The Ultimate San Diego Spring Break
San Diego is a guaranteed fun destination for Spring Break. Here’s our ideal itinerary for families who want to balance the 'Big Three'—LEGOLAND, the San Diego Zoo, and the Safari Park—without returning home more exhausted than when you left.
WHERE TO DROP ANCHOR
We took this trip in 2023 when our son was 9 years old. He was still the ideal age for LEGOLAND but could handle a full day of walking around the Zoo as well. We chose to anchor down in Carlsbad at the Westin Carlsbad Resort & Spa for several reasons:
Walkable LEGOLAND Access: The hotel is located directly behind LEGOLAND. It features a private pedestrian entrance that allows guests to walk into the back of the park in about 5 minutes. This is a massive perk because it lets you bypass the main gate crowds and start your day in the back of the park, often reaching popular rides before the main rush.
Easy Safari Park Access: Being in Carlsbad puts you in a great position to head east to the Safari Park in Escondido, which is roughly a 30- to 40-minute drive away.
Proximity to the Zoo: The main San Diego Zoo is further south in Balboa Park (about a 35- to 45-minute drive).
A parent friendly retreat at the end of a long day. Not only is the Westin less expensive than the official LEGOLAND themed hotels, it provides a quieter, more upscale reprieve for those who don’t want the LEGO experience 24/7.
MUST HAVES: RENTAL CAR AND A GOOD SOUNDTRACK
While some cities are walkable, San Diego is a "sprawl city." To truly see it all, renting a car is non-negotiable. One of the funniest highlights of our trip happened the second we hopped into our rental car. The radio was preset to Sunny 98.1, blasting hits from the “70s, 80s and 90s” and it immediately became the official soundtrack of our Spring Break. There is something about driving down the Pacific Coast Highway with the windows down, singing “Don’t Stop Believin” at the top of your lungs that just feels like a "core memory" in the making. We fell in love with the station so much that we didn't leave it behind in California. We still stream Sunny 98.1 at home whenever we want to be transported back to those sunny San Diego vibes!
DAY ONE: "Welcome to San Diego"
After checking into the Westin, we headed to the Oceanside Harbor to meet up with some friends who live in Southern California for a late lunch/early dinner (linner?) at Harbor Fish and Chips. If you go, go hungry. We’ve had fish and chips all over, but these were truly some of the best—and definitely the largest portions—we’ve ever seen. The batter was perfectly crispy, and the fish was incredibly fresh. It’s a casual, family-friendly spot that immediately put us in that vacation mindset.
Once we were sufficiently stuffed, we took a short stroll down to the beachfront to enjoy a little surf and sand while watching the sun dip down. It was the perfect, low-stress way to burn off some energy before our big "Big Three" days at the parks started.
DAY TWO: LEGOLAND
Thanks to our convenient location, we ate breakfast at the hotel and took a 5 minute stroll to the “secret” entrance to LEGOLAND. As a rule, we like to hit the popular rides first in order to avoid the long lines later in the day. The LEGOLAND website has a handy tool where you can review which rides your child is eligible for based on height. Ben really enjoyed “Driving School,” though he did get into a fender bender. “Emmet’s Flying Adventure” is a virtual dome IMAX experience on a “triple decker couch” that jostles and moves up and down. If you’re prone to motion sickness, skip this one! The entire park is full of hands-on activities, rides and displays. As adults, we most enjoyed “Miniland USA,” which features LEGO sized cities like Las Vegas and New York. One day was enough for our crew, but you could easily spend two to three days if you include the Aquarium and Water Park.
DAY THREE: Safari Park
The San Diego Zoo Safari park is in Escondido. About an hour from San Diego. I would recommend having your Zoo and Safari visits on separate days, but you can purchase bundled tickets for both parks. We had made reservations in advance for a Deluxe Safari which consisted of a 90 minute tour in a covered Safari Truck through the giraffe and rhino habitats. This was the first thing we did so we had the rest of the day to explore. The park is enormous and we didn’t view everything, but we enjoyed ourselves and found plenty of shady spots to sit and relax and have lunch.
The best way to end the day is to visit Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido. Not only is it a stunning venue with an amazing full service restaurant, the property is a massive “Zen garden” and patio with koi ponds, outdoor seating and often live music. Overall a great resting place after a busy day.
DAY FOUR: Rainy Day Pivot
We had prepared for the weather ahead of time. San Diego was expected to have some rain the week we visited so we didn’t fill every day with activities. On our third day, we woke up to rain and clouds so rather than visit the Zoo, we decided to check out the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, minutes from our hotel. The museum exhibits cover the history of music through the ages and how instruments are made. It was extremely hands on and Ben had a blast playing different kinds of guitars and drums. It kept us occupied for hours and was a great way to spend a rainy day!
DAY FIVE: San Diego Zoo
While the Safari Park is about wide-open spaces, the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park is an immersive, lush jungle in the middle of the city. We dedicated a full day here, and honestly, you could easily spend two days if you wanted to see every single exhibit without rushing. Make sure you wear your most comfortable walking shoes because getting around is more like hiking. They do have an on demand shuttle bus for visitors with disabilities and guided bus tours as an upgraded experience.
One of our favorite “rest stops” was the Wildlife Explorers Basecamp kids play area where Ben got to run off some steam. He also got a chance to help feed the warthogs as we just happened to be there at the right time!
If you only plan to visit the Zoo for one day, have the expectation that you won’t be able to see everything. We used the Zoo map app to determine our top animal exhibits and gave ourselves plenty of opportunities to rest and get snacks. If you take your time then you’ll have a relaxing and enjoyable visit without overdoing it.
DAY SIX: A Day in La Jolla
We spent our final full day exploring the coastal town of La Jolla. There’s plenty to do and see on foot including the iconic Sea Lions in La Jolla Cove and the Children’s Pool where you can see seals. To add to the vibes, we had lunch at Duke’s La Jolla for some Hawaiian seafood. I had the best Ahi Tuna Steak and the kids menu is Ben-approved. La Jolla ended up being the best way to spend our final day on a relaxing note.
SAN DIEGO: THE GREATEST HITS FOR SPRING BREAK
My best advice is to plan your week around three big days with room to pivot. Carlsbad is the ideal location if you’re planning the Safari park and the zoo. Make sure you set your radio preset to Sunny 98.1 and if you’re like us, you’ll find yourself playing it at home to keep that feeling alive.
