One Day in La Jolla

One day is enough for the La Jolla most people come for, as long as you split it in two and do not drive back and forth.

1. La Jolla Shores in the morning for the beach, a kayak tour or another water activity.
2. La Jolla Cove and the Village in the afternoon, on foot from one parking spot: the Coast Walk, Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave, the Cove, the sea lions, the seals, the shops and sunset.

The route: La Jolla Shores → kayak or beach → lunch → Coast Walk and Sunny Jim’s → La Jolla Cove → sea lions → Children’s Pool → sunset → dinner in La Jolla Village.

Stay well back from the edge on the bluffs above the Cove, and keep your distance from the sea lions and seals: they bite, and the rocks are slick with spray.

The day at a glance

Treat the times as a guide. The kayak slot, the tide, parking and the sunset time all move the day around, so check the tide table and the sunset time the night before.

8:00 AM: start at La Jolla Shores

Start at La Jolla Shores, not the Cove, for two reasons. The kayak tours and most of the beach activities are here, and the public lot by Kellogg Park can fill quickly on summer weekends, so an early arrival gets you a space.

The Shores gives you a long sandy beach for swimming, kayaking, surfing and scuba, plus a playground, restrooms, showers and parking. Our La Jolla Shores guide covers the beach itself.

9:00 AM: the sea-cave kayak tour

If you add one paid activity to the day, make it the sea-cave kayak tour. Every tour launches from La Jolla Shores and paddles along the cliffs toward La Jolla Cove. The two-hour La Jolla Sea Cave Kayak Tour (4.4/5 from 813 reviews) finishes around 11 AM, which is why this itinerary starts at 8.

Paddling into a cave is not guaranteed: it depends on the swell, and guides often keep the group outside. Our La Jolla kayak tours ranking compares the operators and covers what to wear and how wet you get. With less time, the La Jolla: Sea Cave Kayaking Tour with Guide (4.6/5 from 272 reviews) is shorter.

If you would rather not kayak

Swim at La Jolla Shores

The long sandy beach suits a beach morning far better than the tiny cove at La Jolla Cove.

Take a surf lesson

La Jolla Shores is one of the most popular beginner surf spots around La Jolla. GetYourGuide has no surf lesson here; on Viator, the 90-minute Learn to Surf in La Jolla lesson (4.8/5 from 64 reviews) checks in at 2261 Avenida de la Playa, a short walk from the beach. Arrive 30 minutes early.

Walk the beach

You can enjoy the Shores without booking anything.

Snorkel

If conditions suit and you swim confidently, snorkel the protected water off the Shores. The La Jolla: 1.5-2 Hour Kayak and Snorkel Tour (4.2/5 from 214 reviews) combines both. For a swim with a guide and no kayak, the San Diego: La Jolla Cove Snorkeling Tour, Sea Lions & Caves (4.9/5 from 161 reviews) swims the reserve off the Cove instead; our snorkeling guide covers the rest.

11:00 AM: La Jolla Shores and Kellogg Park

After the paddle or the swim, walk the beach or stop at Kellogg Park, the grassy park right behind the sand. It has a playground, restrooms, showers and picnic space, which makes it a good pause with children before lunch.

12:00 PM: lunch

You have two sensible options:

• Eat around La Jolla Shores if you have just come off the water, are wet or sandy, or do not want to rush.
• Go on to La Jolla Village if you are done with the Shores and want more choice. You park once for the whole afternoon.

For the tidiest day, move to central La Jolla just before or just after lunch and stay there until evening.

1:00 PM: move the car once

Drive from the Shores to the La Jolla Cove and Village area, about a mile south. There is no big beach lot here like the one at the Shores; you park on the surrounding streets or in a Village garage.

Find a legal space and leave the car there. The rest of the afternoon is on foot, so do not shuttle between Sunny Jim’s, the Cove, Point La Jolla, Children’s Pool and the Village. Our parking guide lists the options.

1:30 PM: the Coast Walk Trail

Start with a stretch of the Coast Walk Trail. The bluff-top path looks down on the sandstone cliffs, the sea caves and the kayakers below.

After a morning paddle you see the same coast from above. If you skipped the kayak, it is the best free way to understand the cave coastline. The circuit is in our things to do guide. If you prefer a commentary, the La Jolla Coast & Cove Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour covers this route on your phone; it has only 10 reviews so far (4.7/5).

2:00 PM: Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave

Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave is the only La Jolla sea cave you can reach from land, down a tunnel from The Cave Store. As of September 2026, The Cave Store lists about 145 stairs each way and a 15–20 minute self-guided visit; you pay at the store.

Go if you like odd attractions, skipped the kayak, want to stand inside a sea cave and do not mind stairs. Skip it if stairs are hard for you, you are short on time or you would rather spend longer at the Cove. Our Sunny Jim’s guide has the details.

2:45 PM: La Jolla Cove

Walk on to La Jolla Cove, a very small beach between sandstone cliffs, popular for swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving.

You do not have to swim to enjoy it. Look down from the cliffs, walk into Ellen Browning Scripps Park, photograph the Cove and watch the snorkelers. The Cove status page has today’s water and access notes.

3:30 PM: sea lions from the walkway above Point La Jolla

From the Cove, follow the walkway west to the railed stretch above Point La Jolla. This is the sea lion colony: animals resting on the rocks, swimming, barking and squabbling below you.

Point La Jolla itself has been closed to people year-round since 2023, so watch from the walkway and stay behind the barriers. Do not touch or feed the animals, edge closer for a photo, or stand between an animal and the water. Our sea lions guide covers the best viewpoints and the pupping season.

4:00 PM: Ellen Browning Scripps Park

Walk back through Ellen Browning Scripps Park. The lawn faces the Pacific, so it is the place to sit down mid-afternoon, have a drink or a snack and decide how much more walking you want. Our parks guide has the rest of La Jolla’s parks.

4:15 PM: Shell Beach

Walking south along Coast Boulevard, look down at Shell Beach. Around low tide the rocks here can expose tide pools. If the tide is low, spend 15–30 minutes exploring; if not, carry on to Children’s Pool. Our tide pools guide explains how to read the tide table.

4:30 PM: harbor seals at Children’s Pool

Children’s Pool, about a 10–15 minute walk south of the Cove, is La Jolla’s best-known harbor seal haul-out.

The beach is closed to people December 15 to May 15 for pupping. The closure stops at the stairs, so the seawall walkway usually gives you the view either way; it has closed at times for storm repairs.

It also gives you the easiest wildlife rule in La Jolla:

Point La Jolla = mostly sea lions. Children’s Pool = harbor seals.

You can see both within a short walk. Our guide to seals vs sea lions shows how to tell them apart.

5:00 PM: La Jolla Village

From the coast, walk uphill into La Jolla Village for coffee, shops, galleries, an early drink or a rest before sunset. It is also an easy step from afternoon sightseeing to dinner.

Sunset: three options

La Jolla Cove and Scripps Park

The easiest choice: no extra drive, restaurants nearby and the coast right in front of you after a long day.

Windansea Beach

If sunset photos matter, drive south to Windansea. Its rocks, surf and surf shack give a far more dramatic foreground than the Cove. Arrive at least 45–60 minutes before sunset to park.

Cuvier Park

For a quieter, more intimate spot, Cuvier Park is a good middle ground, and it works especially well for couples.

Our sunset spots guide compares these and others.

After sunset: dinner in the Village

End with dinner in La Jolla Village. That is one reason to spend the second half of the day in central La Jolla: after sunset you are already where the restaurants are.

One day in La Jolla without kayaking

A simpler version:

• 8:30 AM: La Jolla Shores
• 9:30 AM: swim or a surf lesson
• 11:00 AM: Kellogg Park
• Noon: lunch
• 1:30 PM: Coast Walk
• 2:15 PM: Sunny Jim’s
• 3:00 PM: La Jolla Cove
• 4:00 PM: sea lions from the walkway above Point La Jolla
• 4:30 PM: Children’s Pool seawall
• 5:00 PM onward: the Village and sunset

It is easier on the legs and much cheaper.

One day in La Jolla with kids

With children, cut the stops. Spend the morning at La Jolla Shores and Kellogg Park, have lunch, then see the Cove and the sea lions. Walk on to Children’s Pool for the seals and stay for sunset only if everyone still has the energy.

The biggest mistake with children is turning a coastal day into a checklist. Our things to do with kids list has more ideas.

One day in La Jolla on a budget

La Jolla makes an excellent low-cost day. Skip the kayak and Sunny Jim’s, and instead walk La Jolla Shores, picnic in Kellogg Park, walk the Coast Walk, visit the Cove, watch the sea lions from the walkway above Point La Jolla, carry on to the Children’s Pool seawall and finish with sunset.

Most of the coastline costs nothing; our list of free things to do has the rest.

What to skip with only one day

Do not try to see everything La Jolla is known for. Black’s Beach, Torrey Pines, Mount Soledad, Birch Aquarium and a long shopping session are all good, but each can take too much of a first day. With one day, stay on the coast.

What not to miss

On a first visit:

1. La Jolla Cove
2. The sea lions, from the walkway above Point La Jolla
3. La Jolla Shores
4. The harbor seals at Children’s Pool
5. The sea-cave coastline, by kayak, from the Coast Walk or inside Sunny Jim’s

Those five give you a good grasp of La Jolla.

Is one day enough for La Jolla?

Yes. One well-planned day covers La Jolla Shores, the sea caves, the Cove, the sea lions, the harbor seals, the Village and sunset. It is not enough to do every activity properly, so pick your priorities. Our things to do guide has a time guide from two hours to two days.

The parking plan

Parking can eat a surprising share of a one-day visit, so:

• Morning: park at La Jolla Shores.
• Afternoon: move the car once, to central La Jolla.
• Then: leave it, and walk between the Coast Walk, the Cove, the walkway above Point La Jolla, Children’s Pool and the Village.

That keeps the driving to two short hops.

The bottom line

The best way to spend one day in La Jolla is to stop treating each sight as a separate trip. Start at La Jolla Shores for the active part of the day, whether that is a kayak, a swim or just the sand. Then move the car once and do everything else on foot:

Coast Walk → Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave → La Jolla Cove → sea lions above Point La Jolla → Shell Beach → Children’s Pool harbor seals → La Jolla Village → sunset.

If you need it shorter still: the Shores in the morning, the Cove and the wildlife in the afternoon, sunset on the coast. Book the kayak slot first if you want one, because morning departures fill first in summer, then plan the rest of the day around it.