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!

The taxi drivers were very kind and friendly. However, when we were coming into land there was a…read morelot of air traffic landing also so we had to wait our turn. The taxi company kept calling but I had no service to answer. We landed and talk to the guy at 12:20 and the reservation was at 12:00. We apologized for being late and explained the situation. We then asked if we had time to use the bathroom. HE SAID YES. We got on our way about 12:35. I got a call about an hour later telling me it would be an extra 100$ because he had to wait and we didn't leave until 12:35! I explained everything to management and she didn't care. The price gouging is insane because they are the only taxi company!

Had the best experience with Rob. We laughed and learned, all at the same time. We did our tour on…read more7/19/26. Would we recommend this company? The answer is yes! Thank you Rob

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.

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.

* Did the glass boat and submarine tour- and highly recommend both…read more *Apart from the fun adventure of viewing marine life, the tour guides on both the expedition were knowledgeable and shared the island history as well as marine life education (you learn a lot!) * if you have issues with closed spaces, I don't recommend the submarine adventure *Expect some steps for both rides. If you can't do even a few stairs at all with guard rails... then reconsider * On both tours you have the option to purchase fish food that brings sea life closer to the viewing window- cash only and so plan accordingly. *Fun for all ages

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.

Having Andrew as your guide made our entire experience, he was super knowledgeable and had us…read morelaughing the entire time!

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 took the bison expedition tour yesterday, Saturday, February 21, and had the absolute best…read moreexperience thanks to our guide, Andrew. From the moment we started, he was funny, warm, and incredibly engaging, while also being super knowledgeable and educational about the island and wildlife. What really stood out was how perfectly Andrew balanced the experience -- he knew exactly when to share great stories and facts, and when to let us simply soak in the sights, sounds, and beauty around us. He never rushed us and made sure we had plenty of opportunities for amazing photos and genuine wildlife sightings. We truly felt like we were seeing the island at its best. The tour felt safe, well-supported, and action-packed, without ever feeling overwhelming. You could tell Andrew genuinely cared about everyone having a great time and walking away with memorable moments. We also saw a fox and bison! Highly, highly recommend this tour -- and if you're lucky enough to get Andrew as your guide, you're in for a treat. Side note: when guides and drivers go above and beyond like this, please remember to tip. Andrew, if you ever read this -- thank you for such a fantastic experience. Hope your boss sees this and rewards you big time!

Great place to snorkel and good service…read more Was really fun especially with the divers blowing bubbles just underneath us. Tons of fish in diver's cove, at finger length. Water is very cold so get into the very thick wet suit for sure. There is no shower at premise but there is public shower in about 0.5 mile, check their schedule though. Water is not dirty so don't can afford to wait a bit.

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!

Shane was an awesome tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about the island and its history. We had…read morea great time during the 2-hour tour.

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!

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

Great experience! Staff was great and very friendly. Pilot was very nice and talked about the…read morecompany as if it were his own. This is definitely the way to get to Catalina, money well spent!