Neighborhood 48H guide
Gaslamp Quarter: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
The lit Gaslamp arch, a Padres game at Petco Park and the USS Midway on the waterfront.
The Gaslamp Quarter is downtown’s historic district of Victorian buildings, bars and restaurants along Fifth Avenue, next to Petco Park and a short walk from the bay.
Photo gallery
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: GualdimG · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
Walk to the ballpark, the waterfront and the trolley, with Balboa Park a short ride away.
Who it's for: First-timers, baseball fans and nightlife lovers.
Pros
- Walk to Petco Park and the waterfront
- Trolley access
- Dense restaurants and bars
Cons
- Loud on weekend nights
- Expensive parking
- Convention crowds
48H in the Gaslamp
Carrier, zoo, ballpark.
10:00 – USS Midway Museum
Walk the flight deck of the carrier on the bay.
14:00 – San Diego Zoo
In Balboa Park, a short ride north.
18:30 – Petco Park
Catch a Padres game, or take a ballpark tour on non-game days.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
See / do
See / do
USS Midway Museum
910 N Harbor Dr
Aircraft carrier museum on the downtown waterfront.
Photo: Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →See / do
Petco Park
100 Park Blvd
The Padres’ downtown ballpark; tours run when there’s no game or event.
Photo: GualdimG · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
The US Grant, a Luxury Collection Hotel
326 Broadway
Grand 1910 hotel on Broadway at the edge of the Gaslamp.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for Gaslamp Quarter.
The City of San Diego requires a short-term rental license, and Coronado and Del Mar have their own stricter rules. Look for the license number on the listing before you book.
Browse vacation rentals in Gaslamp Quarter on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in San Diego
- Little Italy — The Saturday Mercato, India Street’s restaurants and Waterfront Park by the bay.
- La Jolla — Sea lions and clear water at La Jolla Cove, George’s ocean terrace and the Birch Aquarium.
- Pacific Beach — Crystal Pier’s cottages, the boardwalk and breakfast at Kono’s.
- Mission Beach — The Giant Dipper at Belmont Park, the boardwalk and kayaks on Mission Bay.
- Coronado — The red-turreted Hotel del Coronado, a wide sandy beach and the ferry to downtown.
- Point Loma / Shelter Island — The Old Point Loma Lighthouse at Cabrillo, Point Loma Seafoods and skyline views from Shelter Island.
- Old Town — Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, the Whaley House and tortillas at Old Town Mexican Café.
- Ocean Beach — Hodad’s burgers, Sunset Cliffs at dusk and the Wednesday farmers market on Newport Avenue.
- Del Mar — Powerhouse Park above the beach, lunch at Jake’s and the Del Mar racetrack.