Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from Dayton to San Diego. If you're planning a road trip to San Diego, you can research locations to stop along the way. Make sure you check road conditions to double check the weather. Traveling with a dog or cat? Find pet-friendly stops. Camping along the way? Search for RV campgrounds. Find the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions based on the most talked about places recommended by Trippy members.
11:00 am start in Dayton
drive for about 6 hours
4:52 pm St. Louis
stay overnight at Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch
leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 6 hours
find more stops
10:00 am leave from Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch
drive for about 6 hours
4:05 pm Tulsa
stay overnight and leave the next day around 9:00 am
day 2 driving ≈ 6 hours
find more stops
9:00 am leave from Tulsa
drive for about 5.5 hours
2:32 pm Amarillo
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 3:32 pm
drive for about 4 hours
7:39 pm Albuquerque
stay overnight at Los Poblanos Inn & Cultural Center
leave the next day around 11:00 am
day 3 driving ≈ 9.5 hours
find more stops
11:00 am leave from Los Poblanos Inn & Cultural Center
drive for about 5.5 hours
4:24 pm Sedona
stay overnight at Enchantment Resort
leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 4 driving ≈ 5.5 hours
find more stops
10:00 am leave from Enchantment Resort
drive for about 7 hours
5:15 pm arrive in San Diego
eat at The Prado at Balboa Park
stay at Hotel Del Coronado
day 5 driving ≈ 7 hours
find more stops
St. Louis (93 answers)
Forest Park (10 mentions)
St. Louis Zoo (6 mentions)
City Museum (5 mentions)
Gateway Arch (4 mentions)
Urban Chestnut Brewing Company (4 mentions)
restaurants around St. Louis:
Pappy's Smokehouse
Ted Drewes
Iron Barley Eating Establishment
Pastaria
Companion
hotels around St. Louis:
Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch
The Lemp Mansion
questions about St. Louis:
What is your favorite restaurant in St. Louis?
Good St. Louis dines?
Great lunch places in St Louis
Good family vacation within 10 hours of St. Louis (not Branson)?
Where are the best places to stay in St. Louis?
Tulsa (23 answers)
Philbrook Museum of Art (2 mentions)
questions about Tulsa:
What is your favorite restaurant in Tulsa?
Best free things to do in Tulsa?
Any recommendations for Steakhouses with Cigar Lounges?
Amarillo (30 answers)
questions about Amarillo:
THING TO SEE
Hotels
Albuquerque (96 answers)
Old Town Albuquerque (3 mentions)
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science (2 mentions)
Explora! (2 mentions)
Nob Hill (2 mentions)
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (2 mentions)
restaurants around Albuquerque:
Frontier Restaurant
Standard Diner
Frontier Restaurant
hotels around Albuquerque:
Los Poblanos Inn & Cultural Center
questions about Albuquerque:
What is your favorite restaurant in Albuquerque?
Affordable hotel in Albuquerque for the International Balloon Fiesta?
Temporary home!
Where to stay
Sedona (87 answers)
Chapel of the Holy Cross (4 mentions)
Slide Rock State Park (4 mentions)
Oak Creek Canyon (3 mentions)
Bell Rock Trail (3 mentions)
Devils Bridge (3 mentions)
restaurants around Sedona:
Elote Cafe
hotels around Sedona:
Enchantment Resort
questions about Sedona:
Best things to do in Sedona besides hiking?
Nature Lover in Sedona
Vortex Hike/ Sound healing
Best hikes and natural swimming holes
Going on a roadtrip to Sedona, AZ. Is taking I-10 better route?
Are you going straight to a hotel, or looking for a vacation rental or Airbnb?
The best resource on neighborhoods, areas, and hotels is the Trippy page on where to stay in San Diego.
If you're looking for a quick answer, you can check out Hotel Del Coronado, which was mentioned 28 times on Trippy.
Here are some more hotels people talk about:
Want to research more popular hotels in San Diego? Click the blue button below.
Need some recommendations on somewhere to get food?
Trippy members suggest The Prado at Balboa Park, which was mentioned 10 times.
Here are some more restaurants people talk about:
Want to research more popular restaurants in San Diego? Click the blue button below.
This section could be endless, so rather than trying to suggest every local activity or attraction, we'll leave it open-ended.
These are some of the places people talk about on Trippy:
Of course, Trippy is the perfect place to ask questions because there's an entire community of travelers talking to each other and sharing tips and advice. Trippy is where you can get answers personalized for your tastes, budgets, trip dates & more!
For example, here are some questions people have asked about San Diego. Click on any question to see answers from the community!
Claudia from asked:
LOCATION (14 answers)
Holly from Calgary asked:
Fun for a family with small children (NOT Disneyland!) (11 answers)
Lily from Los Angeles asked:
Restaurant & activities ideas for couples weekend getaway in San Diego (8 answers)
Beverly from San Luis Obispo asked:
Weekend road trip from LA to San Diego (8 answers)
Liv from Cape Cod asked:
Wondering which beach is better to stay at? Ocean Beach or Mission Beach? (8 answers)
Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to San Diego.
Yes, even this step is optional, because if you're on vacation who wants the trip to end? It's okay, you can start planning your next trip!
Want to plan the trip back? Get the reverse directions for a San Diego to Dayton drive, or go to the main page to plan a new road trip.
You can also compare the travel time if you're flying or driving by calculating the distance from Dayton to San Diego. Or get a full Dayton to San Diego flight plan.
Don't forget about exploring your own hometown with a staycation. You can also find some cool day trips or get away for a weekend. Maybe try typing in a faraway location like London, Hong Kong, or Sydney, and get inspired for your dream trip around the world.
And if you know Dayton well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about Dayton!
