Start here
First time on Catalina
Everything you need to plan a trip to the island, in the order you’ll need it.
- Off the coast
- About 22 miles
- Ferry ride
- 1 to 1½ hours
- Main town
- Avalon
- Your car
- Stays on the mainland
Where Catalina is
Catalina sits about 22 miles off the Southern California coast, a 76-square-mile island of mountains and coves that’s mostly protected land: 88% belongs to the Catalina Island Conservancy. Nearly everyone stays in Avalon, the island’s only city, about a square mile of hotels, restaurants and beaches around a harbor. Two Harbors, on the island’s west end, is a tiny, quieter village for campers, hikers and boaters.
Getting there
Most people take the ferry: Catalina Express from Long Beach, San Pedro and Dana Point, or the Catalina Flyer from Newport Beach. The crossing takes 1 to 1½ hours, and you park at the port, since your car can’t come with you. In a hurry, helicopters fly from Long Beach in about 15 minutes.
The next boats over
To Catalina
Long Beach → Avalon
Catalina Express · about 1 hr
6amtomorrowthen 9:50am, 2pm tomorrow
San Pedro → Avalon
Catalina Express · about 1 hr 15 min
8:45amWedthen 8:45am, 2:55pm Fri
Dana Point → Avalon
Catalina Express · about 1 hr 30 min
9:30amtomorrowthen 9:30am Wed, 9:30am Thu
Newport Beach → Avalon
Catalina Flyer · about 1 hr 15 min
9amtomorrowthen 9am Wed, 9am Thu
San Pedro → Two Harbors
Catalina Express
8:45amWedvia Avalonthen 8:45am, 2:55pm Fri
From Catalina Express’s published schedule, checked nightly. Extra sailings are sometimes added and times change with the season, so confirm when you book. In a hurry? Maverick Helicopters fly from Long Beach in about 15 minutes.
What getting there costs
From the ferry companies’ published fares and the ports’ parking rates. Pick where you’re leaving from and who’s coming.
Getting there and back
$232.95
$116.48 per person
- 2 × adult round trip$206
- Parking, 1 day$26.95
Fares include the island wharfage fee. Long Beach parking is up to $26.95 per 24 hours. Strollers ride free. Rooms, golf carts, tours and meals aren’t included.
What things cost on the island
Published prices only, each with its source and how current it is. Where a business doesn’t publish a price, we say so rather than guess. Prices change: the business’s own booking page is final.
- Checked Oct 2026 from the business, read this month
- Via booking agent a local booking agent’s price, fees included
- May be out of date source is undated or over a year old
- Not published no public price
Getting around Avalon
- Golf cart · Island Rentals$70 first hour
2-hour maximum, up to 4 people, no reservations. Drivers 25+ with license and proof of insurance.
Checked Oct 2026Island Rentals
- Golf cart · Catalina Island Golf Cart$135 for 2 hours
4 seats, plus a $20 online booking fee; reserve 24 hours ahead. Drivers 25+.
Checked Oct 2026Catalina Island Golf Cart
- COAST on-demand shuttleFrom $2 a rider
Anywhere in Avalon, 7am–9pm, by the Ride Circuit app or 562-534-2820.
Checked Oct 2026City of Avalon
- E-bike · Brown’s Bikes$30 an hour · $80 a day
Day is 9am–5pm; helmet included. Beach cruisers $14 an hour, $35 a day.
Checked Oct 2026Brown’s Bikes
- TaxiEnds October 19, 2026
Avalon’s on-call taxi service is stopping; use the COAST shuttle instead.
Checked Oct 2026Love Catalina
Sights
- Catalina Island Museum$14 adults
$12 seniors 60+, military and students; children 15 and under free with a paying adult.
Checked Oct 2026Catalina Island Museum
- Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden$13.58 adults
$11.41 seniors 55+ and students, $8.15 ages 5–12; under 5 and military free.
Checked Oct 2026Catalina Island Conservancy
- Casino tour (Discover the Casino)$21.50 adults
$19.29 children 2–11 and seniors.
Via booking agent · updated February 2026catalinatours.com
- Descanso Beach Club entry$2
Cabana and lounge chair prices aren’t published.
Checked Oct 2026Catalina Island Company
On the water
- Snorkel gear · Catalina Divers Supply$15 for 2 hours · $27 a day
Mask, snorkel and fins; with a wetsuit $33 for 2 hours.
May be out of date: the page has no yearCatalina Divers Supply
- Glass-bottom boat$33.97 adults
$30.57 seniors, military and children 3–11.
May be out of date: the agent’s page was last updated February 2025catalinatours.com
- Undersea semi-submarine$56.66 adults
$50.99 children 2–11, seniors and military.
May be out of date: the agent’s page was last updated February 2025catalinatours.com
- Parasailing$71.07 at 600 ft
$81.37 at 800 ft; ride-along $25.75.
Via booking agent · updated February 2026catalinatours.com
- Kayak · Two Harbors$27 an hour
Single kayak; $65 half day, $86 full day.
Checked Oct 2026Catalina Island Company
- Kayak and paddleboard · AvalonNot published
Ask the rental shops on the beach.
Not published
Adventures
- Bison and summit Jeep tour$106.27 adults
$91.43 children 5–11, $95.67 seniors.
Via booking agent · updated September 2026catalinatours.com
- Zip line eco tourFrom $149.95
Ages 10+, 80–240 lb; price varies by day and season.
May be out of date: the agent’s page was last updated August 2025catalinatours.com
- Conservancy eco toursNot published
Prices show only when booking with the Conservancy.
Not publishedCatalina Island Conservancy
Staying over
- Hotel MetropoleFrom $199 a night
Moderate rooms $199–219 November–April and $319–369 May–October, per its rate table.
May be out of date: the rate table has no yearHotel Metropole
- Aurora Hotel$119–$999 a night
By room type, from standard rooms to the Aurora Suite.
May be out of date: the rates have no season or yearAurora Hotel
- Pavilion HotelFrom $199 a night
Starting rates by room type, $199–$349.
May be out of date: the starting rates have no datesCatalina Island Company
- CampgroundsNot published
Fees show only in the reservation system.
Not publishedCatalina Island Company camping
- Hotel tax12%
Avalon’s tax on stays of 30 days or less, added to room rates.
Checked Oct 2026City of Avalon
Getting around without a car
Avalon is small enough to walk end to end in about 20 minutes, and most of what you’ll want is on the waterfront. For the hills and viewpoints, rent a golf cart by the hour (drivers 25 and up) or a bike, or book the city’s COAST shuttle, which picks you up anywhere in town from $2 (Avalon’s on-call taxis stop on October 19, 2026). The interior is reached by tour, on foot with a free hiking permit, or by bike.
Day trip or stay over?
A day trip works well: an early boat gives you most of the day in Avalon. Stay a night and you get the island at its best, after the last boat leaves and the harbor goes quiet. Two or three days let you add the interior, Two Harbors or a dive.
When to go
September and October are the sweet spot: the water is at its warmest and the summer crowds are gone. Summer days are in the mid-70s °F and busy; winter days are in the mid-60s, quiet, and the season for gray whales. Weekends and holidays fill up, so book boats and rooms early.
What to pack
- Comfortable shoes for hills, and soft soles for the boat.
- A layer: the crossing and evenings are cooler than the mainland.
- Sunscreen, a hat and a swimsuit; snorkel gear rents on the island.
- Seasickness tablets if you need them; the morning boats are calmest.
- Pack light: you carry your own bags on and off the ferry.
What to do first
See the best-rated things to do, from glass-bottom boats to the Casino, and where to eat with the best restaurants in Avalon. Or open the island map and see everything near the ferry.
Good to know
- Avalon has a hospital, groceries, pharmacy and ATMs.
- Two Harbors is cashless: bring a card.
- The island’s fox is found nowhere else; don’t feed it, or the bison.
- Hiking outside town needs a free permit from the Conservancy.
Quick answers
Where is Catalina Island?
About 22 miles off the Southern California coast, south of Los Angeles. It’s part of Los Angeles County. Avalon, its only city, faces the mainland from the island’s southeast end; the village of Two Harbors is on the narrow isthmus to the west.
How do you get to Catalina Island?
By passenger ferry from Long Beach, San Pedro, Dana Point or Newport Beach, in about 1 to 1½ hours; an adult round trip from Long Beach is $103. Helicopters fly from Long Beach in about 15 minutes, and private boats and small planes can come too.
Can you drive on Catalina Island?
Not your own car: visitors can’t bring vehicles, and even residents’ cars are strictly limited. You walk, book the city’s COAST on-demand shuttle (from $2), ride a bike, or rent a golf cart (drivers must be 25 or older).
Is Catalina Island a good day trip?
Yes. Take an early boat and you get six to eight hours in Avalon: enough for a glass-bottom boat or snorkel, lunch on the water, a Casino tour and a walk up to the Wrigley Memorial. Stay a night if you want the quiet evening after the last boat leaves.
How many days do you need on Catalina?
A day covers Avalon’s highlights. Two or three days let you add the interior (by Jeep tour or on foot), Two Harbors, diving or a slower beach day.
When is the best time to visit Catalina Island?
September and October: the water is at its warmest and the summer crowds are gone. Summer is busiest and warmest; winter is quiet and cooler, with whale watching.