This 14-night California theme park holiday visits seven theme parks in Southern California: Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure, Knott’s Berry Farm, LEGOLAND California and SeaWorld San Diego. You’ll stay in three hotels (Los Angeles, Anaheim and Carlsbad) and drive between them in an included hire car, with return direct flights from London. Charter Travel are leading USA holiday specialists, established in 1988. ABTA and ATOL Protected.
Duration: 14 nights
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Itinerary Highlights:
Fly direct to Los Angeles, pick up your SUV and check in to the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City, right next to Universal Studios Hollywood. Spend your first park day at Universal, riding the famous Studio Tour and exploring Super Nintendo World and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Your second Universal day lets you go back to your favourites.
Next, head north to Six Flags Magic Mountain, home to one of the world’s largest collections of roller coasters.
After enjoying the amaizng theme parks, explore LA a little: visit Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach, Rodeo Drive and more. In the evening, drive up to Griffith Observatory for sunset views over the Hollywood Sign.
Head south for your stay in Anaheim and chekc in to the Hilton Anaheim, within walking distance of the Disneyland Resort!
With a 4-Day Disneyland Park Hopper ticket, you have plenty of time to explore both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. Watch the fireworks over Sleeping Beauty Castle, step into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and ride the Incredicoaster at Pixar Pier. The Park Hopper lets you move between the two parks as often as you like.
After enjoying Disney, spend the day at Knott’s Berry Farm, just 15 minutes away. It’s California’s original theme park, with record-breaking coasters and its famous boysenberry treats!
Drive down the coast to Carlsbad, stopping at Huntington Beach or Laguna Beach on the way. Spend a full day at LEGOLAND California and the SEA LIFE Aquarium next door, which younger children especially love.
SeaWorld San Diego is next, with animal encounters, aquariums and thrill rides. Keep some time free to explore San Diego, whether that’s the sea lions at La Jolla Cove, Balboa Park or sunset on Coronado Island.
After your 14-night California adventure, drive back to Los Angeles for your direct flight home, with a suitcase full of souvenirs and memories.
California is the perfect destination for a theme park road trip, combining world-class attractions with famous beaches and exciting cities. This 14-night holiday follows an easy north-to-south route, allowing you to enjoy the parks without spending too much time in the car. Three well-placed hotel bases mean you only need to pack up twice, with time built in to relax and explore along the way.
Seeing all the California theme parks in one holiday is easier than most people expect. Southern California’s major parks sit along one easy north-to-south route of around 140 miles, from Six Flags Magic Mountain north of Los Angeles to SeaWorld San Diego.
The secret is to split your stay between three well-placed hotel bases rather than trying to reach every park from one hotel:
Travelling north to south means you only pack up twice, every park is a short drive from your hotel, and you never double back on yourself. With your own hire car, you can also see the coast along the way, from Santa Monica Pier to Huntington Beach and La Jolla.
Most importantly, a 14-night California theme parks road trip gives you time to rest. Rather than cramming park after park, the itinerary includes beach days and sightseeing breaks, so everyone has the energy to enjoy each park.
The first hour after opening is the quietest time in every park. Head straight to the most popular rides while the queues are short, then take a break in the hottest part of the afternoon. This is how you can actually use your jet lag to your advantage! California is 8 hours behind the UK, so you’ll probably wake up early for the first few days. Six Flags Magic Mountain and Universal Studios are at the start of your trip so for these parks you can be first through the gates!
LA traffic is heaviest from about 7–10am and 3–7pm on weekdays. Plan your drives between hotels for the middle of the day or the evening, and use a navigation app with live traffic updates.
Each park’s app shows live queue times, show schedules and park maps, and the Disneyland app lets you order food ahead. Download them before you fly.
There is a lot more to see and do in California than just the theme parks (like the amazing beaches and piers) so be sure to plan on visiting other things along the way and taking some rest days!
All our holidays are tailor-made and can be adapted by changing hotels durations and destinations to suit the individuals tastes and requirements – please do get in touch so we can start planning.
We recommend 14 nights. That gives you time to visit seven theme parks without rushing, with rest days and sightseeing in between. You could fit the parks into a shorter trip, but five or six park days in a row is tiring, especially for children.
Your holiday includes Universal Studios Hollywood (2 days), Six Flags Magic Mountain, Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure (4-Day Park Hopper), Knott’s Berry Farm, LEGOLAND California with SEA LIFE Aquarium, and SeaWorld San Diego.
Yes. Southern California’s major theme parks all lie along one north-to-south route of roughly 140 miles. Splitting the trip between Los Angeles, Anaheim and Carlsbad keeps every park a short drive from your hotel, so you only change hotels twice.
Southern California is sunny for most of the year, but crowds vary. Spring and autumn often bring warm weather and shorter queues outside the school holidays. Summer is hot and busy, but the parks open for longer. Some parks, including Six Flags Magic Mountain and LEGOLAND, open on fewer days outside peak season, so we plan your itinerary around their opening calendars.
Yes. In autumn, many parks hold Halloween events, such as Halloween Horror Nights at Universal and Knott’s Scary Farm. Over Christmas, Disneyland puts on festive parades and decorations. Some evening events need separate tickets, so ask us when you book.
Absolutely. Disneyland, LEGOLAND and SeaWorld are perfect for little ones, and LEGOLAND is designed for children aged roughly 2–12. Six Flags Magic Mountain is aimed at thrill-seekers, so families with very young children may prefer to swap it for another day at the beach or in Los Angeles.
Definitely. Teens and adults will love the coasters at Magic Mountain and Knott’s, along with the film-themed rides at Universal and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland. If you’re travelling without children, we can swap LEGOLAND for an extra day in San Diego or along the coast.
Yes. Every California theme park holiday can be tailored. You can add nights, upgrade your hotels, change the car size, add more park days, or extend your trip with a drive along the Pacific Coast Highway or a stay in Las Vegas.
