5 Days: LA and the SoCal Day Trips
Same four days as the shorter version, Malibu, Disneyland, San Diego, Santa Barbara, plus a fifth day that trades the freeway for a boat. Only got four days? Drop Catalina and see the 4-day version . Got a sixth day? The 6-day plan adds Joshua Tree.
Book these before you go
- Rental car for days one through four: Discover Cars, Los Angeles
- Disneyland dated tickets: book on the official site
- LA hotel near the freeway you’ll actually use: check rates on Booking.com
- Catalina Island day trip, if you’d rather skip managing the ferry yourself: book a bundled tour
Day 1: Land, Then Malibu and the PCH
Clear LAX, pick up the rental car, get on PCH before midday. Malibu is 36 miles, about an hour out, worse on weekends. Zuma or El Matador for the beach, Neptune’s Net for dinner among the motorcycles. Confirm current PCH road status before you go; the January 2025 Palisades fire left lingering damage in stretches of Malibu into 2026.
Day 2: Disneyland
Anaheim, 45 to 90 minutes from central LA. 2026 single-day tickets run $104 to $224 by date; Park Hopper adds $70-90. Parking is a separate $30-plus. Buy the dated ticket ahead and arrive at rope drop.
Day 3: San Diego
120 miles south on I-5, 2 to 3 hours light traffic, 4-plus at peak. A full day for Balboa Park, the Zoo, and the Gaslamp Quarter if you leave by 7am. Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner is a real alternative to driving.
Day 4: Santa Barbara
96 miles up the 101, 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours. Walking State Street and the Funk Zone’s tasting rooms costs nothing; budget $30-60 a person. Check Santa Barbara’s tourism site for current Funk Zone hours before you go. Leave by late afternoon on weekends; Sunday return traffic rivals the 5 south.
Day 5: Catalina Island
Drive to Long Beach, San Pedro, or Dana Point and catch Catalina Express , a 1-hour-to-75-minute crossing. Round trip runs roughly $99-106 for an adult plus a $10 wharfage fee. Avalon is entirely walkable once you’re off the boat; rent a golf cart if you want to see more of the island than the harbor town. Catch an early boat over and confirm your return time before you do anything else on the island; the whole day runs on that ferry schedule, not the other way around.
Do You Need the Rental Car on the Catalina Day?
Only to reach the port. Leave the car at Long Beach or San Pedro parking for the day; Avalon itself is small enough to walk, and a rental car on the island isn’t a normal option for a day-tripper anyway.
What Happens If You Miss the Last Catalina Ferry?
You’re stuck overnight. Island lodging is both pricier and scarcer than mainland options for a place you can see from the coast, and same-day rooms aren’t guaranteed in peak season. Confirm the last return sailing on Catalina Express’s schedule before you leave the harbor that morning, and build in buffer rather than cutting it close.
What Should You Cut If You Only Have Four Days?
Cut Catalina, not Santa Barbara. The ferry adds a genuine scheduling constraint that a shorter trip can’t absorb easily, while Santa Barbara is just a drive with no boat to catch. See the 4-day version if that’s your call.
The Distances, Side by Side
| Day trip | Distance from LA | Drive time | What it costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malibu and the PCH | 36 miles | ~1 hour (worse weekends) | Free drive; beach parking $10-20+ |
| Disneyland (Anaheim) | 30-45 miles | 45-90 min | $104-224 single-day ticket (+$70-90 Park Hopper) |
| San Diego | ~120 miles | 2-3 hrs (4+ peak) | No entry fee; it’s a city |
| Santa Barbara | 96 miles | 1h40-2h | Free to walk; ~$30-60pp parking/food/tasting |
| Catalina Island | Ferry from Long Beach | ~1h-1h15 crossing | ~$99-106 round trip + $10 wharfage |
| Joshua Tree NP | 128-131 miles | 2h15-3h (Fri worse) | $30/vehicle (7-day) |
| Big Bear | 97-100 miles | 1h50-2h30 | Free to visit; lodging $150-350+/night in winter |
| Palm Springs | 105-110 miles | 1h45-2h30 | Free downtown; day-passes $40-75+ |
Book the ferry before the hotel. Catalina Express sells out on summer weekends well before rooms do.