California Road Trip

10 and up, 6 and up, California, Teenagers, United States 13 Minutes

Driving up the California coast with your family is a quintessential American vacation. A few years ago, we did this with our children, and by the end of our two week extravaganza, I felt like I had seen almost all of the state! From sandy beaches to majestic mountains, California has something for everyone in your family!

Use this itinerary as a starting point to plan your own California road trip! Note that I have visited all of these places (many multiple times!) over many years. Be sure to verify all information before your trip as details may have changed.

All maps taken from Google Maps

Days 1 – 3: San Diego (3 nights)

San Diego is one of my favorite places in the state with its sunny beaches and fun restaurants. It’s a good place to get over jet lag and start your trip!

Stay: I have a couple of recommended options:

  • Luxurious, beachside: Hotel del Coronado – This historic grand dame is pricey but great if you want to utilize the beach. Note that it’s on an island so you have to take a HUGE bridge to get back and forth from the city. Even if you don’t stay here, schedule a dinner or come here just to see it! 
  • In the city: Marriott Marquis – Right on the water, this hotel is in a great location where you can walk to many things. It’s a huge hotel so it has restaurants and amenities galore.
  • On Mission Bay: Mission Bay Resort – We stayed here a long time ago, and it was fantastic. We had a fire pit with our room and access to bay. Note that it is a little bit of a drive to some of the sites, but it’s very close to Seaworld and Old Town San Diego.
The Hotel del Coronado is lovely at sunset!

Do: There is a lot to do in San Diego, easily filling three full days. To get around in a fun way, look into the Old Town Trolley. We took it once and the kids loved it (although it was scary going over that huge bridge in it!!!). It will take you to most of these sites below (see its map for more details).

  • Day 1: Spend the day in Balboa Park – a huge museum/park complex with lots of kid-friendly activities and green space. Here are the highlights:
  • Day 2: SeaWorld and Old Town San Diego
    • Start the day at nearby SeaWorld if your kids love theme parks and sea animals. If not, spend the morning at the beach at Coronado or Mission Beach.
    • After lunch, head to historic Old Town San Diego, an old west city come to life. There are shops to wander in and great Mexican restaurants. Don’t miss the cool toy store! There is a really cool “most haunted house in America” here too – the Whaley house (just outside main area). The late afternoon/evening is a great time to visit so you can be sure to be here for dinner time. We usually eat at Bara Bara.
  • Day 3: Spend time in the heart of San Diego.
    • Start the day at the USS Midway Museum where your kids will love the behind-the-scenes look at an aircraft carrier!  
    • After lunch at the nearby Seaport Village, visit the Gaslamp Quarter, which is best seen in the daylight with kids.
    • Other afternoon options:
      • Take in a Padres game at Petco Park!
      • Spend the afternoon on Coronado Island. Walk its cute shopping district (there is a great bookstore – Bay Books) on Orange Avenue, and have dinner at the hotel or near the bookstore.
    • If you have older kids, you might want to spend the day in La Jolla, a cute town with a seal viewing area. It’s very hilly and pretty with lots of good shopping including a good bookstore (Warwicks) and great seafood. There’s an aquarium here as well.

Eat: San Diego has lots of great restaurants. Here are some of our favorites.

  • Liberty Station – Former Navy buildings turned into a cool shopping/dining area near Old Town San Diego
  • Old Town San Diego
    • Bara Bara – great Mexican with a view of the old west city
    • Case de Reyes – a restaurant in the shopping area, it’s very picturesque!
  • In-n-out – A must visit restaurant while in California! This one near Seaworld and Old Town is an easy one to get to.

Day 4: Drive from San Diego to Anaheim

Your kids will love these stops to break up the 1.5 hour drive:

  • Legoland – It’s right off the highway and an easy stop. You’ll spend at least 3-4 hours here.
  • Mission San Juan Capistrano – One of the best preserved historic California missions, this is an easy stop off the highway and is really atmospheric.

Days 4 – 5: Anaheim (2 nights)

Anaheim is home to Disneyland, but unlike its location in Orlando, the two theme parks here are small and easy to manage. Give yourself two days to see both if your family loves theme parks. If not, there are other things to see in the area or go straight to LA.

Stay: The big difference with Disneyland vs. Walt Disney World is that you can stay off property in a chain hotel very easily, but the onsite properties are still most convenient!

  • Grand Californian – This is an onsite property and worth the splurge as it has a back entrance into California Adventure.
  • There are several chain hotels within walking distance. We stayed at an Embassy Suites with a shuttle to the parks. The Westin looks nice and is right across the street from the park.

Do: Disney is the big draw here with the two parks and the Downtown Disney shopping and entertainment area.

  • Disneyland and California Adventure – We love these parks more than the ones in Orlando! They’re smaller and easier to navigate plus we love the recreated Radiator Springs at California Adventure and the Star Wars Land at Disneyland. And history lovers won’t want to miss the Great Moments with Lincoln attraction at Disneyland. It’s really neat! You can hit both in one day, but I’d plan for two days to be sure.
  • Outside of Disney, there are a few other places to visit:

Eat: If you don’t eat in the park, Downtown Disney is good. We liked the Naples Ristorante and Tortillas Jo’s there.

Day 6: Drive to Los Angeles

After finishing up at Disney, drive to the next destination – Los Angeles – just one hour away!

  • If you want a fun historical stop, check out the Queen Mary in Long Beach. It’s a really cool ship to see for older kids. and they’ll be amazed at its Lego recreation! We just wandered around but there are guided tours.

Days 6 – 7: Los Angeles (2 nights)

Your kids will love soaking up the sun in Hollywood and spotting their favorite actors. 

Stay: There are so many different neighborhoods in LA. Here are a few I’d recommend:

  • Westwood – We liked this neighborhood near UCLA. Wilshire is a big boulevard but it’s centrally located. We stayed at the Kimpton Palomar here (it was very funky!). 
  • Beverly Hills – The place everyone wants to see, the hotels here are in a great location and are a fun place to people watch. We once stayed at the Beverly Hilton, and there was a movie premiere in the lobby!
  • The Grove – This is a great shopping and restaurant district with a Kimpton Hotel that’s a good choice.
  • Burbank – If you end up spending the two days at Universal and Warner Brothers, it might be worth it to stay here. More bang for your buck! 
  • Santa Monica – A hotel on the beach here is so neat! The Fairmont Miramar is nice and the people watching at the pool was fun. Shutters is a splurge and is a good place to have a special dinner if not staying there. There are two Marriott properties that are better deals as well. 

Do: LA has a lot to see but the horrible traffic means you need to plan.

  • Start your LA visit at the La Brea Tar Pits (a must-see!) and have lunch at The Grove. Head to Hollywood to see the Walk of Fame and Madame Tussauds (touristy but kids will love it!). Eat dinner overlooking the Hollywood sign at California Pizza Kitchen (it has a seriously great view of the sign!). FYI-there is a safe parking deck with the Ovation Hollywood mall there. 
  • Start your second LA day touring Warner Brothers Studio (tons of Harry Potter fun!). Then head to nearby Universal Studios (with Nintendo World!). Both are worthwhile to do. You could do the Warner Brothers tour first thing and then head to Universal for the rest of the day. 
  • Other fun options depending on how much time you want to spend in LA:
    • Santa Monica Pier – my kids loved visiting this pier all lit up at night! Lots of fun carnival rides and games.
    • Shop on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills (or just window shop and celebrity watch!)
    • See where TV shows are filmed by taking a Paramount Studios tour and seeing the iconic entrance to CBS Studios (near The Grove)
    • Griffith Observatory – telescopes and a planetarium that kids will love! 
    • Getty Art museum – Kids probably won’t like the art but the train to get there is really cool! And the views are outstanding!
    • Oscars museum (near La Brea Tar Pits) – for your budding actor
    • Google filming locations and drive around to find them (we found the Modern Family house this way!)
    • Check to see what professional sports team is hosting a game – between the Dodgers, Lakers, Clippers, Chargers, and Rams, there is bound to be something while you’re visiting!
    • Drive out to Malibu to see the coastline, but watch out because the traffic to get there is horrible

Eat: There are so many options in LA, it’s impossible to choose. Here are some of my family’s favorites:

  • The Grove – this is a big shopping mall with so many great restaurants. It’s lovely! There is also a big farmer’s market which is more like a food court. 
  • Hollywood – California Pizza Kitchen for the view alone! 
  • Beverly Hills – We loved celebrity watching at Mr. Chow.
  • Westwood – Eataly is fun and easy with kids; Westwood Village has an In-n-out
  • Santa Monica – Shutters on the Beach has great seafood and a great view. We also liked the Water Grill. There are lots of casual chains on the Third Street Promenade pedestrian mall.

Days 8 – 10

You can take two different paths after Los Angeles. One is best for families who love time in the outdoors and the other is best for those who love history.

Option 1
Option 2

Option 1: Drive to Yosemite (2-3 nights) – this itinerary can only be done in the summer due to weather/snowfall. Check conditions before going!

  • Leave LA and drive through Sequoia National Park to Yosemite. This is a long drive (4+ hours) but doable. Follow my tips here (note the advice on hiking along the ridgeline with kids!). We did this in 2017, and it was such a memorable trip!
  • Spend at least one day exploring the park. It is just enough to do a hike and see the valley. Note that the park requires advance registration for entry during the peak travel seasons.
  • When you leave, drive through the little Gold Rush town of Mariposa and stop at the Mariposa Museum and History Center. Drive three hours to Monterey where you’ll spend two nights.

Option 2: Drive up the coast to Santa Barbara (1 night) and then up to Monterey (1-2 nights).

  • Stop at the Ronald Reagan Library on your way out of town. It’s amazing with his Air Force One plane inside the museum!
  • Santa Barbara is so pretty with great restaurants and a good zoo and sea center. It also has a beautiful historic mission you can visit and a great bike path. Check out the hotels along the water, including the luxurious Rosewood Miramar. Maybe you’ll run into Oprah or Harry and Meghan who live nearby! We stayed up in the hills at the Belmond El Encanto on a special birthday trip. 
  • The next day drive up coast to see Hearst Castle, drive through Big Sur with its amazing coastline, and have dinner in Carmel-by-the-Sea, which is the cutest town ever! Stay 1-2 nights in Monterey. 

Day 11: Monterey (1-2 nights)

Either option brings you back to the little coastal town of Monterey. We really liked it here! 

Stay: We stayed at the Monterey Plaza Hotel and the Intercontinental looks nice too. And both are walking distance from aquarium. 

Do: Kids will love all of the sea life in Monterey.

Eat: We enjoyed a special dinner out at the Plaza hotel’s seafood restaurant.

Day 12: Drive to San Francisco

Some cool stops along the 2.5 hour drive are: 

  • Apple HQ in Cupertino – It’s fun to see the company’s headquarters and its visitor center/store.
  • Stanford University – My kids loved this beautiful campus, and it’s in a great little town where you can grab lunch. Presidential enthusiasts will want to visit the Hoover Institution that is on campus!

Days 12 – 14: San Francisco (2-3 nights)

Check out my San Francisco guide for all of my recommendations. Note that I haven’t been to the city in several years, and with the recent increase in crime and vagrants, be sure to research all locations thoroughly before visiting.

Stay: We’ve stayed in several hotels in San Francisco over the years and like the convenience of the Hyatt Regency. If you are unsure if you want to stay in the city with your family for safety reasons, Sausalito is a good option. 

Do: The sightseeing highlights I recommend are Alcatraz, taking a cable car (and the Cable Car Museum is awesome!), visiting touristy Fisherman’s Wharf, and eating fantastic food in Chinatown. 

To get out of the city, I highly recommend Muir Woods just across the Golden Gate Bridge, which is fun to drive across! Sausalito is also a cute town to visit with its location right along the water. 

Eat: San Francisco is known for its sourdough so check out the locations of  Boudin Bakery. The Ferry Building at the Embarcadero has a great food market with lots of choices. For fine dining, we lucked into a walk-in table at the famed Chez Panisse Cafe in Berkeley and surprisingly, it was our kids’ favorite meal!    

Day 15: Fly home!

California is a fun place to visit, especially in the summer. You can see most of the state, from its sunny coasts to its soaring mountains, in just two weeks. Use this itinerary as a starting guide to plan your California adventure!

Helpful hints:

  • Weather: Coastal California is known for its amazing weather year-round; however it has experienced rains and flooding recently so be sure to research before planning your trip. San Francisco can be especially chilly even in the summer. If you take the Yosemite option, it’s best during the summer after all of the snow melts (which can take until June!). Keep an eye on this site for weather details.
  • Traffic: California traffic is notoriously bad. I have packed a lot into this itinerary but know that traffic may prevent you from getting to your desired location in a timely matter. Always plan for the trip to take longer than expected, especially in LA and San Francisco.
  • Crowds: Expect all of these places to be crowded as they are very popular. Plan well in advance and buy tickets before your trip to most sites. Check the NPS Yosemite site to make the required reservation for entrance.
  • Safety: Crime and vagrants are a problem in all big cities in California, especially in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Be aware and prepare your children beforehand. Double check local news sites for safety concerns before trip.
  • Websites to help you plan: Check out the California Tourism site for lots of recommendation. To plan a visit to the historic missions along the way, check out the California Missions Trail.

Books to Read:

There are so many books set in California, but here are some that can help you prepare for your visit and some of my favorite historical fiction books. All links are Amazon affiliate links. You can shop through my Bookshop.org store to support independent bookstores and creators. 

Guidebooks

Adult/Young Adult

Middle Grade

Picture Books

Published by Jayda Justus, The History Mom

Jayda B. Justus is the creator/writer of the blog, The History Mom, where she provides detailed reviews of US and European historical sites for families with corresponding book recommendations. She loves interacting with the bookish world on Instagram as @thehistorymom, especially #bookstagram, and has appeared as a guest on several podcasts, blogs, and media outlets. Her favorite genres to read are historical fiction and nonfiction, but she also loves contemporary and historical romance and women’s fiction. Hailing from the historic town of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, she is a former legislative director for a Member of Congress and now lives in Richmond, Virginia with her family where she spends her days working on her first novel. Visit her at The History Mom (https://thehistorymom.com).

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