San Diego is a family friendly place. There are family friendly restaurants and family friendly beaches and family friendly parks and family friendly amusements scattered throughout this wonderful city. You probably don’t need a guide to suggest that Sea World is a family friendly place. Or Legoland.

But we are here to offer something a bit more nuanced. We have made a series of 24 hour itineraries that are family friendly in the sense that kids will be welcome and have a good time, but they are places where mom and dad and grandma and uncle Steve can have a drink and enjoy themselves too. Places where you would go even if you didn’t have kids, but the kids will have fun alongside you. Places where half the customers will be families, the other half will not.

Perhaps you live in San Diego and have kids, but your kid-free friends are coming to town and you want to take them out for a drink – this guide is for you. Or the opposite – you live here and have no kids, but your friends with kids are coming to visit and you’re not trying to go to Chuck-E-Cheese- this guide is for you. Or maybe mom and dad just need to unwind and you can’t find a babysitter… anyway, you get it.

The Itinerary

1. Bring Beer to the San Diego Zoo
2. Get Dinner at Panama 66
7. Map to this itinerary

Morning

Bring Your Kids (And Some Beer) To The San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo is obviously a great place for kids, but what most people don’t know is it is one of the most underrated drinking establishments in the city. It is also one of the most underrated places to simply take a walk in San Diego. Most people in San Diego who have kids, and live anywhere nearby, have a membership to the zoo, as do probably most San Diegans without kids. We visit the zoo often for a casual pre-dinner drink or just a stroll without much of a plan because while the animals are cool, the park itself is centrally located and beautiful – with an incredible tree canopy and flora you will not find most places on earth.

So head to the zoo with the kids in tow and rather than trying to see every single animal, treat it as a stroll through a park. We even made a beer-focused guide for you here. While your toddlers run up and down the paths looking at the animals, the adults can casually stroll with a drink in hand and admire the landscape. You might even forget you are at the zoo until you glance over a see a jaguar or a gorilla sitting ten feet away.

All the way to the left when you enter the zoo there is an open-area water park and rope climbing tree house situation that is a a huge hit with kids – probably ages two to nine. We mention this because 1) if they find it they will get wet so bring a change of clothes and 2) you should probably take them here earlier rather than later, lest you fall off the rope bridge, get blasted by an unsuspecting water fountain, or stumble drunk into the monkey cage. Or perhaps it would be more fun after a few beers. It’s up to you.

We would never advocate breaking the rules, but some (most) locals follow a BYOB policy at the zoo. Backpacks are allowed and rarely searched. The beer stands pour their beer into metal silver zoo cups, so maybe buy one at the stand and refill your cup from there on? We didn’t tell you to do that.

Also, note that weekdays are the best days to visit the zoo because it can get crowded, so do this Friday instead of Saturday or Sunday if you can. On any day – early morning or late afternoon are the best times.

Zoo Cup

Evening

Get Dinner at Panama 66

Located in Balboa Park, same as the zoo, Panama 66 is an outdoor restaurant that has live music almost every night, has a big open sculpture garden attached to it, and serves delicious food. Grab a cocktail and walk out to the sculpture garden to let the kids can run around, or sit in front of the live music, eat dinner, and drink a beer while the kids shake their sillies out.

The seating is casual enough that you can get up to chase the kids around as needed. The food, beer, and drinks here are all top quality and it is located right in the heart of Balboa Park, so is a great place to come after the zoo or a day of museum touring.