Nothing quite compares to a San Francisco to San Diego Road Trip. It’s an incredible journey through some of the most beautiful places in the entire country and the perfect goal for your next family adventure.
The distance from San Francisco to San Diego is just over 500 miles if you drive straight down I-5.
Driving directly from San Francisco to San Diego on I-5 South will take just over 7.5 hours, depending on traffic. So you could leave in the morning and complete the drive by dinner time.
No visit is complete without seeing the Golden Gate Bridge and riding a cable car which is quintessential SF activities.
In less than two hours drive, you’ll arrive in Santa Cruz, the ideal Pacific Coast beach town. It’s filled with beaches, surfer culture, and love.
It’s one of the top research facilities in the country and has some of the most diverse fish populations in America. Open 10:00 am – 5:00 pm daily; the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a must-do activity.
Heading south on the Pacific Coast Highway, you’ll have the Santa Lucia Mountains on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Stretching 90 miles, there are a number of places and state parks you’ll want to stop and experience on this leg of the trip.