Top 8 San Diego Date Ideas 2022

San Diego is one of the biggest hot spots in the United States. This coastal city has it all – sunny weather, beautiful beaches, amazing food, and endless amounts of fun things to do and see. 

Whether you’re exploring San Diego for the first time, or you’ve lived here your whole life, this is a great place to date. If you’re looking for something new to do with your long-term partner, or need some first-date ideas in San Diego, we’ve got you covered.

Here are our top San Diego date ideas – enjoy!

1: Explore Balboa Park

One of the most quintessential San Diego things to do is to explore the legendary Balboa Park. Being the largest urban park in the United States means that Balboa Park has endless places to explore and things to see and do.

This is a great place to stroll aimlessly, to bike through, or to take your dogs for a doggy date. Balboa Park has multiple museums, botanical gardens, and is even home to the legendary San Diego Zoo, as well as some romantic backdrops. 

2: Visit the Sea Lions in La Jolla

Located about 20 minutes north from downtown San Diego is the beautiful town of La Jolla. This town is known for its upper-class neighborhoods, fancy houses, and fun shopping area. 

La Jolla is also home to a whole bunch of sea lions. Head over to La Jolla cove to check them out, and get ready to bond over the cuteness overload. While you’re out there, you can check out one of the many delicious and date friendly restaurants La Jolla has to offer like Herringbone, Puesto, or The Marine Room.

3: Have a Picnic in Kate Sessions Park

If you’re looking for beautiful views to enjoy during a picnic date, then Kate Sessions is the spot for you. This scenic park looks out over mission bay, which makes it the perfect sunset spot. It’s dog friendly too, so you can bring your pooch along with you!

Pack up your cheese and wine, or whatever floats your boat and enjoy this beautiful San Diego gem with your sweetie. 

4: Try a Water Activity

Speaking of boats… being a warm beach town means that San Diego has plenty of fun outdoor activities to try out. Especially ones that involve the ocean. 

Surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, and snorkeling are just a few of the ocean-related activities you can try out in San Diego. During the summer you can even swim with friendly leopard sharks! You can get lessons together or rent a board from one of the many surf rental stores in the city. 

Whether you’re an experienced surfer or are just getting your feet wet, water activities are a great way to have a fun date and get to know someone or bring some adventure into your current relationship.

5: Hit Up a Brewery

Another thing that San Diego is known for is its craft beer scene. Breweries tend to be more laid back than bars, are usually dog friendly, and often have delicious food to go with your drinks.

If you’re looking for a date friendly brewery in San Diego, here are our top picks:

  • Modern Times Beer
  • Coronado Brewing Company
  • Ballast Point Brewing Little Italy

If beer isn’t your thing, there are also quite a few hard kombucha breweries for your gluten free dates! If you’re looking for something more exciting, there are even a few speakeasies in San Diego like “Raised by Wolves” in Westfield UTC, La Jolla. 

6: Alcohol-Free Drink Spots

No worries if you’re not looking to drink on your date. San Diego has plenty of trendy cafes and other non-alcoholic options in terms of date friendly spots.

Here are some cool ones to check out:

  • Maya Moon Collective: This cafe serves up adaptogenic cacao-based drinks and yummy health food. Cacao is a known aphrodisiac, making it the perfect date spot.
  • Trilogy Sanctuary: Technically a yoga studio and event space, the upstairs of this La Jolla spot has a vibed out rooftop vegan cafe. This is a great place to go for a health-conscious date with smoothies, adaptogen filled drinks, and fancy lattes.
  • A Kava Cafe: San Diego has quite a few cafes serving up kava – a herbal drink that promotes relaxation. 
  • Coffee Shops: You can find a trendy coffee shop on just about every corner in San Diego, a great low-pressure option for a first date. Communal coffee in South Park is great for an outdoor spot. Por Vida in Barrio Logan is also home to a gallery and cafe. Bird Rock Coffee Roasters is known for having the best coffee in San Diego. Visit the La Jolla location for legendary views along with your brews. 

7: Take a Day Trip to Tijuana

Although not technically in San Diego, if you’re looking for an adventurous date, then we suggest hopping the border into Mexico for a day trip to Tijuana. 

Some of our favorite date friendly activities in Tijuana are hitting up the cultural center, visiting the market Mercado Hidalgo, checking out the vibrant street art, and of course, – eating tacos and drinking tequila. 

8: Go Tidepooling in Sunset Cliffs

Around the new moon the tide in San Diego gets super low, making it possible to explore the tidepools around Sunset Cliffs in Ocean Beach. This is a fun way to have a somewhat adventurous date where you can get out in nature. 

To access the tidepools, you can take the stairs down to the beach from the top of Sunset Cliffs Natural Park. There are a couple of other routes down that you have to climb, but you’ll have to ask a local how to access those as they aren’t straightforward directions. 

Have Fun!

San Diego has almost everything you could want in a coastal city. Whether you’re going on a first date, you’re vacationing there with your partner, or have just moved there and are looking to explore the city with someone special – you’ve got plenty of options.

Have fun on your date and enjoy the magic of this incredible city!