Tours & Activities
Tours & Activities
Boat trips, whale watching, hiking, and more.
What's on · September in Puerto Vallarta
September — quietest month, softest prices, warm rain. Turtle releases nightly; whales a month off.
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Right now in PV: 38°C feels-like · UV 4 · Overcast.
14 experiences
from
$63USD /person
Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Workshop
ChocoMuseo
✓ Free cancellation
Roast, peel, grind and temper your own chocolate bar from Mexican cacao in a two-hour hands-on workshop in Centro. Take the bars home. Works for kids and non-drinkers, unlike most of the food tours.
Details
- Meet
- Centro workshop, sessions through the day
- Ages
- 4+
- Effort
- easy — little walking
- Suits
- solo, couple, family, groups
from
$80USD /person
Mexican Cooking Class
Vallarta Eats
✓ Free cancellation
Reserve now, pay later
3-hour hands-on Mexican cooking class. Visit the local market, cook 4 dishes including mole and ceviche, eat what you make.
Details
- Meet
- Mercado Municipal, 9am
- Ages
- 8+
- Effort
- easy — little walking
- Suits
- solo, couple, family, groups
from
$85USD /person
Ceviche & Seafood Cooking Class
Vallarta Eats
Hands-on class focused on the coast: three ceviches, aguachile, a whole grilled fish and a michelada to wash it down. Market visit first. Smaller and more relaxed than the mole class.
Details
- Meet
- Mercado, 10am
- Ages
- 10+
- Effort
- easy — little walking
- Suits
- solo, couple, family, groups
from
$28USD /person
Butterfly Sanctuary & Museum
Jardín Mariposario
✓ Free cancellation
A small enclosed butterfly garden and natural-history museum a short drive from Centro — hundreds of native morphos and swallowtails, shaded paths, and a quick, cheap, kid-proof hour out of the heat.
Details
- Meet
- Las Juntas — a short taxi from Centro
- Effort
- easy — little walking
- Suits
- solo, couple, family
from
$22USD /person
Year-round (best Nov–Mar)
Vallarta Botanical Gardens
Vallarta Botanical Gardens
Self-guided day at the botanical gardens 30 min south of town. Orchid house, jungle trails, river swimming hole, hacienda restaurant. Bus 'El Tuito' from Centro.
Details
- Meet
- Carretera 200 sur, km 24
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- solo, couple, family
from
$25USD /person
El Cora Crocodile Sanctuary
Eco Tours Vallarta
Boardwalk tour of a mangrove crocodile sanctuary north of the airport — rescued crocs, iguanas, birds. Cheap, quick, shaded, and a hit with kids.
Details
- Meet
- Las Juntas y Los Veranos road
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- solo, couple, family
from
$49USD /person
PV Street Food & Culture Tour
Vallarta Food Tours
✓ Free cancellation
Reserve now, pay later
3-hour walking food tour through Centro and Zona Romántica. 8–10 tastings including tacos, birria, mariscos, agua fresca.
Details
- Meet
- Malecón Boardwalk, Los Arcos amphitheater
- Ages
- 6+
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- solo, couple, family, groups
from
$60USD /person
Sayulita & San Pancho Day Trip
Vallarta Walking Tours
✓ Free cancellation
Guided day up the Riviera Nayarit coast: the surf-town buzz and artisan market of Sayulita, then quieter San Pancho for lunch. Transport and a local guide; skip the bus hassle.
Details
- Meet
- Hotel pickup, 8:30am
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- solo, couple, family, groups
from
$40USD /person
Glass-Bottom Boat — Los Arcos
Ocean Friendly Expeditions
✓ Free cancellation
See the Los Arcos reef without getting in — a glass-bottom panga over the marine park, with time to snorkel if you want. Good for non-swimmers, grandparents and small kids.
Details
- Meet
- Playa Los Muertos pier, hourly
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- solo, couple, family, groups
- Water
- you can stay dry if you want
from
$45USD /person
Yelapa & Majahuitas Boat Day
Boca de Tomatlán water taxi co-op
Panga from Boca de Tomatlán to the car-free village of Yelapa. Waterfall hike, beach time, fresh fish and the famous pie ladies. Return by mid-afternoon.
Details
- Meet
- Boca de Tomatlán pier, 10am
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- solo, couple, family, groups
- Water
- you can stay dry if you want
from
$77USD /person
December–March
Whale Watching Tour
Vallarta Adventures
✓ Free cancellation
Reserve now, pay later
3-hour guided whale watching in Banderas Bay. Humpbacks December–March. Hydrophone on board to hear whale songs.
Details
- Meet
- Marina Vallarta pier, 8am and 12pm
- Effort
- easy — little walking
- Suits
- solo, couple, family, groups
from
$31USD /person
Downtown Art & History Walking Tour
Vallarta Walking Tours
✓ Free cancellation
2.5-hour guided walk through Centro and Gringo Gulch: the church, the Malecón sculptures, the Elizabeth Taylor / Richard Burton houses, the Isla Cuale.
Details
- Meet
- Plaza de Armas, 9am
- Ages
- 8+
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- solo, couple, family
from
$33USD /person
Hop-On Hop-Off City Bus
Vallarta City Tour
An open-top loop past the Malecón, the Guadalupe church, Zona Romántica, the Marina and the lookout points, with a ticket that lets you get off and back on all day. The low-commitment way to see the city on your own schedule.
Details
- Meet
- Malecón, roughly hourly from 9am
- Effort
- easy — little walking
- Suits
- solo, couple, family, groups
from
$35USD /person
August–December
Sea Turtle Release
Eco Tours Vallarta
✓ Free cancellation
Sunset release of newly-hatched sea turtles with a marine biologist, on a protected beach. August–December only. Low-key, moving, and a favourite with families.
Details
- Meet
- Beach location, ~5:30pm
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- solo, couple, family, groups
Nothing matches that combination. Clear the plan filters to see everything again.
Off the Malecón
The good stuff is
The good stuff is
a boat ride away.
Humpback whales from December, the Marietas Islands, a panga to Yelapa for lunch and a waterfall. Book direct with the operator where you can — more of it stays in town.
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