Overview
Temecula is a city in Riverside County in Southern California. Temecula is known for its wine and Balloon and Wine Festival.
4 sights · 11 things to do · 3 places to eat · 11 bars & cafés · 5 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Temecula
Pechanga Resort and Casino
A Las Vegas gaming experience in Southern California home to a modern night club, several up-scale restaurants and food court, and theatre which plays host to many famous acts touring across the country
Palomar Observatory
Old Town Temecula
This is the oldest and most historic part of town, complete with old western architecture and charming shops and restaurants. There is a lot of new development going on and it's worth taking half a day exploring Old Town…
Temecula Olive Oil Company
Retail shop and olive oil tasting; a unique experience with helpful hosts who are happy to explain the differences in olive oil in detail.
Temecula Valley Museum
Temecula Duck Pond
A nice little area to visit, it's a duck pond with a walking sidewalk so its good to walk as well and next to OBC restaurant too. It has a few memorials like a veteran memorial and a 9/11 one.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Oct–May. Summer highs reach about 98°F; winter lows dip to about 40°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Feb and Jan.
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- CLD McClellan-Palomar Airport, Carlsbad — 27 mi away. Directions
- SBD San Bernardino International Airport, San Bernardino — 42 mi away (major hub). Directions
Temecula is about an hour north of San Diego on Interstate 15. It is an hour south of San Bernardino on Interstate 15, and about an hour south of Riverside on Interstate 215. State Route 79 also passes through the town, heading north to Hemet and south to Julian.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Pechanga Resort and Casino, Old Town Temecula, Temecula Duck Pond
- Lunch Original Pancake House
- Afternoon Vail Ranch Park, Temecula Creek Inn
- Dinner The Broken Yolk Cafe
- Evening 1909 Fluid & Fare Gastropub
Day 2
- Morning Old Town Temecula Community Theater, Temecula Olive Oil Company, Wine Tasting
- Lunch Mo's Egg House
- Afternoon Journey Golf Course, The Legends Golf Club at Temeku Hills
- Evening Europa Village
Day 3
- Morning Temecula Valley Museum, Palomar Observatory, Out and About
- Afternoon Redhawk Golf Course, The Temecula Rod Run
- Evening Altísima Winery
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Temecula has more than its fair share of '50s-style diners, most located on the west side of the freeway, along Main Street. If you are looking for something less local, a drive up along Rancho California or Temecula Parkway/79 has numerous options for chain restaurants.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Tourism office
Get in
By car
Temecula is about an hour north of San Diego on Interstate 15. It is an hour south of San Bernardino on Interstate 15, and about an hour south of Riverside on Interstate 215. State Route 79 also passes through the town, heading north to Hemet and south to Julian.
By plane
The closest airports are in San Diego (SAN), 45 minutes south, and Ontario (ONT), 45 minutes north.
French Valley general aviation airport is north of town. It is a popular location for small aircraft.
Get around
Though Temecula is serviced by some buses, they are unreliable at best. Thus, Temecula has virtually no public transportation. If you are visiting, you should either have your own car or rent one, as the city is very spread out and the lack of public transport makes driving a necessity.
See
See Old Town Temecula
This is the oldest and most historic part of town, complete with old western architecture and charming shops and restaurants. There is a lot of new development going on and it's worth taking half a day exploring Old Town.
Place Little Temecula History Center and Vail Ranch Headquarters
The site encompasses a small history museum covering the Temecula Valley, in the historic Vail Ranch Headquarters complex. The old Vail Ranch Headquarters buildings were preserved and used as commercial buildings with displays and historic equipment scattered throughout. The Mormon Battalion marched through town when laying out the Southern Emigrant Trail that the Butterfield Stage line and the pony express later used. Emigrants came through town and stopped at Wolf's Store and stage stop (located at the ranch headquarters) on their way to northern gold rush towns.
Do
Do Wine Tasting
The Temecula valley has 30 or more wineries with tasting rooms, including Callaway (owned by the same family as the golf club company) other popular choices include Thornton, Stuart Cellars, Mount Palomar, Wilson Creek and Falkner. The Grapeline Wine Country Shuttle picks up at all local hotels and takes you out for a full day of wine tasting.
Do Out and About
Though there are a fair few shops and restaurants, Temecula (especially downtown) is not known as a late night club/bar scene, with the exception of Pechanga. Much of that is changing as many of the restaurants and bars are providing night time entertainment, such as karaoke at Texas Lils or live music at The Edge and The Collective.
Do Vail Ranch Park
For teens and kids, this is a great spot to stop at, mainly what sets this apart from your average park is that this park has a free Zipline and a wild west theme. The park also has a very long trail perfect for sightseeing, dogwalking, relaxation, scootering, and biking.
Golf courses
Events
- Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival. Held annually in May at the Lake Skinner Recreational Area, east of the major wineries. Enjoy food and wine, hot-air balloons, and live music acts of multiple genres.
Buy
Shop Old Town Temecula
Considered the best area for tourists looking to pick up that nice little souvenir of Temecula. This area has many quaint and charming shops.
Shop The Promenade
A conventional shopping mall. The mall has gone under extentsive redesign to set itself as an upscale mall with shops including Coach and Apple. Apart from shopping it's a very good place to sit down in the plaza.
Eat
Temecula has more than its fair share of '50s-style diners, most located on the west side of the freeway, along Main Street. If you are looking for something less local, a drive up along Rancho California or Temecula Parkway/79 has numerous options for chain restaurants.
Eat Original Pancake House
Drink
Lots of locally produced wine.
Drink Temecula Beer & Wine Garden
Small and friendly outdoor bar.
Drink 1909 Fluid & Fare Gastropub
A popular place in Old Town Temecula, centrally placed and hard to miss. Full bar, extensive food menu including brunch every day.
Wineries:
Drink Altísima Winery
Pronounced with an accent on the first "i", this is the current most-popular winery on weekends on the De Portola trail. Parking can be a challenge but generally worth it for the views of the winery and the people-watching. The restaurant, wines, and service will keep you coming back.
Drink Bottaia winery
A newer winery, pleasant to visit, great service, offering good appetizers and good wines overlooking the vineyards. Offers a wine blending lab by appointment. Co-located with a pool with open bar that's open in the warm months.
Drink Europa Village
A new development encompassing food and wine varietals from Spain (Bolero Winery), Italy (Vienza), and (under construction) France. The property also includes an inn.
Drink Leoness Cellars
Great wines, excellent restaurant, picturesque grounds with a view of the valley. Located near the newest winemakers in Temecula, but with many years of successful winemaking history.
Drink Oak Mountain Winery
The winery has bored a cylindrical tunnel into the hill on the property to create a man-made cave. In the cave are an excellent restaurant and a distillery that's open late on weekends. The wines and service are very good too.
Drink Ponte Winery
Wine tasting by day, and wine country's first full bar by night: The Cellar, in the basement of the Ponte Inn next door to the winery. Excellent service throughout the grounds, top-notch wines, and beautiful grounds.
Drink Wilson Creek Winery
Well-known and trendy. Crowded and hard to find parking on most weekends.
Breweries:
Sleep
Stay safe
Temecula is considered to be one of the safest cities in all of California. Virtually every area of town is considered safe to walk, but caution should be taken walking at night in the area around the apartment complexes on Pujol Street near Old Town, and the area of the apartment complexes just east of the Rancho California/Ynez intersection across from the Temecula Town Center.
Though still relatively safe, there has been an increase in gang activity and the usual related crimes: drugs, car thefts and assaults.
Go next
- Los Angeles and Orange County are accessible via 15N to 91W. Try to avoid travel during rush hours.
- San Diego, to the south, is accessible via 15S.
- Oceanside and Carlsbad are among the closer beach communities and can be accessed via 15S to 78W.
- Idyllwild is a nearby mountain resort.
Nearby
Fallbrook
City / town · 7 listings · 11 mi away
Lake Elsinore
City / town · 7 listings · 16 mi away
Hemet
City / town · 8 listings · 18 mi away
Perris
City / town · 9 listings · 21 mi away
Vista
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Oceanside
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Cleveland National Forest
Park · 23 mi away
San Marcos
City / town · 9 listings · 25 mi away
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