The 10 Best Gray Whale Watching Tours

1.Full Day Gray Whale Watching Experience

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

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.”

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2.Gray Whale Watching Tour with Marine Biologist and Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 37 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $376

From La Paz, drive to Puerto Chale for a three-hour gray whale watch limited to six people. Marine biologist Valentina explains whale behavior and conservation, while Captain Mike handles the boat. Fresh seafood lunch, drinks, snacks, and transport are included.

“It is a lengthy drive to get there but it is definitely worth it. FYI bring your passport with as we were stopped at a checkpoint and passports were requested. One of the travelers did not have one, luckily they were allowed to pass but they may not be as forgiving next time. We seen a great number of whales during the trip. We were very fortunate to have a few people on the boat actually touch a whale. I would think that anyone that goes should get to view them within 20-30’ at some point. At one point we could see over 15 whales in the surrounding area in…”

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3.Gray Whales Watching in Magdalena Bay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · 8 to 9 hours (approx.) · from $232

Leave La Paz at 7:30 a.m. with marine biologist guide Hamza for a full day at Magdalena Bay. After breakfast and a two-hour drive, board a comfortable panga with a local captain to watch gray whales, mothers, and calves. Round-trip transport, snacks, water, and fees are included.

“If I could give this trip more than 5 stars, I would. It’s obvious that Hamza, our tour guide, put in a lot of effort to make this a personalized experience. Captain & Hamza were both very respectful & safe around the gray whales. They provided transportation from La Paz to Magdalena Bay. We stopped for a very authentic breakfast on the way to the boat. We then spent hours with playful gray whales. Afterwards, we stopped for lunch at the Captains house, which was truly special. This was so much more than your average excursion. Can’t recommend enough.”

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4.Gray Whale Watching Expedition at Magdalena Bay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 23 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $179

You’ll leave Puerto Chale at 9:00 a.m. in a panga carrying no more than six people, then search Bahía Magdalena and Almejas for gray whales. Guide Juan Carlos provides clear explanations, while captains choose the best area based on conditions. Dolphins and seabirds may appear too.

“Great trip. Bring jacket to stay warm on boat ride out to area. Juan Carlos was very informative. Go enjoy”

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

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

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…”

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6.Gray Whale Watching Tour at Lopez Mateos

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $185

From Loreto, an experienced English-speaking guide takes you by private air-conditioned vehicle to Magdalena Bay for a panga ride among gray whales. Expect about eight hours, lunch, refreshments, hotel pickup, and a group capped at 20 people.

“We went out into the Pacific to find single whales as it was a little too early to see the babies. We ended up in a pod and interacted with them for several hours. We were able to touch them! Just like really big sea puppies!”

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7.Gray Whale Journey: 10-Hour Tour with 3 Hours of Whale Watching

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $298

Leave La Paz at 5:30 a.m. for Puerto Chale, enjoy a regional breakfast, then spend three hours by private boat in Bahía Almejas. Vanessa leads the whale-watching portion with clear explanations of gray whale behavior, while meals, drinks, snacks, transportation, and tour documentation are included.

“Vanessa is very knowledgeable about gray whale and other ocean mammals. She told us a lot about grey whale. One thing I suggest is to contact the customer one day before the tour day to confirm the pickup time especially they have to pick up multiple customers.”

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8.Full-Day Gray Whale Watching tour from Cabo to Mag Bay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $445

Leave Cabo at 6:00 am for Puerto Chale and a three-hour gray whale watch in Magdalena Bay. Esma and Marie guide the small group, with photos, snacks, seafood lunch, and a stop in La Paz or Todos Santos included.

“Esma and Marie were great tour guides, they took exceptional care of us the entire day. They were knowledgeable about the area we visited, the whales we observed and the people of the area.”

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9.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…”

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10.Whale Watching in La Paz – Gray Whale Encounter

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 4 reviews · 8 hours · from $169Best value

Travel from La Paz to Puerto Chale with an English or Spanish guide, breakfast, and air-conditioned transport. A local captain takes you onto Magdalena Bay for two hours with gray whales and calves, followed by lunch at a local restaurant. The group is small, but confirm vehicle and timing details before booking.

“L'excursion n'a jamais eu lieu et l'organisateur nous a posé un lapin. Nous avons attendu au point de rendez-vous pendant plus d'une heure et personne ne nous a prévenu de l'annulation de l'excursion”

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