Best activities for a date in San Diego
Something to do first, then dinner to talk about it.
128 spots · Jump to the list
Doing something together beats sitting across a table, at least to start: a shared activity gives you something to react to, and it takes the pressure off the conversation. This list runs the whole range — a gallery or a show, a kayak or a climbing wall, a comedy set, the zoo — and every one of them sets up dinner afterwards. Check hours and booking before you go; the popular ones sell out on weekends.
This guide ranks 128 activities in San Diego, from La Jolla to Oceanside / Carlsbad and Little Italy / Middletown. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Mesa Rim
Hillcrest / Bankers Hill
WindanSea Beach
La Jolla · $
Mt. Soledad
La Jolla · $
Museum of History and Culture La Jolla
La Jolla · $
USS Midway Ship and Museum
Little Italy / Middletown · $$
Maritime Museum of San Diego
Little Italy / Middletown · $$
Spruce Street Suspension Bridge
Little Italy / Middletown · $
Sail San Diego
Shelter Island / Harbor Island · $$$
Mt. Helix
$
Cedar Creek Falls
$
San Diego Parasail Adventures
Ocean Beach / Point Loma · $$$
SeaWorld San Diego
Ocean Beach / Point Loma · $$$
Pinot’s Palette
Shelter Island / Harbor Island · $$
Drink 182
Ocean Beach / Point Loma
Next Level Sailing
Shelter Island / Harbor Island · $$$
Action Sports Rentals
Pacific Beach / Mission Beach
Oceanside Museum of Art
Oceanside / Carlsbad · $
Wheel Fun Rentals
Oceanside / Carlsbad · $
Museum of Making Music
Oceanside / Carlsbad · $
Torrey Pines State Reserve
La Jolla Shores / Torrey Pines · $
La Jolla Shores Beach
La Jolla · $
Ellen Browning Scripps Park
La Jolla · $
Crown Point Beach
Pacific Beach / Mission Beach · $
Buccaneer Beach
Oceanside / Carlsbad · $
Showing 97–120 of 128 spots
Good to know
- What's the best activity in San Diego for a date?
- Our top pick is Mesa Rim in Hillcrest / Bankers Hill. WindanSea Beach and Mt. Soledad round out the top 3.
- Which San Diego neighborhoods have the best activities?
- La Jolla (5), Oceanside / Carlsbad (4) and Little Italy / Middletown (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable activities in San Diego?
- Yes — WindanSea Beach, Mt. Soledad and Museum of History and Culture La Jolla are all $$ or under.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a night out: something to do, then dinner, then nightcap. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.