Things to Do in Irvine With Teens (That Aren’t Disneyland)
Disneyland has been the center of most of our Southern California vacations over the years. My daughter Mia and I have spent more days there than I could count, between early family vacations and then as part of her food allergy treatment program side visits. But we’ve also traveled to the region often enough that when Destination Irvine invited me down to check out a robotics competition alongside Mia, who’s studying mechanical engineering and almost went to UC Irvine herself, I couldn’t wait to see what the city had going on beyond the college campus she nearly called home.
If you’re planning a family vacation with a teenager, maybe you’re in town for a college campus visit, a sports competition, or just want something that isn’t another day at the Happiest Place on Earth, here’s some of the best things to do in Irvine. And if you want to pair it with Disneyland, that works, too!
Fly Into John Wayne Airport, Not LAX
John Wayne Airport (SNA) is one of my favorite small airports, and it’s in Irvine. Our Hilton was directly across the street, close enough that some rooms even look out over the runway. That could be a pro or a con depending on how you feel about planes, but SNA doesn’t run night flights, so you’re not getting woken up at 2am by a departure.
In addition to SNA having just 22 gates and you can easily walk to them all, it’s also only 20 to 25 minutes to Disneyland from SNA, compared to 40 to 60 minutes from LAX depending on traffic. If you’re already weighing a Disneyland trip, flying into SNA and adding a few days in Irvine first is an easy way to get more out of the same trip.
Ride the Great Park Balloon
The orange balloon at the Great Park is one of the most notable images you’ll see of Irvine. Ours got rescheduled twice because of weather, which was a little disappointing since we’d been hoping to catch it at sunset, but once we finally went up, it did not disappoint. The view was clear, you rise fast, and you’re up for around ten minutes before coming back down. It’s a fun ride if you’re not afraid of heights, and honestly a fast, easy way to see the whole Great Park area at once.
There’s a fitting bit of history under all of it, too. This land was originally acquired by the Navy in 1942, in part to build a blimp base, before it became Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, a training base for Marine pilots that operated until 1999. After the base closed, the city spent years working out what to do with the land before the Great Park officially opened in 2013. A preserved WWII-era hangar on site still has old training planes and exhibits on the base’s history, so there’s a full-circle feeling to riding a giant balloon over ground the Navy once set aside for airships.
While you’re there, don’t skip the merry go round carousel right next to the balloon. It’s free, and it made for a nice, low-key stop after the balloon ride.
Cool Off at Wild Rivers Waterpark
We didn’t make it here this trip with all of our other activities, but Wild Rivers Waterpark is worth mentioning since it’s in the Great Park alongside the balloon and the merry go round.
The park has over 20 slides and attractions, including a six-lane racing slide where you go face first and see who comes out first, and a few high thrill slides with steep drops and a moment where you go weightless partway down. There are also four different family raft rides if you want to go together, a big wave pool, and a lazy river. We’re planning to check it out ourselves on our next trip back. It’s seasonal, running roughly mid-May through early October, so it’s a perfect activity if you’re there in summer.
Shop, Eat, and Play at Irvine Spectrum Center
We spent an evening wandering Irvine Spectrum Center, and it’s a great outdoor mall. Mia was in her element, since it has most of the stores teens are into right now, Anthropologie, Edikted, and Urban Outfitters among them. While there are tons of great food spots around the center, teens looking for snacks will likely be into the Hello Kitty Café, 85° Bakery, and La La Land.
Book a Table at Din Tai Fung
Din Tai Fung is one of our favorite restaurants as a family, we’ve been to the Downtown Disney location together more than once, so stopping at the Irvine Spectrum location felt like coming back to something familiar in a new place. We always order the same things: chicken xiao long bao, the spicy cucumber appetizer, and the chocolate dumpling dessert to finish. If you’ve never had soup dumplings before, this is a great place to start, and if you have, you already know why we keep going back.
Play a Round at Hijinx Hotel and Holey Moley
Hijinx Hotel was one of the highlights of the whole trip. At first I thought it was an escape room but it’s actually mini game competition rooms built around a quirky hotel theme, and we had a blast trying to rack up our score. One tip if you’re planning to go: it’s built for groups of four to six per room, and some of the games are noticeably harder with just two people. We still had fun, but a bigger group makes the whole thing more competitive.
Two games stood out. One had us searching a dark room for the object or picture that matched a sound cue and hitting a button before the time ran out, and the other was a missile ball toss where it turns out I still have decent aim thanks to a childhood spent playing softball. On the way out, there’s a free photo booth (one photo only) that gives you a digital QR code to download which can be a fun memory.
Hijinx Hotel sits right next to Holey Moley, which is a small indoor mini-golf center with three 9-hole courses. If you can, try to go on a weekday. The holes get crowded on weekends, though the pace still keeps things moving. And they have a full bar inside so you can drink your favorite beer while you putt or perhaps sit down for a quick bite and try the Twinkle Toes cocktail which comes in an adorable unicorn mug!
Race Go-Karts at K1 Speed
Another one we didn’t get to this time, but worth adding if your teen wants another action activity. K1 Speed runs all-electric go-karts, and the adult track (58+ inches tall) lets you hit up to 45 mph, which is faster than the slower outdoor karts you’ll find at many family fun centers.
There are two separate tracks, one for adult and experienced racers and a second, smoother one for newer and junior drivers, so it works whether your teen has raced before or not. Races run about 7 to 10 minutes, and there’s an arcade and a sit-down lounge on-site if you want to turn it into a longer stop rather than an in-and-out activity.
Eat some Asian food at Diamond Jamboree
Before we headed to Tanaka Farms one evening, we stopped for dinner at Diamond Jamboree, a shopping center that’s become one of the best concentrations of Asian dining in Orange County. It makes sense knowing that Irvine’s population is close to 45 percent Asian, with large Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese, and Indian communities, well above the average for both Orange County and California overall.
We landed on Marugame Udon, where you build your own bowl and watch the noodles made fresh in front of you. It hit the spot before a night out at the farm. What I regret is not having time to try Chubby Cattle, a Japanese barbecue spot where you cook your own meat right at the table. It’s on our list for next time. If you’re craving Asian food, Diamond Jamboree is where you want to go.
Take a Farm Tour at Tanaka Farms
Tanaka Farms runs a farm tour regularly but during the summer they have a melon tasting tour where you get to see and try a few different melons, including seeded and seedless watermelon and my first time trying a canary melon. Every guest takes a melon home at the end, which is a nice touch. A couple of tips if you go: get there in time for the first tractor wagon of the day, and bring wet wipes, because the tasting gets sticky fast.
During the summer, Tanaka Farms is also hosting the Melon Moon Market, with food trucks and local maker booths (like a farmers’ market) that makes a great family outing.
Hike in the Irvine Open Space Preserve
After brunch at Broken Yolk one morning, we took a short hike at the popular Quail Hill Trail, part of the larger Irvine Open Space Preserve off Shady Canyon Drive. Bommer Canyon was also recommended to us within the preserve, accessible from the same general area, so it’s worth keeping on your list if you want another option. It’s an easy, wide, not too steep loop, which makes it a good option if you want to fit in some fresh air without carving out a whole day for it.
The trail draws a steady mix of hikers, bikers, and runners, and it’s a popular launch point for longer rides through the surrounding preserve if you want to make more of a morning out of it. The lot can fill up fast, but there is a bigger overflow lot across the street if you need it. Bring water and go before the sun gets high, since there’s not much shade along the way.
Catch a Competition While You’re There
One of the new things I learned is that Irvine plays host to more competitions than you’d expect. We were there for the RoboSub finals, an underwater robotics competition where teams program a submersible robot to autonomously read the field and complete challenge tasks entirely on its own, no remote control involved. It’s an international competition too, with teams flying in from countries like Canada, Türkiye, and Singapore.
Only the competing teams are allowed to stand at the edge of the pool, so you can’t actually see much of what the robots are doing underwater from the sidelines, but thankfully there’s a film crew in the water and a live stream of each run.
We also spotted a lacrosse tournament happening at the Great Park Sports Complex. The complex sits on 194 acres and includes 24 soccer and lacrosse fields, 25 tennis courts, and 10 baseball and softball fields, and the city sees tournaments booked there nearly year-round thanks to Orange County’s weather. Irvine averages well over 280 sunny days a year, which is basically an open invitation for event organizers.
If you’re the type to plan a trip around your kid’s competition schedule, robotics, lacrosse, soccer, or otherwise, keep Irvine in mind. Chances are good something will be happening at the Great Park while you’re there, even if it’s not the reason you booked the trip.
Where to Stay
We based ourselves at the Hilton Irvine Orange County Airport, directly across the street from SNA, and fairly central to most things. On a previous trip to the area, we stayed at the Marriott Irvine Spectrum which had a nice pool, outdoor games, and is closer to the Irvine Spectrum Center and Great Park if those are two of your priorities.
We actually took Uber for this whole trip, but you can certainly rent a car as most of the places around Irvine don’t have parking issues or fees like LA.
Trip Takeaway
Irvine pairs easily with a Disneyland stay, and it’s a natural stop if your teen is in town for a tournament or a UC Irvine college visit. Between the food, the shopping, the hiking, and family fun games, there’s enough here to fill a couple of days on its own. If you’re planning a getaway with your teenager and want something a little more laid back, Irvine is worth the stop.
This trip was hosted by Destination Irvine. Follow along @destinationirvine for more on planning your own Irvine getaway.
