I have lived in Santa Monica for 2 years and shamefully had not been to Catalina Island yet. This was top 5 on my LA bucket list of things to do while we lived here. So one weekend, we put our minds to it and booked a ferry ride over to that beautiful island off the coast of Southern California. We went in February, so it was less busy than if we were to go in the summer time.
A round trip Catalina Express ferry ride from Long Beach to Catalina Island cost $74.50 USD. We left from Long Beach on the 11AM ferry and booked our ferry back on the 7:30pm ferry. We thought that was the perfect amount of time for our day trip. Each trip takes about 45-60 minutes, so that gave us about 6-7 hours to play on the Island.
11am-12pm: Ferry ride from Long Beach to Catalina.
Don’t consider this just a commute, they serve wine, beer and champagne as well as snacks on this ferry ride. Sit back, relax, and enjoy some bubbly on your beautiful ferry ride over to Catalina.
Tip: Make sure to keep an eye out for dolphins, they like to ride the waves that the ferry boats make. We were lucky enough to have a school of dolphins following us around the last half of the ferry ride. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen! It was a great way to start off our trip.
12pm-1:30pm: Lunchtime
We got a quick bite to eat at NDMK Fish House. I got the halibut fish tacos for $12 USD, and for a quick bite, this place worked out great. You can find better seafood on this island, but we had planned to treat ourselves for dinner so quick and easy was our plan for lunch.
1:30pm-2pm: Rent a golf cart!
From NDMK Fish House we walked over to Island Rentals Golf Cart Rentals. If you’re a planner you’re not going to like hearing this, but there is definitely no need to rent ahead. There are many golf cart rental places on the island and they have tons of carts each. We rented a golf cart to ride around the island for 3 hours for $100 USD. We split that between 3 people so it only cost us about $33 USD each. They supply an easy to follow map of the loop you can take to get around the island and see all that Catalina has to offer.
2pm-3pm: Relax at Descanso Beach Club
Before we hit the streets to follow the mapped route around Avalon, we golf carted to Descanso Beach Club to grab a drink. This beach club has beautiful and relaxing views of the ocean. The water is so clear on this side of the Pacific! And for a glass of wine I spent $11 USD.
3pm-4:30pm: Golf Cart around Avalon
During our golf cart ride around Avalon we stopped at –
– Catalina Casino: We only viewed from the outside. To get inside you can purchase a walking tour of the casino.
– Catalina Chimes Tower: There is a beautiful view of the marina from Chimes Tower!
– Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Garden: We were not able to go inside since we did not have enough time. It costs $8 USD and you’ll want to allocate 30-60 mins for this activity.
– Wrigley Mansion: More beautiful views to take photos from!
4:30pm-5pm: Grab a drink & a snack in town
We stopped by Catalina Island Brew House to wind down after our golf cart ride. It’s a cute little cafe on the water with craft beers, pastries, wine, and coffee. I spent about $10 USD on a glass of wine.
5pm-6pm: Walk around downtown Avalon
Some notable businesses –
– Three Palms Avalon Arcade: Who doesn’t like a good arcade? This one has 2 hidden mini bowling lanes.
– Catalina Pottery Bath & Body: They have awesome soaps, scents, and candles so you can bring a little bit of Catalina back to the main land.
6pm-7:30pm: Dinner on the water
For dinner, we wanted to take advantage of being right on the ocean and landed upon Avalon Grille for some seafood. I got the scallops while I was here, and they were absolutely delicious! For dinner, drinks and tip I spent around $60 USD. I would recommend this place for dinner!
7:30pm-8:15pm: Ferry back to Long Beach
After dinner we caught the ferry back to Long Beach! On the way back we rode in the Commodore Lounge for $15 USD extra. In the Commodore Lounge you get premium seating, a free snack and drink. These tickets were actually all that was left which is why we bought them. If you had the option, I’d say buy a normal ticket and get to the ferry early to ensure the best seat possible.
Other things to do on Catalina Island: If you have more time on the island I recommend looking into the following experiences!
– Go on a hike!: If the hikes on the island offer even better views than what we saw while we were in Avalon then you’re in for a treat!
– Bison Expedition: In 1924 a herd of bison was introduced to Catalina Island to provide a backdrop for a production of a film and ever since they’ve stayed and thrived. You can see them in their habitat during this tour that cost about $90 USD.
– Zip Line Eco Tour: This tour is right in Avalon where you can zip line through the Descanso Canyon for around $130 USD.
Catalina Island Day Trip Itinerary
| Morning: | |
| Take the Catalina Express ferry from Long Beach | $74.50 USD |
| Afternoon: | |
| Grab a quick bite at NDMK Fish House | $12 USD |
| Rent a Golf Cart for 3 hrs from Island Rentals | $100 USD $33 for 1 |
| Relax with a drink at Descanso Beach Club | $11 USD |
| Cart around Avalon and see the sites | |
| Evening: | |
| Grab a drink & snack at Catalina Island Brew House | $10 USD |
| Walk around downtown Avalon | |
| Eat dinner on the water at Avalon Grille | $60 USD |
| Sit Commodore Lounge on the ferry back to Long Beach | $15 USD |
In total, for a day trip to Catalina Island, I spent $215.50 USD.
