Top Long Beach Pop Culture

Travel to Southern California’s Catalina Island by boat with this round-trip ferry service from Long Beach or San Pedro on the 'Catalina Express.' Enjoy views of the Pacific during the journey, and then spend the day exploring Catalina at your leisure. The ferry drops you in the town of Avalon, the main town on the island, home to shops, restaurants, hotels, activities and more. Select your departure point—Long Beach or San Pedro—when booking. This is a ticket purchase only, not a reservation for travel. To allow guests the flexibility of choosing their own travel time, guests must call in advance to reserve seats on a specific departure and return boat. You may return on the same day or stay overnight. We advise calling to make your reservations as soon as possible as boats often sell out.

This full–day tour of Los Angeles is a popular and convenient choice for cruise ship passengers docked at the Long Beach or San Pedro terminals. After pick–up from the port, your guide brings you to LA’s highlights and hidden gems, from the Hollywood Sign to Marlon Brando’s acting school. The day’s itinerary factors in free time to explore, dine, or shop at your own pace.

Spend the day sightseeing in Los Angeles during this guided tour from Long Beach. With an expert local guide and a small group of 14 people or less, see LA landmarks like the Hollywood Sign, Santa Monica, Venice Beach and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Follow your guide to filming locations of famous movies, explore Hollywood Boulevard and see one of the biggest ports in the US. This tour includes a balanced mix of guided tours and free time and includes round-trip transportation from Long Beach hotels.

See the L.A. coast from the sky with an exciting, 15-minute tour from Long Beach on a private helicopter. Swoop above the iconic Queen Mary ocean liner, hover over downtown Long Beach and see the imposing Battleship Iowa that's moored in the city's bustling port. Enjoy seaward views of Catalina Island and the curving Pacific coastline before touching back to Earth at the Long Beach helipad.

Travelers arriving in Los Angeles by cruise should make the most of their first day in the city by visiting the top attractions around town. On this full-day sightseeing tour, see more in one day, from Downtown Los Angeles and the TCL Chinese Theater, to world-renowned Hollywood Boulevard. Along the way, see the city's diverse neighborhoods, including Venice Beach, Santa Monica, and Beverly Hills. And of course, snap a souvenir photo of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

See the L.A. coast from a private helicopter with a 30-minute, narrated flight from Long Beach, and take in California’s most iconic vistas. Watch for surfers as you soar over the breaks at Redondo, Hermosa and Manhattan beaches, then swoop above the exclusive harbor in Marina del Rey. Enjoy a bird's-eye view of the slender Santa Monica Pier, see the Los Angeles airport from above, and return to Long Beach past Hawthorne, Torrance and the Galaxy Stadium while enjoying sweeping western panoramas of the Pacific Ocean.

Renting a swan boat is a fun way to exercise and explore the Rainbow Lagoon at the same time. If your rental is on a hot day—no need to worry about the California sunshine, as each boat comes with shaded canopies to protect you from the elements. Choose from a variety of time slots to suit your schedule—you can even go for an atmospheric evening ride with LED lights on your boat.

Take in Los Angeles’ scenic highlights from the air with a private, 45-minute helicopter tour from Long Beach. Soar over the L.A. harbor and the iconic Queen Mary, and look out towards Catalina Island from the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Fly up the coast past Manhattan Beach and Marina del Rey, bank over Santa Monica pier then head for downtown. See the city’s sports centers and gleaming sky scrapers and take in views of the Hollywood Hills and the San Gabriel Mountains before touching back down in Long Beach.

Visit sharks, penguins and puffins with admission to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, and explore 19 wildlife habitats from every corner of the world’s largest ocean. Slip beneath a full-sized model of a blue whale, and catch the eye of a fierce leopard shark. Travel from a Sea of Cortez kelp forest to the ice-crusted waters off Northern Japan; watch sea horses play in a tropical lagoon, pet a shark in a kid-friendly touch tank and listen to the eerie melodies of an undersea whale song. Join us as the Aquarium of the Pacific celebrates its 25th Anniversary with new exhibits, events, and programs highlighting the remarkable natural world right outside our door. Journey through a re-imagined Southern California Gallery highlighting fascinating local animals and marine habitats. Discover colorful reefs, kelp forests, and sea grass beds as you meet a pod of lobsters, an octopus, deepwater fish, and more.

Take a thrilling whale-watching excursion off the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Travel along the coast of Los Angeles and experience marine wildlife up close. Enjoy a glass or wine or beer, a light snack, or other beverage from the boat’s galley. Sit either inside or out on our 45-passenger vessel as you search the Pacific for Gray, Humpback, and Sperm whales, sharks, seabirds, dolphins and sea lions on this memorable outing.