Things to Do in La Jolla: Ocean, Views, Culture, Kids

Start at the water. Snorkel or swim at La Jolla Cove, watch harbor seals at the Children’s Pool (the beach closes to people from December 15 to May 15) and sea lions from outside the year-round closure at Point La Jolla, then walk down the 145-step tunnel into Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave. For a walk, take the 0.6-mile Coast Walk Trail on the bluffs, or drive up to the Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial, which is free and open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Torrey Pines State Beach is open, but the State Natural Reserve above it has been closed since September 22, 2026 and is scheduled to reopen in March 2027. For culture, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego is on Prospect Street, La Jolla Playhouse is staging the musical GRIM through December 6, and the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library was founded in 1899. With kids, go to Birch Aquarium and the playground at Kellogg Park. Scripps Pier is normally closed to the public, but Birch Aquarium runs sunset walks on it.

Things to do in La Jolla, by what you’re after

La Jolla Cove: ocean: the place to snorkel or take an ocean swim. The City of San Diego says the north-facing Cove has small surf in summer and water clear enough at times to see more than 30 feet. It sits inside the San Diego La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve, where fishing and taking anything is prohibited. Lifeguards staff a permanent station, and there are restrooms and showers.
Harbor seals at the Children’s Pool: wildlife: seals, and occasionally sea lions, rest all year on this small beach, which is partly sheltered by a seawall. The city closes the beach to people from December 15 through May 15 for harbor seal pupping, so until mid-December you can still reach the sand. Keep your distance from the animals in any season.
Sea lions at Point La Jolla (viewed from outside the closure): wildlife: the rocky point between the Cove and Boomer Beach is where California sea lions haul out and raise pups, and it is closed to people all year. The only exception is a marked corridor on Boomer Beach that is open for swimming and nothing else. The city warns that sea lions can bite and that harassing them is against the law, so watch from behind the closure line.
Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave: ocean, any weather: a tunnel dug in the early 1900s runs from The Cave Store on Coast Boulevard down through the cliff into a sea cave. The self-guided visit takes about 15 to 20 minutes and involves roughly 145 stairs each way. Tours run 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; tickets are $13 for adults and $7 for ages 3 to 17, sold at the door only, with no reservations.
La Jolla Shores Beach: ocean: about a mile of sand where the city says summer waves are usually the gentlest in San Diego. It is where many beginner scuba classes are held and where kayak trips to the sea caves start, from the city’s only beachfront boat launch at the foot of Avenida de la Playa. Lifeguards, restrooms, showers and a public parking lot are all here.
Birch Aquarium Tidepooling Adventure: wildlife with a guide: a 90-minute walk with Birch Aquarium naturalists at Scripps Beach or Kellogg Park, looking for sea stars, hermit crabs, anemones and snails. It runs on select weekends through December 2026 and costs $25 ($20 for members). Everyone must be at least 6, and the aquarium recommends water shoes.
Coast Walk Trail: walk: a 0.6-mile path along the bluffs between Torrey Pines Road and Coast Boulevard, managed by the city’s Transportation Department and kept up by the nonprofit Friends of Coast Walk Trail. It is a designated historic asset, and the city counts it as part of the California Coastal Trail.
Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial: view: the memorial at 6905 La Jolla Scenic Drive South has 360-degree views of the ocean, the coast to the north and downtown San Diego to the south. Gates are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and admission is free. There are a few parking spaces at the top and a larger lot about a five-minute walk below, plus portable restrooms and lawn for a picnic.
Torrey Pines State Beach: walk on the sand: the beach between La Jolla and Del Mar, known for its red bluffs and lagoon, stays open while the reserve on the cliffs above is closed. Gates open at 7:15 a.m. and close at sunset. Parking is paid at the North Beach and South Beach lots, with demand-based prices from $10 to $25 at North Beach and $12 to $25 at South Beach. Dogs are not allowed.
Windansea Beach at sunset: evening view: the San Diego Tourism Authority lists Windansea, along with Mount Soledad, among its seven great San Diego spots to watch the sun go down. Our beaches guide covers swimming and surf here; for sunset, the point is to sit on the sand and watch.
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla: culture: the museum at 700 Prospect St. is open Thursday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Monday to Wednesday. General admission is $25, $20 for San Diego County and Tijuana residents and $15 for students, educators and adults 55 and up. Visitors 25 and under get in free, and admission is free for everyone on the second Sunday and third Thursday of each month.
La Jolla Playhouse: culture, evening: the theater at 2910 La Jolla Village Drive is staging GRIM, a new musical, in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. Previews start October 27, the run is extended to December 6, 2026, and the Playhouse recommends it for ages 12 and up. The next show, the world-premiere musical Particle Fever, runs February 17 to March 21, 2027. Parking is in the Theatre District Parking Structure at 9135 S. Scholars Drive.
Athenaeum Music & Arts Library: culture, rainy day: a membership library founded in 1899 at 1008 Wall St., and one of 17 nonprofit membership libraries in the United States. The library is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday, Monday and holidays. It also runs art exhibitions and a concert calendar that includes jazz and chamber music.
Birch Aquarium at Scripps: kids, rainy day: the public aquarium of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at 2300 Expedition Way. It opens daily at 9 a.m., closing times change with the season, and last entry is an hour before closing. Tickets are $34.95 for adults and $29.95 for children 3 to 12 online, or $5 more at the door; children 2 and under are free. Parking is free for three hours but limited. The Axolotl’s Garden exhibit is now open.
Kellogg Park: kids: the big lawn behind La Jolla Shores, with a playground near the boardwalk about 75 yards south of the lifeguard station and several restrooms with showers. The park is open 4 a.m. to 10 p.m., the parking lot gates close at 10 p.m., and the lot fills fast on summer weekends.
Sunset Scripps Pier Walk: evening: Scripps Pier is a working research pier that is normally closed to the public, and this 90-minute Birch Aquarium tour is the way onto it. Guides lead a plankton tow, a squid dissection and a look at shark jaws as the sun sets. It runs on select weekends through December 2026, costs $40 ($35 for members), goes ahead rain or shine, and is for ages 9 and up.

Ocean and wildlife

La Jolla Cove is the center of it. Snorkelers and swimmers go in at the Cove, the harbor seals are at the Children’s Pool nearby, and the sea lions are on the rocks of Point La Jolla next to the Cove. The Cove lies inside the San Diego La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve and La Jolla Shores is next to it, so leave shells, rocks and animals where you find them.

The sea caves are in the sandstone cliffs around the Cove. Sunny Jim’s is the one you can reach on foot, through The Cave Store’s tunnel. The others are seen from the water: kayak tours leave from La Jolla Shores and, in calm conditions, can paddle into the caves. Our kayaking page lists outfitters you can book with directly.

City lifeguards are generally on duty from 9 a.m. to dusk at the Cove, La Jolla Shores and the Children’s Pool. Ask them about conditions before you swim or snorkel.

Walks and views

The Coast Walk Trail is the easy one: 0.6 miles on the bluffs from Torrey Pines Road to Coast Boulevard. Pair it with the Cove, the seals and Sunny Jim’s for a morning by the water.

Mt. Soledad is a drive or a hard bike climb, and the reward is a view in every direction from the memorial’s brick steps. It is free and open until 10 p.m., which makes it a good last stop of the day.

Torrey Pines is half open. The State Natural Reserve, with its trails and the Beach Trail staircase, has been closed to all visitors since September 22, 2026 for a utility and accessibility project, and is scheduled to reopen in March 2027. Torrey Pines State Beach and its North and South beach parking lots are open, so you can still walk the sand under the cliffs.

Museums, theater and the library

The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s La Jolla building is on Prospect Street, and its cafe, The Kitchen, overlooks the Pacific. Plan around its schedule: it is closed Monday through Wednesday, open late until 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and free on the second Sunday and third Thursday of the month.

La Jolla Playhouse is on La Jolla Village Drive, away from the coast. GRIM, a world-premiere musical, runs through December 6, 2026, and the Playhouse plans to announce its 2027/28 season in early November. For dinner before a show, the Playhouse points to Dora Ristorante across the street.

The Athenaeum, on the corner of Wall Street and Girard Avenue, is a quiet hour in the Village: a library open to the public, art exhibitions and concerts. Its own pages give two different sets of opening times, so check the visit page before you go.

With kids

Birch Aquarium is the easy anchor for a family day, with free parking for three hours and an hour’s buffer before closing for last entry. Book online to save $5 a ticket.

Then go to La Jolla Shores and Kellogg Park: gentle summer waves, lifeguards, a playground and showers in one place. Birch Aquarium’s Tidepooling Adventure, for ages 6 and up, meets at Kellogg Park or Scripps Beach on select weekends.

Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave works for children who can manage about 145 stairs down and back up; everyone under 18 must be with an adult or have a signed letter from a parent. Our families page has more.

Rainy day or evening

When it rains, go indoors to Birch Aquarium, the Museum of Contemporary Art (Thursday to Sunday) or the Athenaeum (Tuesday to Saturday). The Sunset Scripps Pier Walk runs rain or shine, and Birch says it reschedules or refunds only in extreme weather.

For an evening, watch the sunset from Windansea or Mt. Soledad, book a Sunset Scripps Pier Walk on a weekend, or see a show at La Jolla Playhouse, where GRIM has 7:30 p.m. evening performances. The museum stays open until 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Free things to do

Free: walking the Coast Walk Trail, watching the seals and sea lions from outside the closures, the beaches at the Cove and the Shores, Kellogg Park, and the Mt. Soledad memorial. The Museum of Contemporary Art is free on the second Sunday and third Thursday of each month, and always free for visitors 25 and under.

Low cost: Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave at $13 for adults and $7 for ages 3 to 17. Parking near the Cove and the Village is where costs add up; see our parking guide.

Closures to check before you go

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve: closed to all visitors since September 22, 2026, including all trails, the Beach Trail staircase, the Lodge and both upper parking lots. Reopening is scheduled for March 2027. Torrey Pines State Beach and its North and South lots remain open.

Point La Jolla and Boomer Beach: closed year-round to protect the sea lions, apart from the swimming-only ocean access corridor on Boomer Beach. Dogs are never allowed in the closed area. The city says sea lion pupping season usually runs from early May through October.

Children’s Pool: the beach is closed to the public every year from December 15 through May 15 for harbor seal pupping.

Scripps Pier: normally closed to the public. The only way on is a ticketed Birch Aquarium Sunset Scripps Pier Walk.

Related La Jolla guides

FAQ

What is the number one thing to do in La Jolla?

Spend a morning at La Jolla Cove. You can snorkel or swim there, see harbor seals at the Children’s Pool and sea lions at Point La Jolla nearby, walk the Coast Walk Trail and go down into Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave.

Can you see seals in La Jolla?

Yes. Harbor seals rest at the Children’s Pool all year, and sea lions haul out at Point La Jolla next to the Cove. The Children’s Pool beach is closed to people from December 15 to May 15, and Point La Jolla is closed all year, so watch from outside the closures and do not approach the animals.

Is Torrey Pines open right now?

The beach is; the reserve is not. Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve has been closed to all visitors since September 22, 2026, with reopening scheduled for March 2027. Torrey Pines State Beach and its North and South lots are open from 7:15 a.m. to sunset.

Can you walk on Scripps Pier?

Not on your own. The pier is normally closed to the public. Birch Aquarium’s 90-minute Sunset Scripps Pier Walk, for ages 9 and up, takes groups onto it on select weekends through December 2026 for $40 ($35 for members).

How much does Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave cost?

$13 for adults and $7 for ages 3 to 17, sold at The Cave Store’s door only, with no reservations. Tours run 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and take about 15 to 20 minutes, with roughly 145 stairs each way.

Can you kayak into the La Jolla sea caves?

Yes, with a guided tour from La Jolla Shores, when the water is calm enough. Sunny Jim’s is the only cave you can also reach on foot, through the tunnel at The Cave Store. See our kayaking page for outfitters.

What are free things to do in La Jolla?

Walk the Coast Walk Trail, watch seals and sea lions from outside the closures, spend the day at the Cove or La Jolla Shores, and drive up to the Mt. Soledad memorial, which is free and open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Museum of Contemporary Art is free on the second Sunday and third Thursday of each month.

What can you do in La Jolla on a rainy day?

Birch Aquarium opens daily at 9 a.m. The Museum of Contemporary Art is open Thursday to Sunday, and the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday. La Jolla Playhouse has evening and matinee performances.

What is there to do in La Jolla at night?

Watch the sunset from Windansea or Mt. Soledad (the memorial is open until 10 p.m.), take a Sunset Scripps Pier Walk on a weekend, or see a show at La Jolla Playhouse, where GRIM runs through December 6, 2026.

How much is Birch Aquarium?

Online tickets are $34.95 for adults 13 and up and $29.95 for children 3 to 12; at the door they are $39.95 and $34.95. Children 2 and under are free, and parking is free for three hours.