From luxury shopping and lavish seafood feasts to exploring historical beachfront communities and encountering blue whales from a small speedboat, adventure abounds year-round in Newport Beach, California. Consider the below to plan your visit or go to visitnewportbeach.com for more info and inspo.
1. Stay and play at VEA Newport Beach.
Billed as a “chic social sanctuary,” this Marriott resort features a wellness-focused spa, 70,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, an 85-foot pool and state-of-the-art poolside bar, and 400 coastal-inspired guest rooms with sweeping views of the lush Newport Beach Country Club golf course, swaying palms and Pacific Ocean beyond. It’s the perfect launching pad for your sun-soaked Newport adventure.
2. Shop ’til you drop at Fashion Island.
Located right across the street from VEA, Fashion Island is an open-air luxury shopping center featuring more than 180 high-end stores like Louis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus and Prada alongside boutique brands, specialty shops and dining destinations. The 1.3 million-square-foot venue also regularly hosts events throughout the year.
3. Spend the day – or night – at Pendry Newport Beach.
This posh 20-story resort and spa opened in the fall of 2023, making it one of Orange County’s newest luxury retreats. Pendry’s 295 guest rooms offer ocean, harbor and bay views appointed with chic custom furniture, jewel tones and gold accents that resemble a sophisticated New York loft with a laidback Southern California twist. Spa Pendry treatments include CBD-infused massages and cryotherapy sessions. Exclusive on-site spaces like members-only restaurant Viamara at The Elwood Club provide inspired cuisine in intimate environs.
4. Enjoy breakfast on the beach.
The Beachcomber Café is an iconic Newport eatery nestled in a charming beachside cottage built in 1929. Breakfast at The Beachcomber is a bucket-list occasion, offering larger-than-life Bloody Marys adorned with jumbo shrimp and crab claws and crave-worthy beignets with maple syrup and whipped cream – just steps from the shoreline at Crystal Cove State Park.
5. Rent a historically preserved beachside bungalow.
The 2,791-acre Crystal Cove State Park is also home to 46 historic coastal cottages that were originally built as a seaside colony in the 1930s. In the early 2000s, the Crystal Cove Conservancy saved the cottages from demolition, subsequently renovating and restoring them to update their amenities while maintaining their vintage charm. Today, 21 of them have been converted into vacation rentals that bear authentic vintage décor and whimsical maritime monikers like Fisherman’s Perch, Shell Shack, Captain’s Quarters and Sand Castle. One of the cottages has also been repurposed into a museum, where visitors can learn about the cottages’ cultural and historical significance, including its Hollywood connections and cameos in dozens of films and TV shows.
6. Attend the 26th annual Newport Beach Film Festival.
Established in 1999, the Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) has evolved into one of the most prestigious film fests on the West Coast. Held annually in October, NBFF is known for its high-profile premieres, opulent afterparties and wide range of indie works, documentaries, short films and international screenings in addition to big-budget studio films. Last year, the festival showcased more than 300 films from around the world, including the world premiere of Old Guy starring Christopher Waltz, Lucy Liu and Cooper Hoffman, on opening night. The 2025 Newport Beach Film Festival will take place from October 16 to 23.
7. Go on a whale-watching excursion with Newport Coastal Adventure.
Plan a trip with Newport Coastal Adventure for a chance to get up close and personal with bottlenose, Pacific white-sided and common dolphins and blue, gray, fin, humpback and minke whales. Founded in 2014, Newport Coastal Adventure was the first company in Newport to offer small-boat whale-watching expeditions. Its fleet of U.S. Coast Guard-inspected Zodiac boats are known for their speed and safety, allowing guests to cover more ocean area in a short time and get closet to marine life in their natural habitat.
8. Soak up the sun at The Resort at Pelican Hill.
Though the five-star, 504-acre resort is inspired by Italian architecture, The Resort at Pelican Hill is decidedly Californian through and through. Enjoy Mediterranean-inspired California cuisine at Coliseum Grill, which overlooks the shimmering, palm-lined Coliseum Pool. The 136-foot perfectly round masterpiece is lined with more than 1 million hand-cut glass tiles and is one of the largest circular pools in the world. Residential-style villas and an oceanfront Tom Fazio-designed golf course also set the resort apart.
9. Explore a different side of Newport on a duffy boat.
Float by multimillion-dollar mansions, luxury yachts, pristine private beaches and breathtaking seaside cliffs while sipping Champagne and snacking on charcuterie on a scenic cruise with Sea Señorita Duffy. Founded by a mother-daughter duo, Sea Señorita is Newport’s only full-service duffy boat rental company, providing canopied, electric-powered boats for up to 12 passengers.
10. Try the best clam chowder in Newport at The Cannery.
Housed in a former fish canning facility, this century-old building transformed into a seafood restaurant in the 1970s, and has since become a Newport institution. Revamped in 1999 by longtime resident Jack Croul, The Cannery’s menu includes high-quality cioppino, lobster rolls, swordfish tacos, sushi and more. But the star of the show is the house-made New England clam chowder topped with brioche croutons.
11. Get a taste of history at Wilma’s Patio.
In contrast to Newport’s many sleek, swanky bars and restaurants, Wilma’s Patio has been serving up straightforward fare in a cozy atmosphere on quaint Balboa Island for more than four decades. Family-owned and family-friendly, the restaurant offers comfort food like waffles, BLTs and meatloaf in a dining room constructed out of wood salvaged from the original Balboa Island bridge and historic railroad.
12. Embrace your inner child at Balboa Fun Zone.
Nestled along Newport Harbor, Balboa Fun Zone is one of SoCal’s oldest coastal amusement parks. First opened in 1936, kids of all ages can still enjoy a Ferris wheel and other boardwalk rides, arcade, New York-style pizza, ice cream and shopping.
13. Dinner at Ocean 48.
If Newport’s aforementioned sleek, swanky bars and restaurants are more your speed, make a reservation at Ocean 48, the latest fine dining concept from Jeffrey and Michael Mastro, the massively talented brothers behind the Valley’s own Steak 44, Ocean 44 and Dominick’s Steakhouse. Indulge in fresh oysters, colossal shrimp cocktail and Maine lobster tails, as well as various iterations of caviar and elevated sides like wood oven-roasted cauliflower, Boursin cheese whipped potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts – all in a contemporary, upscale setting that includes a glass-enclosed showcase kitchen, interior reflection pool and a series of private dining areas.
