7 Full-Day Whale Watching Trips Worth the Early Start

1.Quebec City: Whale Watching Excursion Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 863 reviews · 11 hours · from $186Our pick

Spend 11 hours traveling from Quebec City to Baie-Sainte-Catherine for whale watching in the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park. Choose a large boat or fast Zodiac, hear bilingual commentary, and look for belugas, fin, minke, and humpback whales with guides such as Patricia and Captain Luke.

“Experience of a life time and great value! The operator provided easy instructions and informative dialogue throughout transport to the launch site. It is quite a long bus ride, but the seating was very comfortable. There were many beautiful sights along the way too. The Zodiac excursion was fantastic! We were provided with waterproof pants and jackets, but be prepared to get splashed and wet from the boat ride. It was quite a warm day, but it is much cooler (-10° Celsius) on the water. There is no proper food stop, so be prepared to bring some snacks/beverages. We were lucky enough to have encounters with a family of Belugas,…”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Whale Shark Encounter Full-Day all inclusive Tour from Riviera Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 519 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $170Top rated

Leave your Cancun or Playa del Carmen hotel early for a small-group boat trip to the whale shark zone. You’ll swim in 15-minute rounds, snorkel near Isla Mujeres, and eat ceviche on Playa Norte. Guides such as Jane and Dory are praised for calm help in the water.

“Our tour was rescheduled a couple of times and ultimately canceled due to a combination of weather and the fact that there had not been any recent whale shark sightings in the days leading up to the tours. I wanted to leave a positive review since the company handled it so well. I was initially apprehensive to book since I was worried we would spend all day on a boat and not see anything. Because they were keeping track of recent reports, we ended up being able to see lots of other things in Mexico and it got refunded quickly once we cancelled. I recommend booking your tour early in…”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Fijian Islands and Snorkel Full-Day Whales Tale Cruise including Beach BBQ Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 408 reviews · from $117

Join the crew aboard the 100-foot Whale’s Tale for a seven-hour sail from Nadi to a private island in the Mamanuca group. Enjoy a champagne-style breakfast, snorkeling, swimming, a beach BBQ, complimentary drinks, and music on the return trip. Pickup is offered from selected hotels in Nadi, the Coral Coast, and Lautoka.

“This was so incredible. The crew were so nice, the island is paradise & the food was delicious. I would do this everyday if i could!”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Punta Arenas: Full-Day Whales, Penguins, and Glaciers Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 325 reviews · 14 hours · from $365

Spend 14 hours sailing from Punta Arenas toward Cape Froward and Francisco Coloane Marine Park. Look for humpback whales, Magellanic penguins, dolphins, sea lions, birds, waterfalls, and glaciers, with bilingual guides, meals, and hot drinks included.

“Wonderful experience! Amazing time seeing the whales, penguins, glaciers, birds, sea lions! Beautiful scenery! Friendly, knowledgeable guide and crew. Comfortable boat, good food, snacks and drinks! I highly recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Samana: Whale Watching and Cayo Levantado Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 159 reviews · 7 hours · from $77

Cruise from Moto Marina into Samaná Bay for 2.5 hours of humpback whale watching, guided in English or Spanish, then head to Cayo Levantado for buffet lunch and beach time. Guides including Iliana, Rayner, Salomón, Captain Nobel, and Robertico have earned strong praise for their care and clear explanations.

“It was a very nice experience and the guide (Ileana) she was really good. We got to see whales which was amazing. The downside was the weather, not rainy, but a bit of windy which led to many people of the boat to feel sick at some point. But you can’t blame the weather :) they offered us water, sodas and slices of coconut. We booked also the visit to cayo levantado, including lunch. The food was ok. The island was full of tourists and personally I have seen better beaches in DR. To conclude, the whale watching and the tour with the boat worth it 100%. The visit to…”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Cape Town: Full Day Guided Hermanus and Whale Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 155 reviews · from $51Best value

Travel from Cape Town to Hermanus in a group of up to 18, with coastal views, Rotary Way, free time for shore-based whale watching, an optional whale cruise, Hemel-en-Aarde wine tasting, and a stop at Peregrine Farm Stall. Guides such as Louis and Brahm add local insight.

“A beautiful drive; friendly, knowledgeable host; seeing whales (even from shore); nice group of fellow travelers - there was nothing in the day that I would change.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Full Day Gray Whale Watching Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 53 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $191

Travel from La Paz to Puerto Chale for about two hours of gray whale watching by panga, with chances to see dolphins and birds. Guides such as Pamela, Maria, Shiro, Susana, and Diana have led departures, followed by a local lunch and return transport.

“Great tour, great time. We saw lots of whales and were close to a few of them. Pamela was a great guide, was helpful when my wife became sick and we had to cancel, rescheduling us on a new discounted tour. We would have hated to miss this experience. We had a nice lunch as well. Many thanks.”

Check availability →Read our full review