15 Best Places to Visit in California with Kids (2022/2023)

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15 Best Places to Visit in California with Kids (2022/2023)


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California is so jam-packed with enjoyable for youths, you could not know the place to start planning your loved ones trip. As a mother and former Californian who has explored a lot of the Golden State’s shores, theme parks, nationwide parks, and cities — let me assist you to slender down your selections with this listing of the finest locations to go to in California with youngsters.

The Pacific Coast in California
The Pacific Coast in California (Photo credit score: haveseen, Depositphotos.com)

This story is dropped at you in partnership with Visit California.

1. San Diego

San Diego is the proper place for a California trip with youngsters. Having lived in San Diego in Southern California for 15 years, I admit I’m keen on this California metropolis.

San Diego pleases all ages with the famend San Diego Zoo, miles of gorgeous seashores, all types of marine life at SeaWorld San Diego, the all the time entertaining Balboa Park, and tons of different sights.

Read concerning the 35 finest issues to do in San Diego with youngsters and my picks for the finest eating places in San Diego for households.

San Diego sunset
Sunset in San Diego (Photo credit score: Colleen Lanin)

2. Disneyland Resort

Of course, no listing of the most effective locations to go to in California with youngsters could be full with out Disneyland Resort. With memorable character meals, thrilling rides, and sights aplenty, you are by no means too outdated or too younger for a Disney trip.

Located in Orange County, this trip vacation spot consists of Disneyland and its sister theme park, Disney California Adventure. Downtown Disney buying and eating district plus three themed Disneyland accommodations add to the expertise.

Visiting with little youngsters? Check out my picks for the finest Disneyland rides and sights for infants and toddlers.

Headed to the Happiest Place on Earth with older youngsters? Take a peek on the finest thrill rides at Disneyland.

Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland
Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland (Photo credit score: Paul Hiffmeyer, Disneyland)

3. Huntington Beach

If your best California household trip focuses on ocean waves, sandy seashores, and hanging ten — then guide a visit to Huntington Beach. It’s also referred to as Surf City USA so ensure to join household surf classes throughout your go to. A visit to the Surfer Hall of Fame and a nighttime seashore bonfire are musts on this walkable small city, too.

Read extra about Huntington Beach with youngsters.

Huntington Beach is the ultimate surfer town to visit in California
Huntington Beach, the final word surfer city (Photo credit score: wolterke, Depositphotos.com)

4. San Francisco

What’s to not love about this Northern California metropolis by the ocean? From the huge Golden Gate Park to the well-known Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Alcatraz Island, there’s a lot to discover in San Francisco. Kids will particularly get a kick out of using on one of many metropolis’s well-known cable automobiles and driving down the crookedest road on the planet.

San Francisco Bay is residence to the second-largest Chinatown within the nation. Go see the ornate Dragon’s Gate and wander by the world’s many vigorous outlets. Then it’s essential to eat some scrumptious Chinese delicacies. Fortune cookies had been invented in San Francisco so remember to go to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory the place you may watch the manufacturing course of and purchase freshly made cookies. 

Got a Star Wars fan or comics lover within the household? Then you will wish to learn our geek’s information to San Francisco earlier than you go!

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco (Photo credit score: martinm303, Depositphotos.com)

5. Monterey

Along California’s Central Coast lies the picturesque metropolis of Monterey. The well-known Monterey Bay Aquarium will wow youngsters with reveals full of tuxedoed penguins, playful sea otters, and fish of all types. Seafood lovers rejoice in Monterey for its abundance of fresh-caught alternatives.

Active households will particularly recognize Monterey. Hiking alternatives give households an opportunity to attach with nature and one another. If your loved ones golfs (and even when it does not), then a scenic drive to the Pebble Beach Golf Links is a should.

Monterey is simply 4 miles from Carmel, a darling vacation spot worthy of a day journey or a couple of extra days in California with youngsters.

Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium (Photo credit score: Belyay, Depositphotos.com)

6. Lake Tahoe

Snow in California? Oh sure, certainly! Skiing might not be the very first thing that springs to thoughts while you image a California trip, however perhaps it must be.

Northstar California at Lake Tahoe gives a wintry wonderland for the entire household. This resort boasts over 3,000 skiable acres. There are trails for skiers and snowboarders of all talent ranges. Snowshoeing, ice skating, s’mores and extra preserve youngsters content material throughout a California winter journey to Lake Tahoe.

The play does not finish when the snow melts, both. In summer time, head to Lake Tahoe for jet snowboarding, paddle boarding, climbing, kayaking, and past.

California's Lake Tahoe in winter
Winter in Lake Tahoe (Photo credit score: mblach, Depositphotos.com)

7. Carlsbad and Legoland California

Located simply over 30 miles north of downtown San Diego and fewer than an hour’s drive south of Orange County’s Irvine, you would simply spend your complete California household trip in Carlsbad.

Besides its seven miles of seashores, Legoland California is the star of the present in Carlsbad. This amusement park gives mellow curler coasters, interactive rides, colourful play areas, and different enjoyable for youths. Also onsite is Legoland Water Park with plenty of slides and water rides for summer time guests. Meanwhile, SeaLife Aquarium is full of marine life and is open year-round.

The well-known Carlsbad Flower Fields, seashore play, a music museum, and extra add to the enjoyable. Learn about all there’s to do in Carlsbad with youngsters.

Legoland California in Carlsbad, California with kids
Legoland California in Carlsbad (Photo credit score: Legoland California)

8. Los Angeles

The second greatest metropolis within the United States is full of family-friendly actions. Los Angeles is residence to over 90 museums and practically 31,000 eating places.

Los Angeles additionally gives 24 miles of sandy seashores alongside the California Coast. One of probably the most well-known is Venice Beach. It’s recognized for its distinctive SoCal vibe, an expansive skate park, and an outside fitness center with musclebound locals lifting weights underneath the California solar.

The Getty Center is among the many hottest sights within the Los Angeles space. The museum is full of treasured artistic endeavors by such artists as Van Gogh, Monet, and Cezanne. The surrounding gardens are beautiful as nicely.

Located on Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park, Griffith Observatory wows guests with its planetarium, high-powered telescopes for public use, and house reveals.

Step means again in time at La Brea Tar Pits and pure historical past museum. Kids may marvel in the event that they’ve entered Jurassic Park as they stare at life-sized statues of wooly mammoths, large sloths, and different extinct animals in swimming pools of gooey asphalt effervescent up from the earth.

A private favourite, the Huntington Botanical Gardens unfold throughout 120 acres. Escape the hectic tempo of town in favor of a myriad of flowers, vegetation, and fountains set in 16 themed gardens.

Cover quite a lot of floor with a Los Angeles Go City All-Inclusive Pass for 40+ Attractions together with the Los Angeles Zoo, Knott’s Berry Farm, and way more.

Venice Beach in Los Angeles, California
Venice Beach in Los Angeles (Photo credit score: oneinchpunch, Depositphotos.com)

9. Burbank and Hollywood

If your loved ones is gaga about all issues glitz and glamour, then head to the Media Capital of the World. A suburb of Los Angeles, Burbank is residence to tons of of main movie and tv studios. Of course, you’ll want to view the long-lasting Hollywood Sign and stroll alongside the well-known Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Walt Disney Studios, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Warner Bros. Studio are all situated in Burbank. For an immersive have a look at units and memorabilia from favourite exhibits and flicks, guide a Warner Bros. Studio Tour upfront.

For motion pictures and TV exhibits served with a aspect of curler coasters and dwell exhibits, Universal Studios Hollywood is an absolute should. This is very true for Harry Potter followers who adore this theme park’s Wizarding World.

Learn extra about this spectacular suburb with this listing of enjoyable issues to do in Burbank.

Hollywood sign
The iconic Hollywood Sign, as seen from Burbank (Photo credit score: logoboom, Depositphotos.com)

10. Yosemite National Park

Resplendent with climbing trails, waterfalls, and towering bushes, Yosemite is a spot of pure marvel for over 3.3 million friends annually. This nationwide park spans practically 750,000 acres. It is residence to a wide range of wildlife together with foxes, deer, cougars, and black bears. Adventurous households may also be happy to know that Yosemite is named one of many finest locations in North America for mountaineering.

Yosemite opened in 1890 and stays one of many nation’s most interesting examples of land conservation. Carved by glaciers over tens of hundreds of years, Yosemite Valley options granite giants El Capitan and Half Dome.

Families in search of to discover California’s pure magnificence will love visiting Yosemite National Park. Plan your journey with these Yosemite National Park suggestions.

Yosemite National Park Valley landscape from Tunnel View
Yosemite National Park Valley panorama (Photo credit score: haveseen, Depositphotos.com)

11. Palm Springs

Palm Springs lures vacationers to its desert locale with its huge golf programs and glowing lodge swimming swimming pools. Be certain to sip a crave-worthy date shake, made with fruits from the world’s plentiful palm bushes.

Families are enamored with The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. This spectacular zoo and botanic backyard supply revolutionary play areas for youths and a enjoyable mannequin practice exhibit.

Giant spinning wind generators within the Palm Springs space produce an electrifying 1.5 million megawatt-hours. They additionally present beautiful picture ops.

Soar from the desert valley to the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains through the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. The ground of the automobile rotates all through the experience, so passengers get a 360-degree view of Coachella Valley with out having to maneuver across the automobile.

Intrigued? Discover extra issues to do in Palm Springs with youngsters.

Iconic palm trees in Palm Springs, CA
Iconic palm bushes in Palm Springs (Photo credit score: welcomia, Depositphotos.com)

12. Ventura County

For a novel array of actions for households, contemplate a Ventura County trip. Think gondola rides by canals, whale watching, spying on wild foxes on an uninhabited Channel Island, and piloting a battery-operated boat. Discover extra distinctive issues to do in Ventura County with youngsters.

The Channel Islands in Ventura Country, California
The Channel Islands in Ventura Country (Photo credit score: Colleen Lanin)

13. Santa Monica

Santa Monica is the epitome of Southern California with its surfable waves, beachy downtown, and seaside amusements. This suburb of Los Angeles is finest recognized for the Santa Monica Pier with its iconic Ferris wheel spinning beside the Pacific Ocean.

Pacific Park on Santa Monica Pier contains a dozen rides together with the 130-foot-tall Pacific Wheel and a full-sized curler coaster. You’ll additionally discover a plethora of arcade video games with prizes and each kind of deal with your candy tooth might crave.

Santa Monica Beach is without doubt one of the finest seashores in California. Click by to find the remaining!

Santa Monica Beach & Pier in California
Santa Monica Beach & Pier (Photo credit score: oneinchpunch, Depositphotos.com)

14. Sequoia National Park

Located in Central California within the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Sequoia National Park is residence to attractive groves of the world’s largest bushes. Adults and children of all ages can not help however really feel awe-struck by the huge sequoias within the Giant Forest.

This nationwide park can be residence to the world’s largest tree, General Sherman. You may even drive by one other well-known large sequoia referred to as the Tunnel Log. This stunning place supplies an assortment of nice issues to do in nature like climbing, mountain biking, tenting, and horseback using.

Sister park, Kings Canyon National Park, is lower than 30 miles away and makes an amazing addition to a nature-focused vacation. Learn extra about Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and different nationwide parks in California like Death Valley and Channel Islands in our round-up of the finest nationwide parks within the U.S.

Sequoia trees in Sequoia National Park
Sequoia bushes in Sequoia National Park (Photo credit score: luckyphotographer, Depositphotos.com)

15. Joshua Tree National Park

Located about an hour from Palm Springs, Joshua Tree National Park is a should for households who wish to discover California’s pure wonders. This is the most effective place to identify the unique-looking Joshua bushes with their outstretched arms and spiky leaves. These uncommon bushes develop solely within the Mojave Desert within the Southwestern U.S.

Book a guided tour of Joshua Tree National Park with our trusted companion, GetYourGuide.

Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park (Photo credit score: lunamarina, Depositphotos.com)

Explore More Family Vacation Destinations

For much more concepts to your California bucket listing, try this California street journey itinerary, this listing of nationwide parks in California, and our intensive catalog of California holidays and suggestions.

Discover the finest issues to do in Scottsdale in my present residence state of Arizona.

Keep it bizarre with this listing of issues to do in Portland, Oregon with youngsters.

Take the youngsters to the Valley Isle with these advisable Maui actions for households.

Best Places in California with Kids

Save These California Family Vacation Ideas

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Which of those California household trip locations would your loved ones take pleasure in most? Let us know within the feedback under!

Disclosure: I acquired compensation associated to this story from Visit California when it was first posted. This weblog put up is recurrently up to date to supply probably the most up-to-date info for readers. All opinions about these locations to go to in California with youngsters are mine, as ordinary.

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