the year for a San Diego family vacation as the tourism board organizes an annual Kids Free San Diego event.
Over 100 attractions, hotels, and restaurants offer free kids’ admission, stays, and meals when accompanied by a paid adult. The maximum age to qualify for a free ticket, stay or meal is set by the participating business but it is usually 12, 10, or 9. Families benefit most from this promotion when it comes to saving on attraction tickets, as all of our theme parks participate. The majority of our kid-friendly museums and tours participate, too. It’s important to read the terms and conditions, which aren’t solidified until the summer months prior, to ensure you qualify for the promotion.
You’ll see lower hotel rates after Labor Day in September, sporadically in October (this is a popular month due to Kids Free San Diego), early November, early December, January, February outside of the President’s Day holiday week, after Easter in April to mid-May.
Spring break season starts the second week of March and continues through mid-April or after Easter. Summer break season starts in mid-May and ends after Labor Day.
How to Decide How Long to Stay in San Diego
A weekend is great if that’s all you can manage on your San Diego family vacation, but a minimum of three days on the ground is recommended because there is a lot to do. What also happens, for example, is that parents can find it hard to pull kids off of the sand, especially at the beach hotels. They love building sandcastles and playing at the shoreline, especially if they don’t normally live by the beach.
Do not plan a too-structured itinerary, as you will need the flexibility to wing it and change course, especially with young kids.
Making the Most of Theme Parks
Luckily, many of our theme parks and attractions can be enjoyed in half or three-quarters of a day. Get there at opening, eat lunch, tour for another hour or two, and head to the beach afterward. We have some upgraded experiences like the Cart Safari at San Diego Zoo Safari Park where you’ll zoom around in a small group with a staff member and even access some behind-the-scenes areas.
Inside Look tours at San Diego Zoo start 30 minutes before the Zoo even opens and also provide an up-close expedited experience. Look at every theme park and museum’s event or tour schedule to see what can enhance your experience.
Explore Theme Parks
Many people plan San Diego family vacations just to visit our theme parks and amusement parks. Learn more about which ones to put on your itinerary and how best to save money on tickets.
How to Choose Family Accommodations
In my article about best San Diego family hotels, I walk through this thought process.
Three things drive the decision of which hotel to choose: preferred accommodation type, the importance of beach access and what you plan to do (which may drive which neighborhood to choose).
Decide Your Preferred Accommodation Type
The type of accommodation you’re after may entirely decide which hotel you choose. If you must stay in a five-star hotel, there are about five options, including Beach Village at The Del and Fairmont Grand Del Mar.
If you must have a splash pad or waterslides, there are a handful of San Diego hotel pools with these, like Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina and Omni La Costa. If you must have a supervised kids’ club, then Fairmont Grand Del Mar and Omni La Costa are your two choices (though Hotel del Coronado has seasonal supervised activities).
If you are brand loyal and are looking to redeem or earn miles, we do have quite a few excellent Hilton (including Hotel del Coronado), Marriott, and Hyatt properties throughout the county in a variety of price ranges.
Some families find it more economical or practical to opt for a vacation rental. We have a variety of local companies that you can refer to, in addition to Airbnb. There are a couple of vacation rental resorts like Grand Pacific Palisades that you would book like a hotel, but they have full-kitchens and community areas with activities, swimming pools, and more.
Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara, is indeed a Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts property, but it has rooms, one-bedroom villas with full kitchens, and two-bedroom villas with full kitchens and you might be surprised by how reasonable they can be in off-peak season.
Rest assured that you can also rent a variety of baby gear for your hotel or vacation rental through a company like Toddlers Travels. You can pick gear up at their warehouse near the airport or they can deliver it to you. This is handy for families with babies who use swings to fall asleep or require larger, sturdier cribs than hotels provide. They also rent beach gear, toy packs, high chairs, bathtubs, car seats, strollers, and more so that families can pack light.
If your decision regarding exactly which hotel you’d like to stay in isn’t yet made, what we do now is talk about budget. We make a list of hotels (or vacation rentals) that seem like good contenders budget-wise and amenity-wise. Then, we keep moving through this where to stay decision tree.
Determine What Kind of Beach Access Is Preferred
It is important to understand where your hotel is located as many people assume our top hotels are closer to the beach than they really are. The truth is that the majority of our luxury hotels are actually inland from the beach. This means you’ll need to drive or take an Uber to the sand, though Fairmont Grand Del Mar offers a beach concierge service where they will set you up with chairs, umbrella, and water at Del Mar beach to give its guests the best of both worlds.
If driving to the beach is a deal-breaker for you, you’ll need to find accommodations that are beachfront or within walking distance. You’ll also need to be prepared to pay more for the convenience or choose perhaps a moderate hotel versus a luxury hotel, which may fit your budget more comfortably. I have a great list of top San Diego hotels on the beach.
Cross off the hotels on your list that don’t meet your beach access criteria.
Think About What You Plan to Do in San Diego
There are guests who let the hotel determine what part of town they stay in, as we mentioned before. For example, loyal Four Seasons guests have no problem basing their vacations at the brand’s property in Carlsbad near LEGOLAND California in North San Diego, even though they may drive 45 minutes to downtown, Balboa Park, or Coronado a few times. (What this demonstrates, though, is that as long as you are happy with your hotel choice, the rest can all fall into place, so don’t stress too much about picking the right neighborhood.)
Other visiting families may want to base themselves close to the attractions that they intend to visit. Here are some examples of why families might choose one location over the other. Many families choose to stay in Coronado because they’d like to visit the San Diego Zoo (15 minutes away), go to the beach, and be able to walk to shops and restaurants.
Families keen on surfing and water sports often choose La Jolla Shores because the kayak tours, surfing, and beachgoing at La Jolla Shores Beach are some of the best in the state. Others may opt for Carlsbad because they’d like to stay at a nice resort and center their vacation around golf or LEGOLAND California. A North County San Diego location can also be a bit easier on families who are splitting time between San Diego and Disneyland Resort.
If you anticipate zooming around the city, perhaps visiting LEGOLAND in the north and San Diego Zoo in the south, I might suggest a central location like La Jolla, Del Mar, or Mission Bay with easy freeway access.
Study the locations of the hotels on your list. If you prefer to minimize driving, cross the ones off that would have you driving across town a lot. Now, if you need to widdle down your hotel list further, weigh how the price and amenities on offer fit your goals.
Family Hotels
Since we help people plan family trips to San Diego, no one keeps tabs on family hotels in San Diego better than I do. I talk to readers about these hotels daily and can even offer you value-added perks at some resorts and boutique hotels. I am a San Diego hotel expert and a top referrer to many of the places on the list below.
San Diego Guides
Are you planning a San Diego vacation or a resident looking for ideas? Find out where to stay, eat, and play in these popular areas.
Explore Family-Friendly Things to Do
We are one of the most family-friendly destinations in the world so do not worry about running out of activities in San Diego County. Many of the best are actually free (think beaches).
How to Build Your Family Trip Itinerary
By the time you’ve decided when to visit San Diego and where to stay, you probably have a vague idea of what your itinerary will look like. I’ve already mapped out some quick sample days. It does help to group activities so that you are spending time in one part of town on each day while keeping in mind your kids’ tolerances for sightseeing.
To give you an idea, here’s…
A Basic Overview of a Typical San Diego Family Vacation Itinerary
Do you see what I’m saying about there being a lot to do? I could go on.
Frequently Asked Questions
What I’ll do now is answer some questions that I often receive — many are also addressed in my VERY detailed post about things to do in San Diego with kids, a must-read.
