San Diego is accessible through San Diego International Airport (SAN) or Amtrak, if you live more locally in California. To get around the area and surrounding neighborhoods (e.g. Coronado, La Jolla, Encinitas), you should rent a car to drive around. Be prepared for a decent amount of street parking near outdoors spots or paying for parking in the city. If you don't have a car, there's plenty to do in Downtown San Diego (see Balboa Park in the additional spots section) and Coronado is accessible via ferry.
Lodging
If you want to visit a decent number of spots near Downtown, I'd recommend the Grand Hyatt in San Diego, which is centrally located and is a huge hotel with a full set of amenities. Parking is a tad expensive, but it does have a huge parking garage. Otherwise, smaller hotels or Airbnb's closer to hiking or beaches that you plan to visit would be a smart choice.
This is a huge Category 4 Hyatt hotel by the shoreline in downtown San Diego. When I say huge, I mean HUGE - it's got everything you need, especially if you're looking for a family-oriented, resort experience, including a large pool area, sports courts, rooftop bars, and dining. As a Cat. 4 Hyatt hotel, World of Hyatt cardmembers may grab a free night here with their annual award night.
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Day 1
Coronado
Fly in, get settled at your place, and head out to the beach! Coronado Beach is a short drive from Downtown San Diego, across the Coronado Bridge (unparalleled views).
Park along Ocean Blvd (borders the beach). You'll need to street park here, or within the adjacent neighborhood. For food, there are plenty of options along Orange Ave, which is walkable from the beach.
Get here earlier to avoid rush hour traffic - when leaving, traffic may also be bad.
Watch for the planes overhead! This beach is right by Coronado Naval Base so military planes often fly right above the beach.
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Sunset Cliffs
There are no bad places to watch the sunset in San Diego, but Sunset Cliffs may be in the top 10. About 14 miles away, walk along the cliffs above the water to views of the sun setting on the Pacific Ocean.
Park along Sunset Cliffs Blvd.
This is a stretch of cliffs for a mile or so - I would recommend walking along it. For a must-see spot for those in a time crunch, aim for this viewpoint https://goo.gl/maps/iKYvsALDeGq9wEFS9.
Don't forget to peer down into the numerous sea caves along the way! Some offer tours or guides into these caves, which involves some amount of climbing, hiking, and potentially swimming. I can't attest to how good these tours are, but you can check out an example guided tour in the attached link.
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Seaport Village
If you're staying close to downtown San Diego, then Seaport Village is within walking distance and has cute shops and small food stands to wind down.
It's hiking day! Wake up earlier to drive out to Annie's Canyon Trail in Solana Beach about 22 miles north of San Diego. It's a bit of a drive, but you'll get to climb through a small slot canyon!
Street parking - I would recommend parking on N Rios Ave, which is not where Google Maps takes you when searching for Annie's Canyon Trail. An approximate address to aim for is 150 Solana Point Cir, Solana Beach, CA 92075. The trailhead will be at the end of the street, on your right. You'll see some stairs heading down to the trail going east.
The trail itself is quite short, no longer than an hour loop. The squeeze through the canyon can be a little tight, but the actual canyon climb is only a few minutes. We saw some young kids doing just fine on the trail!
Be careful during rainier seasons - the trail may be slippery or may be closed. I'd check AllTrails to see if other hikers are able to access the trail if it had recently rained.
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Post-hike brunch is an absolute must. Head down to Torrey Pines or UCSD to rest up before the afternoon excursion.
Next up, a beach hike around Torrey Pines State Reserve. Bring plenty of water if you plan to spend a few hours exploring around and make it out of the park before sunset.
Navigate to the Torrey Pines Reserve Lodge and Visitor Center. Parking is provided at the Visitor Center. You'll have to pay ~$15 admission fee to enter the park.
The views are quite worth it though - I recommend the Beach Trail, which goes all the way down to the beach at the bottom of the cliffs. It's much quieter than most beaches and provides plenty of space to explore. On your way back up, you'll want to see Red Butte, Razor Point, and the many overlooks that the park provides. Luckily, with Google Maps, AllTrails, and park directions, it's hard to get lost in the park. There's an example AllTrails route in the links.
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La Jolla
If you still have time or don't feel like hiking today, make your way down to La Jolla and walk around the town. There's enough to do in La Jolla for an entire day, but at minimum, make sure to spot the seals!
La Jolla is a beautiful town just north of San Diego with tons to do for the whole family. I listed a couple suggestions down below, some I've been to before and some that are still on my wishlist :)
Parking in La Jolla can be hard to come by. There are many paid lots in the city that are good options if you want something easy. Some streets have free 2 hour parking - outside the La Jolla Recreation Center on Draper Ave, for instance.
Attached is also a kayaking experience I haven't yet gotten the chance to do!
One of the best places to spot seals and pups! The beach itself is often closed for the seals, but there's a pathway surrounding the beach for observation. Heads up that you will definitely smell the seals when you're here :)
$10 adult / $6 kids (as in 1/2023). A little pricey for a quick cave descent, but I thought it was a pretty cool experience! Definitely worth at least one trip. The cave itself is a bit dark and wet, so if you have trouble climbing steps or navigating tight spaces, I would not do this.
There might be a line out the store during peak hours - we waited about 30min.
After an entire day of hiking, it's time for a relaxing day at the beach. Head up to Encinitas for Moonlight State Beach. Plenty of traffic here from families, college students on spring break, and adults looking for a place to hang out.
Plenty of free lot parking. Certain parts of the beach are less sandy and more rocky. The beach is mostly bordered by small cliffs, with houses overhead.
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For food, I highly recommend the Taco Stand for lunch. Hang around the area for sunset and dinner, and if you're still around at night, there's a good chance you can clearly see the stars in the sky!
