The 14 Best Whale Watching Day Trips

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,…”

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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…”

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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!”

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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!”

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5.Swimming with Whales in Moorea (Half Day tour)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 264 reviews · from $305

Spend about four hours on a Moorea Expedition boat searching for humpback whales from July through late November. You may enter the water with whales, dolphins, rays, or sharks. Guides such as Johnny, Joe, and Laura provide safety instructions, but you must be a confident open-water swimmer.

“This was an amazing experience from pick up to drop off. Taxi was on time at resort and super pleasant. Johnny and his captain were tremendous, safety was a priority for the whales and participants. He explained everything wonderfully and offered in both French and English. We were able to make two entries into the water the first with a mom and two calves and the second the same, except from the boat you could see there were two pods meeting up. The captain and Johnny navigating to the second entry point was amazing to watch — how they understood the ocean, whales and movements. We didn’t focus on taking…”

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6.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…”

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7.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.”

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8.Moreton Island: Tangalooma Day Trip & Whale Watching Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 121 reviews · 1 day · from $109

Take a ferry from Brisbane to Moreton Island, then join a 3-hour whale watching cruise with an Eco Ranger, onboard lunch, and commentary on humpback behavior. You also get resort access, a dolphin presentation, and a complimentary transfer drink, though free time on land is short.

“The trip is very informative and staff are very helpful. Lunch is a bit too light, just salad and a small ham & cheese muffin. We managed to see 7 to 8 whales! We were lucky to have fantastic weather.”

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9.Whale Watching & Limón Waterfall Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 94 reviews · from $169

From Punta Cana, take a long day trip to Samaná Bay for humpback whale watching, then ride horseback for 30 minutes through tropical farmland to El Limón Waterfall. Expect about 13 hours total, roughly 10 hours in transport, a 45-person maximum, and moderate physical effort.

“The boat crew and whale watch was fun- although short - once we’d seen a few whales! The guide basically said. That’s good enough . The horse back ride was awful - the hoses are in terrible shape and maltreated - yelled at and hit Read more”

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10.Punta Cana: Sanctuary Whale Watching Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 87 reviews · 12 hours · from $189

Travel from Punta Cana, Bávaro, Uvero Alto, Cap Cana, or Bayahibe to Samaná for humpback whale watching, Cayo Levantado, and El Limon waterfall. A bilingual guide such as Thomas may lead the day. Expect a long outing with boat spray, horseback riding, buffet lunch, and several transfers.

“Pickup from my hotel at 6:30am was smooth, but we spent long stretches waiting and driving between stops before reaching the boat dock. We arrived at the dock at 915am. Breakfast was a ham sandwich and fruit. Whale watching was rough due to choppy water, and we saw very few whales. We spent an hour on Saona Island with pushy photographers. Expect to pay $40–50 USD for photos. Lunch is a mainland buffet with great food, but it’s the last meal. You’re shuttled to the waterfall/“horseback” ride, where attendants repeatedly ask for tips, including $50 for the volunteer and animal. You spend ~30 minutes at the waterfall, then ride back.…”

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11.Stradbroke Island Eco Day Trip from Brisbane – Wildlife & Beaches

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 86 reviews · from $136

Spend about 11 hours exploring North Stradbroke Island with a small group and a guide such as Ivy, Jack, or Anto. You will cross Moreton Bay by ferry, walk the North Gorge, seek koalas and kangaroos, relax at Cylinder Beach, and return by ferry near sunset.

“Wildlife sightings were great and trip was very relaxing. Our guide , Ivy, was very pleasant and helpful .”

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12.Valley of Whales and Wadi El Rayan Water Falls Day Tour from Cairo

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 76 reviews · from $90

Leave Cairo at 7:00 AM for Fayoum’s Tunis Village, Lake Qarun, Wadi El Rayan waterfalls, and the UNESCO-listed Valley of the Whales. A private driver handles hotel transfers and photos, while a 4x4 ride, lunch, bottled water, and entry fees are included in the advertised package.

“We had an exciting ride in a 4x4 to travel to the valley of the whales. It is a unique experience to see fossils in both outdoor and indoor! The view of the desert is stunning! Both the magic lake and the water fall are beautiful. Our guide was nice and he helped us to take many great photos!”

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13.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.”

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14.Private Tour Whale Watching Half Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7 reviews

Join Mori Ora’s crew from Moorea Marina for a private 3 to 4-hour search for humpback whales and other marine life. The crew adapts the outing to ocean conditions, approaches animals gently, and may offer time in the water for confident swimmers with fins, mask, and snorkel.

“Getting on and off the sailboat was trash in itself. Driver hit another boat with the dingy on our way to the sailboat. Got to the sailboat which looks like it's been through 3 hurricanes. There is absolutely nothing luxurious about this boat. No pRead more”

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