Neighborhood 48H guide
La Jolla: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
Sea lions and clear water at La Jolla Cove, George’s ocean terrace and the Birch Aquarium.
La Jolla is an upscale seaside village north of Pacific Beach. La Jolla Cove has sea lions, snorkeling and the Coast Walk, and Prospect Street has shops, galleries and ocean-view restaurants.
Photo gallery
Photo: Stephen Bay · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Beyond My Ken · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
The prettiest stretch of coast in the city, with a walkable village.
Who it's for: Couples, snorkelers and luxury travelers.
Pros
- La Jolla Cove
- Walkable village
- Ocean-view dining
Cons
- Expensive
- Parking is hard
- Far from downtown
48H in La Jolla
Cove, aquarium, ocean terrace.
08:30 – La Jolla Cove
Sea lions and snorkeling. Point La Jolla’s bluffs are closed to visitors; keep your distance from the animals.
11:00 – Birch Aquarium
Scripps’ aquarium on the hill above La Jolla Shores.
18:00 – George’s at the Cove
Ocean Terrace for sunset; reserve.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
Eat
Eat
George’s at the Cove
1250 Prospect St
Ocean-view restaurant with a rooftop terrace above the cove.
Official site / map →
See / do
See / do
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
2300 Expedition Way
Ocean-science aquarium with a view over La Jolla Shores.
Official site / map →
Outdoors
Outdoors
La Jolla Cove
1100 Coast Blvd
Small cove with sea lions, tide pools and snorkeling.
Photo: Stephen Bay · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
La Valencia Hotel
1132 Prospect St
The 1926 pink ‘Pink Lady’ on Prospect Street, steps from the cove.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for La Jolla.
The City of San Diego requires a short-term rental license, and Coronado and Del Mar have their own stricter rules. Look for the license number on the listing before you book.
Browse vacation rentals in La Jolla on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in San Diego
- Gaslamp Quarter — The lit Gaslamp arch, a Padres game at Petco Park and the USS Midway on the waterfront.
- Little Italy — The Saturday Mercato, India Street’s restaurants and Waterfront Park by the bay.
- Pacific Beach — Crystal Pier’s cottages, the boardwalk and breakfast at Kono’s.
- Mission Beach — The Giant Dipper at Belmont Park, the boardwalk and kayaks on Mission Bay.
- Coronado — The red-turreted Hotel del Coronado, a wide sandy beach and the ferry to downtown.
- Point Loma / Shelter Island — The Old Point Loma Lighthouse at Cabrillo, Point Loma Seafoods and skyline views from Shelter Island.
- Old Town — Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, the Whaley House and tortillas at Old Town Mexican Café.
- Ocean Beach — Hodad’s burgers, Sunset Cliffs at dusk and the Wednesday farmers market on Newport Avenue.
- Del Mar — Powerhouse Park above the beach, lunch at Jake’s and the Del Mar racetrack.