The Perfectly Imperfect 1 Week Catalina Island Itinerary: Paradise With Quirks

Your Day-By-Day 1 Week Catalina Island Itinerary (With Built-In Recovery Time)

The following 1 week Catalina Island itinerary balances ambitious exploration with strategic laziness—an approach that honors both the adventurous spirit that brought you 22 miles offshore and the vacation mindset that deserves occasional horizontal time with a beverage. This careful calibration of activity and relaxation represents years of field research on optimal island enjoyment, during which many mai tais were harmed in the pursuit of scientific accuracy.

Day 1: Arrival and Avalon Orientation

Your Catalina adventure begins with a surprisingly rollicking ferry ride from one of four mainland ports: Long Beach, San Pedro, Dana Point, or Newport Beach. The Catalina Express ($75-95 round trip) operates with cheerful disregard for those prone to motion sickness, though savvy travelers know to bring their own dramamine and avoid the rookie mistake of sitting at the stern, where the boat’s natural bouncing is amplified to amusement park levels. The crossing takes approximately one hour, just enough time to question life choices when the open Pacific swells appear.

Upon arrival, the accommodation spectrum offers something for every tax bracket. Budget travelers can secure a clean but compact room at the historic Hermosa Hotel ($120-160/night), where the charm-to-square-footage ratio is impressively high. Mid-range visitors gravitate toward the Pavilion Hotel ($250-350/night), where the garden courtyard creates the illusion you’ve wandered into a wealthy friend’s Mediterranean estate. Those with Luxembourg-level vacation budgets should consider Mt Ada ($750-1,000/night), Wrigley’s former mansion, where guests enjoy wraparound views and the subtle pleasure of looking down—literally and figuratively—on other tourists.

After check-in, rent a golf cart ($50/hour, typically with a 2-hour minimum) for the quintessential Avalon orientation tour. The winding roads above town lead to Buena Vista Point, where visitors inevitably mumble “this looks exactly like the Italian Riviera” while taking photos they’ll later use as video call backgrounds. The Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden offers both cultural insights and the chance to pretend you’re interested in desert plants while actually catching your breath on the uphill walk.

For dinner, The Bluewater Grill ($25-40 entrées) offers harbor views and the philosophical experience of consuming fish that likely witnessed your arrival on the morning ferry. Their fresh catches and clam chowder bread bowls provide the proper caloric foundation for a week of island exploration, while the nautical décor helps maintain the illusion that you’re somehow both in California and not in California simultaneously.

Day 2: Casino and Underwater Adventures

Begin your first full day with a morning tour of the Catalina Casino ($35), a building whose name has confused generations of hopeful gamblers. Despite containing zero slot machines or card tables, this Art Deco masterpiece remains the island’s most photographed landmark. The guided tour reveals the magnificent ballroom where big bands once played to crowds who had literally crossed an ocean for a night of dancing. The docents deliver historical facts with the pride of people who clearly believe they’re describing the eighth wonder of the world.

Afterward, explore the startlingly clear waters of Lover’s Cove Marine Preserve via glass-bottom boat ($45) or snorkeling expedition ($60). The vibrant orange Garibaldi fish—California’s state marine fish and apparently the most easily offended aquatic species—swim past with expressions suggesting they find human interest in their daily activities somewhere between annoying and invasive. The underwater kelp forests create a magical environment where even terrible swimmers appear graceful in photos, an optical illusion worth the price of admission alone.

Late afternoon calls for a leisurely stroll along Crescent Avenue, Avalon’s main street, where shops sell a mathematically improbable range of merchandise from identical suppliers at wildly different price points. Island souvenir economics operate on the principle that the closer to the ferry terminal, the higher the markup on shot glasses featuring cartoon buffalos.

For dinner, Maggie’s Blue Rose ($20-35 entrées) offers Mexican cuisine with a California twist and margaritas potent enough to make purchasing that Catalina-shaped wind chime seem like a sound investment. Despite your pre-trip promises about fiscal responsibility, surrender to ordering the tableside guacamole—the theatrical preparation and freshness justify both the price and the inevitable moment when your server asks if you’d like “just a little more chip” with practiced timing.

Day 3: Inland Expedition

Venture into Catalina’s rugged interior via Jeep eco-tour ($150), where you’ll encounter the island’s most improbable residents: approximately 150 American bison. These massive mammals are descendants of 14 animals brought over for a 1924 movie shoot and subsequently abandoned when someone realized transporting bison back to the mainland was logistically challenging and financially unappealing. The resulting wild herd now roams the hills with the confident swagger of creatures who know they’re the largest land mammals for at least 22 miles.

The tour includes a stop at Airport in the Sky, Catalina’s mountaintop airstrip where small planes make landings that can generously be described as “adventurous.” The DC-3 Café serves bison burgers ($18) harvested from the very animals you photographed earlier, creating an uncomfortably direct farm-to-table experience that somehow feels appropriate to island life. The café’s patio offers panoramic views that convince visitors they’re much more outdoorsy than their regular Starbucks habits would suggest.

Afternoon hiking on selected segments of the Trans-Catalina Trail provides both exercise and wildlife encounters with the endemic island fox. These cat-sized canids have evolved both a unique appearance and a sophisticated understanding of which hikers are likely to drop trail mix. Their adorable faces mask the calculating minds of creatures who’ve learned that looking cute is an effective evolutionary strategy when sharing territory with camera-wielding humans.

End your day at Descanso Beach Club, where the $2 surcharge added to already premium $6 beers for the privilege of being served on the beach somehow seems reasonable as the sun creates an Instagram-worthy golden hour effect across the water. The beach club’s semi-private setting and comfortable loungers offer the perfect recovery environment after a day of pretending that walking uphill doesn’t bother you.

Day 4: Adventure Day

Channel your inner thrill-seeker with a morning zipline eco-tour ($129), where five separate lines carry you through the canyon at speeds up to 30 mph with a 600-foot vertical drop. The mandatory safety video features cartoon characters demonstrating proper technique with expressions suggesting they’re having more fun than any cartoon has a right to experience. The actual ziplining produces a curious mixture of legitimate fear and exhilaration that participants typically process by alternating between terrified silence and maniacal laughter.

For those preferring a less physically demanding adrenaline experience, parasailing ($89) offers similar elevation without the effort. Floating 800 feet above the harbor provides the ideal perspective for capturing photos that will make your social media followers simultaneously envious and concerned about your apparent disregard for gravity. The peaceful gliding contrasts sharply with the boat crew’s enthusiastic commentary, creating a sensory experience best described as “floating meditation led by sports announcers.”

Afternoon kayaking ($25/hour rental) allows exploration of hidden coves and sea caves inaccessible by other means. The resident sea lions view human paddlers with a mixture of curiosity and territorial indignation, occasionally swimming alongside kayaks with expressions suggesting they’re evaluating your technique and finding it lacking. The crystal-clear water reveals colorful fish darting below your craft, creating the illusion of hovering above an aquarium exhibit designed by someone with exceptional attention to detail.

Conclude your adventure day with dinner at Avalon Grille ($30-45 entrées), where locally-sourced ingredients and sophisticated preparation help you temporarily forget you spent the day sweating in saltwater. The elegant ambiance and attentive service provide a civilized counterpoint to the day’s physical exertions, while the wine list offers options substantially more refined than the beach club’s plastic cup selections. The contrast between daytime adventure and evening refinement perfectly encapsulates the Catalina experience—simultaneously rustic and luxurious, accessible yet remote.

Day 5: Travel to Two Harbors

Transition to Catalina’s wilder side via either the Cyclone power boat ($30 one-way) or Safari Bus ($32 one-way). The Cyclone offers speed and the very real possibility of getting splashed, while the Safari Bus provides wildlife spotting opportunities along with suspension challenges on the unpaved island roads. This transportation decision essentially asks whether you prefer your island transportation to be wet or dusty, with no third option involving comfort available.

Two Harbors accommodation options reflect the settlement’s rustic character. Budget travelers can camp under the stars ($25/night), while those requiring actual walls might choose the basic but charming cabins at Banning House Lodge ($150-225/night). Families or groups seeking more space can rent villas ($300-500/night) with kitchen facilities that prove useful given the limited dining options in a village whose entire commercial district consists of approximately one building.

The afternoon invites beachcombing and snorkeling in the quiet coves surrounding Two Harbors, where the water clarity approaches swimming pool levels without the unfortunate chlorine aftertaste. Marine life here appears noticeably more relaxed than their Avalon counterparts, having adapted to significantly lower human traffic. The peaceful setting and minimal ambient noise create the rare opportunity to hear your own thoughts—a potentially alarming experience for residents of major metropolitan areas.

Dinner at Harbor Reef Restaurant (the only restaurant in town, $18-36 entrées) introduces visitors to the famous Buffalo Milk cocktail, a deceptively strong concoction containing neither buffalo nor milk but guaranteed to complicate your ability to locate your accommodations after dark. The restaurant’s open-air design and casual atmosphere encourage conversation with fellow travelers, creating the communal feeling of having discovered a secret destination despite it being clearly marked on every island map.

Day 6: Two Harbors Exploration

Morning hiking on the Trans-Catalina Trail’s western segments rewards early risers with spectacular ocean vistas and the endorphin rush that comes from conquering seemingly gentle inclines that mysteriously transform into near-vertical ascents when you’re actually on them. Trail markers providing distance information seem to operate on a different understanding of measurement than mainland hikers are accustomed to, with “just another mile” often translating to “enough distance to contemplate your life choices.”

For water enthusiasts, stand-up paddleboarding ($25/hour rental) offers both core exercise and the entertainment value of watching beginners demonstrate that human balance systems aren’t naturally calibrated for floating platforms. First-timers inevitably resemble newborn giraffes on ice before finding their equilibrium, a process that appears to amuse the harbor’s fish population. The protected coves provide ideal conditions for learning, with minimal waves and maximum witnesses to document any spectacular falls.

Afternoon relaxation might include visiting Two Harbors’ tiny library to borrow from their eclectic collection of beach-worn paperbacks left behind by previous visitors. The literary selection reflects the fascinating cross-section of humanity that visits the island, from dog-eared thrillers to occasionally alarming self-help titles suggesting previous readers were working through significant life transitions while on vacation.

As evening approaches, secure one of the beach fire rings (available first come, first served) for a classic California beach bonfire with s’mores and stargazing. The minimal light pollution reveals stellar displays that cause city dwellers to make involuntary sounds of wonder while pointing upward. The combination of crackling fire, gentle waves, and visible Milky Way creates the kind of memory that inevitably becomes embellished in future retellings, with each version adding additional shooting stars and profound conversations.

Day 7: Return to Avalon and Departure

Board the morning Safari Bus back to Avalon ($32), where the bumpy ride provides both wildlife viewing opportunities and natural spinal adjustment services. After a week on island time, mainland concerns begin to resurface with the anxiety-inducing prospect of returning to environments where vehicles regularly exceed 14 mph and checking email becomes unavoidable. The transition from Two Harbors’ silence to Avalon’s relative bustle offers a gentle re-entry to civilization before the full shock of returning to the mainland.

Use remaining hours for last-minute shopping, distinguishing between genuinely useful Catalina souvenirs (local honey, island-themed watercolors by resident artists) and overpriced tourist trinkets destined for next spring’s donation pile. The shops nearest the ferry terminal operate with the aggressive pricing strategy of businesses who understand you’re about to lose access to their merchandise forever, creating artificial urgency around purchasing decisions involving magnets shaped like bison.

Enjoy a final meal at Original Jack’s Country Kitchen ($12-20) for a hearty breakfast with portion sizes apparently calculated for people preparing to swim back to the mainland rather than taking the ferry. The diner’s no-nonsense approach and efficient service reflect its understanding that departing visitors have schedules to keep, a jarring concept after a week of deliberately unscheduled island living.

As you board the afternoon ferry, observe the distinctive mix of sunburned happiness and reluctance on the faces of departing visitors. This 1 week Catalina Island itinerary concludes with the peculiar sensation of having been both on vacation and somehow in a parallel universe—one where time moved more slowly, strangers waved from passing golf carts, and the most pressing daily decision involved whether to have seafood or Mexican food for dinner. The mainland appears on the horizon all too quickly, along with cellular service strong enough to deliver seven days of accumulated notifications.