Best Things to do During Spring Break for College Students 2025

We wanted to kick off our 2025 list once again with one of our favorite food and beer tours no matter what time of year you visit! It includes tacos, tequila, and interesting stories about Old Town San Diego’s history.

Once known as the Tequila, Tacos & Tombstones Walking Tour, the Old Town Tales, Tacos, and Tequila Walking Tour is one of the best Old Town San Diego has to offer.

Tours are offered daily starting at 1:00 pm and depart from the meeting point at 3963 Conde St, San Diego, CA 92110. For 2025, tickets are $79 per person.

Stay Near Old Town San Diego

If you’ve ever stayed at a Moxy Hotel, then you’ll understand why my first suggestion for this article is the Moxy San Diego Downtown / Gaslamp Quarter.

Owned by Marriott, the property is hip with a quirky, stylish lobby, 24 hour bar with a free drink upon arrival, and plenty of places to lounge. Our founder Todd is a big lobby guy and he more than approves of the Moxy as a place that young adults, and especially college students will love.

It’s also worth noting that the hotel is a good value play with a great location at a fair price!

San Diego is well-known for its craft beer scene, especially in North Park and at historic Ballast Point. For Spring Breakers seeking a unique way to get the party started, though, San Diego is also home to a number of bars set up in the style of 1920s speakeasies.

Old-timey speakeasies like Oculto 477 in Old Town San Diego and The Grass Skirt in Pacific Beach will transport you back through time to the wild parties and glamor of the Prohibition Era. Right next door to The Grass Skirt is Captain’s Quarters, with a drink menu themed around rum-running pirates.

Stay Near a Pacific Beach Speakeasy

If you’re looking for a beachfront hotel on Pacific Beach near one of the speakeasy’s, the Tower 23 Hotel would be a great choice.

The hotel has a rooftop lounge with Pacific Ocean views and firepits, perfect for relaxing with friends.

There are excellent surfing beaches all along the Pacific Coast, but some of our favorites are in the Del Mar and Solana Beach areas, which are especially lively during Spring Break with a big college student crowd.

I would suggest Tide Beach as it has interesting tide pools and the best sand in Solana Beach. When the waves break out by Seaside Reef in Cardiff, also known as Tabletops, that’s when you know you’re in for a good time!

For me, surfing is a lot of fun, and a lot of crashing! For our founder Todd, an avid surfer, he describes sitting on his board in the lineup with nothing but blue ocean around him as his meditation!

If you’re more of a beginner like me, take a private surf lesson at Solana Beach. Included will be a surfboard and wetsuit, plus 2 hours of professional surf instruction. The lessons are $120 per person.

If you just need to rent a board for cheap, get a Go City San Diego pass, and use our GVSD5OFF discount code when you buy your pass for the lowest prices.

Stay Near Solana Beach

Hotel Indigo San Diego Del Mar by IHG is just a couple blocks from the Del Mar beaches and just about 3 miles south of Solana Beach.

The hotel has a gym, spa and multiple outdoor pools plus spacious rooms all just a couple blocks from the beach!

Formally known as the 'Brothels, Bites and Booze Tour', the Gaslamp Quarter Food & Drink Walking Tour is one that we think would be perfect for a group of college students.

The tour at last look was on sale from $88 per person to $84 per person. And while that may seem like a lot for a budget conscious college student, it includes a 2.5 hour tour with tasty food and alcoholic beverages!

We’ve walked it ourselves so we can vouch for it first-hand. Highlights are the interesting stories of the scandals and debauchery in the former red light district, now the Gaslamp Quarter, plus the stop at an ice cream parlor.

The Gaslamp Quarter Food & Drink Walking Tour is one of our picks for San Diego’s best food and drink tours, and is also highlighted as part of our Complete Guide to All the Holidays in San Diego.

Stay Near Harborview

When we were selecting our featured hotels for this article, Todd asked if we thought the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego would be fun for young adults and college students. Our team’s answer was a resounding, ‘yes’!

Located in the Gaslamp Quarter, the hotel has a lively atmosphere with a rooftop pool and bar plus stylish, spotless rooms.

The property also just so happens to be a few blocks from PETCO Park. So if you happen to be visiting during the Padres opening day or weekend, or during any of their matchups, having a hot dog, a local San Diego beer and catching a game would be a fun activity for a group of friends!

If you want to let loose and have a few drinks, then the breweries, pubs, and other bars in San Diego are perfect for you.

In North Park, you can crawl your way down 30th Street, San Diego’s most famous craft beer hub. I like the Fall Brewing Company, but our team also voted for the Original 40 Brewing Company and Mike Hess Brewing, North Park.

For a more mixed drink and party vibe, Gaslamp Quarter bars stay open late, as do spots in Downtown San Diego and in Little Italy.

If you’d like a more structured pub crawl, try a food and beer tour like the Brewery and Tap Room Sidecar Tour or the North Park Beer-ucation Tour.

Stay Near a Pub Crawl in North Park

After a pub crawl with your college friends, I think it’s fair to say that location matters. The Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club & Bungalows is our choice here as it’s located between North Park and University Heights.

The hotel is ‘retro cool’ with reclaimed wood floors, a famous pool, and even a small bowling alley. Recently renovated, the property is in good shape and I think Spring Break 2025 would be a great chance for a stay!

San Diego’s Pacific Beach is among the city’s best spring break destinations for college students, with plenty of space to sunbathe, swim, and surf. The party atmosphere during spring break carries over to the nearby boardwalk, a shopping and dining destination.

The Pacific beach boardwalk is concrete and skateboarder-friendly. You can also rent a bike with a Go City San Diego pass and ride down toward the peninsula to reach Mission Beach.

Stay in Pacific Beach

Our founder Todd and his family live in Pacific Beach so I knew the hotel for this one was his choice!

He chose The Wayfarer San Diego. Located on the beach with Pacific Ocean views and the boardwalk just outside, you could literally ride your skateboard, roller blades or just walk directly to the back door.

The pool is very inviting with loungers that face the sea. The rooms are clean and updated, exactly what you would expect from a 4-star property!

The Seven Seas Food Festival at SeaWorld San Diego is one of my new favorite seasonal events of the year and it just so happens to fall during Spring Break in 2025.

As part of our Complete Guide to All the Holidays in San Diego, this festival was what got me to try SeaWorld San Diego again after a few years away.

This year’s event, set for weekends from March 7th – April 27th, 2025, features an extensive food and drink menu with more than 150 options. Items can be purchased individually but the best value is with a 10-item sampler pass for $70 or a 15-item pass for $85.

Stay in Mission Bay

Located in Mission Beach just north of the park and bay our team’s choice here is a stay at the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa.

The property features a private beach, a spa, a large pool and clean rooms with comfy beds. It also has a Polynesian theme which while we’re not in Tahiti or Hawaii, still is pretty fun for Spring Break.

Maybe you’re catching on by now and noticing that our list is full of food and beer tours! We love them and think they are the perfect activity for young adults and especially college students.

The Little Italy Food & Drink Walking Tour is another of our favorites. While I enjoy Little Italy year-round and would recommend Herb & Wood and the Pali Wine Co. Little Italy Tasting Room for Mother’s Day brunch which is coming up soon, on this tour, you won’t have to choose!

For $88 per person, sometimes on sale for $83.60, you can take a guided stroll exploring tasty restaurants and the area’s shops. Think homemade pizza and red wine or house-made gelato.

But it’s not all Italian. Queenstown Public House, a New Zealand-inspired restaurant is on the normal itinerary and includes grass-fed slider and a local beer or sangria.

And while $88 might be a higher price tag for a college student, it does include food, wine and beer, so perhaps a bit of a splurge could be possible for this one-of-a-kind experience.

Stay in Little Italy

After an awesome tour full of tasty food and delicious drinks, you won’t want to travel far for some rest. I suggest a stay at the Carte Hotel San Diego Downtown, Curio Collection by Hilton.

The hotel has a great location with a rooftop bar featuring a really stylish gas firepit. You can also expect a heated saltwater pool, a hot tub and sauna, and of course modern, well-appointed rooms and suites.

Next to surfing, kayaking is my next favorite activity! And it just so happens to be the best way to explore the sea caves in La Jolla.

The 2-hour Kayak Tour of the 7 Caves will take you through the La Jolla Ecological Reserve to visit the sea caves, sea cliffs and marine life that call the area home.

For $89 per person you can paddle through the rocky reefs, sandy flats, and kelp beds looking for garibaldi, leopard sharks, and dolphins. We like this activity for active college students who want to explore the coastline and get a little workout while doing it!

Stay Near La Jolla

I know that the SpringHill Suites by Marriott San Diego Downtown/Bayfront isn’t located directly in La Jolla, or on one of its beaches like my favorite La Jolla Cove, or in Pacific Beach which is minutes to the south. The hotel is about 30 minutes away by rideshare in Downtown San Diego.

What the property offers is all suites, so bigger spaces, a rooftop pool with incredible San Diego city and bay views, and a gym for keeping up with your workouts. It also happens to be less than 3 miles from the San Diego International Airport (SAN) and walking distance to Little Italy and the Gaslamp Quarter’s energetic nightlife.

There’s nothing quite like relaxing on the sands of a La Jolla beach before going to an ocean view bar and enjoying a spectacular view of the sunset.

The view of the sunset in La Jolla is gorgeous enough to rival other top spots for spring breakers like Panama City Beach and South Padre Island. Your photos will be right at home among pictures from Myrtle Beach and Cabo San Lucas.

Our article Best Places to Watch the Sunset in San Diego has other ways to enjoy the golden hour in San Diego, from breezy national park hikes to harbor cruises.

Splurge on a Fancy Stay in Mission Bay

Ok, I must admit that this suggestion can be a bit on the pricier side, but for the money you can have a bit of a luxury stay at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina. You’ll get upscale, clean rooms, a waterfront restaurant, pools, views and a fancy bar to boot.

If you really want to go for it or have a group of friends that can split the cost, this could be the hotel for you!

I wanted to make sure to include a very budget-friendly activity on our list for 2025.

The 1,750 acres Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve located on the cliffs above Torrey Pines State Beach and one of San Diego’s iconic surfing beaches, Black’s Beach, offers breathtaking trails that wind high above the Pacific Ocean.

The park has about 3,000 of our nation's rarest pine trees – the Pinus torreyana, found only here and on Santa Rosa Island off the coast of Santa Barbara. You also may catch a glimpse of the very famous Torrey Pines Golf Course to the south, one of our recommended golf courses if you can get a tea time!

There’s free parking along Hwy 101 or you can pay just $10-25 per vehicle to drive through the gate and park a bit closer to the trails.

Stay Near the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

I’d describe the 4-star The Pearl Hotel as a ‘chic’ property with stylish mid-century décor, a saltwater pool and a fancy restaurant.

It’s a bit of a drive or rideshare away from the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve at about 30 minutes and 17 miles, but what it does is give you the best of both worlds. It’s not far from the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, another great place to go for a hike or catch one of our colorful sunsets.

You can also easily access the funky laid back Ocean Beach, Point Loma and the history of the Cabrillo National Monument and the beautiful San Diego Bay. Plus the hotel is just 2 miles from the San Diego International Airport (SAN)!

So a ghost tour might sound like a Halloween activity for the fall, and while it does make our list of the Best Halloween Events & Haunted Houses for Kids and Teens in San Diego, it’s actually a really unique and interesting activity to enjoy year round.

The after-dark Ghosts & Gravestones Trolley Tour is the best way to learn about rumored hauntings and the true crimes from San Diego’s history that inspired these ghost tales. The 1.5 hour tour is $44 per person. Meet your tour guide at 4010 Twiggs St, San Diego, CA 92110.

The 1.5 hour Ghosts of San Diego Old Town Walking Tour is another great choice that includes the Whaley House, a super haunted location in San Diego. And at just $25 per person, it’s affordable!

Stay in Downtown San Diego

When it comes to staying in Downtown San Diego, you’ll have a lot of choices. After the ghost tour, I’d suggest a stay at the AC Hotel by Marriott San Diego Downtown Gaslamp Quarter.

Located right in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter on Fifth Avenue, this is a new property that lives up to Marriott standard. You’ll have restaurants, bars and cafes in the surrounding blocks which is very convenient. The rooftop has a heated pool with city views which for me screams relaxation with friends during Spring Break!

If you’d like more hotel options in Downtown San Diego, we did a full article sharing our list of our team’s favorites!