44 Date Ideas in San Diego

Have arranged a date with a great person in San Diego and now looking for a great place to go together? No worries! We’re here to help with 44 cool date ideas in San Diego.

We have our fingers on the pulse of America’s finest city, and we’ve compiled a list of things to do on your date night. We’re sure you’ll find a fun date idea right here.

8 Food-Based San Diego Date Ideas

They say that the best way to get to somebody’s heart is to go through their stomach. There’s something about food that just brings people closer together. Perhaps it’s the sharing of cultures and family values. Or maybe it’s the fact that eating, much like love, is one of the major points of survival. No matter what you can never go wrong with good times and good food when it comes to date ideas.

Here’s a podcast episode from travel expert Rick Steves that discusses a few places to eat in San Diego from a travel writer who documented her trip up the Pacific Coast Highway.

1. Take a Cooking Class

San Diego date ideas aren’t exclusive to just San Diego. Taking a cooking class is a great way to not only spend a date night with your partner but also a great way for both you and your partner to learn and develop a new skill that will lead to even more quality time being spent together.

2. Get an Experience with a Private Chef

Sometimes paying a bit more for an exclusive experience is well worth it. This date idea can be expensive for some, however, most people who do it always say that they wish they can do it again. A private chef experience is a great way for you and your partner to have a fun relaxing evening while you both get to try some delicious new foods.

3. Visit Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream

Not all date ideas in San Diego have to involve restaurants or coffee shops. Try something different with a visit to Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream. They’ve been serving flights of top-quality, homemade ice cream to San Diego residents and visitors since 2014.

4. Tour Some of the Best Restaurants in San Diego Bay with a Food Tour

San Diego Bay has some of the best eateries to offer. So many in fact that it can be hard to choose exactly where to go. The Crack Shack, Little Italy, Portside, there are just so many to choose from. Why pick only one place to go to? You and your date can plan a night of walking around the Bay area and grabbing small bites to eat throughout the night. This date idea is not only good for the stomach but it’s also a good way to find hidden gems and explore the neighborhood a bit.

5. Send Your Tastebuds on a Galactic Journey at Mothership

If you can only go to one restaurant, then it’s best to make it one of the most unique and unforgettable restaurants that San Diego has to offer. When you walk into mothership you’ll feel like you had just entered an entirely different planet. The glowing lights dot the ceiling like stars, and the bright colors that practically glow in the black light, all of this makes for an incredible, unforgettable date night.

6. Head Over to Blank Table for a Surprise Meal

Not exactly a restaurant but great for those who are adventurous eaters and flexible. All you have to do is book your tickets for this event and go on the date it is being held. The menu is a complete surprise, and you won’t even know where the event is being held until the day it is happening.

7. Plan a Romantic Picnic

Almost any day in sunny San Diego is ideal for a picnic. Pack or pick up a lunch and head to the beach, or go to one of the many parks that are ideal for a picnic. Check out Coronado Ferry Landing for a sunset picnic.

The city is full of restaurants with options for carry-out, or take a walk through Liberty Public Market to build your own basket of goodies:

• If you want to keep it really simple, hit up a taco stand
• If you’re having a hard time choosing a place to have a meal, you may want to consider heading over to Sunset Cliffs, or la jolla, or even just a city park
• If you want to aim for a romantic setting for a picnic try to plan your meal around sunset

8. Go on a Romantic Dinner Cruise

Impress your date with a romantic dinner cruise. Harbor Cruise offers lunch, brunch, and dinner. And don’t forget those views! You’ll have the Pacific Ocean on one side, and the bay on the other. Take in some of the most beautiful landscapes in Southern California.

8 Date Ideas to Stay Indoors

Whether the weather is bad, or you simply don’t want to go outside, San Diego has a lot to do for those who simply want to stay inside and enjoy themselves. Here are some fun date ideas for you and your partner to enjoy if you don’t feel like enjoying the outdoors.

1. Check Out One of the Many Comedy Clubs

The people of San Diego love a good joke, in fact it’s probably why it’s the setting for some of the classic films and the best sitcoms. If you and your date love to have a good laugh spending a night having some drinks while you sit at the Comedy Store, or the American Comedy Company is a great way to spend a date night.

2. Go to a Movie

Yes, a movie seems like a pretty cliche date idea, but hear us out. Several boutique theaters in San Diego offer a truly elevated experience. We’re talking gourmet food, bottle service, and movies you can’t catch at the multiplex.

Related reading: 19 Movies With Cool Sex Scenes

3. Visit San Diego Museums

There a lot of great museums to visit when you’re checking out San Diego. For a more cultured date you can check out the San Diego Museum of Art, or the Museum of Contemporary Art and become inspired by the beautiful pieces on display and explore museums. You can also check out the Natural History Museum and learn many interesting facts about the world.

4. Stay at Home and Do a Virtual Wine Tasting

What if you just want to stay home and do something fun there? Of course, a nice date at home where you make dinner and watch a movie is great but it could be a little better. This is not exclusive to San Diego, however, you and your partner can enjoy a night of virtual wine tasting by ordering a box from a company like “Priority Wine Pass” and enjoy a night of good drinks with the person you love

5. Head to the Birch Aquarium

There is something about an Aquarium that makes it such a nice place for a date night. Of course, it might not feel like the most original or unique date idea, but Aquariums have a mystical feel that makes it almost feel like you are in a fairytale. So whether you want to feel like a mermaid, or you simply enjoy checking out the displays of marine life and incredible fish. The Birch Aquarium is an excellent place to check out for a date night in San Diego.

6. Go to the Coin-Op Game Room

Check out the coin-op game room and let your competitie spirit free! If you’re in San Diego and want to have a bit of healthy competition with your partner this is one of our favorite date ideas.

Of course, competition can become a negative thing, however, a bit of healthy competition keeps the relationship interesting and makes it more fun. So grab a drink, get a roll of quarters, and see who can get the higher score.

Related reading: Rainy Day Date Ideas You Ought to Try

7. Visit La Jolla Playhouse

If you and your partner have any appreciation for theater, La Jolla Playhouse is a great place to check out. Watching a live performance there works if you are struggling to think of San Diego date ideas.

This theater is run by local production companies, and the shows are always top quality. If you and your partner want to see a great show we highly recommend checking this place out.

8. Go Listen to Live Music

Head to Gaslamp Quarter, Liberty Station Arts district, or any other San Diego hotspot to have drinks and listen to live music. Just before you check out ticket price and availability if you want to get into one of the hotter shows.

Every First Friday of the month the Liberty Station Arts District hosts an event where you can meet with local artists and explore the galleries.

8 Outdoor Date Ideas in San Diego

San Diego is beautiful and sunny all year long. No list of San Diego date ideas would be complete without suggestions to get you and your partner outside. Whether you head to downtown San Diego or the beach, there’s plenty to do outdoors in America’s finest city.

1. Walk in a Botanic Garden

Enjoy a stroll through the San Diego Botanic Garden! If you want to spend a day surrounded by gorgeous views and by beautiful plants and greenery, you should definitely check it out.

With 29 uniquely themed gardens and a beautifully picturesque glass conservatory, this place is a favorite date idea for anyone visiting San Diego.

2. Head Out and Explore Balboa Park

Balboa Park is one of the most incredible places in the world. In fact, there is so much to do at this park that some of the things you can do are actually part of this list. With 1200 acres if space to explore, as well as the museums, zoo, and gardens that cover this vast piece of land. You and your partner will have no shortage of things to do while you are visiting one of San Diego’s best places.

3. Check Out a Baseball Game

Is there anything more American than a baseball game? It’s just something that brings people together for fun, drinks, and entertainment. Next date night you have why not head over to a game and enjoy some hot dogs with your favorite person, your partner?

4. Hike Cowles Mountain

Cowles Mountain is the highest peak in San Diego, and you can take your special someone along for a challenging hike of about five miles long.

5. Go to the San Diego Zoo

Located in beautiful Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo is one of the most incredible places to walk through. With so many natural habitats, incredible exhibits, and the level of love and care that the employees show to the animals that live here. If you go, check out the sea lions. This is a fun attraction, and worth the leisurely stroll. This Zoo is one of San Diego’s most prominent features.

6. Torrey Pines State Reserve

California has some of the most beautiful nature reserves in existence, and San Diego is home to the Torrey Pines State Reserve. You can head over to it and hit up those hiking trails!

This beautiful piece of nature is a great place for a picnic or a date idea if you and your partner really enjoy getting into nature. So lace up those hiking boots and head out onto the hiking trails.

7. Kayaking

Grab your life jackets and go kayaking! Being close to the ocean means that you have access to lots of different water-based activities.

Kayaking is a great date idea if you and your partner love getting active and exploring. So put on that life jacket and head out to one of the many lakes, rivers, or to the ocean for a fun day of riding through the waves

8. Whale Watching

If going kayaking wasn’t enough, keep those life jackets on and head over to one of the many ocean beach locations that San Diego has to offer and go on a whale-watching tour.

You and your partner can enjoy the ocean views and a relaxing boat ride as you both try and spot whales off in the distance.

Related reading: The Great Outdoors – 27 Date Ideas in the Open Air

2 Cheap Date Ideas in San Diego

“When I was dating, I knew it was important to get to know each other better, spend time together, have fun, and not blow all of my money. As much as I would have loved to go to the Capital Grille and sushi every night, I knew that was unrealistic.”

Eric Rosenberg, personal finance expert

You’re looking for the best date ideas on a budget. Can you take someone out in San Diego without breaking the bank? Take a look at these frugal date ideas in San Diego and nearby areas.

1. Visit The San Diego History Center

This is the perfect place to take a date without spending too much money. Even better, the quiet setting will allow you to get to know your potential partner as you learn about San Diego’s history. You can see a wide selection of exhibits, and all you have to pay is a suggested donation of ten dollars.

2. Head to The Cabrillo National Monument

San Diego is full of natural beauty. This includes the tide pools at Cabrillo National Monument. When low tide comes, this is the perfect spot to watch animal life. Also, you can admire the rock formations, and just enjoy a day outside in gorgeous San Diego.

5 Unique Dating Ideas in San Diego

What if you could take your date to experience something completely new to them? Check out these ideas.

1. Observe the Stars at the Palomar Observatory

When it comes to unique date ideas in San Diego there’s no better place to check out than the Palomar Observatory. Located in the Palomar Mountains this 200-foot-long telescope owned by Cal Tech offers anyone who wishes to enjoy a look at the stars a chance to view through it on almost any clear night.

2. Go Camping on the Palomar Mountain

Close to the Palomar Observatory, there is a campground where you and your partner can enjoy a night sleeping under the stars and spotting the constellations as people did a long time ago. A night under the stars with the person you love seems like one of the best date ideas in San Diego or anywhere else.

3. Let Out Your Rage and Go Ax Throwing

We all get mad even at the people we love and sometimes we just need to let that rage out in a controlled environment. So why not take one of the most unique kinds of date nights and head over to Axe Thro Co where you and your partner can enjoy a night of letting out all that stress and anger?

4. Let Your Horror Fan Run Wild With a Ghost Tour

San Diego is a city with a bit of a dark history. You may not know that the park where you spend so much time with your special someone might have a history full of gore and murder. This is why this city is home to many ghost tours where you and your partner can explore and learn about the chilling history this city possesses.

5. Walk Around Seaport Village

Sometimes the best thing you can do is go somewhere where you can shop and simply relax throughout the day. This theme park, located near the shore, offers a variety of shops, eateries, and experiences for anyone who wishes to enjoy a boardwalk experience.

And 13 More San Diego Places for Dates!

San Diego has non-stop outdoor experiences happening 365 days a year. If you’d like some more ideas for having a little fun outdoors:

1. Go Kart racing
2. Exploring sea caves
3. Checking out La Jolla Cove
4. Taking pictures at Coronado Cays
5. Surfing lessons on the beach
6. See the Japanese Friendship garden
7. Go to a remote beach and check out the tide pools
8. Shopping walking and dining at Seaport Village
9. Enjoying a day in nature at the La Jolla Ecological Reserve
10. Cinema under the stars at Mission Hills Rooftop Theater
11. Go snorkeling at Silver Strand Beach park
12. Check out the views from the Sunset Cliffs
13. Find a perfect spot on any rooftop to see the sunset