Introduction
Where to eat
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Renting a car

San Marcos travel guide

San Marcos Tourism | San Marcos Guide

You're Going to Love San Marcos

With a population of 83,781, San Marcos is a must-see destination in California, United States. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything San Marcos has to offer.

Where to Eat in San Marcos

If you’re looking for affordable options, Decoy Dockside (1035 La Bonita Dr) and Urge Gastropub & Common House (255 Redel Rd) are great picks.

When to visit San Marcos

San Marcos in January
Estimated hotel price
$141
1 night at 3-star hotel
San Marcos in January
Estimated hotel price
$141
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to San Marcos in July, when the average temperature is 75.2 °F, and the highest can go up to 87.8 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 42.8 °F, with an average temperature of 55.4 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in February, when precipitation is around 3.5″. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in San Marcos, with an average rainfall of 0.1″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to San Marcos

Plane

When flying to San Marcos, you’ll arrive at San Diego Carlsbad-Palomar (CLD), which is located 7 miles from the city center. The shortest domestic flight to San Marcos departs from Las Vegas and takes around 1h 16m.

Car

Another option to get to San Marcos is to pick up a car rental from Los Angeles, which is about 91 miles from San Marcos. You’ll find branches of Priceless and Turo, among others, in Los Angeles.

Plane

When flying to San Marcos, you’ll arrive at San Diego Carlsbad-Palomar (CLD), which is located 7 miles from the city center. The shortest domestic flight to San Marcos departs from Las Vegas and takes around 1h 16m.

Car

Another option to get to San Marcos is to pick up a car rental from Los Angeles, which is about 91 miles from San Marcos. You’ll find branches of Priceless and Turo, among others, in Los Angeles.

Airports near San Marcos

SANSan Diego
LAXLos Angeles
SNASanta Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty

Airlines serving San Marcos

Lufthansa
Good (7,044 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,334 reviews)
British Airways
Good (6,836 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,588 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (7,935 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,790 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,698 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,446 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (780 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,696 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,215 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,563 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (9,243 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,349 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (346 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,069 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,275 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (9,967 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,851 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,203 reviews)
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Find flights to San Marcos

Where to stay in popular areas of San Marcos

Most booked hotels in San Marcos

See all
LEGOLAND California Resort And Castle Hotel
3 stars
Excellent (8.7, 709 reviews)
$358+
View
Lakehouse Hotel And Resort
4 stars
Excellent (8.7, 453 reviews)
$189+
View
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott San Diego North/San Marcos
2 stars
Excellent (8.7, 374 reviews)
$166+
View
Residence Inn by Marriott San Diego North/San Marcos
3 stars
Excellent (8.2, 270 reviews)
$148+
View
Welk Resorts San Diego
3 stars
Excellent (8, 954 reviews)
$172+
View
Cape Rey Carlsbad Beach, a Hilton Resort and Spa
4 stars
Excellent (8, 800 reviews)
$238+
View

Renting a car in San Marcos

Renting a car in San Marcos costs $46 per day, on average, or $139 if you want to rent if for 3 days.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 8% cheaper than airport locations in San Marcos.

Expect to pay $3.41 per gallon in San Marcos (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $40.88 and $54.51. The most frequently booked car type in San Marcos is Full-size (Chevrolet Tahoe or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Nissan Sentra or similar) are, on average, 60% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in San Marcos costs $46 per day, on average, or $139 if you want to rent if for 3 days.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 8% cheaper than airport locations in San Marcos.

Expect to pay $3.41 per gallon in San Marcos (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $40.88 and $54.51. The most frequently booked car type in San Marcos is Full-size (Chevrolet Tahoe or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Nissan Sentra or similar) are, on average, 60% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Car rental agencies in San Marcos

Hertz

Hertz
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San Marcos Travel Guide - View the KAYAK San Marcos city guide for the best San Marcos travel tips. To help you organize your San Marcos trip ideas, this San Marcos visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.