Our 3-Day San Diego Family Itinerary (An Easy Arizona Road Trip)

If you live in Arizona and are craving an ocean getaway, San Diego is one of the easiest family trips you can take. It’s about a 5 hour drive for us, which makes it perfect for a long weekend or quick family vacation.

We recently spent 72 hours exploring San Diego with our kids, and it ended up being one of those trips where everything just worked. The weather was perfect, the attractions were close together, and there were so many things our kids were excited about.

Here’s a look at our 3-day San Diego itinerary below and check out our Full Vlog on Youtube:

Day 1: Exploring SeaWorld San Diego

We left our home in Buckeye on Friday around 3:30am. It sounds crazy, but leaving early and letting the kids sleep for the first couple hours is the best way to road trip. Plus, we had a whole day of vacation instead of getting there with no time to do anything.

We kicked off our trip at SeaWorld San Diego, which was a huge hit.

One of the highlights for us was watching the Orca Encounter, which was such a cool way to learn about these incredible animals while seeing them up close.

Beyond the shows, we spent time exploring the aquariums, seeing different marine animals, and letting the kids enjoy some of the rides.

It’s an easy place to spend a full day and a great way to start a San Diego trip. We arrived at 10am and we didn't leave there until around 6pm.

Day 2: Visiting the Famous San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo is one of the most famous zoos in the world, and after visiting, we completely understand why.

The habitats are incredible and the zoo is massive, so there’s always something new to see around every corner. The workers are so friendly and informational.

Some of our favorite parts were:

• The Sky Tram

• Seeing animals from all over the world

• Walking through the lush botanical gardens throughout the park

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You could easily spend an entire day here and still not see everything.

Day 3: Touring the USS Midway Museum

On our last day we visited the USS Midway Museum, which is actually one of the most popular attractions in San Diego.

This historic aircraft carrier has been turned into a floating museum, and walking through it feels like stepping into history.

Our kids loved:

• Seeing the fighter jets on the flight deck

• Exploring inside the ship

• Learning what life was like for sailors aboard the carrier

  
  

It was such a unique experience and a really memorable way to end the trip. Our 6 year old son, who is obsessed with anything military was so happy and he said "This is actually the greatest day of my life". Don't leave this off your list, I promise it's one of the coolest places.

Using San Diego CityPASS

One thing that made planning this trip easier was using San Diego CityPASS.

Instead of purchasing tickets for each attraction separately, CityPASS bundles several of the city’s top attractions into one pass and saves money on admission.

For families visiting multiple attractions like we did, it’s a simple way to plan your itinerary without paying full price.

The Best Hotel in San Diego With Kids

For this trip we stayed at Wyndham San Diego Bayside, which worked really well for our family.

What we loved:

• Convenient location for getting to San Diego attractions

• Affordable rates for San Diego!

• The most incredible views from the balconies

• Family-friendly atmosphere with amenities like pool, restaurant on-site and adjoining rooms

• Walking distance to restaurants and things to do nearby

• Coffee in the lobby

  
  

When you're visiting San Diego with kids, choosing a central location makes a big difference so you’re not spending too much time driving between activities.

See our full vlog for this trip here on YouTube

Things to make your travel easier: The BEST Travel Stroller

Make sure to stay protected with Mineral Sunscreen

UPF Swimsuit for Babies & Toddlers

Don't forget Beach Toys