(tap on any row to expand for more details)
Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from Seattle to San Diego. If you're planning a road trip to San Diego, you can research locations to stop along the way. Traveling with a dog or cat? View pet-friendly stops between Seattle and San Diego. Camping along the way? View RV campgrounds between Seattle and San Diego. Find the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions based on the most talked about places recommended by Trippy members.
9:00 am start in Seattle
drive for about 2.5 hours
11:43 am Portland
stay for about 4 hours
and leave at 3:43 pm
drive for about 2 hours
5:39 pm Eugene
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 6:39 pm
drive for about 3 hours
9:31 pm Ashland (Oregon)
stay overnight and leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 7.5 hours
find more stops
10:00 am leave from Ashland (Oregon)
drive for about 5 hours
3:03 pm Sacramento
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 4:03 pm
drive for about 3 hours
6:58 pm Salinas
stay overnight and leave the next day around 9:00 am
day 2 driving ≈ 8 hours
9:00 am leave from Salinas
drive for about 3.5 hours
12:26 pm Bakersfield
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 1:26 pm
drive for about 2 hours
3:21 pm Los Angeles
stay for about 4 hours
and leave at 7:21 pm
drive for about 2 hours
9:21 pm arrive in San Diego
stay at Hotel Del Coronado
day 3 driving ≈ 7.5 hours
Your starting point is Seattle, Washington.
You can enter an exact street address if you want to get precise directions, but this is optional.
Since there are only 2 travelers, we assume you're driving 1 car. You can adjust the number of people traveling at the top. We assume a maximum of 4 passengers per car, but you can change the number of cars to fit your situation.
Portland (219 answers)
International Rose Test Garden (20 mentions)
Powell's City of Books (17 mentions)
Japanese Gardens (15 mentions)
Portland Saturday Market (13 mentions)
Timberline Lodge (12 mentions)
restaurants around Portland:
Voodoo Doughnuts
Tasty N Sons
Lardo
Potato Champion
Pok Pok Restaurant
questions about Portland:
Mid July: 1 week with wife and kid - what should we prioritize?
Best coffee shops in Portland
Visiting in July for 5 days with my boyfriend, where and what must we do?
Artsy area with fun little shops
Portland in mid-March
Eugene (11 answers)
questions about Eugene:
What is your favorite restaurant in Eugene?
Ashland (Oregon) (27 answers)
Ashland (15 mentions)
Oregon Shakespeare Festival (3 mentions)
Lithia Park (2 mentions)
questions about Ashland (Oregon):
Spas in the Ashland area?
Best free things to do in Ashland (Oregon)?
What's the best neighborhood in Ashland (Oregon) for a first time visitor?
Sacramento (40 answers)
California State Railroad Museum (6 mentions)
California State Capitol Museum (3 mentions)
58 Degrees & Holding Co. (2 mentions)
restaurants around Sacramento:
Ella Dining Room & Bar
Rick's Dessert Diner
Delta King Hotel
The Rind
Mulvaney's B&L
questions about Sacramento:
Things to do and see in Sacramento
Hidden gems in Sacramento?
Me want food in Sacramento!
What is your favorite restaurant in Sacramento?
Places to see in Gold Rush Country enroute from Sacramento
Salinas (4 answers)
Bakersfield (13 answers)
questions about Bakersfield:
Best free things to do in Bakersfield?
Los Angeles (573 answers)
Santa Monica Pier (70 mentions)
Griffith Observatory (63 mentions)
Venice Beach Boardwalk (62 mentions)
Abbot Kinney (56 mentions)
Third Street Promenade (55 mentions)
restaurants around Los Angeles:
Gjelina
Perch
Bottega Louie
Grand Central Market
Bestia
questions about Los Angeles:
Where are the top 5 places to see a celebrity in L.A.?
What's your favorite burger in L.A?
Free things to do in Los Angeles?
What are the top 3 beaches in Los Angeles?
Area an hour away from LAX airport
Your final destination is San Diego, California.
You can enter the exact street address of your destination, but this is optional.
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!
Holly from Calgary asked:
Fun for a family with small children (NOT Disneyland!) (11 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)
Lily from Los Angeles asked:
Restaurant & activities ideas for couples weekend getaway in San Diego (8 answers)
Kenneth from Portland asked:
Best burritos in San Diego? (7 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 Seattle 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 Seattle to San Diego. Or get a full Seattle 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 Seattle well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about Seattle!
This is the most common route that Trippy members have taken, but you can also explore alternate routes from Seattle to San Diego, or check the current road conditions from Seattle to San Diego.
