USS Midway

This US Navy aircraft carrier was commissioned in 1945, served the entire length of the Cold War, and was decommissioned in 1992. It is now a popular museum.

Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in San Diego
Gaslamp Quarter
Historical neighborhood in San Diego downtown. Many different architectural buildings to discover.
Seaport Village
One of downtown's many places to stop for a snack and walk along the harbor.
Balboa Park
Beautiful park in the heart of the city. Home to many museums and the world-famous San Diego Zoo.
U.S. Grant Hotel
The U.S. Grant Hotel is a historic hotel in downtown San Diego. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Santa Fe Depot
Over a century old, the Santa Fe Depot's Spanish Colonial Revivalist style has landed this operational train station on the National Register of Historic Places.
Little Italy neighbourhood
Known as a chic neighbourhood full of restaurants, shops and beautiful views of the bay.

Related Tours

The Best of San Diego: Private Walking Tour including USS Midway

Discover the history and culture of San Diego, known as "America's finest city", the second-largest in California with a population of around 1.4 million people. With a warm beautiful weather all year round, world-famous attractions and an interesting culinary scene, San Diego is a great destination for those who want to learn more about its culture, diversity or engage in outdoor activities.

On your private walking tour of San Diego, you will:

  • Discover the Santa Fe Depot, a historic train station in stunning Revival style architecture, built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition which celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal;
  • Pass by the Contemporary Art Museum, which rotates exhibitions from around the world, as well as a permanent collection of works by regional artists;
  • See the century-old US Grant Hotel, a historic luxury hotel built in 1910 that boasts stunning Beaux-Arts architecture with a rich Prohibition-era speakeasy history;
  • Walk past the Balboa Theatre, a venue listed on the National Register of Historic Places;
  • Relish the buzz of the Gaslamp Quarter where a lively string of eateries, cafés and bars beg exploration;
  • See the home of the MLB’s San Diego Padres, Petco Park from the outside;
  • Explore Seaport Village and enjoy beautiful views of San Diego Bay;
  • Snap a photo at the Unconditional Surrender Statue, the famous statue featuring a sailor kissing a nurse which marked the end of WWII;
  • End your tour at the USS Midway for a self-guided tour where you will enjoy interactive experiences that tell the history of the ship and its crew.


On your tour, you will see several of the city’s highlights, including the Santa Fe Depot, an elegant railroad station built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition.

Renowned for its soaring towers and tiled domes, this reminder of California's Spanish heritage reflects the resplendent Colonial Revival architectural style. Natural redwood beam ceilings hung with bronze chandeliers and plenty of natural light characterise the interior.

You will also visit one of the city’s most elegant hotels – The US Grant Hotel, a building of Art Deco glamour that has welcomed guests for over 100 years. Famed as a Prohibition-era speakeasy, the lobby is adorned with Empire-era furnishings that reflect the style of Ulysses S. Grant Jr., who built the 11-story hotel in 1910 to honour his father, the nation’s 18th president.

Visit the Gaslamp Quarter, where a buzzing collection of tequila bars, taco restaurants and funk boutiques forms the urban playground of the city. Next, pass by Petco Park, the sporting home of the San Diego Padres, and see Seaport – a picturesque century-old harbour-side.

Your private guided tour ends at the USS Midway Museum, where you will part ways with your guide to begin your self-guided audio discovery of the life of an enlisted sailor on this former US Navy aircraft carrier. 
San Diego Private Driving Tour: Gaslamp Quarter, Balboa Park, and Old Town
Discover the compelling character of California’s second-largest city, renowned for its fascinating Mexican heritage, resplendent gardens, historic streets and fine stretch of Pacific Coast. 

On your private half-day driving tour, you will:

  • Enjoy hotel pick-up and drop-off by your private driver-guide, who will escort you throughout the day.
  •  Visit stunning La Jolla Cove and enjoy marine life and the bay. Take a photo stop at Soledad Mountain with amazing views on downtown San Diego, Tijuana, MX and Mission Bay. 
  • Walk around San Diego Old Town and the Spanish Mission. If you book the morning tour, enjoy a great lunch at one of the authentic Mexican restaurants on San Diego Avenue.
  • Learn about Balboa Park, San Diego’s World Fair location. Visit the Botanic Garden and Rose Gardens.
  •  Visit Seaport Village, and stroll along the city’s waterfront, where you will be able to see the USS Midway.
  • Your tour finishes with a walking tour in San Diego’s nightlife area, the Gaslamp Quarter. You are welcome to stay here at the conclusion of your tour, or your guide will happily drive you back to your hotel. 
In 1867, when Alonzo Erastus Horton stepped ashore from a San Francisco steamer, he trod on land that would, one day, be the heart of San Diego. Awed by what he found, Horton declared it "the prettiest place for a city I ever saw." Since then millions of visitors have echoed the sentiments of this early explorer, the single most influential arrival in San Diego - although not the first to discover its beauty. 

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo claims to have discovered San Diego Bay in 1542, some 200 years before Europeans settled the area. In truth, however, the indigenous Kumeyaay peoples had been living in the area for as long as 12,000 years prior to any European ‘discovery’ with the Southern Californian coastal region’s first Americans, now called the San Dieguito, calling it home in around 9000 B.C. Today this once uncharted paradise belongs to an urban population of around 1.4 million people. 

On your fascinating private San Diego half-day highlights tour, you will discover the city’s deeply embedded Mexican heritage and will explore the legacy of San Diego’s place in the Mexican Empire from 1821. You will understand what the American-Mexican war, 27 years later, meant for California and the USA. San Diego’s Italian community, established in Waterfront Park in the early 19th century, has also helped shape the culture of the city with its Little Italy Mercato Farmers’ Market, pizzerias, ice cream parlours and gourmet food stalls. Unsurprisingly, San Diego is gaining a reputation for its diverse and taste-rich food scene. 

On the San Diego half-day highlights tour, you will visit many of the city’s major historical sites, neighbourhoods and parks, including Balboa Park, the elegant architecture of the Gaslamp Quarter, the Old Town’s rich culture and the beautiful coastal stretch of some of San Diego's beaches.  Through the local insight of your private guide, you will be introduced to some of San Diego’s lesser-known corners with plenty of opportunities to grab some fabulous photographs of the city’s most picturesque landmarks, be it quaint Victorian streets, bloom-filled gardens, or the stunning cliff-strewn coastline that are home to seals, marine birds and rugged sea caves. 

Please note that the Botanical Garden in Balboa Park is closed for major renovation until the end of 2024.
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