San Diego Family Vacation

Welcome to our San Diego family vacation guide. Here you'll find the must see attractions for families and the best places to stay while in San Diego.

Two Orcas Jumping at Sea World San Diego by Chris Favero

Let's begin with a little overview of San Diego and it's attractions for a family vacation with this video:

Top San Diego Family Vacation Attractions:

There are a number of great things to do as a family in San Diego. Below is our collection of the best things to to. Tripadvisor also has a great list of the top attractions in San Diego.

VIDEO: San Diego Vacation Travel Guide

USS Midway Museum

If you'd love to take your family to see a piece of history, the USS Midway Museum in downtown San Diego is a great stop. A long-serving historic naval aircraft carrier, this is a ship housing a large collection of aircraft.

Balboa Park

The Botanical Building, Balboa Park

Balboa Park is a huge 1200 acres. It's got walking paths, gardens, museums, theaters and the San Diego Zoo. Some of the great gardens to take the family out into include the Japanese Friendship Garden, Cactus Garden, The Botanical Building and there are many more. Aside from the San Diego Zoo, there is also a carousel and a miniature railroad.

San Diego Zoo

Giant Panda at San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo is world-famous and has over 3700 animals! There is so much to see here including giant pandas, open-air, cageless exhibits, tour bus around the park and a Skyfari gondola soaring over the park. See the official San Diego Zoo website here.

Torrey Pines State Reserve

Torrey Pines State Reserve by Nauticashades

The Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is in the La Jolla area. It's a wild stretch of the Southern California coast made up of cliffs, Torrey Pines State Beach, a lagoon with seabirds and lots of flora and fauna.

There is an excellent places to stay in this area as well:

The Lodge at Torry Pines

Lodge at Torrey Pines, a luxury resort with golf and a spa

Bus Tours of San Diego

When traveling with children, at times you need some time to sit! Bus tours are a great way to see the area without exhausting the little ones (and keeping them out of things).

Old Town Trolley Tours of San Diego

Boat tours are also another great option along these lines.

SeaWorld

Finally, there's SeaWorld. If you love marine life, it's a great stop. There are a number of shows as well as animal exhibits. If you've got young ones, there is the Sesame Street's Bay of Play. SeaWorld's official website.

There is a great resort just about next to SeaWorld with places to play at the beach and more.

Paradise Point Resort & Spa

Paradise Point, a great family resort next to SeaWorld

Great Resorts in San Diego

There are a number of great resorts in San Diego and area. All of these are hand-picked for a great San Diego family vacation.

San Diego Luxury Resorts

There are two luxury resorts that cater for families and have children's programs or children's activities.

Fairmont Grand Del Mar

Park Hyatt Aviara Resort

San Diego Resorts

There are also a number of great 4 star resorts like Paradise Point above and Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa which has a children's program also.

The pool at Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa

San Diego -find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor

For more in San Diego visit San Diego beaches or California family vacation ideas. We hope you've found some great ideas for your San Diego family vacation!

Transparency Disclosure: We are an independent professional review site and we receive compensation from affiliate links - generally to individual resorts. Opinions expressed are our own and our links go only to what we think are the highest quality resorts, properties and destinations. See More