6 2-Day Experiences Worth the Early Start

1.Lombok : Sharing Whale Shark Tour 2 Day 1 Night Sumbawa

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 53 reviews · 2 days · from $150Our pick

Travel from Mataram across Lombok and Sumbawa by minibus, ferry, and traditional boat, then snorkel beside whale sharks near Labuan Jambu. Your English or Indonesian-speaking guide provides gear, a GoPro, hotel lodging, and breakfast on the early boat ride.

“Assolutamente una bell’ avventura. Lo consiglio a tutti non solo per l’ escursione pazzesca di nuoto con gli squali ma proprio di viaggio di vita.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Gray Whale-Watching 2-Day Experience in Magdalena Bay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 2 days (approx.) · from $799Top rated

Travel from Cabo San Lucas to Magdalena Bay for two whale-watching trips, one at sunset and one after sunrise. Guides such as Maria, Andrea, Carlos, and Angelika lead the outings, while a family-run guesthouse serves local seafood in López Mateos. Expect a long drive and simple rooms.

“The gray whales watching was extraordinary. Bird watching and dolphin watching was an added delight. Fabulous experience all-around with expert service. I want also to note the following: We had a medical emergency during the trip. Guides Carlos and Maria went above and beyond expectations to serve us. They made sure other tour members, who were retiring for the night, would be safe and sound. They drove us to a hospital and stayed with us for almost 4 hours, interpreting for us and making sure we were comfortable. They returned us to the group and followed up to make sure the issue was resolved. That’s the type of serve you…”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Whale Shark Adventure 2 Days 1 Night Sharing Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 11 reviews · from $273

Travel from Mataram across Lombok and Sumbawa to Saleh Bay, then take a traditional Begog boat to whale shark waters. You can snorkel or swim near these gentle giants under guide supervision. The trip is shared, limited to 10 people, and includes gear, entrance fees, and a simple boat breakfast.

“The trip was not well organized. It took us 12h to go to sumbawa. The experience is great but 3h swim for such a mess with the organization. It’s definitely not worth it. My family and I didn’t feel respected and we didn’t have any commercial gesture.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.2-Day Whale Watching & Southern Sri Lanka Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 6 reviews · 2 days · from $292

Travel from Colombo to Mirissa with a small group of up to 10 people, stopping at Bentota River, Galle Fort, beaches, a turtle centre, and a Buddhist temple. The second morning brings a whale-watching trip, with English or German guiding and one hotel night included.

“Il nostro tour è iniziato da Colombo con la nostra guida che è venuta a prenderci in perfetto orario. La guida è stata molto gentile e disponibile e ci ha spiegato alcune cose durante il tragitto. L’albergo dove abbiamo alloggiato a Mirissa era molto bello ed il personale molto gentile! Abbiamo visitato il piccolo parco delle tartarughe e siamo stati a Galle che è stata una bella esperienza ma il punto forte sono la spiaggia di Mirissa e soprattutto la gita in barca. Il bel ricordo è probabilmente dovuto anche al fatto che siamo riusciti a vedere le balene!! Unica nota: se si soffre il mal di mare, il tour…”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Gray Whale-Watching 2-Day Experience in Magdalena Bay

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 5 reviews · 2 days · from $799

Spend two days traveling from Cabo San Lucas to López Mateos for two 2.5-hour gray whale trips in Magdalena Bay. You’ll see mangroves, dunes, and birdlife, stay in a family-run bed-and-breakfast, and travel with a professional multilingual guide in a small group. Whale touching is possible only if a whale chooses it.

“I think the price is a bit too high. The promotional image for the tour makes it seem like you can see gray whale calves up close, but that wasn’t really the case. The drive from Cabo San Lucas took over five hours, and the young male driver was going extremely fast, almost causing an accident—it felt very unsafe. (The female guide, however, was great.) However, most of the two-day tour was spent on the road, with a total of more than ten hours in transit. The actual time spent on the boat watching gray whales was quite limited. In my opinion, the price of this tour exceeds its actual…”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Lombok: 2-Day Sumbawa Tour & Swim with Whale Sharks

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 2 days · from $281

Travel privately from Lombok to Sumbawa, visit Sukarara’s Sasak weavers, cross by ferry at sunset, and snorkel with whale sharks near Labuan Jambu. Adi and Kem were the driver and guide on one February 2026 trip. The route is long, early, and best for confident swimmers.

Check availability →Read our full review