Last updated on March 17th, 2024 at 12:40 pm
Looking for the best Catalina Island tours?
If so, this list of the 12 best tours on Catalina Island is for you! As a Southern California local who used to work on Catalina (yes, seriously!), I’ve been on just about every sightseeing tour the island has to offer.
Here is a guide to the 12 most highly rated and family-friendly Catalina tours so you are sure to have an amazing time exploring the island.
Best Catalina Tours
Located just 26 miles off the coast of Southern California, Catalina Island – with its Mediterranean charm and wide array of exciting outdoor activities – is a quick and easy getaway. Travel time to Avalon, the island’s only city, is just one hour by boat from Long Beach.
Though Catalina Island is easy to get to, its beauty and laid-back atmosphere will make you feel like you’re a world away. There are many experiences waiting to be had, but the best way to truly get to know the island is to take a Catalina tour.
I worked on Catalina Island in the tourism industry for six years, so you can bet I’ve taken just about every tour they have to offer! In addition, these Catalina tours were hand-selected for their high ratings, family-friendliness, fun factor, and value for the price. All you have to do is book your Catalina Island tour and enjoy.
You’ll find a mix of Catalina tours on land and sea, ones that go into the island’s interior, and even one that goes underwater!
So, let’s jump right in! Here are the best Catalina tours for your island getaway.
1. Catalina Island Bison Expedition
Catalina Island Bison Expedition
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars | Tour Length: 2 hours | Check Rates & Availability
Here’s a fun fact. The bison (some people call them buffalo) on Catalina Island are descendants of a small herd left on the island by a movie crew in the 1920s. Today the Catalina Island Conservancy keeps the herd at about 150 to protect both the bison and the island’s landscape.
You can see the bison in the wild and experience the island’s outback in an eco-friendly 4-wheel drive vehicle. Learn about the bison and other local wildlife – along with the island’s history and other facts – from your knowledgeable guide.
This is one of the best land tours Catalina has to offer! No surprise it has the highest possible ranking of 5 out of 5 stars!
2. Glass Bottom Boat Tour
Glass Bottom Boat Tour
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars | Tour Length: 40 minutes | Check Rates & Availability
Kids will love checking out life under the surface of the Pacific Ocean on a glass-bottom boat on this quick, fun and budget-friendly Catalina tour.
Enjoy views of colorful fish, coral, and other sea life in Lover’s Cove Marine Preserve. The boat’s captain will share info about what you’re seeing while you enjoy a fun and relaxing boat ride.
This Catalina Island tour is ideal if you don’t want to snorkel or scuba dive but still want to see Catalina’s lush underwater landscape. It is also one of the best Catalina Island tours if you have little kids!
3. Discover Avalon: Catalina Scenic Tour
Discover Avalon: Catalina Scenic Tour
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars | Tour Length: 50 minutes | Check Rates & Availability
The Catalina Scenic Tour is the ideal way to get an overview of Catalina and enjoy some spectacular views!
Along the way, your guide provides entertaining commentary on the town’s history and folklore. This is another great option if you don’t want to spend too much time on a tour (it is less than an hour) but want to see the whole town and enjoy views from the top of the hills.
4. Inside Adventure Tour on Catalina Island
Inside Adventure Tour
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars | Tour Length: 2 hours | Check Rates & Availability
Like the Catalina Island Bison Expedition, this two-hour adventure will introduce you to the unique and protected side of the island that few visitors get to see.
This Catalina tour ventures to the island’s Airport-in-the-Sky. Along the way be on the lookout for wildlife, including bald eagles, bison and deer. You’ll also visit the Catalina Island Conservancy’s Nature Center.
5. Avalon City: A Self-Guided Audio Tour
Self-Guided Audio Tour
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars | Tour Length: Go at you own pace | Check Rates & Availability
A super cheap (just five bucks!) way to learn about the town of Avalon at your own pace. This downloadable app is a great budget-friendly Catalina tour option.
Listen to the app as you walk around town. The commentary will play automatically as you hit each local highlight and provide facts and figures about the island.
6. Private Guided Golf Cart Tour of Avalon
Private Guided Golf Cart Tour
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars | Tour Length: 2 hours | Check Rates & Availability
On the opposite end of the spectrum – if you want a fully guided, personalized and private tour of Catalina Island, the Private Guided Golf Cart Tour of Avalon may be for you!
Explore the major highlights Avalon on this private golf-cart tour. You get to pick the time and meeting location. Then, hop aboard a golf cart with your private guide for a fun and zippy way to tour Catalina.
You’ll see landmarks like the Catalina Island Casino, Pebbly Beach, the Wrigley Memorial & Botanical Garden, and more. Your guide will provide colorful commentary on all the sights and answer all your questions about Catalina Island.
7. Undersea Expedition: Catalina Island Tour
Undersea Expedition: Catalina Island Tour
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars | Tour Length: 45 minutes | Check Rates & Availability
If you like the idea of a glass bottom boat tour but want to take your adventure one step further, consider the Undersea Expedition.
This tour allows you to sit five feet under the water line in a climate-controlled cabin of large boat. See marine life in their natural habitat out of your own porthole.
Along the way, listen to live commentary from a guide. This is really exciting for kids. (In fact, if your family loves the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage ride at Disneyland, then they’ll love experiencing the real thing on Catalina Island!)
8. Semi-Submarine Tour of Catalina Island from Avalon
Semi-Submarine Tour of Catalina Island
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars | Tour Length: 45 minutes | Check Rates & Availability
The Semi-Submarine Tour of Catalina Island is another option for exploring Catalina’s abundant marine life, on either the Undersea Tour or The Nautilus Tour. As they like to say – this is the closest you can come to getting up close and personal with the marine life without having to put on snorkel gear!
Tour guides throw fish food into the water from the deck above, and fish flock to the semi-sub to gobble up. Kids will love this opportunity to see eye to eye with literally dozens of species of fish.
The semi-sub allows you to view the marine life of Avalon Bay as you dive six feet (two meters) below the surface at Lovers’ Cove. One of the most popular Catalina Island activities for kids!
9. Haunted Catalina Ghost Tour
Haunted Catalina Ghost Tour
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars | Tour Length: 1.5 hours | Check Rates & Availability
If you love ghosts and haunted tales, you’re in luck! Catalina is known for its haunted history and paranormal mysteries; it has even been featured on many TV shows.
Spend your evening touring Avalon on foot with a local historian. The Haunted Catalina Ghost Tour is a casual one and a half hour walk that begins at the base of the Green Pier in downtown Avalon. The walk is a flat route with no large hills, it covers approximately one mile. Children are welcome!
This is the only Ghost Tour on Catalina and has been voted one of the Top Ten Ghost Tours in The Country from USA TODAY.
10. Behind the Scenes Casino Tour
Behind the Scenes Casino Tour
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars | Tour Length: 1.5 hours | Check Rates & Availability
At nearly 100 years old (the Catalina Casino opened in 1929) this iconic art deco landmark offers a glimpse of old Hollywood glamour and history in a dramatic seaside setting.
This small-group guided tour takes you into areas of the Catalina Island Casino, including the historic projection room and green rooms used by stars including Errol Flynn and Cary Grant. Learn all about the Casino’s history, art deco murals, theater and elegant ballroom. Because it is limited in size, you’ll be able to ask your guide lots of questions to personalize your experience.
11. Journey to the Sky Tour
Journey to the Sky Tour
Rating: 4.2 out of 5 Stars | Tour Length: 3 hours | Check Rates & Availability
Take a scenic journey to Catalina’s Airport in the Sky! This narrated Catalina tour travels 31 miles through the heart of Catalina’s rugged interior, following the stagecoach route from the 1800s.
You’ll venture through Middle Ranch, then onto the beautiful windward side of the island for a view of Catalina’s rugged, unspoiled Pacific shoreline for stunning photo opportunities before stopping at Catalina’s Airport-in-the-Sky.
Ten percent of the proceeds from this tour go to support the Catalina Island Conservancy.
12. Catalina Zip Line Eco Tour
Catalina Zip Line Tour
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars | Tour Length: 2 hours | Check Rates & Availability
This Catalina Island tour is a thrill for older kids and adults alike! Get ready for two hours of adrenaline-fueled fun on TripAdvisor’s top-rated Catalina Island adventure.
After a brief safety session, you’ll gear up and climb aboard a shuttle that will take you to the ridge top 600 feet above Descanso Beach Club. From there, you’ll enjoy sweeping ocean views as you zigzag down and across the canyon and through a grove of towering eucalyptus trees on five separate lines at speeds approaching 35 mph.
Plus learn about Catalina Island’s wildlife, history, and ecology along the way. Daredevils and thrill-seekers will love this adventure.
Final Thoughts: Catalina Tours
There you have it, a round-up of the 12 best Catalina tours. There are more, but these are the most family friendly options and all have great reviews and ratings of 4 out 5 or higher!
The tour(s) you choose will really depend on your interest and budget, which is why I included such a wide variety. But whichever Catalina tour you decide to go with, you are sure to have an amazing time and get a real taste of Catalina Island’s history and natural beauty.
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