Southern California Itinerary: What to do and Where to Stay for a Perfect Trip

Planning a Southern California itinerary and want to hit all the best theme parks and family fun attractions? You’re in the right place. Southern California is home to some of the most iconic attractions in the world and we have all the tips and details to plan your trip.

From the magic of Disneyland Resort to the thrills of Universal Studios Hollywood, as well as bucket list places like Griffith Observatory with epic views of the Hollywood sign and the American Museum of Motion Pictures, there is so much to do!

I am taking the overwhelm and stress out of the planning with these three Southern California itineraries to help you put together an amazing family trip.

We love visiting the theme parks and made sure that each of our trips included at least one, but we also wanted to include some iconic Southern California places.

I am sharing our full detailed itineraries from each of these trips spanning from 2019, 2022, and 2026. You may want to pick one trip and plan that one, or customize with a little from each itinerary to make the best trip for your family.

Our focus is always on finding the most fun attractions for our family (theme parks, museums, unique stops) and enjoying great dining options (casual, affordable, great for families). I do my best to update this list with places that may have closed since our visit but be sure to check the website before your visit.

Let’s break down the ultimate Southern California itinerary including exactly how to plan your days, where to stay, and tips to maximize your days. Whether you’re traveling with young kids or teens, this itinerary will help you experience the best of Southern California without the stress.

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Itinerary for Southern California (2026)

This trip itinerary focused on 3 nights in Anaheim and 4 nights in Los Angeles. We visited as a family of 5 with 3 teens.

Day 1- Arrival Day

Our first day of travel was a bit chaotic due to delays on our flights. We ended up arriving in California around 1:00pm and had 3 hours to make it to our 4:00pm Din Tai Fung reservation. Not the best plan, but it was the only way we could fit it in. We ate grab-and-go items from the airport and packed snacks in our carry on backpacks.

We drove directly to the Downtown Disney parking lot for our dinner at Din Tai Fung. This is a family style dim sum restaurant that has gained popularity in recent years.

Expect each dish to cost between $17.00- $25.00. You can order seconds of an item after your initial order which makes it a bit easier to not over spend. We loved Kurobuta Pork Xiao Long Bao and green beans. Reservations are highly recommend and sell out weeks in advance.

Day 2- Disney’s California Adventure

Our plan was to rope drop the park and we left our room at 6:25am. The line had already started at the security gates for an 8:00am opening. Having a plan when you visited Disneyland is a requirement in my opinion. Read this post to start planning: 1 Day California Adventure Itinerary.

Day 3- Disneyland

We wanted to rope drop Disneyland and left room at 6:20am. This allowed us to be amongst the first people in the park. Check out my full planning guide: 1 Day at Disneyland CA Itinerary.

Day 4- Los Angeles

I want to admit this right away- our daily itineraries were jam packed. We had so many things we wanted to do that we didn’t plan a lot of rest into our schedule.

For this day we started with brunch at Mimi’s Restaurant. It is located in the same parking lot as the Courtyard. Then we went to the Academy of Motion Pictures, walked by the outdoor section of the La Brea Tar Pits, checked into Springhill Suites, and saw a show at the Hollywood Bowl.

We got very lucky that there was a concert we wanted to see at the Hollywood Bowl during our visit. I suggest checking sporting events and concert venues to see what is happening during your trip. The Hollywood Bowl is an outdoor venue unique to the LA area. It was a cool place to experience.

Day 5- Los Angeles

For the next day we headed to Griffith Observatory to see the epic views of the Hollywood Sign and LA. Check the website for the best place to park during your visit. We parked at the Greek Theater parking lot and it is about a .5 mile hike uphill to the observatory. If you need assistance guests can be dropped off at the top.

The Griffith Observatory was busy but it was a good place to include in our trip. Arrive early to avoid most crowds. Inside there are telescope and solar system exhibits. Outside you can take pictures with great views. Everything is free to explore.

After this we drove to Glendale to visit the Neon Museum and ate at In and Out Burger. If you are really into Neon check it out otherwise it is not worth driving out to Glendale. There are many In and Out Burgers to stop at in and around LA. After lunch we stopped at the Funko Hollywood Store and finally out to Santa Monica pier for the sunset.

We did take about an hour break after the Funko store and before we the pier to recharge at the hotel. My honest opinion about the Santa Monica Pier-skip it if you don’t really have your heart set on seeing it. Our visit was interrupted by a bomb threat that evacuated the pier so I am probably impacted by that but if you are just looking for a quiet beach to watch the sunset there are much better options.

That being said if you are looking to explore the popular Route 66 pier and the amusement park it might be worth it for you. I enjoy the touristy stuff to people watch and experience it all but this was one and done for us.

Day 6- Universal Studios Hollywood

We were excited to check out Universal Studios Hollywood again. It is fun to experience the attractions that we don’t have at Universal Orlando or that are different. The Studio Tour is a can’t miss attraction. Read my full itinerary for Universal Studios Hollywood to plan your day.

Day 7- Los Angeles

We were headed back into LA for our morning with stops at the California Science Center(do the sports exhibit first), LA Memorial Coliseum (check hours due to Olympics), and Grand Central Market (lunch).

After lunch we returned to our hotel and got ready for the Warner Bros. Studio Tour which was a few miles from our hotel. We ended up adding this on last minute and I am so happy we did.

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour was one of our favorite things to do and I highly recommend it. Part of the tour is guided followed by self-guided time. We were really happy we included it in our trip.

Day 8-Tavel Home

Our last day was a travel day. We flew out of Long Beach airport which is the cutest airport I have ever seen. It’s partially outside and was really easy to navigate.

Southern California Trip (2022)

For this trip we spent 2 nights in Hollywood and 5 nights at Disneyland. It was a theme park focused trip that included time at Universal Studios Hollywood and the Disneyland theme parks.

Day 1: Travel to Hollywood, CA

We had a very early flight on our travel day which meant we had to leave our house at 3:15am. It was well worth it to arrive at LAX around lunch time.

We picked up our rental car and lucky for us there is an In & Out Burger outside the airport. In & Out Burger is pretty famous in LA so we knew we had to stop for lunch.

The location next to the airport is pretty busy but its cool to see the planes landing while you eat your lunch.

After lunch we drove into LA to visit The Last Bookstore. This is a popular bookstore in Los Angeles. It is a unique two story bookstore that is fun to walk around. Then we stopped at the Funko Hollywood store.

This store is so much fun!! It fits with our love of all things pop culture!! An hour was not enough time! There are so many photo ops and fun areas to explore.

You can also create your own personalized Funko, which we were really looking forward to, only to discover we missed the sign-up times by a few minutes. (We made up for it on Day 3!)

After the Funko store we headed to our hotel, Loews Hollywood, for dinner in the room (Greco’s New York Pizzeria, within walking distance to Hotel) and some pool time.

Day 2: Universal Studios Hollywood

We woke up early to rope drop Universal Studios Hollywood. This was our first visit to Universal Studios Hollywood and we were excited to check out some of the attractions they don’t have at the Universal Orlando parks.

I go into full details on our Universal Studios Hollywood itinerary but we focused on riding the attractions and seeing the shows that they don’t have at the Universal Orlando parks. The drive was about 15 minutes from our hotel and we were one of the first families in the parking garage.

We enjoyed many attractions, dined at Minions Cafe, and were done with the park around dinner time. Then we headed over to Pink’s at CityWalk for dinner.

After dinner we drove back to the Loews Hollywood Hotel and decided to walk over to Hollywood Blvd to check out the Walk of Fame and Chinese Theatre.

My honest opinion is seeing it once is enough for me. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is extremely busy and touristy.

It is fun to see the stars but you don’t really have time to stop for pictures because many people are around walking.

If you have a specific star you want to see or would like to take pictures I suggest visiting in the morning when crowds are less busy.

We spent around 30 minutes looking around and then walked back to our hotel for some pool time as well as packing to check-out the next day.

Day 3: Travel to Anaheim, CA

Today was a travel day to Anaheim so we slept in and took our time getting out the door. We returned to Funko Hollywood to personalize our own Funko.

As soon as we were allowed into the store I signed the five of us up to personalize our Funko. They text you when it is your turn, so do this as soon as you arrive and then explore the store.

It took about 30 minutes for our turn. After you make the Funko, you have to wait another 30+ minutes for it to be ready.

During this time we went next door to the Shake Shack for lunch. They are also opening a Chicken Guy here.

When lunch was done we went back to pick up our Funko, packed up the car and made the drive to Anaheim. On paper the drive is about 35 miles but it really depends on traffic. It took us about 50 minutes to drive to our hotel.

Before we checked into our hotel we picked up groceries for our room at the Food 4 Less. There is also a Target nearby if you need things.

We like to pick up fruit, breakfast items, and basic snacks for the room when we stay extended days at a hotel. We also didn’t want to spend a lot of time driving once we arrived in Anaheim.

We checked-in to the Courtyard Marriott Anaheim Theme Park Entrance and got settled into our home away from home for the week. The hotel is located across the street from the Disneyland Park. For dinner we ordered Dominos but you could walk over to Downtown Disney or check out places along S. Harbor Blvd.

Day 4 & 7: Disney’s California Adventure

We spent two full days at Disney’s California Adventure. Most days we did all of the rides and attractions. We also planned to see the night time show and have a mid-day nap.

Day 5 & 8: Disneyland

Since our first visit to Disneyland was so short it was really nice to have 2 full days to explore the park. This allowed us to go at a slower pace, try different dining options, and see the night time shows.

Day 6: Rest Day

I almost didn’t plan a rest day during this vacation to save money but I am so happy I did. We were pretty exhausted by the time we got to our rest day and we needed a day to sleep in and have no plans.

After a slow morning we ate breakfast in the room and then walked over to Downtown Disney to shop. The World of Disney store is a great place to do some souvenir shopping and we also bought some treats at Marceline’s Confectionary to take back to the room.

On the way back we stopped for lunch at Mimi’s Cafe. This is in the parking lot of the Courtyard Marriott Anaheim Theme Park entrance and offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner options.

It is a bit pricey but it was nice to have a sit down meal that wasn’t rushed. You can also get to-go orders to enjoy back at your room.

Then we spent some time at the water park. You don’t need reservations but guests do need a wrist band.

After that we came back to our room and stayed in for the night. We got McDonalds and Panera. They are located right next door and we watched TV. It was a well needed rest before our next two days at the parks.

Don’t feel bad about being a bit lazy during your vacation. Everyone needs time to rest and it is well worth a day off to get you through the other days.

Southern California Trip (2019)

Our first visit to Southern California was part of a 9-Day Southwest Road Trip that began in New Mexico and finished in Carlsbad, California. Below I pick up when we arrive in Anaheim.

Day 1: Check-in and Downtown Disney

Our hotel was across the street from Disneyland and perfect walking distance! We are used to Walt Disney World and it was very nice to walk out of our room and be at Disneyland in the time it takes to walk to a resort bus at Walt Disney World.

We picked up our tickets for the next day and walked around Downtown Disney. I am not a big shopper but we did walk through The World of Disney store to see all the new merchandise. We decided to eat Panera, located next to our hotel, in our room for dinner and enjoy a swim in the pool before our full day at Disneyland tomorrow.

Day 2: Disneyland and California Adventure

The feeling that takes over you when you are a huge Disney fan visiting Disneyland is incredible. It is the park that Walt built, and walked through and it is amazing. It is different than Walt Disney World but it is charming and nostalgic.

We had a big day planned. Disneyland and California Adventure. 2 Parks in 1 Day. I don’t suggest this for your first visit because there is so much to see and do that you will miss a lot. We didn’t have a choice and couldn’t choose a park so we decided to tackle both.

I’d say we were pretty successful. We prioritized attractions that are not at Walt Disney World and managed to ride everything we had on our list.

Visiting both Disneyland resort parks is easy because they are so close together. It makes park hopping much easier and allowed us to do a lot in one day.

We opened and closed Disneyland and walked back to our hotel after a busy day. I loved that the hotel was within walking distance!

Day 3: Anaheim, California to Carlsbad, California

We slept in after our Disneyland day and then packed up for our last destination of the trip: Carlsbad, California. We stayed at the West Inn & Suites and it was the perfect place to finish the last few days of our vacation.

We played games, watched TV, did homework, and went in the hotel hot tub. Our family needed this time to recharge and relax.

We like to see a lot when we travel but we also like to plan a bit of down time. At the end the night we enjoyed the warm cookies at the hotel and went to bed excited for the next day at LEGOLAND California.

Day 4: LEGOLAND California

LEGOLAND CA is a 5 minute drive from the hotel and we were really excited to check it out. Again we prioritized rides that are not at the other LEGOLAND parks we have visited.

We loved the NINJAGO ride and were pleasantly surprised by the Deep Sea Adventure Ride. We assumed it would feel a bit claustrophobic inside the submarine but it wasn’t at all. It was our favorite of the day.

LEGOLAND CA closed around 5:00pm so we headed back to the hotel for dinner in the room. We ordered pizza, borrowed some games and a movie from the front desk, and had some family time in the room. I love balancing busy days with rest and relax time.

Day 5: La Jolla Beach

La Jolla Beach has been on my list forever because I wanted to take the kids to see the seals on the beach. It was about a 1 hour drive from Carlsbad.

It was so much fun to dip our toes in the sand, run through the waves, and see the seals. It was one of my favorite memories from this trip.

La Jolla Beach is stunning. There is so much to explore and it is easy to walk around. The parking can get busy but we found street parking and walking along the ocean was good for all of us.

We spent our morning at La Jolla and then returned to our hotel to pack and get ready to fly home tomorrow. In the evening we went to Joe’s Crab Shack for dinner and watched the sunset on the bay.

Day 6: Time to Go Home

We scheduled an afternoon flight so we wouldn’t have to rush out in the early morning. I was so happy we did this because we went back to the hot tub, enjoyed a slow breakfast, and then drove to San Diego airport for our drive home.