Things to Do in Long Beach, San Pedro and Catalina
Ocean liners, an aquarium, two cruise ports and the island across the channel.
See top-rated activities »About Long Beach and Catalina
The southern edge of the county is a working waterfront. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach together form one of the busiest container port complexes in the world, and between the cranes and cargo ships are two cities with plenty for visitors. Long Beach, the second-largest city in the county, has a downtown waterfront of hotels, restaurants and marinas, and the Queen Mary, the 1936 Cunard liner that has been permanently docked here since 1967. Guided tours lead through its Art Deco salons, engine rooms and decks, and part of the ship operates as a hotel.
Across the harbor, the Aquarium of the Pacific is one of the largest in the country, with sea otters, a shark lagoon and galleries covering the Pacific from Baja to the Bering Sea. Shoreline Village has waterfront shops and harbor cruises, and in the Naples neighborhood gondolas glide along residential canals. Whale-watching boats leave from Long Beach and San Pedro year-round, with gray whales most common in winter and early spring and blue whales in summer.
San Pedro, part of the City of Los Angeles, is home to the Battleship USS Iowa Museum, a World War II battleship you can explore from bridge to gun turrets, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and the Point Fermin Lighthouse on the bluffs. Both ports are busy cruise hubs: the Long Beach Cruise Terminal sits beside the Queen Mary, and the World Cruise Center in San Pedro serves several lines, with frequent sailings to the Mexican Riviera, Ensenada and Baja California.
Ferries make the crossing from both cities to Santa Catalina Island in about an hour. Avalon, the island's only incorporated town, is a small, walkable harbor of shops, restaurants and golf carts, overlooked by the round 1929 Casino building, a ballroom and movie theater rather than a gambling hall. Glass-bottom boats, snorkeling, zip lines and inland tours in search of the island's bison fill a day trip, and a night on the island lets you see Avalon after the day visitors leave.
Don’t Miss
The 1936 ocean liner, open for tours and partly operating as a hotel, permanently moored in Long Beach Harbor.
A large aquarium of Pacific Ocean life, with touch pools, a shark lagoon and a lorikeet aviary.
A battleship that served from World War II to the Cold War, now a museum at the Port of Los Angeles.
The cruise terminal next to the Queen Mary, with regular departures to Mexico and the California coast.
Year-round ferries to Avalon and Two Harbors on Catalina Island, about an hour each way.
A walkable harbor town with the 1929 Casino building, beaches, snorkeling and island tours.
Top-Rated Tours, Tickets & Activities in Long Beach and Catalina
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ViatorTours, tickets, prices and reviews from Viator (a Tripadvisor company) and Tiqets — prices are per person, from, and were checked November 8, 2026. Best of Los Angeles County may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.
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Get free trip quotes »Long Beach and Catalina — FAQ
Which cruise lines sail from Long Beach and San Pedro?
Lines change by season, but the Long Beach Cruise Terminal is a long-time base for Carnival, and the World Cruise Center in San Pedro serves several major lines. Most sailings go to the Mexican Riviera, Ensenada and Baja, with some Pacific coastal and Hawaii itineraries.
Is Catalina Island worth a day trip?
Yes. With an early ferry you have six or more hours in Avalon, enough for a tour, a swim or snorkel and lunch on the harbor. Stay overnight if you want to explore the island's interior or Two Harbors.
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