San Diego or San Francisco?

Dh's sister would like to take my 9yo and 8yo ds's to either San Diego or San Francisco this summer. They are having trouble deciding; of course one wants to go to SF (because he wants to go to Alcatraz) and the other wants to do SD (wants to go to legoland). They will be meeting up with dh's other sister, who lives in LA. (The three of them visited her in LA last summer). Any insight on which would be better for tween boys?

Both are great, speaking as a long-time visitor to both. I grew up in central California and my wife's family in from SD. SD has great attractions in the area, like LEGOLAND (as mentioned), their Zoo & Wild Animal Park, museums, etc. My preference in SF though because of density. SD you will be in a car for long periods of time to do everything, but in SF, you can get a hotel in Union Square and a bus pass, and be able to get to everything. My favorite is the Academy of Sciences and the rest in Golden Gate Park, but there a number of things to do.

I don't think San Diego is a bad choice, but you'll need a car. I live near San Francisco and we'll often do day trips where we just walk or get around by public transportation, which was mentioned. We've got a membership at the Exploratorium on Pier 15, but used to have one for the California Academy of Science. Even though we're locals, we do occasionally go to Fishermans Wharf. I'd expecially recommend the Musee Mechanique.

If you have a car around San Francisco, there's even more to explore including Marin County, wine country, Monterey, Santa Cruz, or the coast. There are a few theme parks in this area too, such as Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

We love San Francisco. I left my heart there.

I've lived in both cities but San Diego is hometown and I think it's just an amazing city, especially for kids and the beaches in San Diego (La Jolla) can't be beat.

I'd definitely go for San Diego for kids that age. In addition to Legoland there's the Zoo, Sea World, Wild Animal Park, Balboa Museums etc.

The Alcatraz tour is excellent - but a lot of the impact will be lost on most 8 and 9 year olds. There are other fun things for kids in San Francisco (the Academy of Sciences and Exploratorium have already been mentioned) - but in general, those things are fun for older kids (and adults) as well. If you plan on coming to California again in the future (and you should!) do San Francisco then when your kids are a bit older and travel all around the bay area.

San Diego is very close to LA (less than 2.5 hours when the traffic isn't horrible) while San Francisco is not close at all (6 hours by car if you are lucky), so if they plan on spending any time in LA with your sister in law San Diego is FAR AND AWAY the better choice. Yes, a car is definitely needed to get around San Diego - but if your sister in-law is around, my assumption is that she'd drive down to SD to take the kids around (which would solve that problem). There are a LOT of activities that 8 and 9 year old kids will find engaging in San Diego that won't be as engaging in the near future (specifically LEGOLAND - which most kids tend to age out of around middle school, some of the aspects of the San Diego Zoo and the Safari Park - two separate zoos, both which are fun for people of all ages but have special areas specifically for kids, and some of the museums like the Fleet Science Center - which is designed for children). The boys may also want to try surfing - which is something all of the tourist beaches in San Diego offer rentals for. Scripps aquarium in La Jolla is very kid friendly as well. Disneyland is also very close (1.5 hour drive) if the kids wanted to spend a day there.

Private message me if you want more info about SD or SF. I'm happy to help.

I live near San Francisco, and I absolutely love it. We spend a crazy amount of time in the city with our girls (3 and 5) to the point where they know their way around there and what to do quite well. I love it here. That being said, for your trip, it makes a lot more sense to go to SD, if only to avoid a very long trip up here. I think your boys would love the beach, Legoland, the Wild Animal Park and perhaps, for your DS who wants to see Alcatraz, a tour of the USS Midway might be sufficient substitute.

I do love SF for kids, so if you choose SF, you definitely can't go wrong.

I love San Francisco, but if you're looking for the more kid friendly city, I'd go for San Diego ( my hometown).

If they do end up going to SF and want to go to Alcatraz, check out tickets now. They sell out quite far in advance, especially in the summer.

Are you or your boys likely to head back to California again in the future?

If so...I would pick Legoland simply because the boys are at the optimum age to enjoy it. If you left it a couple of years, it might be a bit to 'babyish' for the boys. There are also a ton of things for tweens to enjoy in San Diego.


Whereas....San Francisco will still appeal at any age.

Thank you so much for all of your helpful suggestions! The boys decided on San Diego for this summer - leaving in 3 weeks!! We will plan a family trip to San Francisco and Yosemite in the next couple of years. But in the meantime dh and I have decided to celebrate our 10th anniversary with a trip to SF and Napa this fall. I am so excited!!

Runnergal said:

Thank you so much for all of your helpful suggestions! The boys decided on San Diego for this summer - leaving in 3 weeks!! We will plan a family trip to San Francisco and Yosemite in the next couple of years. But in the meantime dh and I have decided to celebrate our 10th anniversary with a trip to SF and Napa this fall. I am so excited!!

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Have a great time. If you get over to Sonoma
, both Coppola and Korbel wineries are great places to visit