Best Drives and Driving Roads in San Diego
San Diego has some fantastic driving roads. From twisty backroads to scenic coastal drives, there’s no shortage of what you can explore by car. Let us share a few of our favorite drives, including some that are available as a narrated tour on our new app!
Try the Drives & Detours app for a narrated experience including tips and points of interest!
Check out the map below or scroll down for more information on each drive.
San Diego Backroad Enthusiast
Route #1
A favorite among friends of Drives & Detours, this route links together some of the best driving roads in San Diego County. Jump into your sports car or consider renting one to thoroughly enjoy this 96-mile loop.
San Diego Beach Towns
Take a top-down cruise on Hwy 101 from Mission Beach to Oceanside, the northern-most beach town in San Diego County. This drive is a grand tour of some of San Diego's quintessential beach towns and is best done when you have time to stop and check things out. Have a great time! [Photo by Chuck Holland]
Backroad Enthusiast Route #2
Explore more of San Diego County's twisty backroads as you drive through canyons, mountains, and scenic countryside on this grand tour. This drive will take you from sea level to over 5,000 feet, as you drive along the scenic Sunrise Hwy. You’ll then drive by Lake Cuyamaca and make your way back towards the town of Alpine before finishing the loop. [Photo by @raybertsun]
Sightseeing Tour of San Diego
Get a taste for some of San Diego's best attractions in and around downtown. Take a drive that starts in Old Town, takes you through Balboa Park, across the bay to Coronado Island, into downtown and the Gaslamp, past the Embarcadero, and finally ending in Little Italy.
Sunset Cliffs to Cabrillo National Monument
A scenic drive from Sunset Cliffs to the tip of Point Loma with views of downtown San Diego, Coronado, and Mexico. Note that a fee is required to enter Cabrillo National Monument when you reach the tip of Point Loma.
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Driving Tour of Rancho Santa Fe
A beautiful drive through Fairbanks Ranch, Rancho Santa Fe, and Del Dios, that ends as you reach the I-15 in Escondido. Did you know that the mass suicide by the religious cult Heaven's Gate took place in Rancho Santa Fe in 1996?
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Mountain Meadows to Desert Floor
Drive through the lush (in spring) meadows of Warner Springs and Lake Henshaw before dropping into Borrego Springs via Montezuma Valley Rd. Stop for a bite to eat in Borrego Springs before climbing 4,000 feet as you make your way up the Banner Grade towards Julian and finally Wynola.
