Day Trippin' › California › From Los Angeles › San Diego Zoo

Los Angeles to San Diego Zoo road trip: best stops

The drive from Los Angeles to San Diego Zoo takes about 1 hr 59 min (southeast of Los Angeles), by real roads from ZIP 90012. Along the way we found 90 stops within a short detour: 19 coffee shops, 6 bakeries, 23 ice cream and treats and 24 places to eat.

The list below is the best few of each kind, in driving order, with how far into the drive you reach each one (counted from Los Angeles) and the detour it adds. Stops marked Our pick are chosen by us; the rest come from OpenStreetMap listings, so confirm hours before you count on them.

Plan this trip All day trips from Los Angeles

Where you are going: San Diego Zoo 1 hr 59 min from Los Angeles

Photo: Andrewjames954, CC BY-SA 4.0

Zoo

San Diego Zoo

A world-class zoo with pandas, big cats, gorillas and a hillside garden.

Full day
Year-round
See the official site for current fees

Heads-up: Hilly. Buy tickets online. Hot summer afternoons.

Official site

Map of the stops between Los Angeles and San Diego Zoo

Open the interactive map

First third Middle third Last third San Diego Zoo

First stretch 14 stops

Yum Yum Donuts Bakery · Montebello
About 14 min into the drive · detour about 9 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: 24/7 Website
Ozzie's Diner American restaurant · Commerce
About 15 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Fr 07:00-20:00; Sa-Su 07:00-15:00
Candle Light Bakery Bakery · Norwalk
About 20 min into the drive · detour about 10 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Sa-Su 10:00-18:00; Mo-Fr 10:30-18:00
Sproul Museum Museum · Norwalk
About 21 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
Village Cafe & Dani_Macaron Coffee shop · Buena Park
About 25 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Fr 08:30-14:00; Sa 09:00-13:00 Website
Tiki Juice Bar Ice cream · Neff
About 30 min into the drive · detour about 3 min Website
Anaheim Packing House Food hall · Anaheim Our pick
About 30 min into the drive · detour about 6 min Website
Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin Attraction · Neff
About 30 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
Candy Palace Candy shop · Neff
About 31 min into the drive · detour about 3 min Website
Tacos La Calle Mexican counter-service · Orange
About 33 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-22:00
Discovery Science Center Museum · Santa Ana
About 34 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
6100 Bread Bakery · Santa Ana
About 35 min into the drive · detour about 3 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Th-Su 08:00-13:00 Website
Cream Pan Bakery · Tustin
About 37 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: 05:00-19:00
Curry Do Japanese restaurant · Tustin
About 37 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website

Middle of the drive 19 stops

Sunmerry Bakery/ Happy Lemon Bakery · Irvine
About 42 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
MeloMelo Coconut Dessert Ice cream · Irvine
About 42 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Su-Sa 11:00-22:00 Website
Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant Asian restaurant · Irvine
About 42 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
Habana Cuban restaurant · Irvine
About 44 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
Giant Wheel at Irvine Spectrum Center Attraction · Irvine
About 44 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Su 10:00-23:00
Grateful Earth Coffee Co Coffee shop · Laguna Hills
About 46 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Fr 09:00-17:00 Website
San Honoré Panaderia Bakery · Laguna Woods
About 47 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Su 08:00-21:00
Little France Coffee and Bakery Coffee shop · Mission Viejo
About 52 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Su 08:00-16:00; PH 08:00-16:00
Milk & Cookies Pastry shop · Mission Viejo
About 52 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Su 11:00-22:00 Website
Délice Breton Coffee shop · San Juan Capistrano
About 55 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
Mission San Juan Capistrano Historic site · San Juan Capistrano
About 55 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo,PH off; Tu-Su 09:00-17:00 Website
Blas Aguilar Adobe Museum · San Juan Capistrano
About 55 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
Guichos Eatery (North) Coffee shop · San Clemente
About 59 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Sa 11:30-20:30 Website
Bowlology Superfoods Coffee shop · San Clemente
About 1 hr 1 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
Knob Hill Viewpoint · San Clemente
About 1 hr 1 min into the drive · detour about 6 min
Paradis Handcrafted Ice Cream Ice cream · San Clemente
About 1 hr 1 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
Orange County Creamery Ice cream · San Clemente
About 1 hr 1 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Fr-Sa 12:00-22:00; Su-Th 12:00-21:30
Top of the World Viewpoint · San Clemente
About 1 hr 1 min into the drive · detour about 4 min
Las Flores Viewpoint Viewpoint · Agra
About 1 hr 12 min into the drive · detour about 2 min

Questions about the drive from Los Angeles to San Diego Zoo

How long is the drive from Los Angeles to San Diego Zoo?

About 1 hr 59 min by road, heading southeast from the middle of ZIP 90012. Traffic and weather change that.

What are the best stops on the way from Los Angeles to San Diego Zoo?

Good ones to start with: Anaheim Packing House (Anaheim). The page lists 33 in all, in driving order.

Where can I get coffee or a bakery stop between Los Angeles and San Diego Zoo?

Yum Yum Donuts in Montebello, Candle Light Bakery in Norwalk, Village Cafe & Dani_Macaron in Buena Park and 6100 Bread in Santa Ana. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.

Where can I eat on the way to San Diego Zoo?

Ozzie's Diner in Commerce, Anaheim Packing House in Anaheim, Tacos La Calle in Orange and Curry Do in Tustin.

Are there viewpoints or quick sights on the way?

Sproul Museum in Norwalk, Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin in Neff, Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana and Giant Wheel at Irvine Spectrum Center in Irvine.

More about Los Angeles and San Diego Zoo

Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Stops come from our own picks and OpenStreetMap listings; hours and detours change, so check before you go. We do not store anyone's location.