Catalina Island Private 2-Hour Tour of Avalon
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Los Angeles, USA
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Get to know Avalon and its best viewpoints without risking foot blisters as you tour the city with ease by golf cart. Listen to in-depth explanations about Catalina Island’s history, culture and lifestyle as you trundle up the hills without breaking a sweat, pausing to admire the views as you wish, and discover lesser-known places most travelers miss.
- A great introduction to Avalon and Catalina Island for first-timers
- Learn about Catalina Island from a local’s perspective as you explore by golf cart
- Enjoy a private tour with your guide’s undivided attention, adapted to your pace
- Choice of morning, afternoon, and evening tour timings lets you organize your day with ease
What's Included
- Private transportation
- All Fees and Taxes
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
1
Avalon
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- If car/booster seat is needed, please add age of children
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Shinobu_C
Eric is the best of best!
He knows everything about Catalina Island.
He answered all the questions that we had and he even gave us a great tip for next time trip to the Catalina.
I'm so glad I found you to be the guide of our family.
Can't wait to see you next time 😜
Thank you, Eric!
Reviews
4.9
based on 172 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Shane_D, Sep 2026
Carol was a great tour guide with a wealth of knowledge about Catalina and Avalon. Was nice to relax and have someone drive us around the island.
deborah_W, Sep 2026
This tour was great! Our guide, Sara , was personable and knowledgeable. She is a local and was able to provide great information about the island. This tour made our visit to Catalina memorable.
Norwood_J, Aug 2026
This was our first time to Avalon and Catalina. I study up on the new places we go so I don’t miss things. Chris was our guide and a great job explaining the significance and history of the island. Perfect tour for first timers.
LESA_G, Aug 2026
Very educational. Chris was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Personable, great sense of humor. Took great photos! Excellent driving skills!
Mickie_M, Aug 2026
Originally wanted to rent golf cart on our own, so glad we ended up going with this tour, guide was very informative about the history of the island, we would not have enjoyed it as much without him guiding us, very friendly. Definitely recommend for easy tour of the island
Christine_C, Aug 2026
If you want to hear about the history of Catalina we definitely recommend this tour. Our guide, Mark, born and raised on the island, provided so much information about the island and showed us many things we would have missed. We spent the day with our three granddaughters, and they learned so much about Catalina.
Lori_b, Aug 2026
Such a great experience! Our driver was so knowledgeable- he was born on the island and knew everything and everyone- I'd recommend him 100 percent.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you Lori for visiting Catalina Island.
We appreciate awesome visitors like you!
so happy you enjoyed your island time.
Kathy_B, Jul 2026
The driver, Eric, was very nice but the gas powered golf cart was very noisy and smelled gasoline for the entire 2 hours. Areas covered were only in town and few Wrigley masions in the hills close to town.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi Kathy
We are sorry to know your tour was not what you anticipated. If you are looking to see more of the island we recommend going with Catalina Taxi & Tours or Catalina Backcountry. They go into the interior of the island outside of Avalon.
Thanks for visiting the island and we hope you come again soon!
Sincerely, Avalon Local Tours
Lynne_W, Jul 2026
Chris was our tour guide, and he was awesome! Gave us so much information about the island and Avalon. We liked seeing it all: from the only gas station and grocery store to the pet cemetery. Plus, knowing that people couldn’t hear over the golf cart, he stopped often to explain major points is interest and to take photos of our family at scenic spots along the way. Highly recommend!
ladysniper777, Jul 2026
Had a great time. I usually try to do a global view sort of tour at the beginning of each of my vacations. I get a general sense of the local culture and scene. This gave me a great overview of the island and colorful backdrop to the remainder of the trip. Thoroughly enjoyed!
Jennifer_H, Jul 2026
This was the first activity we did on the island and it was a great experience (also our first time in Catalina Island). Michael, our tour guide, was very friendly, professional, and knew a lot about the island. He gave us tips on where to eat and great snorkeling spots. He took us to scenic spots where we took pictures with great backdrop of the hills and the colorful ocean. I highly recommend this tour, especially if it’s your first time to Catalina Island.
One recommendation I would make is, it would be great if the golf cart had speakers and the tour guide spoke onto a mic. If anyone is sitting on the back seat of the cart, you might have a hard time hearing the tour guide. My kids (8 and 10 years old) sat on the very back seat (facing outward) and they couldn’t hear the tour guide that well (but they didn’t care all too much about being able to hear him, they just enjoyed the view).
Pam_I, Jul 2026
Sarah was very knowledgeable about the lifestyle and history of Catalina. We had a perfect day to view the amazing beauty of the landscape. We even encountered a couple of deer, both of which posed for photos & not too skiddish. We know what to do & how to navigate when we come back for more than a day. A great experience with a great guide! Ask for Sarah!
Dan_F, Jul 2026
Mark, our tour guide, had great knowledge as he grew up on the island, encourage questions, had both , island and personal stories about Catalina
Response from Host, Jul 2026
So happy to know you thoroughly enjoyed your couple hours touring with Mark on Catalina. Thanks for sharing.
Justine_L, Jun 2026
It was a fun ride around town from one hilltop to the other with great photo opportunities of beautiful Avalon. Our tour guide Chris is a local who is funny and knowledgeable about Catalina. I would highly recommend it.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Justine, Thank you for sharing your tour experience and recommending us.
Bob_H, Jun 2026
Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Golf cart worked well for this tour. It was comfortable. Pickup was on time. Water was provided as well as a clean rest stop. Plenty of opportunities to take photos.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thanks Bob, glad to know you had a fun two hour touring Avalon. Thanks for your kind review.
Mariela_T, Jun 2026
It was great lots of history information shared! Mark was out tour he gave us so much information about the island answered all of our questions he was great! He even recommended other activities to try. Had such an amazing time he also was out photographer!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you Mariela for touring with us!! So happy to hear your group had a great time. Call us if you need any future recommendations next time your're on the island. (424)738-1141
Raquel_J, Jun 2026
We enjoyed learning about the island's history and appreciated the opportunity to hear interesting facts and stories throughout the tour. However, the golf cart was quite loud, which sometimes made it difficult to hear the guide clearly.
Our guide, Carol, seemed a bit reserved at the beginning of the tour and didn't come across as particularly warm or welcoming until about halfway through. While she became more engaging as the tour progressed, a friendlier introduction would have enhanced the experience.
Overall, the tour was enjoyable, but considering the cost, I think I would choose the self-guided option next time. Renting a golf cart and exploring at our own pace would have provided a similar experience for a better value.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Good morning Raquel,
Thank you for your honest review so we can address the issues at hand. As a company we strive to provide an awesome overall experience. We are saddened to know you did not feel welcomed & greeted properly and did not thoroughly .
Sincerely,
Avalon Local Tours
jerome_b, Jun 2026
We had a great time with Mark as he showed us around the island. It was interesting to see not only the tourist areas but also many of the logistical aspects of island life. His knowledge of the island history was impressive and he brought it to life in an interesting way. And he dropped a little ghost story making us want to learn more :).
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Jerome,
So happy you had a great time touring with Mark.
The island has so many fun aspects to share. Call us for your next vacation planning for some fun ideas!
(424)738-1141
Janet_M, Jun 2026
This tour was really fun and informative. It was our first time visiting Catalina Island, and we loved seeing all of the island and hearing about its history. Our tour guide, Mark was really friendly and knowledgeable and made the tour very fun for my husband, myself, and our three sons. I would definitely recommend!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thanks Janet for sharing your family's tour experience. Ecstatic to know you enjoyed your island time.
Dayna_T, May 2026
Ask for Mark - he's a vast wealth of knowledge, as well as one of 1,168 people to have been born on the island!
By far the most engaging guide I've ever had in my many travels across the globe. The price was reasonable too for the whole family to go!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dayna,
Thanks for touring with Avalon Local Tours. We are so happy you had a great tour learning about the island with Mark. See you soon hopefully!
Gabriella_v, May 2026
carol was very very sweet she was very informative and very sweet. I feel very safe with her and the tour and views were amazing so much history. she taught us a good chunk of history about the island would recommend taking!! 🤍🤍
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your kind words. We are pleased to know you had a great experience. Call us next time you come back for other fun island recommendations! (424)738-1141
Miho_N, May 2026
We had a nice little ride around Avalon. Chris, our driver, made the trip interesting and fun. He was prompt and informed. He gave suggestions on restaurants and fun things to do. We had an enjoyable afternoon.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thanks for sharing your experience Miho. Glad Chris showed you the best of the town. We appreciate you!
Sameer_P, May 2026
This was a phenomenal experience. Booking and putting in special asks was super easy. And our guide, Mark was beyond knowledgeable about Catalina. Born and raised there, he knew so much about the history of the island as well as off the radar places to stop for a quick pick or story. He did a great job with my two elementary school kids, one of which was doing a school project on Catalina and had a TON of questions. He had answers for all and was very patient. We all want to go back and experience more of the island. Thank you!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thanks Sameer for coming over and experiencing
an Avalon Local Tour. So glad your children had a informative tour as well. See you nextime!
Ranavir_B, Apr 2026
Mark was very knowledgeable and pleasant. He did a great job answering questions and showing us the island
Response from Host, Jun 2026
So glad you enjoyed your first visit to Catalina!
Come see us in September or October ...the ocean is perfect temperature.
Shinobu_C, Apr 2026
Eric is the best of best!
He knows everything about Catalina Island.
He answered all the questions that we had and he even gave us a great tip for next time trip to the Catalina.
I'm so glad I found you to be the guide of our family.
Can't wait to see you next time 😜
Thank you, Eric!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thanks so much for touring with us. Eric mentioned your group was fantastic! The ocean is warming up and will be beautiful through October! See you soon!
Thomas_K, Apr 2026
Easy convenient pick up at the Catalina Ferry dock. Outstanding guide, Mark Phelps, who has lived his entire life on Catalina Island. He is truly a hidden gem and we learned so much about the history, Wrigley family, Chicago Cubs, and present day developments. Relaxing private golf cart ride of all the behind the scenes parts of the island.
Ethna_S, Apr 2026
Our Guide Eric was great, informative and accommodating. The tour management did not answer our questions about pick up location until the morning or tour, FYI. But we did get connected eventually.
Judy_W, Apr 2026
This is a wonderful tour!!! Chis is an excellent tour guide very informative very personable can’t say enough good things about him and the experience!!! Highly recommend this tour!!!
Monica_H, Apr 2026
Chris was a great local guide. Learned about Catalina and saw the sights. He took great family photos at scenic spots and recommended other things to do in Catalina.
MICHAEL_M, Mar 2026
Great golf cart tour that was comfortable and entertaining...2 hours went in a flash as we were whisked around Avalon and by the end our heads were full of trivia and interesting history. We had children and adults on our trip and all gave the trip a solid "2 thumbs up" !!
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From $295.00
per group (up to 5)up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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