Touropia Travel Experts

  • Destinations

6 Best Day Trips from San Diego

Last updated on August 15, 2020 in California, Tours 1 Comment

San Diego is a great place to visit year ‘round, especially in the winter with its balmy days. This southern California city offers great golfing, miles of Pacific Ocean beaches, a quaint historic district, a first-class zoo and fine dining. San Diego also makes a great base to explore the region, from the desert to wine country to the Mexican border city of Tijuana. For sure, this city and its environs, easily reachable on day trips from San Diego, have something for everyone.

6. Borrego Springs

Borrego Springsflickr/Tim Buss

Borrego Springs, located in northeast San Diego County, is a place to escape from the hustle and bustle of big city life. This town offers a slower pace of life, a community that is not defined by how many big-box stores it has (none), and where the nearest stop light is 50 miles away. It is surrounded by the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, making it the county’s only desert community. Placed in the open stretches of land, visitors will find large, metal sculptures of prehistoric animals. Built by sculptor Ricardo Breceda and financed by benefactor Dennis Avery, the fanciful sculptures have become popular tourist attractions.

5. Legoland California

Legoland Californiaflickr/Ayleen Gaspar

Located about 30 miles (50 km) north of San Diego, Legoland California is an amusement park in Carlsbad that is mainly geared for children ages 2 to 12. The park is based on Legos, a children’s toy that originated in the 1930s in Denmark. Legoland does, however, have more than 60 rides the whole family will enjoy as well as plenty of hands-on exhibits. The themed resort also offers lots of shopping opportunities and a chance and a SeaLife Aquarium that is designed to teach children (adults, too) about the sea and its inhabitants.

See trip reviews & prices.

4. Julian

Julianflickr/JoeInSouthernCA

Julian is an historic town in San Diego County, famous for the California gold rush of 1870. Soon after, a settler brought in a wagonload of apple trees for an orchard; today, Julian’s apple pies are world-famous. Located about an hour drive from San Diego, it is also well known for being a mountain resort town. Exploring Julian’s old mines is a top tourist activity as is visiting the California Wolf Center, which provides an opportunity to see wolves in a controlled environment. Other fun activities include visiting the Julian Pioneer Museum and local wineries, hiking in the Cuyamaca Mountains and going horseback riding.

3. San Diego Whale Watching

San Diego Whale Watchingflickr/Port of San Diego

Visitors with sturdy sea legs might want to cruise out into the Pacific Ocean on a whale-watching expedition. While whales swim along the San Diego coastline throughout the year, the best time to see gray whales that are as wide as a basketball court is December through April as they migrate between Alaska and Baja California. Blue whales, the largest creature on earth, can be seen from mid-June through September. Good places for landlubbers to see the whales are Birch Aquarium and Torrey Pines State Reserve.

See trip reviews & prices.

2. Temecula Wine Country

Temecula Wine Countryflickr/jacobsons

Wine aficionados won’t want to miss the opportunity to taste wines in Temecula Wine Country, located in Riverside County about an hour from San Diego. Southern California’s wine country vintners produce award-winning wines in more than 50 varietals – white, red or in between – so everyone is sure to find a wine that matches their taste. Most tasting rooms are open daily, usually from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., providing an opportunity to taste wines produced at the winery from estate vineyards. Most tasting rooms charge fees for sampling their wines.

See trip reviews & prices.

1. Tijuana

#1 of Day Trips From San Diegoflickr/photographerglen

Located right across the border, this Mexican city of 1.3 million people is a shopper’s paradise, especially in the downtown Zona Rio. The historic district is located in the Zona Centro. Tijuana’s proximity to the US has made it a very popular tourist destination, especially for day-trippers. Taking a taxi to Baja California’s largest city is one way to get there or visitors can take a Blue Line trolley from San Diego to the border crossing at San Ysidro. American citizens can just walk across the border on a day trip from San Diego, but need passports or passport cards to return to the United States.

See trip reviews & prices.
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Email this to someone
email
You Might Also Like

20 Best Places to Visit in California

10 Top Tourist Attractions in California

Where to Stay in San Francisco: Best Neighborhoods & Hotels

10 Top Attractions in Yosemite National Park

Where to Stay in San Diego: Best Neighborhoods & Hotels

12 Most Beautiful Lakes in California

15 Best Cities to Visit in California

10 Top Tourist Attractions in Los Angeles

10 Best Beaches in California

10 Top Tourist Attractions in San Diego

10 Top Tourist Attractions in San Francisco

10 Most Beautiful National Parks in California

Comments

  1. gino says

    May 27, 2017

    traveling with 3 13 year olds is it safe to pass into mexico???

By posting a comment, you agree to our comment policy.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Featured

Discover the U.S. States

Best Travel Destinations for Every Month

Uncover the Secrets of the Mayas

Latest

Best Things to Do in Quebec City

15 Best Things to Do in Quebec City

Best Things to do in Edmonton

12 Best Things to do in Edmonton

Things to do in Telluride, Colorado

7 Best Things to do in Telluride, Colorado

Southeast Asia Beaches

Best Beaches in Southeast Asia

Copyright © 2021· Touropia.com · About · Contact · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer