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    K1 Speed San Diego

    3.4 (473 reviews)
    Closed • 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    K1 Speed San Diego Photos

    Recommended Reviews - K1 Speed San Diego

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    Bar area
    Natalie H.

    Such a fun activity! I came with a large group from work and we had a great time. Even with 40 of us, the staff managed everything very efficiently and safely and made sure everyone raced at their comfort level. A ticket gets you two races: a qualifier and a final. They give you a printout of all of your laps and email it to you as well if you want, which is cool to see. They have a small area off to the side with basic food options and a limited beverage selection. Highly recommend for some adrenaline!

    Knuckles themed helmet
    Michelle B.

    Came here during Comic Con weekend for the Sonic x K1 Speed popup. The decor of K1 Speed was all decked out in Sonic themed decorations from giant characters to Sonic merchandise available for purchase to arcade games to themed racing helmets (!!) and even themed foods and drinks. The pop up started at 10 am and I got there on a Sunday at 9:45 and the line was only about 15-20 people ahead of me. If you have never been here before, you will need to register for a racing "license" prior to your first race; this is $8. The price of our race was somewhere between $28 and $30 (though I think this was discounted due to the pop up). You do have to wear a balaclava under the racing helmets but once again, I am unsure if this is true all the time or just for the themed helmets during the pop up ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ the balaclavas had 3 themes left by the time I got there, Sonic, Amy, and Knuckles. I, of course, got Knuckles. There's about 10 people that race at the same time and I did enjoy that they are strict about their safety regulations (as they should) regarding minimum height for racers as well as ensuring everyone is properly strapped in and wearing their helmets appropriately. You are forbidden from hitting other racers as this isn't bumper cars and you can be asked to leave if you break this rule (as they should). Overall, a fun Sonic themed racing experience even though this isn't an activity I would normally complete otherwise.

    us dressed up as f1 racers

    My friend and I visited for his 26th birthday and we were only able to make it during the last hour they were open on Thursday night. It was my first time go-kart racing and all the staff from the front desk, to the track were so kind and helpful: answering all my questions, directing us, and repeating certain instructions when I needed clarification. I wish I could have asked for all of their names but thank you to everyone at the Main St. location! I will be bringing more friends and coming back soon!

    Nancy T.

    Clean & Professional Team. Menu wondered a variety for those who weren't racing. Daughter and my BF had a great time on the track.

    Ready to race!
    Wayne S.

    Took my son for his 54th birthday and found out it's FREE on your birthday. If was reasonable for the amount of laps 10-13 depending on how fast you drive. The electric go carts are amazingly fast and especially if you're turning 80 years old in one month. I'll be back again for my 80th birthday on 9/29/25. It was really fun & this time it will be FREE for me.

    Victoria M.

    Went to K1 on Saturday and was unfortunately injured during the race. Someone was driving a bit recklessly, came from behind, and clipped my tail so i spun out. The staff stopped the race and then resumed it once i had turned around. They never checked on me or asked if i was okay, or pulled the person who clipped me off the course. I get that this happens, we sign waivers for a reason, but staff totally could have been like, "hey, you good?" because i was very much not good and have visible bruising from the impact today. A little kindness would have gone a long way.

    Nikki Y.

    I came to K1 Speed not really knowing what to expect, I hadn't been go-kart racing in years, but as soon as I got on the track, it instantly reminded me of SpeedZone from back in the day! The difference is that these karts are way faster and the whole experience feels upgraded. From the moment I walked in, the energy was high, the music was pumping, and the staff made everything super easy to understand. The safety briefing was quick but clear. It's such an adrenaline rush flying around those corners and seeing your lap times pop up on the screen. The staff were awesome and friendly. The place was clean, organized, and everything felt well-maintained. I also loved how they track your results, it makes it way too easy to get competitive.

    Ready.Set.Go!
    Justin C.

    Kids had an amazing time! Staff was helpful and accommodating when asked. Great place for birthdays!

    Solid location. Went on a Monday shortly after opening and did not have to wait long to get called up for our first race. There is currently a 3 races for $50 special on Mondays which is a pretty solid deal. Compare that to prepurchasing two races online would be $57. They have different deals for different weekdays so I would definitely recommend doing some research beforehand to get your moneys worth. These karts seem to be new top of the line karts. I have been to a few other K1 locations and these were the nicest I've been able to race on. They seem to be from a different manufacturer and even have an LCD screen on the dash. The steering is VERY stiff on these karts and your hands will likely be sore at the end of your race, not sure if it is by design or these karts just need to be broken in. The staff do well at monitoring the actual racing and issuing blue flags. The races I did had a few first time racers and they did well explaining the rules of the track and etiquette. Contact with other karts or the walls is in the nature of go karting so do not expect to come in and not get a few bumps here and there. I did not get a chance to try the food. There is an arcade to the back corner of the lounge but it is a pretty small selection of games. It provided a nice break while waiting for the next race. This location has a nice little collection of Motorsport memorabilia as well, I was a big fan of the Jeff Gordon display car as soon as you walk in. Location has its own dedicated parking lot with plenty of spaces. If you come on a weekend or maybe even a weekday night please be prepared to wait. If it is busy enough you might have to wait a few races before being called up. Your waiting time largely depends on other people and how quickly they can get through their races.

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    12 days ago

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    6 months ago

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    22 days ago

    The location in chula vista is awful . Very expensive and dangerously hot . And the staff was rude

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    10 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    5 months ago

    They send way too many newsletters and the unsubscribe link doesn't work. I've asked them repeatedly to fix the link, but they haven't.

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    3 months ago

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    3 months ago

    My son had a blast love their little stage they have wish they had more food options for birthday party

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    7 months ago

    Had a great time with the wifey. Would definitely go again but with the whole family.

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Kids had a good time. I made sure I got the 12 laps nothing less. It was still a quick thing though but a good place.

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    1 year ago

    Good play friendly staff. Aaron and Geymi are awesome. Definitely coming back. Highly recommended.

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    Page 1 of 12

    Ask the Community - K1 Speed San Diego

    What time does the sonic event start this weekend?

    Hello Lydia, the Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds event takes place during our normal hours of operation. For more information about the event, please visit - https://www.k1speed.com/sonic-the-hedgehog.html.

    How much does it cost to?

    35 a ride

    Do you pay for the races online or can you walk in and pay?

    Hello, Jayden! Either option is available: you can pay for races online and/or walk in and pay. Whichever you prefer! See you at the track!

    What's the weight capacity for the go carts?

    Hello, Janel! Our karts typically accommodate drivers up to around 300lbs. The biggest issue is whether or not the driver can operate the kart safely given their size - feel free to ask our front desk if the driver can first sit in the kart before… 

    How long is one race considered for $25?

    Hey Brian! Each race lasts until the fastest racer completes 12 laps. The cost per race does come down with the more you buy at once. Check out our race packages for more details.

    Does anyone know if they're ope the weekend of March 13, 2021? Is Carlsbad still closed?

    K1 Speed San Diego is OPEN - please see our current hours on this page. In regards to Carlsbad,… 

    Is this for adults only or kids as well?

    Hey Alina! It's most certainly for adults AND kids! We have go karts for both: smaller, slower karts for kids, larger, faster karts for adults. Minimum height requirement for our junior karts is 48" (4 ft) and our adult karts require a minimum… 

    Do you need a license?

    No, it's by height, at least 48". They might ask for an ID occasionally.

    View All 9 Questions

    Review Highlights - K1 Speed San Diego

    “He also was able to help me improve my lap time by over 2 seconds and i went from a 25 second lap time to low 23s.”

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Sesame Place San Diego - Dine with Elmo and Friends buffet event at Sesame Place San Diego, CA

    Sesame Place San Diego

    (582 reviews)

    My best friend and I brought both our toddlers to this park, and we had a fantastic time!…read more We found the grounds to be generally pretty clean and inviting. Absolutely loved the character experiences, the babies were so excited! They can take photos on your phone or you can pay for the ones they take as well. There are some rides that cater to younger ones as well as taller kids. I would definitely say this park overall is towards younger kids, I don't know if older kids would find it as fun. The rides aren't that big. Majority of the rides require toddlers to be capable of walking. I will say that the policy on this is a bit weird, Disneyland for example doesn't require this for a lot of similarish rides. There is a wave pool, water slides, lazy river, and splash pad. We loved the castle splash pad area and the smaller slides. Although, they want your little one to be independent going down the slide and that's tough if you're the only parent there (hard to walk them up and run down to catch them etc). My only complaint about the lazy river was it was a little dirty. That is bound to happen with young kids. Chairs seem to get taken quite quickly, however, they did have a nursing room here which was very nice in my case! They also have spacious changing rooms in the park as well. I found the bathrooms a bit dirty, in the way they should've been cleaned throughout the day. I also didn't notice any toilet seat covers which was interesting. So overall, yes we'd come back! But my complaint would be the bathrooms and maybe someone with kids should review the safety policies lol!

    BUCKLE UP!!! Sesame Place: quite possibly the world's worst…read morewater park. I genuinely cannot understand how this place is being operated this poorly. I first came a few weeks ago with my 3-year-old son. He is exactly 42 inches tall and appeared to meet the posted height requirement at the entrance to one of the slide towers. Because only ONE of six slides was operating, we waited over 1.5 hours to get to the top--only to be told he was too short to ride. So after the signage at the bottom indicated he was tall enough, we wasted nearly two hours in line just to be turned away at the top. The line was made even worse by kids continuously entering the Quick Queue/Fast Pass line without actually having Quick Queue. Employees weren't verifying anything, so the regular line barely moved. We tried another tube slide: again, one slide operating and another 1.5+ hour wait. I asked a supervisor if more slides would open and was told they were waiting for employees to return from lunch. They never did. Season passholders we spoke with said this apparently happens all the time. Then the children's water play area closed for maintenance for over an hour, which pushed everyone into the lazy river. They ran out of tubes, multiple other attractions were closed, and we spent most of our "water park" day standing around waiting. I contacted Guest Services afterward. Their automated response said I'd hear back within 5-7 business days. Nobody ever contacted me. I eventually called, waited on hold for 30 minutes, and was promised four replacement tickets and a parking pass within 20 minutes, plus a follow-up call. Neither happened. I called AGAIN, waited another 30 minutes, and finally received the tickets. So yesterday we decided to give Sesame Place another chance. THE REPLACEMENT TICKETS THEY SENT ME DIDN'T WORK. I literally had to purchase tickets on Groupon to get into the park. And somehow, visit #2 was even worse. The park wasn't crowded, yet ALL WATER ACTIVITIES WERE CLOSED. At a WATER PARK. We tried to stay patient and went on the few dry rides. After about an hour, it was hot and my 3-year-old was understandably begging to go in the water while lifeguards stood in front of completely blocked-off water attractions. Eventually they opened ONE tiny toddler water area--for basically the entire park. You can imagine how packed that became. It wasn't until the afternoon that the wave pool and Count's Splash Castle finally opened. The other waterslides never opened at all. When the lazy river finally opened, they were allowing a maximum of 10 people at a time, everyone had to remain together in a group led by a lifeguard, and you were allowed ONE lap. We waited over 30 minutes, reached the front, and were told my boyfriend couldn't join me and my son because he was person #11. So after even more waiting, we finally got our turn. And honestly? The lazy river was DISGUSTING. Trash. Dirty Band-Aids. Plant debris everywhere. A nasty film on the water. It genuinely looked like a bacteria-infested cesspool. Count's Splash Castle wasn't much better--we literally saw Modelo beer cans floating in the water. I repeatedly asked lifeguards when the remaining attractions would open and was assured they should open later. They never did. One employee told me attractions were closed because of poor water quality--which, after seeing the water, certainly seemed believable. But considering how attractions were being staffed, it also appeared there may have been a significant staffing shortage. Tickets here can run around $100 per person, plus $36 for parking. For those prices, families should not arrive at a WATER PARK to discover virtually every water attraction closed with no meaningful communication beforehand. I understand water parks are seasonal businesses and many employees are teenagers. That is exactly why competent adult leadership and operational oversight are necessary. The teenagers working there aren't the problem. The complete lack of management, staffing, communication, cleanliness, queue control, and consistency is. Two visits. Two absolute disasters. The first time, nearly everything was closed. I complained and was given replacement tickets. The replacement tickets didn't work. I paid AGAIN to return. And on the second visit, THE WATER PARK HAD NO WATER ATTRACTIONS OPEN. You genuinely couldn't make this up. One star only because Yelp doesn't allow zero.

    Balboa Park Miniature Railroad - Exiting the tunnel

    Balboa Park Miniature Railroad

    (89 reviews)

    My son loves this train and wants to go every time we go to the zoo. $4.50 per rider ages 1-99 and…read moreit is a decent ride about 4-5 mins passing by some animal figurines. Downside is it is only open on holidays and weekends from 11-4:30. Also would be nice if it were included with a zoo membership since it is operated by the zoo.

    Holiday Nights at Balboa Park With the many people at at…read morethe ZOO the sounds of the Park Train the bell you can hear as you walk over to the front gate. The night of a million lights that creates magic over the park you can hear the bells of the train as it rolls through the tracks. Friday evening at the park when you come to Balboa Park the hidtory of the park wgen you come through the history of the park the archetecture to the rose Gardens you see across from the park. The Minature Railroad the kids would go with their parents the Red and White colors the train cars that you would see at the railroad station the size of the cars designed for the kids . As a young kid when I was with my dad he took me on the train the whole 2 mile train course the many statues of the animals being on a classic train its one of the biggest adventures it brings back memories. The train yard hasbeen around since 1935 the historical events that the train has been here since the train exposistion thet showcased many of the larger trains of San Diego. The History of the train yards have a very long hlstory the connection to Balboa Park the many areas around the San Diego Zoo had the use of the first Railroads to the electric cable cars serviced the park. As a Yelp Elite Reviewer the San Diego Zoo the historical Carousel and the train that have been at the park since the world exposistion that has given the park a foot hold in history. As a Yelp Elite Reviewer the train park and the zoo is the best place for students and family.

    SeaWorld San Diego - That Orca Tail about to do some serious damage to the front row

    SeaWorld San Diego

    (4.4k reviews)

    Of course we had to pick med July to come here and it was HOT!…read more Amazing sea creatures, unlike anywhere I have been. So much to see. Huge park lots of walking. We bought the all you can eat pass and made good use of it. Also bought VIP parking and was very worth it, close to the entrance, otherwise, parking is very far away. SD Sea World was on my bucket list, and loved it.

    I went this past week and had a free ticket. This place is the epitome of mediocrity and I'm…read moresurprised anyone even still goes. The entire facility looks completely run down and outdated. Several of the rides were closed when I went. Also for the rides they do not allow a bag so you have to pay for a locker. Knotts berry farm gives free lockers for 2 hrs nearby. The stingray feeding food is over $11 and I heard someone complain about how it was 5 dollars at one point. I also laughed when I saw there is a stand-up dryer section whee you have to pay $7 to dry off after a water ride. The whole place just came off as a dump that nickel and dimes the customer. I think the gouging on parking is a good strategy though bc there isn't a free option nearby. My suggestion is to jack up the parking bc it is guaranteed money. The electric eel was really fun. I rode it twice and I enjoyed it. The rest of the experience was garbage though and just was a contribution to a jobs program known as SeaWorld located in San Diego. Even free it was still a waste of time when you factor in parking costs. ​​​

    Birch Aquarium - Octopus Grotto

    Birch Aquarium

    (1.2k reviews)

    La Jolla Shores, La Jolla

    During our stay in La Jolla, we decided to check out this cool aquarium on a Sunday…read more.. Well, maybe a bad choice of a day...but the place was packed with school kids! Still, we were able to enjoy a decent selection of sea life. Guess my favorite was seeing the Penguins...and my biggest disappointment was the Octopus (who stayed hidden the whole time!). Other interesting sights included the Tiger Fish (or was it the Leopard Fish??), Stingrays and the small Sea Horses. There was also this nice area outside (patio), where it offered incredible views of La Jolla...as well as this cute Shark Selfie Station, and some seating areas to rest. Overall, it was a really nice aquarium...fit for people of all ages (though it was VERY kid-heavy that day we were there!).

    I like Birch Aquarium and always enjoy exploring the exhibits, especially sitting and watching the…read morehuge main tank, it's so relaxing. They've made some nice renovations recently, and we love the outdoor touch pools, penguins, and beautiful ocean views. My biggest complaint is the price. You can easily see everything in about 2 hours MAX, so full price admission feels pretty steep. We go more often because through CalFresh/WIC you get discounted tickets, and they also have great veteran discounts. Parking can be tough, and there aren't many handicap spots close to the entrance. If you're visiting from out of town, it's definitely worth pairing with a day exploring La Jolla, but I wouldn't plan on the aquarium being a full-day activity.

    San Diego Zoo Safari Park - I love her

    San Diego Zoo Safari Park

    (3k reviews)

    Parking 5/5 -Plenty of spots available, parking fee does…read moreapply. Ambiance 5/5 -I visited on a super hot day but it was still a very pleasant experience. Attractions are a lot more spaced out than the main San Diego Zoo, it's much more catered to additional experiences you pay for to interact more with animals in the safari section. However, the Africa Tram is free with entrance and is a decent option for exploring the free range animals. I also saw the new restaurant they have next to the elephants valley, it looks cool and you can dine almost right next to elephants.

    How has it been over 15 years since I've reviewed this place?!?…read moreI've been on and off again passholder for nearly 30 years. Currently need to renew that I'm waiting for my next trip to do that I'm also a teacher and we do about four field trips a year here. It honestly is super exciting to be able to take a group of ninth graders from National city to the wild animal park. The majority of these students have never been there and seeing their enjoyment is almost as amazing as taking your own child as a toddler. I currently am obsessed with the platypus and the kangaroo here. There's so many amazing animals and the Safari Park does a fabulous job of caring for them and breeding them and educating the public about endangered species This is my absolute favorite day, except in the deadly heat of summer I'm going to plan a trip this winter when my kids are home from college. That's when I'll renew. We already have a school trip planned this fall so see you soon San Diego Zoo Safari Park

    K1 Speed San Diego - gokarts - Updated October 2026

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