So you’ve booked San Diego for your Bachelorette trip? Possibly the best choice you’ve made while planning your entire wedding. With its stretches of beaches, multifaceted neighborhoods, and bustling nightlife, your Bachelorette party is bound to be one for the books. But how do you fill your itinerary with the best of San Diego? Keep scrolling + let’s go girls.
Neighborhoods to Stay in
Beachy with a Party Vibe – Mission Beach or Pacific Beach
If your bride tribe is one that likes to party, look no further than the Mission Beach / Pacific Beach area. This is the perfect neighborhood to bounce back and forth between some of San Diego’s Best beaches, beach bars, and clubs. Make sure you grab a hotel or Airbnb close to the water, you’re guaranteed an amazing sunset and a short walk to a fun bar.
Beachy with a More Laid-Back, Up-Scale Vibe – Coronado, La Jolla, Del Mar, or Encinitas
Looking to party and still enjoy the finer things that San Diego has to offer? Coronado, La Jolla, Del Mar, or Encinitas are the spots for you. With their higher tax brackets come larger and nicer homes. The restaurants, bars, and hotels have also adapted, giving us some of our favorite boujee Bachelorette spots steps away from their pristine beaches.
City by the Sea – Little Italy or the Gaslamp Quarter
If your group of gals considers themselves more city girls, then Downtown San Diego has much to offer. You can’t go wrong in either Little Italy or the Gaslamp Quarter. Positioned in the middle of San Diego’s skyline, you will find upscale hotels, penthouse Airbnb’s, exciting clubs, restaurants, and speakeasies while the beach is just a hop, skip, and a jump away!
Soak up the Sun at These Picture-Perfect Beaches
Mission Beach & Pacific Beach
You can’t go wrong with Mission Beach and Pacific Beach. With the 3-mile-long boardwalk running from the northern part of Pacific Beach all the way down to the end of Mission Beach, you will find plenty of perfect spots for your girls to throw out beach towels, a ton of beachfront bars and restaurants to pop in for a drink, and a few laid back clubs to party all night in.
Local Tip: these two beaches tend to have a younger crowd. If you’re down for it, it is always a fun time! But if you’re in your late twenties or early thirties, it can sometimes feel like a flashback to a college night out.
Coronado or Windansea
If you’re looking for a more relaxing beach vibe, then head to Coronado Beach on Coronado Island or Windansea Beach in La Jolla. Both of these spots have lovely stretches of sand for lounging all day, while still being steps away from all of the upscale shopping and dining in downtown Coronado and La Jolla.
Local Tip: Our favorite place to lounge on Coronado Beach is right in front of the Hotel Del Coronado. You can pop in and take advantage of all that the Hotel Del has to offer without staying there! I love sipping a few mimosas at the Sun Deck.
Del Mar Beach
If you and your girls are looking for a boujee vibe, head over to Del Mar Beach. Del Mar Beach stretches by some of the most beautiful beachfront homes in San Diego, and you’re guaranteed to see a former pro athlete or tech millionaire lounging in the sand with their family and their Doodle. My two favorite spots on Del Mar beach are either just off of 29th street or down by Powerhouse Park.
Local Tip: the best parking is found in the neighborhoods right off Coast Highway 101. Don’t mess around with paid parking, it gets pricey!!
Carlsbad State Beach
Last but certainly not least is Carlsbad State Beach. Even though it is a bit far north of the happenings in San Diego, don’t miss out on all that this beach has to offer! Not only does the stretch of beach have a ton of room and stunning views, but downtown Carlsbad is only steps away with many day drinking spots with a view.
Local Tip: If you aren’t staying in Carlsbad but still want to spend some time in the area, you can always take the Amtrak Coaster Rail Line up to the Carlsbad Village station which is just a 10-minute walk to the water and is positioned in the middle of the excitement of downtown Carlsbad.
Perfect Dinner Spots for a Large Group
Downtown
Little Italy
Mission Beach and Pacific Beach
Beach House Tequila + Taqueria
Del Mar / Encinitas
Pub – Del Mar
Local Tip: Make sure you snag those reservations more than a month in advance. San Diegans take their reservations very seriously. For a large group, it may be difficult to find a dinner reservation a week out.
Bars + NightLife
Little Italy and Gaslamp Quarter
Rooftop bar with a speakeasy feel. Great cocktails and cozy fire pits. The perfect place to begin your night and snag a few pictures of the San Diego skyline.
Turns into a wild dance club at night. And make sure you head down to their basement area, there’s more seating and another DJ down below.
Another fun drink and light eats spot that turns into a club at night. We love the atmosphere and that it’s in the heart of downtown.
Located in the Pendry San Diego, I would recommend wandering around the hotel or eating at any of their other restaurants. The Pendry always wows us!
A fun way to start your night! We love the airy-industrial feel and the constantly changing flight board behind the bar. Such a fun vibe.
Get ready for a wild ride at Camino Riviera. This eccentric Mexican restaurant and bar gives us all of the Tulum vibes. Grab a margarita and get dancing.
Mission Beach + Pacific Beach
This spot is my favorite tiki bar and speakeasy! The tropical ambiance extends from the decor to their cocktails and their yummy food.
Throw on your cowboy boots and get ready to line dance! Moonshine Beach is the best spot in town for line dancing and country music. They also offer a ton of outdoor patio games and seating.
This whimsical bar screams “Bachelorette!” With its playful cocktails and rose gold flamingo group drinks, you’re guaranteed a great time.
Such a fun rooftop patio that is perfect for day drinking by the water. The street level and basement level are also a blast. There’s something for everyone at El Prez.
A must-do in Pacific Beach! Once you see the views, you’ll get why. Make sure you grab a vodka Red Bull Slushie. They’re iconic in San Diego.
Del Mar and Encinitas
Take in Del Mar from its best vantage point with 180 degrees of unobstructed ocean views. Their margaritas and other cocktails are just as killer as the view. On the weekends they have live music out on their patio – a perfect stop for a chill, beachy bachelorette party.
A casual sports bar during the day, but a lively club at night! Right in the heart of Del Mar, Jimmy O’s always has cheap drinks and a great DJ.
A much more modern club with an open-air feel, weekend DJs, and a private back patio and firepit that I absolutely love!
Vintage feel with all different genres of live music. They have a great dance floor and even better bartenders who keep the cocktails flowing.
Don’t let this dive bar fool you, Fist Street Bar has some of the best live music and weekend DJs in north county San Diego. The drinks are cheap and the music is great.
Outdoor Activities
Wine Tasting in Temecula
If you’re feeling up to spending a day away from Sunny San Diego, you can make a quick, one-hour trip out to Temecula for a wine-tasting day. There are a few different shuttle services that you can hire for your Bachelorette party. They will drive you around the vineyards and drop you off back at your hotel. A few of my favorite vineyards are listed below:
- Leoness Cellars
- Ponte Winery Temecula
- Robert Renzoni Winery Temecula
- Callaway Vineyard & Winery
- Wilson Creek
Hiking
Much like the beach scene, the San Diego hiking scene is overflowing with picturesque hikes highlighting the beautiful ocean views and mountain vistas that make San Diego so perfect. I do recommend downloading a hiking app (AllTrails is a personal favorite) as some of these hiking areas have multiple different trails varying in length and intensity. My favorite trails are listed below:
Cowles Mountain / Mission Trails
There are SO many options at Mission Trails ranging from easy 1.5-milers all the way up to a few 10-mile trails.
Park in the Lodge at Torrey Pines parking lot over by the driving range as far left as you can, you can then keep walking on the sidewalk next to the road towards the left (north), and the sidewalk will eventually take you to the upper trailhead.
Easy and close to downtown Del Mar. We recommend hiking in the morning and then hopping over to Del Mar or Solana Beach for brunch.
Amazing views of San Diego at the top!
Potato Chip Rock / Mt. Woodsen
We love both the long and short routes! Just note that the short route is very steep.
Standup Paddle Boarding (SUP)
Whether you’re hoping to attempt a paddleboard yoga class, or just take in the San Diego beaches from a different side of the shore, Stand Up Paddleboarding can be found at just about any beach in San Diego. Click Here to reference our earlier article on the best places for stand-up paddle boarding.
Rent a Pontoon Boat on Mission Bay
A boat day is always a great idea on a bachelorette trip. And Mission Bay is overflowing with pontoon boat rentals. Grab your girls, your bikinis, and some canned cocktails. Go get yachty.
Staple Bachelorette Activities
As more and more women decided to have their last fling before the ring in San Diego, the city has adapted with more bachelorette-focused activities. See below for a few of our favorites!
Rooftop Pool Party at The Pendry’s “Pool House.”
Looking for a Vegas-style pool party, but by the water? We’ve got you. The Pendry in Downtown San Diego has an amazing rooftop pool with yummy snacks and fun cocktails. Make sure you make a reservation for a cabana or daybed. This pool fills up quickly during the summer!
Private Yacht or Boat Charter
Feeling a little Yachty? I highly recommend renting a yacht or boat charter in San Diego Bay. Most of these charters will let you BYOB. You can cruise around the bay for a few hours while getting an up-close look at San Diego’s unique skyline.
Pole Dancing or Heels Dancing Class
There’s no better way to amp up the sex appeal and prep your girl gang for a night out dancing than a Pole Dancing Class. My personal favorite is at San Diego Pole Dancing Academy. Their location is conveniently right next to downtown and their studio is so cute and Instagramable!
Beachfront or Backyard Yoga Class
Whether you’re looking for a relaxing flow by the beach or just something to help you get over the hangover that the night before brought on, yoga is your cure. And lucky for you, the ladies over at The Balanced Bachelorette have you covered! You just bring your girls and your workout clothes, and they will bring all of the yoga necessities, even a mimosa bar! That’s absolutely a yoga necessity, right?
Paddle Pub or Peddle Pub
Let’s keep this active girl bachelorette theme going, shall we? The Pedal Pub has turned into a staple activity for bachelorettes all over the US. San Diego went with the Pedal Pub, but took it one step further… to the bay! Both the Pedal Pub and Paddle Pub are fun options for your girls! The Pedal Pub will take you into a few different bars while the Paddle Pub will keep you out on the bay for a few hours. But both are so very fun!
You and Yours Cocktail Class (link here)
Who doesn’t love a good cocktail? If you love making them as well, then grab your girls and head down to You and Yours Distillery. Not only is this distillery incredibly adorable, but they’re also San Diego born and bred and they have very fun cocktail-making classes!
Drag Dinner at Lips San Diego
This is a MUST if you are a drag fan. The show always wows and they loooove a bachelorette party.
