San Diego Bachelorette Party Ideas & Itinerary (2024)
Planning a San Diego bachelorette party itinerary?
Then take a page out of my own personal San Diego bachelorette party itinerary! Bonus, these San Diego bachelorette party ideas can also be used as a starting point for San Diego bachelor party ideas.
Why San Diego? Well, nothing beats a California bachelorette party. San Diego is a great place to have a good time and had been on my list for ages, mostly because I kept hearing about the city’s perfect weather.
The more I explored what the city had to offer in the way of a San Diego bachelorette party itinerary, the more sold I was. It had the three things I wanted most: great food, great weather and activities to please all. The ingredients needed to turn a bunch of San Diego bachelorette party ideas into reality.
Psst, not yet set on San Diego? Check out this New Orleans Bachelorette Party Itinerary, too! Or, consider a Denver bachelorette using this itinerary I created for my sister’s!
San Diego Bachelorette Party Ideas
Whether you’re planning out a San Diego bachelorette party itinerary or simply a regular old weekend away in the California city, I know you’ll find some golden nuggets in my own San Diego bachelorette party itinerary below.
It’s the perfect place to throw a bach party with your closest friends. Read on and use this guide to plan a fun experience, with your best girls and good food of course!
We were only in the San Diego area for a couple full days, so didn’t see or do EVERYTHING San Diego has to offer (no hiking this trip, for example). All the more reason to go back!
We still did plenty though, and some solid research went into bringing it all together. Here is how our San Diego bachelorette party itinerary played out:
Where to Stay in San Diego for Bachelorette Party
We knew staying in the Gaslamp Quarter would put us in a pretty central place based on our itinerary. At first, we considered renting out a space on Airbnb, but ultimately decided on a hotel and it worked out well for us.
Part of the Intercontinental Hotels Group, Hotel Indigo turned out to be both beautiful and hospitable. It’s also dog-friendly. Every interaction we had with the staff there was pleasant and I would definitely stay again.
Make time for a daytime stroll through the Gaslamp Quarter during the day, and party in San Diego just a stone’s throw away from your hotel at night. It was the perfect home base for all our San Deigo bachelorette party activities.
Another great option for where to stay in San Diego with a bachelorette party group is Hotel del Coronado. A more luxe option, this hotel is right on Pacific Beach so it’s great for a laid back beach trip.
If you’d rather rent a San Diego bachelorette party house for the crew here are some great options to consider:
- This luxury Mission Bay Estate with its own resort-style pool
- This Architectural beauty with stunning views and jacuzzi
- This affordable penthouse with panoramic ocean views
San Diego Bachelorette Party Ideas for Things to Do
Places to visit in San Diego Saturday Morning / Afternoon
All the girls got in and joined the fun at different times. I arrived Saturday morning with my sister and cousin and, having been up since around 4:30 AM let me tell you it was tempting to jump into bed! Thankfully, we did not. I’m sure we would have slept most of the day away otherwise.
Instead, we checked in and dropped off our bags at the hotel, changed into beachwear and headed to lunch on the boardwalk. It was a great way to take in the sunny weather by the pacific beach right away.
Mission Beach
After a leisurely lunch, we hung out on Mission Beach for a while and wandered the short distance over to Belmont Park. The main attraction at this seaside amusement park is the Giant Dipper — a wooden roller coaster that’s been running since 1925.
Of course, we had to ride it. It was a rickety ride, with incredible views of the water and palm treetops.
I wish I’d been brave enough to have my phone out to capture some shots like the kids in front of us! Still, we had the best time letting ourselves play at the amusement park like kids.
Saturday Night San Diego Bachelorette Party Activities
We headed back to the hotel in the late afternoon, giving ourselves some time to put our feet up before getting ready for the night. About 30 minutes before sunset, we hopped in a car.
Sunset Cliffs in San Diego
Destination, sunset cliffs — one of the top things to do in San Diego. This was definitely a highlight and one of my favorite things we did as an entire group.
On a different kind of trip, I would have come in warm clothes, sensible shoes and with more time to hunker down for the evening. On this night, I had one objective — ensure we caught the sunset, captured a few pictures and didn’t twist our ankles in our heels.
The timing worked out perfectly. By the time we arrived, the sun was mid-set. We didn’t have to climb up or down any sandy cliffs to catch the show, either, meaning we were [mostly] safe in our heels (in case you worry about that kind of thing, too).
About 20 minutes after we’d arrived, we were back in a car and en route to Little Italy for dinner. After which we headed back to Gaslamp Quarter for a night on the town.
Rooftop Bars for San Diego Bachelorette Party
Our first stop here was our best stop of the “out” part of our night. We waited in line for about 20 minutes in the Marriott lobby before making it to Altitude, their rooftop bar.
It’s a little crammed up there, and the view at night isn’t great unless you like staring into empty ballparks (you can see all of PETCO Park from up there), but the DJ was superb.
It can get a bit chilly and there are massive fire pits to warm you up, as well as a bit of an indoor space.
Or, you can warm up on the dance floor! We hit up a few other places after Altitude, but that first stop was my favorite of the night. When you want to take in the vibrant nightlife of San Diego you don’t want to skip the Gaslamp district.
Sunday Afternoon Places to Visit in San Diego Bachelorette Party Ideas
Balboa Park
We kicked off Sunday with a noon brunch before setting off to explore Balboa Park, which was beautiful! It’s a 1200-acre park with museums, gardens, cultural centers and more sprinkled throughout.
It was so fun to walk through and take photos of its gorgeousness.
To think, when I was first thinking about things to do the park wasn’t even much on my radar. Definitely glad we made the stop and if you visit, don’t leave without checking out the Spanish Village.
I would have missed this (and been very sad) were it not for my sister, who’d been before.
Especially if you enjoy outdoor activities, Balboa park is one of the best places to visit when you’re in San Diego for a bachelorette weekend. It’s even the perfect spot to get some beautiful photos.
San Diego Bachelorette Party Boat
Okay, we didn’t actually do this but this is another great activity for anyone who wants to spend more time on the water while in San Diego.
La Jolla Bachelorette Party Adventure
We spent Sunday evening exploring La Jolla. I have very mixed feelings about La Jolla, or the part we were in at least. First, one of the main draws is the gathering of seals along the coast.
Yes, it’s cool to take in but as I got closer to them THE SMELL nearly knocked me over. I quickly backed away for fear of hurling. What smells? The poop, people. The poop. It’s very important, good-for-the-ecosystem poop. But it’s poop, and so I admired from afaaaaar.
Walking around some of the streets further in and away from the cove area, we found deserted high-end shops all around. It felt like a ghost town on Sunday around 5:30 PM.
Except for one place, a bookstore of all places. There was a long line out the front door, and everyone held a copy of the same book. A signing, then. Wonder what book.
All I will say about it is this — we looked at the crowd, we looked at the book they were waiting to get signed, we looked around at our otherwise deserted surroundings and at that moment I was strongly reminded of the movie, Get Out.
Anyways, I suppose that remains one of the mysteries of my La Jolla bachelorette party weekend segment!
We proceeded to dinner, then made our way back to Little Italy for dessert. Which brings me to the best part of this guide…
Where to Eat in San Diego Bachelorette Party Ideas
My favorite part of planning any trip is planning where to eat, and we certainly hit up some gems on this trip. Foodie stops were an essential part of this San Diego bachelorette party itinerary!
Here’s the breakdown of the best restaurants we visited.
Beach House Grill
The main goal after we landed Saturday morning was to get to the beach, maybe grabbing picnic fixings on the way. Then we came across Beach House Grill and decided it would do.
It was walking distance to the beach. Actually it was essentially right on the beach! And it had food, what more did we need?
Here’s the beauty of it, beach views, your toes in the sand, and actually decent grub. This was exactly what we needed to be able to relax on our terms without being holed away napping in hotel rooms. There’s plenty of people-watching, too.
If you go: get the chicken pesto sandwich, skip the cod sandwich (too bready and salty), get the fries, try the chips (they look like potato chips and taste like Funyuns). Kick back and relax.
Mimmo’s
There was no way we were not going to Little Italy for a meal on this trip. The question was, which San Diego restaurant for bachelorette party to choose?
After obsessive Yelp-ing, we narrowed it down to three places and from there, whittled it down to one: Mimmo’s. Cute space for large groups, friendly service, great food. Mimmo’s was perfect for our Saturday night girls’ dinner in San Diego.
I got the Blackened Chicken Pasta and it was SO much better than what I was expecting. They also have a choose-your-own pasta and sauce combination concept on their menu, the type of thing I am too indecisive to partake in.
Of course, after learning how much I enjoy a good cannoli after our trip to Boston last year, I couldn’t leave without dessert. Their cannolis hit the spot.
We’d also made reservations at Monello for the evening (indecisive) and ultimately went with Mimmo’s because it was a slightly earlier resso and we were ready to chow down. Monello is now a place to try next time!
Great Maple
Write this down somewhere because you HAVE to go to Great Maple for brunch. I’m convinced there’s no better way to start your day.
A friend’s recommendation earned this delicious joint a spot on my San Diego bachelorette party itinerary and I’m so glad for it. Be sure to make a reservation here.
Here’s what to get, based on what everyone at our table enjoyed: Great Maple French Toast Logs, Egg Whites & California Toast (avo toast), Fresh Goat Cheese Squash Blossom, Johnny’s Lolliwaffles, Maple Bacon Doughnuts, House Smoked Beef Brisket Hash.
WHEW. Drooling.
George’s Ocean Terrace
Needless to say, that massive brunch kept us full until dinner. We had reservations for dinner in La Jolla and this was a stop I was really looking forward to. It did not disappoint.
George’s Ocean Terrace is the top floor of George’s at the Cove. We were able to sit by the railing (upon request) and watch the sun set over the water as we ate. Of course, make reservations.
They had their heat lamps going and even offered us blankets! The service was…interesting. It sounded like they’d done some recent hiring so things weren’t tip top, but nothing we were too bothered by.
You should get: Ahi Tostadas to start. They recently added a braised beef sauce to their Spaghetti with Clams and it is everything. Other table favorites were the Braised Short Rib and the Skirt Steak.
Tip: If you have trouble getting sunset reservations on the rooftop terrace, a window table on either of the other floors will likely give you a very similar view.
iDessert
Okay, I succumbed to the novelty here. For dessert Sunday night we headed back to Little Italy to a place called iDessert simply because I was intrigued by the concept.
You create / order your dessert on an iPad, with the option to make it “Vegas style” which means “with dry ice.”
I would not return here. The ordering process was a bit complicated, the dessert was pretty but not the most delicious thing I’d ever tasted. Other places on my list that I’d like to try next time are: Extraordinary Desserts, Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream, Blush Desserts, Cookie Monster Ice Cream, The Good Stuff Cookie Co.
Can you tell I have a major sweet tooth?
San Diego Bachelorette Party Itinerary Planning FAQ
If you’re planning your bachelorette party in San Diego, you might have some additional questions about logistics. Considering these elements as you prepare for the trip will help make your San Diego bachelorette party weekend run all the more smoothly.
What to Wear in San Diego for a Bachelorette Party
Our group went with dresses during the day, and jeans with blouses in the evening. The weather in San Diego during summer, when we visited, was quite warm during the day.
However, it got very chilly in the evening for some of us so I’d highly recommend layers!
You might also consider whether you want the party crew to be prepared to dress in any sort of theme. For example, you might have everyone wear different colors, or all black while the bride wears white to stand out.
Be sure to give everyone a heads up if you’re planning something like this so they know exactly what to pack for a bachelorette party in San Diego!
If you plan to go swimming in a pool or spend some time at the beach, be sure to pack accordingly.
San Diego Bachelorette Party Ideas for Party Favors to Pack
No bachelorette party is complete without some fun bachelorette party favors! These help to get everyone in the spirt and are also a fun way to let people know you’re celebrating a bride amongst you.
How to Get Around on a San Diego Bachelorette Party Weekend
The easiest way we found to get around San Diego was using ride share services like Uber and Lyft. If you’re staying in a central location within the city center, you’ll also find San Diego can be fairly walkable in areas.
When to Visit San Diego for a San Diego Bachelorette Party
Of course, this depends on what everyone’s schedule allows and on when the big wedding day is. One reason I love San Diego as a bachelorette party destination in the US is that you can really visit any time of year and enjoy pleasant weather.
If you do visit in cooler, ‘winter’ months for a bachelorette party you could also save some money on accommodations and tours.
The Wrap Up: San Diego Bachelorette Party Ideas
Ultimately, San Diego ended up being the perfect destination for my bachelorette party. If you’re looking for your next girls’ trip, this is it in my book!
And, I hope our San Diego bachelorette party itinerary helps you with all the planning. I highly recommend considering San Diego on your list of best bachelorette party destinations.
Did this San Diego bachelorette party blog post convince you to visit San Diego? Are you exploring more of California, beyond San Diego? Check out this guide to exploring nearby San Jose!
Have you been to San Diego? What did I miss? Let me know for next time!
