San Diego is the perfect Southern California destination for a family vacation. The weather is almost always warm and sunny year-round and there’s endless fun things to do with children, toddlers and babies. In San Diego you’ll find world-class beaches, scenic neighborhoods, all kinds of fresh cuisine and tons of parks.

My husband’s family lives in the greater San Diego area and we often take family trips to visit them. We have endless experience taking the kids and their cousins out to many of the places I’ve outlined in this blog post. I speak from experience when I say that San Diego is very kid-friendly!

In this blog post I will outline our favorite spots to hangout with our kids in San Diego. This guide includes great places for stroller walks, beaches, family-friendly neighborhoods, nature and amusement parks and of course the two zoos.

Best San Diego Family-Friendly Neighborhoods for Stroller Walks

North Park

Popular boutique Pigment is a great place to start for a walk because of its central location in North Park. For those mommas, Pigment also has great shopping for the home, babies and fun photo opts. There’s also a very cute pink wall mural outside pigment for photos (scroll down to see our photos from Pigment). See my complete guide to restaurants and shops in North Park.

Little Italy

This scenic neighborhood makes for a great walk and is stroller friendly. Of all the San Diego neighborhoods, Little Italy has the most restaurants options. There’s all kinds of cuisines and eateries range from casual atmosphere to romantic candlelight dining. The Crack Shack has spacious patio dinning with room for strollers and is trendy and enjoyable for adults. My neighborhood guide has 45 spots to eat, drink and be merry in Little Italy.

La Jolla

This locale offers the best ocean views while you stroll. One of my favorite tacos joints Puesto is located on the main strip at Wall Street, they have outdoor patio seating which works well when eating out with a baby. My travel guide to 48 hours in La Jolla has many options for a mix-n-match build your perfect itinerary.

Old Town

There’s tons of outdoor open space in Old Town, great for a relaxing family stroll. If you’re in the mood for tasty Mexican food with great atmosphere, there’s several great options. See my photo diary blog post from our visit to Old Town.

South Park

This area is the newest up-and-coming neighborhood in San Diego. We took cute photos at the South Park location of Communal Coffee, located at 2221 Fern St, San Diego. They make my favorite matcha lattes! The main strip in South Park is on the smaller side, but it’s very calm and scenic with cute boutiques and yummy restaurants.

Best Baby and Kid-Friendly Things to Do in San Diego - Spanish colonial style architecture and cactus in Old Town San Diego. — Spanish colonial style architecture and cactus in Old Town San Diego.

Best Baby and Kid-Friendly Things to Do in San Diego - The Cosmopolitan Hotel inside San Diego’s Old Town. — The Cosmopolitan Hotel inside San Diego’s Old Town.

San Diego Zoo & Safari Park

San Diego Zoo

This zoo is one of the most famous in the United States, and it’s very impressive when you see it in person. We’ve taken babies to the San Diego Zoo before and it’s a great time walking around with the stroller and visiting the animals. My recommendation is to visit on days that are cooler in temperature and even cloudy, there’s a lot of sun exposed areas of the park. Reserve your zoo tickets here!

Safari Park

Safari Park is the sister park to the San Diego Zoo offers a free roaming type scene for the animals and guests, similar to an actual safari type experience. They have all those favorite wild animals we love including elephants, lions, tigers, giraffes and many more.

I would also recommend avoiding this open park on hot days with a baby, but it’s perfect for cooler and cloudy days. Safari Park is located in Escondido which is were my in-laws live. See my complete travel guide to Escondido here.

Family-Friendly Outdoor Nature Parks to Visit in San Diego

Mission Bay Park

While Balboa Park is a San Diego favorite, it doesn’t have much in the way of grassy fields for young children. If your little one is walking, the manicured green grass lawns are perfect for exploring. For beginning crawling babies, just spread out a picnic blanket and let them practice tummy time. Mission Bay has beautiful bay views with palm trees and idyllic San Diego scenery.

Balboa Park

This park is one of the most treasured gems of San Diego. Balboa Park spans 1,200 acres and has so many different museums and areas of the park to explore. Most of the park is paved and very stroller friendly for leisurely strolls. The iconic Botanical Building and Lily Pond is an awesome sight both from outside and inside. This is a very popular photo souvenir spot for San Diego visitors.

See below for more details on the child-friendly museums in Balboa Park.

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

If you’re traveling to San Diego with slightly older children who can do more rigorous outdoor activities such as hiking, the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is a great place to explore. Located on the scenic ocean cliffs of La Jolla, you’ll find hiking trails and sandy beaches on this 2,000 acre nature park.

If you think your kids would like to watch hang gliders soar through the sky, you can stand at the top of the cliff at the Torrey Pines Gliderport and watch them takeoff.

Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma

Cabrillo National Monument is a preserved historical park and part of the US National Park Service. Located right at the bottom tip of the Point Loma Peninsula, this spot has sweeping ocean views, the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and tidepools. During low tide you can see starfish, anemones, abalone and all kinds of sea life in the tide pools.

Best San Diego Beaches

Mission Beach to Pacific Beach

Oceansfront Boardwalk is a trail that runs the beautiful coastline from Mission Beach to Pacific Beach. It’s a great 3-mile walk on a well-paved path, perfect for sunset stroller walks. Scroll down to see photos with views of the Oceanfront Boardwalk and the path leading down to the Crystal Pier.

Scripps Beach

Located in La Jolla, Scripps beach has the most beautiful pier which provides both shade and a memorable backdrop. We took baby Scout when she was about 3 months old and it was a great family beach day. This beach tends to be less crowded because it’s further away from Downtown La Jolla and there aren’t any hotels close by. You do need to drive because unlike other beaches in La Jolla, there’s nothing within walking distance.

Coronado Beach

Voted the best beach in the United States in 2012! The sand at this beach is so clean and white, perfect for laying out a blanket for a picnic. The waves at Coronado Beach are almost aways calm and safe for some fun splashing with baby.

La Jolla Shores Beach

La Jolla is always a popular tourist destination and for the classic beach day La Jolla Shores Beach will do the trick. The beach runs for a mile with sandy shores and low and gentle waves for safe play in the surf. This is also a popular place for scuba classes.

La Jolla Cove

The things I love the most about La Jolla Cove are the unique rock formations and turquoise blue water on the shore. This popular beach is very close to downtown where there are a lot restaurants and hotel within walking distance. This beach is very small and can get crowded during peak times.

Children's Pool La Jolla

Just down the coast from La Jolla Cove is the spot known as Children’s Pool La Jolla. This circular section of protected cove is usually filled with families of seals who are very loud and entertaining. You can stand on the walking trail at the top of the cliff and easy observe the seals. It’s great fun for kids!

Usually the Children’s Pool is closed to human visitors to protect the seals but sometimes they’ll open it up for swimming. The water is very warm and shallow with a bright crystal color.

Fun Places to Take San Diego Family Vacation Photos

Carlsbad Flower Fields

These blooms are the most beautiful springtime sight to see, and make for perfect family photos. The paths around the fields are not paved so be prepared to hold your baby. There’s isn’t much shade, so I recommend either going first thing in the morning, towards the end of the day, or on a cooler and shady day.

San Diego Murals

If you’re a shutterbug like me and enjoy taking fun photos in front of colorful murals, I’ve got a complete guide to the best murals in San Diego. Includes all the addresses to make it super easy to find your favorites.

Hop-on Hop-off Trolley

Don’t limit yourself to just one spot for family photos when you can easily ride a fun trolley to over 10 famous sights in San Diego. The Hop-on Hop-off Trolley is a very convenient way to get around the city without having to worry about parking and directions. You can also build your own itinerary to prioritize your favorite spots! Book your tickets here!

More Kid-Friendly Attractions in San Diego

Birch Aquarium at Scripps

We took the kids to Birch Aquarium when my daughter was two years old and my just was just a few months old. The aquarium is located in La Jolla adjacent to the ocean and they have beautiful sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. They have a great curation of ocean life including colorful tropical fish, jellyfish, octopus, sea horses and more.

The Birch Aquarium also has an underwater touch and feel exhibit for children to be able to touch small sharks, starfish, anemones and sea sponges.

Sea World San Diego

One of the most old-school and original theme parks in San Diego is Sea World. This very large ocean-themed amusement parks has dolphins, orcas, penguins, aquariums, rollercoaster rides, shows, games and more. Sea World is located in Mission Bay which is centrally located on the beach side of San Diego.

Legoland

Legoland is a new theme park that has opened up in Carlsbad which is a 40 minute drive north up the coast from the San Diego city center. While this is obviously a great place for fans of the building toys Legos, there’s also all kinds of funs things for everyone. Inside Legoland you’ll find rollercoasters, boat rides, games, climbing structures, driving mini cars, aquariums, art crafts and more! Book your Legoland tickets here!

Fleet Science Center

Inside Balboa Park you’ll find the Fleet Science Center which is a modern science museum and planetarium for children. There’s a mix of visual exhibits and hands-on play. Children are encouraged to explore which makes learning and development fun!

The Nat - San Diego Natural History Museum

Also located inside Balboa Park is The Nat - San Diego Natural History Museum. Popular exhibits include the Living Lab which has live animals and bugs such as lizards, spiders, frogs, scorpions and more. Other exhibits include dinosaur fossils, animal skeletons, giant shark replicas and colorful mineral rocks. There’s also The Backyard where children an encourages to participate in hands-on play.

Whale Watching

The beautiful weather in San Diego makes an afternoon out on a boat observing whales somewhat magical. The ocean waters surrounding Southern California are an ideal place to see the migrating grey whales on their way to Mexico from Alaska. There’s also a good chance you’ll see dolphins and sea lions. Reserve your whale watching tickets here.

San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas

Not all botanical gardens are created equal and the San Diego Botanical Garden in Encinitas is a true gem. The property is comprised of 37 acres and has botanical attractions such as tall bamboo groves, desert cacti and succulents, a tropical rainforest, fruit garden and much more.

USS Midway Museum

History, aircraft and ocean vessel buffs will love a visit to the USS Midway Museum in Downtown San Diego. Exhibits include Flight Deck, Below Deck, Hanger Deck, Aircraft Gallery, Flight Simulators and more. I’ve you’ve got any Top Gun fans in your family then this is the place for them! Get your skip the line ticket here!

Cruisin’ Grand in Escondido

Cruisin’ Grand is considered to be one of the best car shows in the entire United States. They have everything from vintage cars, muscle cars, custom built cars to hot rods. It takes place on Grand Avenue which is the main downtown drag of Escondido. This family-friendly events has booths and games for kids. There’s restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream, wine bars and shops surrounding the event.

Baseball Game at Petco Park

Petco Park is home to the San Diego Padres and is a very scenic baseball stadium. From the stands you can see panoramic views of the Downtown Gaslamp skyline. There’s also lots of scenic things to see walking distance from the stadium so you can really make a day of it.

San Diego Seal Land to Sea Tour

The San Diego Seal Tour is a special kind of novelty ride where the bus can actually drive on land and then enters into the ocean and turns into a boat - all the while you’re onboard! On this tour you will cruise by by waterfront highlights such as Point Loma and you’ll get very up close to colonies of seals in the bay. Check out photos of this one-of-a-kind tour here!

Top Tips for Traveling with Babies & Toddlers

Avoid Overheating in Warm and Sunny Destinations

As general tips for visiting any warm and sunny destination with a baby, try to avoid being outside during peak heat and sunlight. We usually head out in the morning to enjoy a walk and brunch, spend the middle of the day indoors, and then head outside again in the late afternoon/early evening.

Make sure to always carry a sun hat and umbrella to be able to create shade for baby. We have a colorful umbrella that we often use as a parasol on sunny days.

Keep Your Itinerary Simple and Flexible

In all our journeys with my toddler daughter Scout and baby boy Beau, I’ve learned that finding a calm and scenic destination is the name of the game to actually enjoy your trip with small children.

Babies and toddlers are incredibly unpredictable so keeping it simple and living in the moment is the best recipe to avoid hectic and stressful family travel. Keep your plans flexible and always have a plan b in place incase your child isn’t enjoying the current scenario.