Catalina Island sits about 26 miles off the Long Beach coast, and there are really only three practical ways to get there: the Catalina Express ferry, a helicopter charter, or a private boat charter. Each one gets you across the water, but they’re built for different kinds of trips — and picking the wrong one is the most common mistake first-time visitors make.
Quick Answer: The fastest way to Catalina Island from Long Beach is a roughly one-hour Catalina Express ferry crossing on a fixed schedule. The most flexible and private way is a chartered boat departing Shoreline Marina, which takes longer (about 3 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours 45 minutes under sail) but reserves the entire vessel for your group, lets you set your own schedule, and can extend into an overnight or multi-day trip.
Key Takeaways
- Long Beach has three realistic routes to Catalina: ferry, helicopter, and private boat charter.
- The ferry is fastest and cheapest per ticket, but runs on a fixed schedule alongside other passengers.
- A private charter takes longer under sail but reserves the whole boat, so the schedule is yours.
- Private charters are the only option that can turn a Catalina trip into a 1-to-4-day stay.
- Groups celebrating an occasion, filming content, or wanting privacy usually get more value from a charter than a ferry ticket.
What Are Your Options for Getting to Catalina Island from Long Beach?
Most people reach Catalina Island one of three ways: the Catalina Express ferry (the most common route, departing from Long Beach, San Pedro, or Dana Point), a helicopter charter (fast, but limited seats and weather-dependent), or a private boat charter departing directly from a Long Beach marina. The right choice usually comes down to one question: are you trying to get to Catalina, or are you trying to have an experience on the way there?
The Catalina Express Ferry: Fast, Fixed-Schedule, and Ticketed by the Seat
The Catalina Express runs multiple times a day on a set schedule, with the crossing taking about an hour. It’s the most straightforward way to get to Avalon if your only goal is reaching the island — you buy a ticket per person, board with other passengers, and disembark on arrival. What you don’t get is control over departure time, the ability to stop along the way, or any privacy: you’re one passenger among many on a fixed public route.
Private Boat Charter: The Slower, More Personal Way to Arrive
A private charter departing from Shoreline Marina in Long Beach takes longer to cross — typically 3 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours 45 minutes aboard a sailing vessel like the 75 ft schooner Cocokai — but the entire boat is reserved for your group only. Nobody else boards. You set the departure time, the pace of the day, and whether the trip is a single day out and back or a multi-day stay of up to four days once you’re anchored at the island. For a birthday, anniversary, bachelorette weekend, or a film or content shoot that needs a real ocean backdrop, the crossing itself becomes part of the experience instead of a logistics step to get through.
Full pricing and trip-length options for a Catalina Island boat charter are on the charters page, including the crew fee structure for multi-day stays.
How Long Does Each Option Take?
- Catalina Express ferry: approximately 1 hour each way, fixed departure times.
- Helicopter charter: roughly 15 minutes in the air, but subject to availability and weather holds.
- Private boat charter: 3 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours 45 minutes under sail, on a departure time you choose.
What Does Each Option Cost?
Ferry tickets are priced per person and are the cheapest way to simply reach the island — but the cost scales with every person in your group, and fares climb during peak season and school holidays. A private charter is priced per trip (or per person for multi-day Catalina stays), which often works out more efficiently for a group than paying individually for a ferry ticket each, especially once you factor in that the boat, captain, and crew are exclusively yours for the day.
Which Option Is Right for Your Group?
If you’re a solo traveler or couple who just needs to get to Avalon and back, the ferry is the practical choice. If you’re celebrating an occasion, hosting a corporate group, planning a memorial at sea, or producing content and need the ocean itself as part of the trip, a private charter is built for that in a way a scheduled ferry can’t match.
Contact Kai Charters Contact Kai Charters to check available dates for a Catalina crossing from Shoreline Marina.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take the Catalina Express and still book a private charter for part of the trip?
Most guests choose one route for a given trip rather than combining them, since a private charter already includes the crossing. If you’d like to explore a custom itinerary, contact us directly.
Is a private charter faster than the ferry?
No — the ferry crossing is shorter, at about an hour. A private sailing charter takes longer under sail (roughly 3 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours 45 minutes) but includes the exclusive use of the boat, captain, and crew for your group.
Can a private charter to Catalina be an overnight or multi-day trip?
Yes. Catalina charters run 1 to 4 days, including overnight anchorage, which isn’t something a same-day ferry ticket offers.
Do I need boating experience to book a private charter to Catalina?
No. A captain and crew are included on every charter unless you specifically book a bareboat charter, which requires a licensed skipper in your own party.
Where does the private charter depart from?
Kai Charters departs from Shoreline Marina in Long Beach, CA.
