Orlando was fantastic. He took us to many sights that included a great view of Avalon, the airport…read moreand we were lucky enough to see two bison. I learned a lot about Catalina Island that I didn't know. I enjoyed listening to his anecdotes from living on the island for the past 3 decades. I highly recommend the tour!

Such an awesome day! Jim was so much fun and informative about the island and history. We had the…read morebest time and and we highly recommend this company!!! The vehicle was roomy and comfortable. Book your trip now!!!

On a one day visit to Catalina Island, there is so much to do, see and eat…read more To start, rent a golf cart or wear good walking shoes because this port is not too big for tourist exploration. There is also a "Circuit" ride share that will take you around the island for $2 per person. Coming in by tender from a cruise ship is great. The docking area is in town and so close to everything. I exited the tender and walked along the waterfront where I passed a few children's playgrounds with a pirate theme. Then on to where the golf carts are rented. I walked to the pier (Green Pier) where there are bathrooms and many small shops all hoping for the tourist business. They carry the typical port souvenirs. After a long walk on this short pier I got to the end where there is many people fishing with poles and the little set ups they will sell you for a few dollars and the bait too. There are plenty of benches to sit and watch the boat come in and out of the harbour. There is a small beach area that has lots of pretty colored little rocks along the shoreline. The walk to the round Casino Building is pretty much the end of the road before a mountainside resort. I passed by some waterfront restaurants that were even crowded on a cloudy day. My walk back to the tender was quick and the ride back to the cruise ship was also pretty nice and calm.

Great day trip with smooth "sailings" there and back. Tickets were easy to get and upgrade as…read moreneeded.

We recently took the 50-minute scenic island tour with Catalina Adventure Tours, and overall, it…read morewas a great experience! The tour does an amazing job of hitting the highlights around Avalon, sweeping you up past the historic Catalina Casino, Lover's Cove, and all the way up to the incredible vantage points near Mt. Ada. The time absolutely flew by-the 50 minutes went by so fast because the narration was engaging and the views of the harbor below were stunning. It's a fantastic, quick way to get a layout of the island and soak in some great local history. The only real downside to note is that you aren't able to actually get off the vehicle to stretch your legs or take photos. Every picture has to be snapped directly from your seat in the open-air safari truck.

I usually hand out five-star reviews like candy (go read my mole exterminator review and see!), but…read moreI am breaking protocol because we just had the single most unhinged nautical event in Catalina. We booked tickets for the 4:15 submarine tour with three kids (ages 5, 4, and almost 2). We showed up at 4:09, feeling good, holding wonder in our hearts, and ready to look at some fish. We hang tight at the entry gate for a few minutes, and at 4:13, the "captain" violently emerged from the submarine hatch like he was on the sinking Titanic. He was at a vibrating level-10 panic before his feet even hit the deck. He glared at us and barked, "ARE YOU HERE FOR THE 4:15?!" We said yes. He immediately declared: "YOU'RE NOT ON THIS BOAT!" Before I could even process his immediate rejection, he snatched the paper receipt straight out of my hand and started screaming into the open air: "ARE THERE ANY SEATS?!" He might have been yelling at his coworker, who was an absolute angel trapped in a maritime hostage situation, or he was just screaming into the void. Honestly, 50/50 toss-up. We finally descend into the submarine. Plenty of open seating. Then, at 4:15 on the dot, our friend Vanessa arrived with her family. The captain intercepted her at the hatch and literally yelled "THERE'S NO ROOM!" into her face. Vanessa calmly asked, "Wait, did you overbook?" The captain threw his hands up and yelled that he had "NO IDEA HOW MANY RESERVATIONS THERE ARE!" Vanessa, using logic, held up the glowing confirmation screen and tickets on her smartphone. The captain stared at this modern technology, looked terrified, and screamed: "I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS MEANS!" At this point, broken by the sheer reality of a customer with tickets, he relented: "FINE. But you'll all be seated separately!" We all sat together. Zero stars wasn't an option. I don't know who hurt this man, but if your dream is to get verbally assaulted on a dock by a "submarine" captain who is potentially on the comedown of a bender, this is the cruise for you!

May 28, 2026 | Catalina Island Avalon | Love Catalina Island Visitor Center hosted the 2026 Taste…read moreAround Catalina culinary event! What a lively food, dessert & drink filled event! Tickets | $2 & you receive a map of where the restaurants are located, which are in walking distance, just steps from one another! Where | Downtown Catalina! I had no idea that it would be such a huge event! There were people everywhere, having a good time, walking around, eating and drinking... Good vibes all around! Prepare | Be sure to stop by the bank and pick up $1 & $5 bills! It's easier to give the exact amount, as most of the items are between one and six dollars, and most places won't have change! There is a US Bank in Downtown Catalina! Tasty | The Taste Around Avalon event was well organized, gave generous portions, a variety of food at about 34 restaurants! You need to have a bite & signature/stamp at 10 restaurants to be eligible for the drawing! Culinary Extravaganza | I made it to 10 restaurants, even when it started to rain a bit towards the end! I enjoyed clam chowder via Bluewater Avalon, the mango tango refreshing drink from Pier 24 was absolutely delicious, and the taco was seasoned well! Tasty ravioli at Original Jack's Italian! The Seabass at Avalon Grille was a full on delicious WIN for me, easily 5 stars & made quite the impression; tender, flavorful and seasoned to perfection!! The chef was also right there on site cooking on the grill!! The bite of warm butter cake was full-on yum via El Galeon! The Dole Whip at Scoops was a standout & especially when he topped it with Tahin...yes!! it was even worth the temporary brain freeze! Haha! The $1 shrimp & pasta dish at Steve's Steakhouse...wow, both delicious and a great deal! At this point, it was full on raining, but that didn't stop me! After all, I had on my cowgirl hat to somewhat shield me from the rain! Though my battery was running low, thank goodness, I was equipped with my pink sparkly portable charger! The show must go on! I didn't come this far for nothing! Lol! The shrimp enchilada and mango salad at Maggie's was mouthwatering delicious and I would easily order again! Feeling like a champ, I finished off the evening with a memorable spicy guava margarita...yum! Fun Note | The next day, I walked over to US Bank and ended up returning several $1 bills for larger notes! Customer Service | Beth & Suzanna were the sweetest when I went to purchase my ticket at the Visitor Center! They were just as friendly as ever & gave me plenty of info about how to navigate the event! One of the many reasons why I love Catalina Island, the people are so kind! During the event | Top-of-the-line customer service everywhere I went at the event! The crowd was really friendly as well! I also saw plenty of familiar faces, as I've been to Catalina Island Avalon many times! There were so many cute dogs too! At the end of the event, you turn in your restaurant scorecard for a chance to win prizes! Fun!! Overall | Yes, Please! It's a super fun event, I discovered a few new restaurants and I would easily go again in a heartbeat! Great food, refreshing drinks, delicious desserts & and all-around good time!

I had printed out maps of two hikes on the island, but I wasn't sure which one to do. Moreover,…read morethere was very little detail on either map on where the trail started or where the turns were. When I presented my dilemma to the nice woman working there, she said one hike was significantly better than the other. Then, she pulled out a map of the area, and proceeded to mark the hike turn by turn, with a Magic Marker. OMG that was so helpful! She was even nice enough to mark the scenic spots. We did the hike without any problems. We always knew where we were, and where to go next.

We had a great time with 7 of us and Andrew as our guide !…read more From the start he let us know what we should expect and how bumpy and dusty it was going to be too ! He made sure we were all ok with heights and bumps and lots of great views . We were in awe of the things we saw and the endless pictures we were able to take . I highly recommend asking for Andrew to be your guide . It was 2 hours of pure fun and no regrets !!

I'll be honest, I was a little nervous at first. The group before us came back and a woman jumped…read moreoff the hummer looking totally frazzled, yelling "WARN THEM!!" which....yeah, not exactly comforting. So if you're on the fence or feeling anxious, this review is for you. We had Andrew as our guide and he was awesome. Before we even got on the open air hummer, he was very upfront that the ride would be bumpy and gave solid advice on where to sit if heights make you uneasy. That actually made me more nervous at first, but it turned out to be totally fine. The hummer never gets that close to the cliff edge, and it always felt controlled and safe. The views are unreal!!!!!! seriously breathtaking. We were lucky enough to see 2 bison, 2 Catalina foxes, 2 does, and a young buck. The tour before us saw zero bison, so we were thrilled. We even got to see them up close, which was incredible. As for the ride itself, I didn't find it nearly as bumpy as people make it sound. There were a few spots where the height felt a little sketchy, but in a "whoa" way, not a "nope, I regret everything" way. All in all, I'd absolutely recommend this tour. Don't let dramatic exit speeches scare you off, you'll be glad you did it. There's blankets available on the hummer in case you get chilly. Tips: - bring cash. TIP YOUR DRIVER!!!! - secure your hat and hair, so hat doesn't go flying off

My boyfriend and I went for a quick day trip to spend some time at the island since he had never…read morebeen. We booked the 50 minute Discover Avalon tour and we loved it! It was the perfect amount of time to get acquainted will a little bit of Avalon and hear a few fun facts. Our tour guide was Laura and she was so funny and knowledgeable! I highly recommend the tour. A small warning, the tour bus is open air and a bit bumpy, so if you have injuries or issues with rough rides, I would maybe reach out to Discover Avalon and double check if you are good to tour with them :)

We were going to try out the submarine, we accidentally went to the "yellow" submarine tour…read morelocation to buy tickets and they were over $25 more each. Ticket! We went to Catalina as write tours and the very nice lady told Is that due to swells coming from Mexico the visibility would not be good at all she highly recommended us to wait for another day. He honestly not only saved us from a ruined trip but also gained them a forever customer, thank you for caring about your customers experience. Unlike the other tours available

Rented snorkels, mask, fins for about $20. for two hours to use at Lover's Cove…read more Easy experience, equipment worked fine, and saw lots of fish at Lover's Cove!

Ron was the BEST!!! As someone who can't swim, and is afraid of the ocean, he made my experience…read morewonderful. He provided us with wet suits, fins, and masks. Took us to Lover's Cove, and helped us go in to the water. I felt very safe with him there. He had me use a pool noodle and a guard floaty thingy so I was afloat the whole time. He was very patient, kind, and super knowledgeable about everything we saw under water. The whole experience was amazing, and it felt surreal to be able to explore the ocean like this.

Bought an instruction ride for my mother in law. What a fabulous experience. A thrill of a lifetime…read moreshe said.

Service was great!! Everyone we spoke to was super nice. Unfortunately we missed our return flight…read moredue to having the wrong return time (totally my fault). Eloy was really nice and was able to accommodate us with a flight back the same day on the next flight with no extra charge. We definitely recommend Island Express Helicopter Service!

Wow.. what an amazing tour. Thank you Lindsey!…read more This is Judith. I went with my husband and neighbors. We took a picture with the Polaroid! We want to thank you very much for educating us on the island. As first timers, we were struggling on what to do in a short period of time. This was a great way for sure! We learned so much and love how we as tourist contribute to keep the island going. Every dollar counts. I loved seeing the bisons ( tired and retired ) lol , the airport ( especially the oatmeal cookie ) and even learning about the plants! It was so cool and fun! I'm already planning my trip this month! Hope we can meet again! See you soon!

We had a great time on this two-hour Catalina Island tour. It was the perfect way to see parts of…read morethe island beyond Avalon while learning about Catalina's unique history and wildlife. The highlight was getting to see the bison close up. Our guide shared interesting stories about the island's past and pointed out several scenic spots along the way. The stop at the Airport in the Sky about halfway through was a nice break to stretch our legs, use the restrooms, and grab a snack before continuing the tour. If you want to see a little more of Catalina than just the waterfront area, I highly recommend this tour.

Maverick Helicopters absolutely delivered, and Mark Kono made the experience exceptional…read more Mark is the kind of pilot who immediately puts you at ease. His flying was incredibly smooth, but what stood out even more was his situational awareness. He was attentive, calm, respectful, and genuinely thoughtful throughout the entire flight. Nothing ever felt abrupt or rushed, and that made all the difference. He also went out of his way to swing wide and give us a beautiful look at the coastline before heading over to the Hollywood sign, and he explained everything along the way with just the right amount of detail. Ivan deserves a mention as well for making the setup effortless from the beginning, and even the mechanic jumped in to grab some great photos for us before departure. From booking to landing, the entire experience felt polished, personal, and memorable. Mark, especially, was outstanding. Smooth pilot, sharp instincts, great demeanor, and exactly the kind of person you want at the controls. Highly recommended.

My husband surprised me with a flight over to Catalina island and now we're spoiled. The boat ride…read moreback just didn't complete. Maverick was easy to checkin with, they loaded our bags and took photos for us. Six of us rode over and it was comfortable, safe, and great views. They had even called ahead for a taxi ride to come get us at the island station