The Best Day Trips From San Diego

Being a mere 20-30 minutes from downtown San Diego is only one among many reasons to make a day trip up the coast to La Jolla. This upscale seaside neighborhood boasts a seven-mile stretch of wild Pacific beaches, bluffs and pine-scented hills, ideal for surfers, sunbathers, wildlife-spotters and hikers alike. Rent a kayak and set sail for the smugglers’ caves at La Jolla Cove, keeping peepers peeled for marine critters including stingrays and sea turtles along the way; hit the surf at the aptly named Wipeout and Windansea beaches; or take the kids to see the colony of harbor seals that calls Children’s Pool home.

But it’s not all about the beaches here. No! You can also take a hike through the Torrey Pines Nature Reserve, 2,000 acres of craggy cliffs and windswept plateaus named after the endangered tree that’s unique to this stretch of coast. Then there’s La Jolla Village for all your shopping and lunching needs, and the towering Scripps Pier with its monolithic support struts, a popular sunset selfie spot for romantics young and old.

Read our guide to La Jolla here.

California’s largest state park, Anza-Borrego lies just under two hours east of downtown San Diego. Intrepid vacationers who make the journey are rewarded with widescreen photo opps, from soaring snow-capped mountains to arid lunar badlands. There are more than 100 miles of marked trails to explore in this whopping 600,000 acre wilderness, with landscapes that change dramatically with the seasons: one of the most popular times to visit is in late winter/early spring, when a colorful carpet of vibrant wildflowers – dune verbena, desert primrose, poppies and more – bursts forth from the soil.

Highlights of the hiking options include The Slot, a (very) narrow sandstone canyon trail, and the startling secret oasis at Borrego Palm Canyon. You can also explore the park by 4WD if you want to cover more ground, and it’s possible to turn your day trip into a mini break if you book a spot in the (very popular!) camping grounds far enough in advance.

Oenophiles rejoice! It’s only an hour or so from San Diego to Temecula Valley, where dozens of award-winning wineries means the opportunity to sample some of SoCal’s finest grape juice is always going to be too hard to resist. Even better news is that there are stacks of operators running chauffeured day trips out of San Diego, so you can sup sun-kissed syrahs, cab sauvs and chardonnays to your heart’s content, all without ever coming to blows over who’s going to be the designated driver.

Also highly popular here, hot-air balloon rides soar high over the patchwork of vineyards and fields, offering picture-perfect selfie opportunities (as well as, usually, a glass of the good stuff to steady your nerves).

If you’ve had your wildlife appetite whetted by the awesome zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego Zoo Safari Park should be next on your list. One of the region’s biggest tourist attractions (in every sense!), this 1,800-acre park lies north of San Diego in the San Pasqual Valley, and boasts a menagerie of some 3,500+ critters. The various zones, including elephant, lion and gorilla exhibits, are designed to mimic the natural habitats of these majestic beasts as closely as possible, while several safari options – open-air trams, ziplines, walk-throughs and even a tethered helium balloon – provide a variety of interesting and unique viewpoints.

Top tip: general access to San Diego Zoo Safari Park is included with a Go City San Diego pass, which can save you up to 50% off across dozens of tours, activities and attractions including SeaWorld San Diego, the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum, whale-watching cruises, Belmont Park and more.

Named for President Grover Cleveland, this SoCal gem promises 460,000 acres of swoonsome mountainous landscapes, dotted with canyons, conifer forests and great crashing waterfalls including the awesome 80-foot-high Cedar Falls. At around 90 minutes from San Diego it’s the ideal distance for a day trip. Pack a picnic and your swimming costume – there are several water holes that are safe for taking a cooling dip. Dozens of well-marked hiking routes run the gamut from glute-crunching mountain ascents with remarkable panoramic views to lush (and relatively flat) woodland nature trails that teem with seasonal wildflowers.

Road-trippers will relish the sweeping vistas afforded along the park’s twisty South Grade Road and (rather self-explanatory) Sunrise Scenic Byway, and there are several campgrounds for overnighters. But, again, be sure to book early!

In the market for an authentic throwback to the Old American West? Look no further than the charming gold-rush era town of Julian, just over an hour east of San Diego in the Cuyamaca Mountains. The town’s well-preserved mines are open for tours and you can even have a go at panning for gold yourself. You never know, you might strike it rich!

But gold mines ain’t all Julian has to offer. The town is also famous for its sweet, crunchy apples grown way up here in the clear fresh mountain air. You can visit the local orchards and you’ll find several competing pie shops touting their freshly baked wares along the main street. But which is best? There's only one way to find out…

Last but by no means least, the Joshua Tree National Park requires little introduction. Its otherworldly 800,000-acre wilderness is a joy to explore, and chock full of the twisted trees that give the park its name. You’ll also encounter monolithic rock formations you’d swear were fashioned from the hands of giants and, at nightfall, some of the clearest views of the stars and galaxies anywhere on Earth.

Highlights of the park’s many epic trails include the geological enigma that is Skull Rock, the kaleidoscopic birdlife at Cottonwood Spring and the Oasis of Mara, and the extraordinary views from the (challenging but very worthwhile) ascent up Ryan Mountain. As with the other state parks in this list, a number of camping grounds are available for night owls: on clear, moonless nights budding stargazers will be rewarded with cosmic views of the Milky Way.