Day Trippin' › California › From San Diego › Santa Monica Pier
The drive from San Diego to Santa Monica Pier takes about 2 hr 8 min (northwest of San Diego), by real roads from ZIP 92101. Along the way we found 100 stops within a short detour: 19 coffee shops, 6 bakeries, 24 ice cream and treats and 25 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 San Diego) 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.
Photo: Jeremyse at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Landmark
A classic seaside pier with a Ferris wheel, arcade, rides and ocean views.
Heads-up: Parking is paid and fills up on weekends. Pier open daily; ride hours at Pacific Park vary (pacpark.com/hours).
First third Middle third Last third Santa Monica Pier
About 2 hr 8 min by road, heading northwest from the middle of ZIP 92101. Traffic and weather change that.
Good ones to start with: Karak House Coffee Co. (San Diego), Zumbar Coffee & Tea (San Diego), The Craft Taco (San Diego), Pacific Cafe and Catering (San Diego) and Martian Mountains (Rheba). The page lists 36 in all, in driving order.
Karak House Coffee Co. in San Diego, Zumbar Coffee & Tea in San Diego, Pacific Cafe and Catering in San Diego and Gordy's Bakery and Coffeehouse in Encinitas. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.
The Craft Taco in San Diego, Milton's in Del Mar, Pizzaiolo in Encinitas and El Puerto Street Tacos in Carlsbad.
Martian Mountains in Rheba, Annie's Canyon in Solana Beach, Miniature Railroad in Encinitas and Las Flores Viewpoint in Agra.
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.