Top-Rated Weekend Break Getaways from San Diego. When you choose it's time to escape the cozy climate and also gorgeous beaches of San Diego, the surrounding area gives a practically endless range of options. From hiking through the sturdy canyons of Joshua Tree National Forest in the Mojave Desert to angling off the coastline of Baja Mexico, it's all just a short drive away.
Natural marvels, like the large redwoods of Sequoia National forest are easily accessible, as are urban journeys like discovering the blowing up food scene of DTLA (Downtown Los Angeles).
Southern The golden state's considerable highway network, integrated with some cautious planning, can likewise permit 2 extremely various adventures in a solitary day. Rather easily, it's feasible to surf at Pacific Beach in the early morning and invest the mid-day snowboarding in the mountains of Big Bear.
Strategy your experiences with our list of the best weekend break escapes from San Diego.
1. Catalina Island
Catalina Island
Just 26 miles off the shore as well as with regular Catalina Express catamaran service departing from Dana Point, this trip is just 2 hours from San Diego (a 90-minute watercraft flight plus thirty minutes to drive to Dana Factor).
Catalina Island is filled with small hotels, fantastic dining establishments, and also a series of outdoor activities. You can enjoy the sunlight on among the island's beaches or hang out out on or under the water angling, kayaking, snorkeling, or scuba diving. If you like jazz, the Catalina Island JazzTrax Event happens each October.
Catalina Island was once had by the Wrigley household (Wrigley as in the chewing gum tissue), and also their mansion is currently a luxury shop bed-and-breakfast called Mt Ada. It sits high on a hill forgeting the harbor.
Mr. Wrigley made certain his residence had the best views on his island, and also guests now profit with sweeping postcard views of Avalon (the island's major town); the Pacific; and also on clear days, the coastline of Southern California, 26 miles away. The Wrigley residence is just one of the much more pricey resort alternatives on the island, however this is a very unique place.
Lodging: Where to Remain On Catalina Island
2. Idyllwild
Idyllwild
This summer-only weekend break destination is high in the San Jacinto mountains of Waterfront County, yet only a two-hour drive from midtown San Diego. The hill hotel has a couple of streets of diverse stores and also art galleries, along with restaurants as well as cafés.
You can see throughout the winter, yet there are no ski hotels in the area, and also the hill roads can be tough to drive on in the snow. Some businesses shut down as well.
Idyllwild is a jumping-off place for numerous miles of hiking tracks, for all levels of walkers. The alpine landscape, loaded with big evergreen, is lovely as well as looks like something out of northern Alaska, rather than Southern California. To expand your escape, you can drive down Highway 74, known as the Palms to Pines Beautiful Byway, which connects Idyllwild with Palm Desert, near Palm Springs It's much less than an hour drive away.
The Quiet Creek Inn is a rustic, pet-friendly bed-and-breakfast in Idyllwild, with a boutique resort feel. You're snuggled in the woodland, with vintage (but perfectly selected) cabin holiday accommodations. It's tranquil and separated yet within strolling range of the town's lots of galleries as well as stores.
3. Palm Springs
Hand Springs.
Additionally regarding three hours by auto from San Diego, this desert hotel destination flaunts greater than 100 golf courses in the Greater Palm Springs location (comprised of the cities of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, as well as La Quinta). It additionally standards concerning 350 days of sunshine per year.
The Coachella Valley location has an exceptional dining establishment scene, numerous deluxe and also hotel hotels, and also a whole lot more to do than simply golf. Air travel followers will like the vintage planes of the Hand Springs Air Gallery, and also the Hand Springs Aerial Tramway is another must-do. It blends you from the desert flooring to a mountain summit practically 9,000 feet high, in only 10 minutes. It's possible to play in the snow on top, while it mores than 100 levels Fahrenheit (38 levels Celsius) down below in Palm Springs.
Go beyond vintage and stay at the Ingleside Inn, among the city's earliest (and also coolest) resorts. Constructed in 1925 as an exclusive estate, it was then the city's most special private club (preferred with celebrities and also movie celebrities due to its privacy) up until becoming a hotel in the late 1960s. Make certain to have supper at Mervyn's, their retro dining establishment and also supper club.
Holiday Accommodation: Top-Rated Resorts in the Palm Springs Location
4. Sequoia National Forest
Sequoia National Forest
The marvelous, giant redwood trees of Sequoia National Park have to do with a six-hour drive from San Diego. Sequoia National Park remains in Central California, in the southern part of the Sierra Nevada hills. Visitors obtain two national forests appropriate beside each various other, as Kings Canyon National forest is adjacent to Sequoia.
The gigantic redwood trees are breathtaking, and also at around 3,500 years of ages, some are the oldest creature in the world. These redwoods, some of which have expanded to be 300 feet high, with a trunk virtually 30 feet in size, are interesting to discover and also walk below. There are a number of camping sites, as well as four lodges, situated inside Sequoia and also Kings Canyon National Park.
Wuksachi Lodge is right in the Giant Forest area, inside the park, where some of the biggest trees can be discovered. The stone and cedar mountain lodge is open year-round, but tire chains may be required to access it during the winter season. The lodge has a ski shop as well as a full-service dining establishment.
5. Waterfront
Riverside
Riverside may feel like an unusual weekend vacation location as it doesn't have a credibility for resorts, but a remain at the Objective Inn Hotel & Health Facility deserves the trip alone.
The architecturally interesting property has rated visitors for greater than 100 years as well as is best in the heart of the city. After you have actually explored the building (get a free trip from one of the hotel's ambassadors), there are a few galleries to see: the Waterfront Metropolitan Museum, about the city as well as region; the Waterfront Art Gallery, with a wonderful option of generally The golden state and also American painters; and the College of California, Waterfront Gallery of Digital Photography.
The Objective Inn is likewise ideal nearby from the city's historical Fox Carrying out Arts Center, a classic cinema that hosts real-time occasions as well as prominent musical entertainers.
Read More:
Premier Attractions & Things to Do in Waterfront, CA.
6. Joshua Tree.
Joshua Tree.
When you want your weekend getaway to include some outdoor camping and also noticeably stunning all-natural landscapes, a trip to Joshua Tree National Park is the best destination. It's simply outside Palm Springs and also regarding a three-hour drive from San Diego.
Below, you'll find hundreds of countless square miles of raw desert landscape, with stunning camping areas and also treking trails. The small town of Joshua Tree seems deliberately caught in a 1960s time warp as well as can be almost as enjoyable to visit as the national park.
The Joshua Tree Inn is a seriously eclectic hacienda-style boutique resort located right in the heart of the little community outside the park.
You can likewise do Joshua Tree as an outing from Palm Springs. The park entrance is only 30 minutes from Hand Springs, and a number of the park's highlights are accessible to visitors that drive. You can drive from the park's primary entry near the community of Joshua Tree via the park to the other entryway in concerning 2 hours. The park's other entry is near the Cottonwood Visitor's Center as well as really near to the 10 highway.
7. Rosarito Beach, Mexico.
Rosarito Coastline, Mexico.
Just 30 minutes from the U.S. - Mexico boundary, Rosarito Beach provides an authentic Mexican coastline trip, complete with delicious freshly-caught fish and shellfish, strolling Mariachi artists, as well as large sandy coastlines.
Park on the U.S. side of the border, walk over the bridge, as well as take a taxi (or Uber or Lyft) into Rosarito. It's just around 30 minutes away as well as should cost concerning $30 per cab (not each). Once here, you'll discover a vivid seaside holiday city. Why not take a full- or half-day fishing trip on among the numerous visitor angling watercrafts, or attempt a whale-watching adventure, also readily available.
The Rosarito Beach Resort is a huge mid-priced mega-resort, right on the beach in the facility of town. Apart from its own stretch of coastline, there are several swimming pools, a health club, a lot of restaurants, and also all examples to do on-property.
8. Solvang.
Solvang.
Although primarily a development for visitors, this enchanting Danish community has to do with thirty minutes from Santa Barbara as well as a five-hour drive from San Diego. It's everything about Denmark below - the shops as well as little business district is completely performed in Danish/European style, and also it seems like you're in Copenhagen.
The major draw below are the numerous Danish dining establishments, stores, galleries, and bakeshops - it's fun simply walking around and also exploring. A journey to Solvang is additionally a good day journey during a weekend vacation to Santa Barbara.
The Royal Copenhagen Inn is an enjoyable and also popular bed-and-breakfast, exactly on Objective Drive in the heart of community. Stay below, and you can walk to every little thing.
9. Ojai.
Ojai.
This attractive valley in Ventura County is near Santa Barbara and also a five-hour drive from San Diego. You'll discover a cool, New Age town, loaded with distinct shops and numerous kinds of therapists.
The surrounding location is mainly farming, and also the regional fruit and vegetables and food products are particularly remarkable. Attempt to see a neighborhood ranch stand for some fresh fruit or generate.
The Ojai Valley Inn is a true location resort and a terrific location to remain for a vacation. Originally opened in 1934, the 220-acre hotel is a small city, with several sorts of lodgings and also plenty of tasks as well as features. The hotel has a prize-winning medspa, an 18-hole golf course, and eight various dining options, from official to informal.
10. Los Angeles.
Los Angeles.
Los Angeles is only 3 hrs north of San Diego, and it makes a fantastic weekend break trip destination. It's probably best to concentrate on a single location, like a beach escape to Santa Monica or a city food lover vacation to DTLA (midtown Los Angeles).
The downtown location of LA is growing - it's full of road after street of new restaurants, and structure after developing converted into luxury loft houses or upscale buying. A dish at the Grand Central Market, currently a gastronomic food hall, is a must-do, as is a see to Disney Hall for a music concert. DTLA's restored Minister Theater hosts more modern musical performers.
If you don't intend to drive, Amtrak trains range from San Diego's Santa Fe Depot right to Union Terminal in DTLA. It's then easy to take the Metro system around downtown as well as all over Los Angeles consisting of tourist destinations like Hollywood, Universal City, and the Santa Monica Coastline.
The Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles was developed from an early 20th-century office complex as well as cinema, as well as the theater continues to be a preferred place for concerts and also efficiencies. The fashionable hotel is centrally situated right on Broadway in the heart of DTLA making it simple to stroll to all the awesome stores as well as restaurants.
Accommodation: Where to Remain In Los Angeles: Ideal Areas & Hotels.
11. Lake Arrowhead.
Lake Arrowhead.
Found high up in the San Bernardino mountains, Lake Arrowhead is only a two-hour drive from San Diego. In the wintertime, it's a popular spot for snowboarding - the Snow Valley ski resort is just thirty minutes away, yet in the summer, it's a beautiful, rustic family-friendly vacation location.
There's a big lake, obviously, along with numerous miles of treking as well as hill biking trails. The town of Lake Arrowhead has a nice option of resorts, dining establishments, stores, as well as art galleries.
The Lake Arrowhead Hotel and Health https://travelingtheusaandeurope.tumblr.com/ spa is a big, extravagant, lakeside hotel. It has its own marina and supplies all sort of enjoyable on the water. Throughout the winter season, it's an outstanding alternative, with simple accessibility to neighborhood ski resorts.
12. Temecula.
Temecula.
This beautiful rural area, just an hour from San Diego, has actually changed itself from a farming area right into a preferred tourism location. The Temecula Valley is loaded with fairway and now likewise several hotel options. It's likewise a preferred place in Southern The golden state for warm air ballooning.
Temecula's Old Community area admires its farming previous and also keeps some of the original design. The portable downtown area has many restaurants and also antique stores, in addition to a couple of museums, including Pennypickle's Workshop, a hands-on children's scientific research gallery.
The Signature Temecula is a good choice for those intending to invest even more time in the Old Community area. It's next door to Lienzo Charro, took into consideration among the best Mexican dining establishments around, and also a brief walk from the Old Town location.
13. Mammoth Lakes.
Mammoth Hill Ski Location.
This mainly winter season hotel destination is high in the Eastern Sierra mountains. It's a day's drive (regarding eight hrs) or a brief flight away. You can fly to Mammoth from San Diego with an attaching flight, or in the winter, drive regarding 90 minutes and also fly straight from John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County.
In the winter months, it's everything about snow, and Mammoth gets a lot of it. The Mammoth Hill ski hotel flaunts The golden state's highest possible lift-serviced ski mountain. There are 28 lifts taking you to 150 runs, the lengthiest of which is 3 miles.
Monstrous is likewise a great place for a summer getaway. The hill hotel is full of hiking tracks, world-class mountain cycling, and some fantastic golf links. Several of the ski lifts operate, so you can explore higher altitudes.
Holiday accommodation: Where to Remain In Mammoth Lakes.
14. Santa Barbara.
View over Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara is a picturesque four-hour drive up the coastline from San Diego and also is an excellent location for a weekend break trip. The city's downtown area, concentrated around State Street, uses site visitors an assortment of locally-owned shops, restaurants, as well as art galleries.
When you obtain hungry, head down to the city's Funk Zone, a previous commercial warehouse location currently filled with hip dining establishments and also art galleries.
For a cool, high-end boutique hotel experience in the midtown location, the Kimpton Canary Resort is one of the city's latest properties. Besides extravagant, yet comfy rooms, there's a preferred dining establishment, Finch & Fork, and the hotel additionally has the city's only roof swimming pool.