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Things to do in Avalon

Our most recommended things to do in Avalon

Newport Beach: Catalina Island Ferry Ticket

1. Newport Beach: Catalina Island Ferry Ticket

This is a roundtrip service, from Newport Beach to the Catalina Island's City of Avalon and back to Newport Beach. The transfer ferry ride from one place to the other takes about an hour and fifteen minutes one way. All of the vessels have multiple decks. Snacks and beverages, alcoholic and nonalcoholic, are available for purchase onboard, we accept cash/credit and contactless payments. We travel in the open ocean and can experience rough waters at any time. Catalina and Newport Beach both have many activities - great dining, water excursions, golf cart tours, and much more. You will need to book 2 separate one way trips to get a full round trip experience.

Santa Catalina Island: Nautilus Semi-Submarine Cruise

2. Santa Catalina Island: Nautilus Semi-Submarine Cruise

Join the captain and crew and set off on a 45-minute exploratory mission through Lover's Cove, a State Marine Conservation Area sanctuary. Traverse amazing undersea gardens and ocean habitats in a semi-submersible vessel designed after America's first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, on a trip that is both educational and entertaining. Let your imagination descend into the depths of the ocean as you explore the magic and wonder of undersea life on the Nautilus. Venture into the ocean and through the kelp forest in a state-of-the-art vessel. Learn about what you see with the crew and research team, and let them entertain you with their stories. As you learn and explore, interact with the fish through a specially designed feeding system. Launch fish food torpedoes right from your seat (at an additional cost) and instigate feeding frenzies right outside your personal porthole.

Catalina Island: Private Guided Golf Cart Tour of Avalon

3. Catalina Island: Private Guided Golf Cart Tour of Avalon

Discover the culture, history, and lifestyle of Catalina Island on a guided tour of Avalon with a local guide. Make your way around the city in the comfort of a golf cart and see Avalon's most iconic sights. And feel free to bring your pet along for the ride on this pet-friendly private tour. Meet your guide at the arranged pickup location and hop into the golf cart to begin exploring. Stop at points of interest along the way, customizing this private experience to suit your preferences. Decide on which sights you most want to explore, from the Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden to Casino Point Dive Park. Wander around the Avalon Diving History Exhibit, or stop at different viewpoints along the way to take in the sweeping vistas and capture fantastic photos. As you make your way around Avalon, learn about the island and its landmarks from your local guide, who'll share the history and back stories of each location visited. At the end of your tour, your guide will drop you off at your hotel, or another location of your choosing in the city.

Avalon City: Sightseeing and History Tour with Audio App

4. Avalon City: Sightseeing and History Tour with Audio App

Take a self-guided GPS audio tour through the streets of Avalon with me. My name is Matthew and I am one of the 4000 residents of Avalon. Being a local I get asked a lot of questions. Do you live here full time? How expensive is it? What is that large house up on the hill? Why does everyone drive around in golf carts? How can you have a casino that doesn't allow gambling? Along with historians, authors, and other passionate locals, we will walk the streets of Avalon to answer these questions and more. You'll learn the stories behind our town and its famous landmarks from the people who live here. The tour is ready whenever you are and the audio plays automatically at exactly the right time and place using your smartphone's GPS and the VoiceMap mobile app, which also works offline.

Avalon, Catalina Island: Island Adventure Tour

5. Avalon, Catalina Island: Island Adventure Tour

Have the chance to encounter wildlife such as bison, deer, bald eagles, ravens, or even the Catalina Island fox. There is a photo opportunity around every turn on our two hour guided eco-land excursion. As we climb to the Airport-in-the-Sky admire the spectacular views. At this stop, visit the Nature Center and peer down at one of Catalina’s original Native American gathering sites. The fee to the Catalina Island Conservancy directly supports the preservation of the animals, endangered species, and endemic plants on Catalina Island. Tours leave from The Cabrillo Mole.

Frequently asked questions about Avalon

What top attractions are a must-see in Avalon?

The must-see attractions in Avalon are:

Other Sightseeing Options in Avalon

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What people are saying about Avalon

Overall rating

4.5 / 5

based on 20 reviews

It is a fabulous experience, it is the version "on steroids" of the Disneyland Yellow Submarine ride, before entering the submarine I was afraid that being a place locked up for more than 30 minutes I or my son could suffer from claustrophobia, however one Once inside, seeing how spacious the submarine is, with air conditioning, how clean and well lit, that fear dissipated, and what was previously a fear became happiness. To make things even better the guide turned out to be a lot of fun. Time passed so quickly seeing the bottom of the sea and all the fish and algae, that when I realized it had already passed 40 minutes and we were about to dock at the pier. It was awesome experience. I recommend it.

Such a unique experience. My husband and I travel often and have never done anything like this! They take you to three different spots and you can see the kelp and different fish. Although you do see the same fish and kelp at each spot, it was still pretty awesome to see the fish up that close. I don't foresee myself ever snorkeling or scuba diving, so it was amazing to see the oceanlife. The guide was informative but he was not required to wear a mask, so him coming up to talk to us was a bit unsettling. Also, if you order mobile tickets you are still required to checkin and get your tickets printed. Overall excellent experience and highly recommend if visiting Catalina island!

It's a awesome experience, especially for kids. However, if you plan to do it, you have to take into account that you need one day. Because to get there you need to take the ferry from L.A. (which costs for 3 persons, round trip, another 250 $). But it's nice once you get to Catalina Island because beside the tour with the sub, you can enjoy other activities on the island. Be aware that before boarding you need to go on the pier to get printed tickets. Overall it was nice because you kid can see all the fishes and can actually feed them with food torpedoes.

The tour was excellent, very fun and informative. We had no idea what to expect but our guide "Leta?" has lived on the island for 33 years and probably knew more of the details and history of the island then we could have imagined or discovered on our own.

Overall we had fun, but there wasn't much to see except for when we stopped to feed the fish. The fish were exciting for my young daughters. The boat was cool and themed in a fun fashion.