San Diego with children

San Diego features some of the top tourist attractions for families in the United States. Millions of families visit this sunny city each year, and it's really no wonder. Whether the plan is to visit San Diego for a few days or a few weeks, there’s plenty to do and see for kids of all ages.

Get around
A car is the best way to get around the city.

See
See the San Diego District articles for specific details on the attractions below. The information here is an overview of kid-friendly attractions.


 * Presidio Park, next door to Old Town. A large park with canyons, tall trees, flowering plants, and grassy hillsides as well as the Junipero Serra Museum and several memorials and historic landmarks. It is a lovely attraction for families, being a great place to bring a picnic, walk around, play on the lawns, and enjoy the views from the top of the hill.
 * Presidio Park, next door to Old Town. A large park with canyons, tall trees, flowering plants, and grassy hillsides as well as the Junipero Serra Museum and several memorials and historic landmarks. It is a lovely attraction for families, being a great place to bring a picnic, walk around, play on the lawns, and enjoy the views from the top of the hill.
 * Presidio Park, next door to Old Town. A large park with canyons, tall trees, flowering plants, and grassy hillsides as well as the Junipero Serra Museum and several memorials and historic landmarks. It is a lovely attraction for families, being a great place to bring a picnic, walk around, play on the lawns, and enjoy the views from the top of the hill.
 * Presidio Park, next door to Old Town. A large park with canyons, tall trees, flowering plants, and grassy hillsides as well as the Junipero Serra Museum and several memorials and historic landmarks. It is a lovely attraction for families, being a great place to bring a picnic, walk around, play on the lawns, and enjoy the views from the top of the hill.
 * Presidio Park, next door to Old Town. A large park with canyons, tall trees, flowering plants, and grassy hillsides as well as the Junipero Serra Museum and several memorials and historic landmarks. It is a lovely attraction for families, being a great place to bring a picnic, walk around, play on the lawns, and enjoy the views from the top of the hill.
 * Presidio Park, next door to Old Town. A large park with canyons, tall trees, flowering plants, and grassy hillsides as well as the Junipero Serra Museum and several memorials and historic landmarks. It is a lovely attraction for families, being a great place to bring a picnic, walk around, play on the lawns, and enjoy the views from the top of the hill.
 * Presidio Park, next door to Old Town. A large park with canyons, tall trees, flowering plants, and grassy hillsides as well as the Junipero Serra Museum and several memorials and historic landmarks. It is a lovely attraction for families, being a great place to bring a picnic, walk around, play on the lawns, and enjoy the views from the top of the hill.
 * Presidio Park, next door to Old Town. A large park with canyons, tall trees, flowering plants, and grassy hillsides as well as the Junipero Serra Museum and several memorials and historic landmarks. It is a lovely attraction for families, being a great place to bring a picnic, walk around, play on the lawns, and enjoy the views from the top of the hill.



Balboa Park
Balboa Park is chock-full of museums and sights appealing to just about any family.
 * The Balboa Park Carousel and the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad, near the entrance to the San Diego Zoo, provide an entertaining diversion for kids. Each charges $2 per ride per person.

Do

 * Mission Bay Playground, East Mission Bay Drive on Mission Bay. It's a huge playground, with several elaborate play structures (one is built to resemble a pirate ship) and lots of elements for kids to explore. It is set on the edge of Mission Bay and surrounded by expansive lawns perfect for kite-flying and playing sports.

Beaches
There are plenty of beaches up and down the coast, and most of them cater to families very well. Some of the best ones for families are, from south to north:
 * Central Beach, Coronado. A beautiful white sand and very family-oriented beach - most of the crowd here are families.
 * Torrey Pines State Beach, La Jolla. North of La Jolla as part of Torrey Pines State Park, this lovely beach is set against gorgeous cliffs (don't worry, they're set back away from the waves), is quite large and pretty uncrowded (so families don't have to search hard to find a quiet spot), and is just a great beach for kids to explore.
 * Moonlight Beach, Encinitas. About 20 miles up the coast north of San Diego in the beach community of Encinitas. This family-friendly beach has lifeguards, a playground, picnic tables, sand volleyball courts, a snack shack, and firepits for cool evenings.
 * Torrey Pines State Beach, La Jolla. North of La Jolla as part of Torrey Pines State Park, this lovely beach is set against gorgeous cliffs (don't worry, they're set back away from the waves), is quite large and pretty uncrowded (so families don't have to search hard to find a quiet spot), and is just a great beach for kids to explore.
 * Moonlight Beach, Encinitas. About 20 miles up the coast north of San Diego in the beach community of Encinitas. This family-friendly beach has lifeguards, a playground, picnic tables, sand volleyball courts, a snack shack, and firepits for cool evenings.

Eat

 * Ruby's Diner, Oceanside Pier, Oceanside. Kids will love walking and running down the long wooden pier, watching families fishing off the sides and kites flying in the breeze. Ruby's sits at the end of the pier and serves kid-friendly fare of burgers and shakes and a wide assortment of other entrees as well. As the restaurant sits directly over the water, you can feel the gentle sway of the ocean while you eat.

Sleep
(Please include only those hotels that you think a family with kids may have a special reason to stay at (a playroom, babysitting services, listening services, special rate for kids, etc.)