An Exciting Catalina Island Day Trip Itinerary for All Ages

An often forgotten part of Southern California is the small island off the coast called Santa Catalina. Even I as a lifelong SoCal resident forget that it’s there sometimes.

Nevertheless, this place is a popular destination for a day trip or weekend getaway. I’ve done the Catalina Island day trip several times so I can give you a few pointers to make your Catalina trip a memorable and fun experience.

This itinerary will be a bit fluid but still give some structure so it feels like an itinerary. Because this is just a day trip, you can maximize up to 11 hours. You may spend less time on Catalina if you decide to depart the mainland at a later time and/or depart Avalon at an earlier time.

I will give the best things to do, best places to eat and pertinent information you should know about Catalina Island before you go. And because everyone has different interests, I will give an assortment of options to choose from. Let’s get started.

Catalina Island Day Trip Itinerary

More commonly known as just Catalina Island, this place is only 22 miles off the coast making it a short boat to Catalina Island California.

There are a number of things you can do here if you do a bit a research ahead of time and make some plans. But if you don’t have any pre-plans you might think there’s not much to do there.

Avalon, the main city on Catalina Island is where the ferries arrive, docking at the famous Avalon Bay.

Many people do a Catalina Island day trip from Los Angeles for specific events happening on the island. But people also do day trips to Catalina Island just to rest and relax.

To get to Catalina Island you have to take a ferry. The most popular ferry company is Catalina Express with 3 port locations: San Pedro, Long Beach and Dana Point.

Long Beach has the most options for departure and return times, making it the most flexible choice for ports.

To get to Catalina Island from Long Beach, there are departures every 1.5 to 2 hours on the weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday).

If you park your cart at the port, be aware there will be a daily parking fee.

If you go out of San Pedro or Dana Point, there are only 1 to 2 Catalina ferry departure times each way. If you want to go to Two Harbors only, San Pedro has ferry rides that go direct. But for most people, going to Avalon is where you’ll want to go.

The San Pedro Dana Point locations are less popular, but could be more convenient depending on where you are coming from.

Depending on the time of year, the ferries depart as early as 6am to as late as 9:45pm.

You can see the schedule and prices on the Catalina Express Ferry website as they change throughout the year. It’s best to book directly on the website ahead of time.

If you would like to bring a pet, it’s important to note that while they are allowed, they must be leashed and wear a full muzzle while on board.

Service animals are allowed as well. View their travel polices for more information.

Vanessa’s Tip

The Catalina Express travel policies baggage guidelines state that you can bring 2 pieces of luggage or baggage.

If you’re on a budget, it could be useful to take advantage of this opportunity.

Bag your own snorkel gear, wet suit, jackets for the evening, sunblock, hats and any other useful items for use during the day instead of renting or buying them there.

There are lockers you can rent for the day on the island so you don’t have to lug everything around with you.

A second option for ferries is the Catalina Flyer which departs out of Newport Beach and arrives at Avalon.

There are only a few departure times every day and pricing is similar to the Catalina Express Ferry.

The ferry is nice and the ride is about an hour. But beware, the waters can get choppy.

So if you get seasick, be sure to take some dramamine or motion sickness pills before going and sit outdoors where you can get some fresh air. Returning later in the evening can be even worse.

One time I came back the evening of the Catalina Wine Mixer and there were so many people puking over the boat. You can imagine all the alcohol consumed during the day did not mix well with the choppy waters.

For the purposes of creating an itinerary we will use 8:15am as the departure time.

Stop #1: The Port

8:15am – 9:15am (1 hr ferry ride)

When you arrive at the port, it’s just a short walk to the main area. Now it’s time to explore Catalina Island!

Stop #2: Tour of Your Choice

9:45am – 12:45pm (3 hrs)

This next chunk of time (about 3 hours) you have the option of doing a number of things.

Since everyone has different interests, physical abilities and financial situations, I’ve listed out a number of popular activities that visitors like to do.

Each of these activities will take about 2-3 hours so fill in this time slot with your preferred option:

Island Tour by Jeep or Truck – An adventurous and exciting experience on the island is taking an island tour by jeep or truck.

The open air vehicle takes you to parts of the island you can’t get to very easily. See bison, foxes, native plants and beautiful ocean views.

The vehicle rides on unpaved roads so it will be bumpy. If you’re looking for a fun way to experience the island and get away from the main city, this is a great option.

This adventure is offered by a few different companies but they are all around 2 to 3 hours. Be sure to book ahead of time especially on weekends as they can sell out.

A similar tour is the Bison Expedition Tour that takes a different path on an open-air Hummer. This tour is geared more toward seeing bison in the wild.

Rent a Golf Cart – One thing you might notice when you arrive is that there are so many golf carts. Golf carts make it easy and a fun way to get around the island.

You can rent a golf cart for a couple of hours and take it wherever you want around the town. They will provide a map with points of interest but also places you should exercise caution or avoid.

Renting a golf cart puts you in control of your adventure.

Catalina Zip Line Tour – How much more exciting can it get than seeing Catalina from above, flying down from 600 ft above sea level?

In a little over 2 hours you can take 5 ziplines over the hills of Avalon. You will also learn about the islands history and wildlife.

The zipline tours do sell out, so if you like this one, be sure to book ahead of time.

Guided Snorkeling Tour – Catalina is known for having a healthy marine ecosystem.

Especially in the Marine Protected Areas, there are a lot of different fish to see such as the California State Fish Garibaldi, schooling blacksmith, bat rays, giant black sea bass, opaleye, topsmelt, walleye and halibut.

The waters have good visibility but it can be really cold so you may need a wetsuit. The tours are around 2 hours total.

When you’re finished with the activity of your choice, it’s time for lunch.

Stop #3: Lunch

12:45pm – 2:15pm (1.5 hrs)

NDMK Fish House – sushi, seafood, poke

The Cove Bar and Grill – bar, happy hour, soup, salad, sandwiches, seafood, burgers, tacos, American food

Stop #4: Crescent Ave. & Descanso Beach Club

Crescent Avenue is filled with restaurants, shops and more.

2:30pm – 5:30pm (3 hrs)

Do a different activity listed above or explore Avalon by foot.

Take some time to walk around Avalon and along Crescent Avenue. Crescent Ave. is the main street with shops and restaurants on one side and the beach on the other.

You can go north on Crescent Ave. which will turn into St. Catherine Way. If you follow this street all the way around Avalon Bay you will reach the Catalina Casino.

The Catalina Casino is probably the most recognized building on Catalina Island which is a cylindrical white building with a red roof. It’s what you see on postcards and pictures.

While it’s called a casino, it’s not a casino at all. It’s actually a theatre and and entertainment venue.

Opening in 1929, this building is quite large and is equivalent to a 12 story building!

The Avalon Theatre is on the main floor while the ballroom and promenade are on the upper floor. The architecture is beautiful inside so be sure to take a look.

You can take a paid guided walking tour of the Casino and learn all about its history as well.

Continuing on St. Catherine Way you will reach the Descanso Beach Club. This is a popular place to relax and layout on the beach.

It’s a private beach that’s open to the public. You can rent a cabana or lounge chair and just chill.

It’s also one of the only places in California where you can have a cocktail on the beach!

During the summer the Descanso Beach Club hosts beach parties with live DJs on Saturdays.

Descanso Beach Club has a restaurant and bar. Have a cocktail and a snack while you relax.

You can do water activities here such as kayaking, stand up paddle boarding or snorkeling. All equipment is rented by the hour.

But if you’re in the mood for something more exhilarating you can do one of their more adventurous activities which includes the zipline tour I mentioned above in the morning activities.

Descanso Beach Club is also the place where many popular events are held such as the famous Catalina Wine Mixer. The

Catalina Wine Mixer was made popular by the movie Step Brothers with Will Ferrel and John C. Reilly where their characters attend the Catalina Wine Mixer. Have you seen it?

Descano Beach Club closes at 4pm so once you’re done here, head back toward the bay. Depending on what day you are on Catalina Island, stores and restaurants can close quite early.

Once you hit Crescent Ave. you can do some souvenir shopping, check out the Three Palms Bar & Grill which features an arcade, bowling and an escape room or stroll around the Metropole Market Place which has a bunch of shops.

Stop #5: Dinner

5:30pm – 7pm (1.5 hrs)

It’s important to eat dinner on the early side because most restaurants on Catalina Island close fairly early but also you’ll want to grab a bite before you head back to the mainland. But don’t over stuff yourself. Remember the ride back can be bumpy.

A dinner option:

The Cove Bar and Grill – If you get to this place before 6pm they have a happy hour with food and drink specials. On their regular menu they have soup, salad, sandwiches, seafood, burgers, tacos, steak and more.