Spring Break in San Diego: Top 25 Activities for 2025

Spring Break is one of the best times to visit San Diego. San Diego’s natural beauty is on full display and the combo of sandy beaches and world-class theme parks make it the best Spring Break destination in the United States!

I have compiled this list based on what I would do if I were visiting San Diego for the first time with my kids! It would be great for a visitor’s itinerary OR for locals who pay too much mortgage/rent to travel and choose to explore their city on their school break instead. As a local San Diegan, I love exploring our city on our school breaks instead of traveling. It’s called America’s Finest City for a reason!

Whether you are a San Diego resident or visiting San Diego for the first time, here are my recs for San Diego Spring Break!

The Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park

March is cherry blossom season! This is the perfect opportunity to see the best flowers in San Diego. The actual festival is over, but you can catch the blooms through the end of March. You can check the bloom percentage online before going. Link here: https://www.niwa.org/cbw

We also check in on the blooms from the bridge that overlooks the garden (as you walk from Spreckel’s Organ to Plaza Panama). 

Here are my tips for visiting:

1. Grab a scavenger hunt on your way in. Kids will be into anything with a scavenger hunt!
2. Spreckel’s Organ Pavilion is the closest parking lot. However, the parking tram at Balboa Park is fun and free! It lets off at Plaza Panama which is right near the gardens. 
3. The cherry blossoms are at the bottom of the garden. You need to do some switchbacks to get down there, but it is stroller and wheelchair friendly. 
4. We tried out the tea house lunch on our way out because I forgot our food in the car and everyone was hangry. The grilled salmon teriyaki bowl was amazing. Kids got hotdogs from the hotdog stands. You could also venture into North Park or Little Italy for food as they aren’t too far away!
5. Admission is $12. Kids 5 and under are free. We used our Balboa Park Explorer pass which is ~$230 for a family of 4 for the year and gets you into all the museums in Balboa Park! Worth the price. 

I also have a whole blog on visiting the Japanese Friendship Garden with even more pictures! Here is the link to that: https://sandiegomamas.com/cherry-blossom-season-san-diego/

Attend one of San Diego’s many events!

Looking for something for a specific day? I have an Events calendar full of fun family-friendly events. I post a weekly roundup to my Instagram page every Wednesday so check there to see what events are going on in San Diego the weekend of your Spring Break. There are cool expos, plays, performances, free fun family festivals and more. It just depends on the weekend!

Half of them are events I’ve searched out and added and the other half are community submitted events.

Link to San Diego Events Calendar: https://sandiegomamas.com/events/

Belmont in Bloom at Belmont Park in Mission Beach

Belmont Park is such a fun seaside amusement park! We are known for world-class theme parks, however, my family loves this one because it is always more chill and less expensive than the nearby SeaWorld, especially on school breaks. It’s less crowded than the other theme parks and more budget-friendly as it is free to enter. You have the option to pay per ride or get their unlimited wristband for $60 for adults or $55 for kids.

The wristband covers not only the rides but a large ropes course, laser tag, ziplining and a whole host of other fun activities. You can easily spend a whole day here. Pair it with a visit to the nearby Bonita Cove Park and a sunset on the beach!

Belmont Park has a series of festivals throughout the year. Their spring festival Belmont in Bloom is so beautiful! They also just reopened their roller coaster after doing some work on it. I hear it’s a smoother ride than it has been previously, so check that out! d

Sea Lions / Seals in La Jolla Cove

The seals begin to come to San Diego to have their pups around this time of the year! Of course, the exact dates vary year to year. Generally you can see them at The Children’s Pool in La Jolla through March as well. When we’ve gone there have been docents answering questions and making sure the seals and the people who want to see them stay safe and where they belong. 

To find the seals, head to The Children’s Pool in La Jolla. We went on February 19th and there were 28 seal pups! I am sure there are more now. If you are having family visit you for Spring Break this is a great place to play tour guide as all ages love baby seals!

Carlsbad Flower Fields

The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch are open from early March to early May every year. This is one of the best things to do with kids! You must pre-reserve tickets online. Admission is $27 for adults and $17 for kids. Kids under 2 are free. The best time to visit is a weekday morning because kids are free with a paying adult Monday-Wednesday!

They have the fields timed to bloom at certain times. My favorite time to visit is the end of March or early April because most are in bloom then!

The tractor ride costs an additional $8 once inside. It tours you around the whole property with the option of being dropped off at the top and walking back down. 

Don’t miss the Sweet Pea Maze or Santa’s Playground! The little elf houses are from Santa’s Village, a popular SoCal amusement park that pre-dates Disneyland. A family bought them on auction, refurbished them, and donated them to the Flower Fields for future generations to enjoy.

If you don’t want to pay for admission to The Flower Fields, you can also view them for free from Armada Drive in Carlsbad. This is very close to LEGOLAND and The Carlsbad Strawberry Fields.

You can get tickets here: https://www.theflowerfields.com/ It’s open daily through May. 

You will need to reserve an entry time. They aren’t super strict about it. We were late last year and nobody cared they just let us in. 

Here is my full blog post on The Carlsbad Flower Fields!

San Diego Zoo Safari Park Elephant Valley

Spring Break is the perfect time to visit The Safari Park. You must stop by Elephant Valley a MASSIVE new habitat they built that makes you feel like you are walking WITH the elephants. For other live animals in the area, San Diego has the only platypus outside of Australia. They keep the platypus habitat dark so that it will be awake when zoo visitors come to call. 

Also check out The Butterfly Jungle. It’s a separate charge but it’s so worth it! They have varieties from South America I’ve never seen before. They’re as big as dinner plates!

Don’t forget to go on the Africa Tram while you’re there! It’s on the complete opposite side of the park but it is well worth the walk over there. The tram tour is included with admission.

LEGOLAND Galaxy / Water Park

If you are visiting San Diego for the first time and you have a kid ages 3-12 you MUST visit LEGOLAND. It’s so fun! It’s like Disneyland except with more playgrounds. If you are a local, this is the perfect time to renew or get an annual pass as they are $70-$80 off. Link to that deal here.

They just opened LEGO Galaxy with the all new Galacticoaster plus two other rides! If the park is crowded, try purchasing their Fast Track upgrade. It will make it so you can skip the lines.

Here is my post I keep updated with all the most current deals for LEGOLAND: https://sandiegomamas.com/discount-legoland-california-tickets/

Windansea Beach in La Jolla

This spot is what I picture when I think of San Diego. The colors and scenery are almost so perfect that they don’t feel real! 

They named Windansea Beach for a long-gone resort that stood at this place in 1909. This beach is our family’s favorite spot to look out over the ocean. 

The iconic shade shack has been destroyed many times both by the ocean and by vandals. The locals always rebuild. After you are done up high, climb down to the tide pools and search for critters. There are some pretty cool caves to explore to the right of the shade shack. Watch the tides though, you want to make sure you can make it back without getting too wet! Park in the little lot between Westbourne and Nautilus Street.

Waterfront Park in Downtown San Diego

This park and The Maritime Museum are right next to each other and make a great combo visit. The park has a splash pad and great views of the boats if you don’t want to tour the actual museum. We found metered street parking pretty easily. Don’t miss the B-39 Submarine, the HMS Surprise (used for filming Master and Commander!), the San Salvador, and of course The Star of India!

You can climb all around the ships, touch everything, and even use the periscope in the submarine. Open 10-5 every day. Last entry is at 4 pm. I would expect to spend 2 plus hours there, more if you have a kid who is into boats. $10/kid $20/adult. They do participate in Kids Go Free in October. There are options for add-on pirate boat rides too!

If you would like to browse some other parks, I have a map lovingly made with the help of the moms on my Instagram account. You can find that here: https://sandiegomamas.com/best-parks-in-san-diego/

I would recommend any of the top 35 to visitors. 

Torrey Pines Hike / Beach Activities

So it’s still a little cold for beach days during Spring Break time. Hiking is a great way to enjoy the Pacific Ocean without getting wet. This is the most beautiful hike in San Diego. It’s also the most expensive at $20 to park (fee waived with a CA State Parks Pass). Park in the upper parking lot. You’ll drive past the gate and up the hill. 

We like the Razor Point Trail. It was 1.3 mi out and back so very doable even if you have to carry your kids part of the way. The terrain is too rough for a stroller. If you want to go further, there are multiple paths down to the beach!

Just be warned, one time we came here and the parking was closed. So we drove on and ended up at Torrey Pines Gliderport. It was fun watching the gliders until we had the bright idea to walk down to the beach from there. Locals, you know where this story is going. At the bottom of Torrey Pines Gliderport is Black’s Beach. Depending on the kind of Spring Break you’re going for, you may want to steer clear of Black’s Beach as it is a nude beach. Luckily we were there on a cold winter day and there was only one naked dude. My kids didn’t notice him and he kept to himself. 

You are good to go down to the beach by Torrey Pines hiking area. Just not down from Torrey Pines Gliderport. 

Attend a free Easter Egg hunt around San Diego

There are a ton of Easter Egg hunts happening over the next few weeks! Here is the whole list divided up by area and also by weekend: https://sandiegomamas.com/easter-egg-hunts-san-diego/

Cabrillo National Monument Tide Pools in Point Loma

It is amazing weather for tide pooling in March and April. This is one of our favorite spots to go. By the way, did you know a National Parks Pass will allow you to skip paying for parking here? Otherwise, it’s $15. Be sure to check for low tide times before going. They change daily, so Google the specific day you are planning to go. 

See Gray Whales

Apparently, the whales are going NUTS this year! You will be able to see a ton on a cruise. There are a few options, I have heard great things about City Cruises. They offered a discount for you to use, put in SDMAMAS10 for 10% off your booking with them for any cruise (not just whale watching). 

Birch Aquarium

This sweet little aquarium is high up on the cliffs above La Jolla. It’s one of the best places to view the ocean! The aquarium isn’t huge, so it’s easy to see everything here in a few hours. You enter in the middle of the aquarium. There are two halls displaying fish on either side. Walk directly through the entry and you’ll reach the touch pool. The lunch area, leopard sharks, and seahorse exhibit are to the left. Turtles, jellies, and kelp forest to the right. 

The touch pool at the back of the aquarium overlooks the rolling waves of La Jolla Shores. We loved touching the stingrays and real-life sharks here! The shark tank is at the end of the aquarium outside. The tank is raised so you can see the sharks super clearly. My kids were mesmerized watching the leopard sharks swim about! This is also a good place for lunch.

Make sure you spend some time enjoying the view over La Jolla. All the fences are glass so it’s easy to find a spot to sit and soak it all in. If you have time, at the end of the parking lot there is a small hike that leads to a secret swing that overlooks La Jolla. The last I checked it was down for maintenance but it’s always worth a look to see if it’s up!

Poway Train and Farmer’s Market

This cute train in Poway is such a fun way to spend the weekend! The train runs on Saturdays and Sundays. The first third and fifth weekend the big steam train runs. The second and fourth the little speeder train pictured runs!

Check their website or IG @cityofpoway for updated hours and information. They do close sometimes when they don’t have enough volunteers to run the trains but it’s generally posted in advance. It’s $2.50 a ride OR you can get an annual pass that will cover two adults and four kids for unlimited rides all year. 

There’s a little gift shop with a model train that goes when you press a button. We spent a long time in there. The Poway Farmer’s Market next door is great for lunch or try Hamburger Factory Poway for a fun western feel. Get the Ohmn Burger with fried avocado! Make sure to try their old-fashioned milkshakes. 

Air and Space Museum in Balboa Park

We love this museum! It’s a history of air and space in San Diego plus they have a whole new space travel exhibit. The boys loved sitting in the helicopters and getting up close and personal with the planes. 0/10 for the scary animatronic Charles Lindbergh right as you go in though. The museum right next to the automotive museum if you’d like to make a day out of it!

They have recently updated their children’s area to include a ton of hands-on activities. We also loved their new space exhibit. My boys spent a LONG time designing their planes and then test-flying them. I was getting annoyed that they were taking forever at one exhibit but then when we got home the next week my child was talking about putting “delta wings” on his paper airplane. So they were learning by doing and I gave myself mom points for letting them sit at one exhibit for 30 minutes. 

River Park at Snapdragon Stadium

This is a new park they put in right next to Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley! It uses the trolley track as shade, meaning the trolley goes right over the playground. It is VERY exciting for all the toddlers when the trolley goes over. Don’t worry, it’s electric, so it isn’t noisy or smelly.

If you are visiting for just the park, make sure there is no event going on as it can make parking very tricky. For non-event days, drive past the park and turn right. There is a back-in parking lot right there. Make sure to read the street signs wherever you park as they can be confusing and some areas are paid! One of my friends got a parking ticket here.

Pepper Park at Port of San Diego in National City

This is a brand new Pirate themed park and it gives off major water park vibes (except it’s free!). There’s a splash pad, an awesome ship playground, and the cutest little “beach” area with permanent shade umbrellas and sand.

This is a newer park, so be prepared for some crowds. The parking lot is pretty big so there is plenty of space. Bring sand toys to play in the sand!

Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park

This science museum is a favorite in our family! We love Kid City upstairs, their new Color in a New Light exhibit, and their IMAX theater. There’s a push-button science area where you can touch a tornado or experiment with electricity! Don’t forget to make it back to Studio X where they have different science experiments for kids almost every day of the week. 

They’ve left the giant ball pit from the last rotating exhibit that was there. The ball pit opens at 11 am, be sure to be the first one there as the line gets long quickly. Admission is $25 per adult and $20 per kid. 

Day Trip to Mount Laguna to see snow

Yes, there are beaches and snow in the same post about things to do for Spring Break. This is San Diego. It’s one of the best Spring Break destinations ever. The closest place to find snow is Mount Laguna, however, it doesn’t always snow there. You will want to Google Mount Laguna Live Cam before you go. I also have a post about the best places to find snow, you can find that here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C3JoTsgLkDH/?hl=en

We went to the Sunset Hike Trailhead and found a perfect sledding hill for small children. 

Rent Hydrobikes on Mission Bay

This is one of those unique experiences you never forget! We recently did this for the first time and it’s SO fun. It’s the perfect way to get out and see animals without having to rent a small boats or get wet. You can go in any weather and bring (almost) any age of kid. We left our 18-month-old home as she does not follow directions and would likely end up going swimming. You can rent the Hydrobikes through Aqua Adventures. They also rent SUPs and kayaks. This has been my favorite way to see the natural beauty of The San Diego Bay! Link here: https://www.aqua-adventures.com/lesson/hydro-bike/

Powerhouse Park in Del Mar

I can’t complete this list without mentioning one of San Diego’s most beautiful beaches. Powerhouse Park overlooks the ocean in the charming city of Del Mar. There is a huge shaded sand pit with tons of toys. While you’re watching your kids play, try to spot some dolphins from the benches next to the play structure. This park is also next to the Surfliner train track. It’s very exciting when a double-decker train blares through! Every kid stops to watch.

They just finished a brand new playground and it was worth the wait! We loved the fish theme and the wonderful swings facing the water. 

Park just off 15th Street near Del Mar Pizza in an underground lot. Turn on 15th street and head for the beach. After you see Del Mar Pizza, there’s a sign that says public parking. Make a right into a little lane and there’s an underground parking lot that’s only a few dollars per hour.

After you’re done at the park, walk up and eat at Del Mar Pizza. They have outdoor dining which makes it the perfect spot for the toddler crew. The restaurant is just across the street from the parking so it won’t be too hard to get everyone back home.

See a Padres Game

Padres opening weekend is March 26th! Petco Park is so much fun for kids, they even have a playground! 

Here is my full post on taking kids to Petco Park: https://sandiegomamas.com/petco-park-padres-game-with-kids/

Wildflowers in Anza Borrego

The wildflowers in Anza Borrego are going NUTS this year. Make sure to stop at Dudley’s Famous Bakery and Cafe on your way out. We also loved the little library here. It’s part of the San Diego City Library system so you can bring your library card and check out books! 

Enjoy the amazing San Diego beaches!

I can’t finish a list of things to do in San Diego for Spring Break without mentioning our amazing beaches. Our favorites for beach days with kids are: La Jolla Shores, Powerhouse, Moonlight State Beach, Torrey Pines (parking is $20 here), and Mission Bay Tecolote Shores.

Here is a link to all our favorite beach gear. We have built it up slowly over the years and each item has been tried and tested. See the list here.

Allow me to introduce myself…

My name is Camille! I am a San Diego stay-at-home mom who is never ever at home. I share a lot of fun things to do around San Diego including parks, restaurants, LEGOLAND, the zoo etc.

My goal with my Instagram account and blog is to make any mom feel prepared for any outing with her kids so that she doesn’t have to stay home unless she wants to. Getting out with my kids was key for me for learning how to enjoy motherhood, so I try to pay it forward by sharing what we do to help other moms in a similar situation. Read more about my story here.

Thanks so much for reading!

If you find any of this information to be incorrect or need updating, please send me an email to sandiegomamas@gmail.com or a DM on Instagram to @sandiego.mamas . There is a reason I chose to call this San Diego MamaS (plural) not San Diego Mama. It takes our whole mom community (which now includes you!) to make sure I can share the most accurate information for your family.

Sharing this post helps the mom behind you and helps my page grow! Please feel free to share this link with any other mom who might need it.

Oh, I also send out a weekly email with theme park updates, my top picks for events (with discount codes!) coming to town for the month as well as tons of other activity suggestions for you to choose from. Basically, it will help you feel in the know for all the fun things happening in San Diego.

Planning all the activities for your family is a hard job, so let me help you! You can find info on signing up for that below.