11 Best Things To Do In Newport Beach
Are you planning a visit to Newport Beach? You’re in the right place.
Newport Beach is one of my favorite beach cities in Southern California. It has long stretches of sandy beaches, great waterfront restaurants, and an overall blissful coastal vibe.
To help you plan a memorable day trip, I’ve put together a list of some of the most unique places Newport Beach has to offer.
From beaches with tide pools to whale watching tours, there’s something here for everyone.
Ready to discover the best things to do in Newport Beach? Let’s get into it!
Best Things to do in Newport Beach
1. Stroll around the Newport Pier
One of the most obvious, yet best activities in Newport Beach is to stroll around the pier.
Newport pier has a fun coastal vibe with many great restaurants, shops, and bars nearby.
The beach is a long stretch of clean sand with restrooms, volleyball courts, picnic areas, and bike rentals.
Walk out onto the pier to see surfers and fishermen, or rent out a surrey bike to ride along the shore with family.
If you want to go shopping, the Lido Marina village is less than a mile from Newport’s pier. This is a shopping center right by the harbor, with small boutiques, cafes and a variety of great eateries.
2. Try croissant donuts from Seaside Bakery
As you stroll around Newport pier, stop by Seaside Bakery to try their famous croissant donuts.
This is an excellent donut shop that serves croissant sandwiches, donuts, coffee, thai tea, and more.
They also have great prices compared to most cafes in Orange County so I highly recommend stopping by for a treat.
3. Go on a whale watching tour
One of the most popular activities to do in Newport Beach is go on a whale watching tour. Newport Beach is one of the best whale watching destinations in Southern California.
Head to the Newport harbor to go on a whale watching cruise to spot everything from humpback whales, to dolphins and seals.
You can see giant blue whales anytime of year, or gray whales during their peak migration season (December-April).
4. Visit Crystal Cove State Park
Crystal Cove State Park is an amazing 2,400 acre park, with 3.2 miles of shoreline along Newport’s Coast.
It’s around a 20 minute drive from Newport’s pier, but it’s well worth visiting.
This park is known for its charming beachside cottages, excellent hiking trails, and long stretches of beautiful sandy beach.
You can park at Los Trancos Parking Lot, and walk a short 0.5 miles, through a tunnel to the historic district.
The historic district has restrooms, restaurants, rustic cottages, and access to the beaches.
I visited on a weekday, and the beach had plenty of areas without any crowds. This was by far the most beautiful beach I’ve visited in Orange County.
For food, you can stop by Shake Shack, or enjoy a waterfront meal at the Beachcomber Cafe.
Note: This is a state park, so you’ll have to pay a parking fee of $15 per day, or $5/hr if you pay with the Yodel app.
5. Relax on Balboa Beach
Just 2 miles down from Newport pier is Balboa beach. It’s located on the Balboa peninsula, so you will park by the Balboa pier.
It’s a wonderful family-friendly beach with a pier, kid’s playgrounds, restrooms, and long stretches of clean sand.
The pier is a popular fishing spot for locals, and you can stop by Ruby’s diner at the end of the pier for a waterfront meal.
This is a nostalgic 1940’s style diner with outdoor seating, that serves amazing burgers and shakes.
6. Ride the Balboa Fun Zone Ferris Wheel
If you walk to the other side of the peninsula from the Balboa pier, you’ll be at the iconic Balboa fun zone.
The Balboa fun zone is a mini amusement park on the harbor with rides, arcades, and a ferris wheel.
You can ride the ferris wheel for $6 per person, and it operates daily from 11am–9pm.
This is a great place to take kids, and it has souvenir, ice cream and pizza shops.
7. Take the ferry to Balboa Island
Balboa Island is a tiny island with excellent restaurants, cafes, and shops. You can take the ferry from Balboa Fun Zone to the island for $1.75, or drive there via Marine avenue.
The island’s known for their classic frozen bananas and Balboa bars, so stopping by Sugar N Spice is a must while there.
After, you can stroll along Marine avenue to shop and visit the Balboa Island Museum.
8. Visit Corona del Mar State Beach
Just a few miles east of Newport Beach, Corona del Mar is a hidden gem beach.
It’s located down the street from a nice residential area, and you can park on top of the hill for free (Ocean Blvd.).
It’s a short walk down, and the beach has clean sand, gentle waves, rocky cliffs, and tide pools. It also has an American restaurant, volleyball courts, restrooms, bonfire pits, and a large parking lot.
This is an excellent beach to build a bonfire, or set up a picnic in the evening to watch the sunset.
9. Visit the Sherman Library & Gardens
Located in Corona del Mar, Sherman Library & Gardens is a small botanical garden with a library and cafe. It has many beautiful plant varieties, and koi ponds with turtles.
This is a lovely little place to stroll around, and enjoy a romantic lunch at their cafe. It costs $5 to enter the botanical gardens, and they’re open daily from 10:30am-4pm.
10. Watch surfers at Huntington Beach
If you want to experience Southern California’s surf culture, head to Huntington Beach.
Similar to Newport Beach, Huntington Beach is a long stretch of sandy beach with a pier, and nearby restaurants and bars.
However, Huntington Beach is known for being one of the top surfing destinations. As you walk along the pier, you’ll get to see dozens of surfers out on the water.
And if you’re really interested in surfing, head to the International Surfing Museum to learn all about the history of Southern California’s surf culture.
Huntington Beach has some great waterfront restaurants by the pier.
Stop by Duke’s Huntington Beach for Hawaiian style seafood, or Sandy’s Beach Shack for delicious fish tacos.
11. Birdwatch at Upper Newport Bay’s Nature Preserve
Upper Newport Bay’s Nature Preserve is a 135 acre coastal wetland park with hiking trails, and an incredible diversity of wildlife.
You can walk or bike around the salt marshes to enjoy nature and birdwatch. There’s well paved walking trails, free parking, and plenty of street parking if the main lot is full.
There’s an interpretive center where you can learn information about the park, that has restrooms and water for visitors.
It’s open Tues-Sun from 10am-4pm, and the restrooms are open daily from 6am-4pm.
Conclusion
Newport Beach has over 10 miles of coastline, with many spectacular beaches, beautiful residential neighborhoods, and nice restaurants.
Some of the highlights of my trip were visiting Crystal Cove State Park, Corona del Mar Beach, and watching the sunset at the end of Balboa pier.
Make sure to check out our list of the best beaches around Orange County for more ideas on what to do during your trip.
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