A San Diego Bachelorette Party City Guide to Plan Your Weekend

A San Diego bachelorette party might not be the very first destination that comes to mind for a fun group getaway. But this relaxing beach city appeals to a variety of personality types. In addition to its beautiful weather, San Diego is home to a plethora of local parks and a pristine coastline where visitors can surf, swim, and relax. Fans of boating can even rent a bright pink boat to cruise the Pacific in style. Here is the complete itinerary for the best San Diego bachelorette party. (Emphasis on best.)

What Are Some San Diego Bachelorette Party Ideas?

Among the things to do in San Diego, you can enjoy activities both on the water and on land.

For the Thrill Seekers

There are plenty of adventurous activities in San Diego. If heights don't bother you, take a tandem paragliding ride that departs from the Torrey Pines Gliderport. For this to work, the weather has to be perfect, but it's a beautiful experience and a unique way to get a great view of San Diego and the coastline.

FEATURED VIDEO FROM THE KNOT

For something more active, the group can tackle a new skill. With Everyday California in La Jolla, your group can learn to surf or take a kayaking tour. You can explore sea caves and spot wildlife, ending the tour with sights that inspired Dr. Seuss.

For the Foodies

Start with a comprehensive overview of local delights with the Gaslamp Quarter Downtown San Diego Food Tour. It's a great way to explore the local food scene. San Diego is known for fresh seafood, so taste some crispy and fresh fish tacos paired with margaritas at Puesto at The Headquarters. If you're still in the mood to enjoy more, follow it with cocktails on tap at Civico by the Park.

For Groups in Search of the Unusual

San Diego offers plenty of unusual things to do, especially if your bride is bored by the usual antics. In such cases, The Cave Store near La Jolla is an option. A descent down a staircase all the way into Bootleggers Tunnel opens up to an area that meets the ocean. It's a stunning site.

For the Day Drinkers

Rent a bright pink San Diego Bachelorette Party Boat for a unique way to celebrate with your group of friends. The group can bring snacks, food, and drinks (with the exception of red wine), and take some spectacular photos on the boat. Not to worry: a captain takes control of the boat, so the bachelorette party can drink, take selfies, and come up with cheeky captions.

For the Aquatic Enthusiasts

San Diego is also home to numerous relaxation and lounge-friendly beaches like Carlsbad, Del Mar, Leucadia, La Jolla, and more. Soak up the sun and work on that prewedding glow with the crew. Snorkeling is also excellent in La Jolla Cove. There's a ton of marine life and you can take tours where you can snorkel and enjoy the water right near the cascading cliffs. La Jolla Kayak offers a variety of tours, including a snorkeling tour, where you can see colorful fish, sea stars, and other ocean animals.

San Diego Bachelorette Party Itinerary

Getty Images

When you're planning out your San Diego bachelorette party activities, there are quite a few you can squeeze into a three-day itinerary. Here is our sample itinerary to help you and your group find fun things to do in San Diego.

Day 1

Begin the day at Parakeet Café La Jolla to have a healthy açai bowl, shakshuka or beet-cured smoked salmon with a lavender latte before heading to the beach. Be as active or relaxed as possible throughout your beach day before making your way back to your home rental to get ready for the night. A completely optional activity is to head over to the Gaslamp Quarter for the Downtown San Diego Food Tour. Spend the rest of the evening at The Shout! House for drinks and a live dueling pianos, interactive show.

Day 2

Spend the morning walking around Balboa Park. Not only is the scenery beautiful, but it's also a place of magic. Visitors can find live music, vendors, plenty of street food, including warm churros, and watch street performers with unique talents.

After enjoying the morning at the park, take a tour with Everyday California in La Jolla. The company offers kayaking tours throughout the sea caves. Guests will also learn about the different wildlife and scenery along the way. Before heading back to the shore, the tour leader teaches you how to kayak surf back onto land. After engaging in robust activity, you're all set for crispy fish tacos and flavorful fruity margaritas from Puesto at The Headquarters.

Then, it's time to board the pink party boat with Eco Boat Rentals. Spend a few hours on the water, enjoying drinks and snacks while the captain takes you around the coast. Head back to your hotel or home rental after to get ready for the evening. Grab dinner, then head to the Punch Bowl located in the Coliseum Athletic Club. It's a great spot for guests who want to play table games, sing karaoke, compete in old-school arcade games, and much more.

Day 3

Start the day with breakfast at Breakfast Republic. Enjoy your coffee with a pancake flight of three different flavors. After breakfast, make your way over to La Jolla Cove for a snorkeling excursion with La Jolla Kayak. La Jolla Kayak offers a variety of tours, one of which is their snorkel tour where you can view different marine life and rock formations along the shore, swimming with everything from sea cucumbers to colorful fish.

After snorkeling, head over to The Cave Store. You can actually shop for souvenirs at this business before heading down the stairs to Bootleggers Tunnel, which opens up to the ocean. Lunch includes a gazpacho at George's at the Cove, overlooking the shore where you can watch the seals playing in the water. End the evening with a Mezcal Tasting at Tahona Bar to learn to appreciate the smoky, charred notes of mezcal before bribing your Uber driver to take you through In-N-Out for a burger and fries.

Places to Stay in San Diego for a Bachelorette Party

Getty Images

If you're looking for places to stay in San Diego, the city has a range of hotels and rentals that suit all types of needs. Here are a few of our recommendations for you to start with while you're searching for bachelorette party pads that work for you and your group.

Best San Diego Bachelorette Party Hotels

Hotel Solamar: Hotel Solomon is located in the eccentric Gaslamp Quarter. This puts you and your group right in the heart of the city close to entertainment, great restaurants, and bustling nightlife in San Diego while giving you comfortable, trendy rooms to relax in at the end of the evening.

Surfhouse: If you're looking for a boutique hotel, the Surfhouse is a great place to stay with "surf and stay" package options. Not only can you get some activity by surfing and enjoying the water, but you can relax by the beach and unwind in one of their cabanas.

The Lodge at Torrey Pines: The Lodge at Torrey Pines has a stunning golf course overlooking the Pacific, fantastic restaurants attached to the property, an outdoor pool and hot tub overlooking the view, and walking trails for guests. Guests can enjoy a round on the course or a surf and turf meal at A.R. Valentien, with options like roasted California lamb rack and caramelized sea scallops.

Pro tip: The Knot has partnered with Hotel Planner to help you secure the best group hotel rate and get free hotel advice from an expert travel planner.

Best San Diego Bachelorette Party Home Rental

There are plenty of housing options for a Denver bachelorette party, so check out TripAdvisor, VRBO, Airbnb, Expedia, and Hopper Homes. If you're looking to supplement your vacation rental stay with some hotel amenities such as a swimming pool or a fitness facility, you can secure San Diego hotel day passes on ResortPass.

Urban Sands: This house overlooks Ocean Beach. With plenty of room for 10 guests with a pool, hot tub, patio, barbecue, and beautiful views of the Pacific. In addition to all of the amenities you get at this Airbnb, it's just a short drive to beaches, entertainment, shopping, and restaurants.

The Emerald Retreat: The Emerald Retreat was featured on HGTV. The property is located in a quieter area near Del Mar and Torrey Pines St. Beach. Built to accommodate eight guests, the property is close to plenty of surfing, golfing, dining, and other activities.

Oceanview Home Overlooking Bird Rock: Set up to house six guests, the ocean-view home puts groups right near the Pacific. The bride will love glancing out the window to watch waves crashing on the beach and the surfers swimming while sipping a morning coffee on the balcony. Go shopping and enjoy the dining and entertainment options in the area. Then, walk over to Windansea Beach to relax.

San Diego Nightlife for a Bachelorette Party

Nightlife is incredibly fun in San Diego. Whether you want to start with a relaxing, delicious dinner or end the night partying and dancing to live music, there are plenty of choices.

Best San Diego Bachelorette Party Restaurants

Mediterranean Room: The Mediterranean Room, inside the La Valencia Hotel, is a great place to stop for dinner. With plenty of creative meat and seafood dishes like sweet water prawns & mussels with chorizo, piquillo pepper, baby fennel, and squid ink aioli or the tender bone-in ribeye with radish butter, there is a range of delicious dishes to choose from.

Puesto at The Headquarters: The tacos at Puesto are unmatched. The crispy fish tacos, loaded with plenty of creamy, homemade guacamole and crispy cabbage, paired with their high-quality margaritas that aren't overly sweet and made with fresh juices are the combo every bridal party needs in their life.

Parakeet Café La Jolla: The Parakeet Café is perfect for the health nuts looking to get caffeine into their veins and little nutrients into their system after a night out. They have delicious dishes like cured salmon and plenty of lattes with unique flavors like lavender. Everything is colorful from the food to the ambiance, and they can cater to a variety of diet restrictions like gluten-free and vegan if necessary.

George's at the Cove: If you're looking for a place to grab a nice lunch, George at the Cove overlooks La Jolla where diners can watch the seals play in the water. Enjoy a light, flavorful lunch of Baby Artichokes & Burrata with celery, mint, and salty caper aioli or the Crab Tostada with creamy avocado, pickled cucumber, cilantro, and sesame aioli.

Breakfast Republic: If you want to indulge, Breakfast Republic is a place to splurge on calories. They have sweet coffees like salted caramel lattes in addition to breakfast flights like their famous pancake flight where you can try three different flavors.

Best San Diego Bachelorette Party Bars

Mezcal Tasting at Tahona Bar: In Old Town San Diego, Tahona Bar is the place to try some smoky mezcals. You can book a full tasting, getting a buzz while learning about the culture of mezcal and different tasting notes.

Civico by the Park: If you're a spritz crew, Civico by the Park has to be on your list. It's definitely a more chill lunch or dinner spot, with delicious dishes like tender short ribs and pasta, but their main appeal is that they have a mouthwatering Aperol spritz on tap.

Punch Bowl: In the Coliseum Athletic Club, there's a bar named Punch Bowl Social filled with fun entertainment. Not only do they have great food and cocktails, but you can find plenty of activities to keep the group busy like karaoke, bowling, and arcade games.

The Shout! House: If you've ever been to a dueling pianos show, you know that it's an experience. The drinks are always flowing, the live shows are high-energy, and it's a perfect group activity.

Expert San Diego Travel Tips

When you're planning your trip to San Diego, there are a few things to keep in mind. Airlines offer nonstop flights and the best modes of transportation can vary depending on what you want to accomplish while in town.

Best Airlines Flying to San Diego

If you're flying from the East Coast, there are a few airlines that offer nonstop flights, generally around six hours. If you stick with United, JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, and Delta, you should be able to snag nonstop options to get you there quickly and efficiently.

How to Get Around

With San Diego attractions being sprawled across the city, many people lean in the direction of getting a rental car. If you're out partying, be safe and take an Uber or designate someone who doesn't plan to drink. In terms of exploration: it's best to consider renting a car if you incorporate beach days and want to explore the city.