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.
Most people want
Plan the perfect day
Pick who's coming and your budget — the list re-sorts in place and factors in today's weather. Or tap a common trip above.
Any must-haves?
More filters
Right now in PV: 39°C feels-like · UV 7 · Partly cloudy.
29 experiences
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
$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
$37USD /person
LGBTQ+ Nightlife Tour
Out in PV
✓ Free cancellation
3-hour guided bar crawl through PV's LGBTQ+ scene in Zona Romántica. 4 venues, welcome drink at each. Friendly, local guide.
Details
- Meet
- Zona Romántica, 9pm
- Ages
- 18+
- Effort
- easy — little walking
- Suits
- solo, couple, groups
from
$43USD /person
Tequila & Mezcal Tasting Tour
Vallarta Bar Tours
✓ Free cancellation
2-hour guided tasting of 8 artisanal tequilas and mezcals at 3 bars in Zona Romántica. Expert guide explains production and regions.
Details
- Meet
- Zona Romántica, 6pm
- Ages
- 18+
- Effort
- easy — little walking
- Suits
- solo, couple, groups
from
$51USD /person
Nov–Apr (migration season)
Bird Watching — Sierra Madre
Eco Tours Vallarta
✓ Free cancellation
5-hour bird watching tour in the Sierra Madre foothills. 200+ species possible. Expert guide, binoculars provided.
Details
- Meet
- Hotel zone pickup, 6am
- Ages
- 8+
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- solo, couple
from
$55USD /person
Year-round (best Nov–Apr)
Sierra del Cuale Jungle Hike
Eco Tours Vallarta
✓ Free cancellation
Guided half-day hike up the Cuale river valley — swimming holes, birdlife, an old mining trail. Moderate, ~6 km, cooler under the canopy. Good for fit families.
Details
- Meet
- Hotel pickup, 7am
- Ages
- 10+
- Effort
- demanding — active
- Suits
- solo, couple, groups
- Water
- you can stay dry if you want
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
$70USD /person
Temazcal Sweat-Lodge Ceremony
Casa Karuna
✓ Free cancellation
Traditional pre-Hispanic sweat-lodge ceremony led by a temazcalero: heat, herbs, chant, and rest. ~2 hours. Not for pregnancy or heart conditions.
Details
- Meet
- South-shore location, sunset
- Ages
- 16+
- Effort
- easy — little walking
- Suits
- solo, couple, 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
$12USD /person
Year-round (hot midday Apr–Oct)
Colomitos & Las Ánimas Coastal Hike
Self-guided (water taxi)
Jungle trail from Boca de Tomatlán to Colomitos (PV's smallest beach) and on to Las Ánimas. Hike one way, water-taxi back. No guide needed; bring water and reef shoes.
Details
- Meet
- Boca de Tomatlán trailhead
- Ages
- 10+
- Effort
- demanding — active
- Suits
- solo, couple, groups
- Water
- you can stay dry if you want
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
$23USD /person
Sunrise Beach Yoga
Ocean Soul Yoga
✓ Free cancellation
90-minute sunrise yoga session on the beach. All levels welcome. Mat and water provided. Meditation and breathwork included.
Details
- Meet
- Playa Los Muertos, 7am
- Ages
- 12+
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- solo, couple
from
$31USD /person
Night Street Tacos Tour
Taco Tour PV
✓ Free cancellation
2-hour guided walk to 5 of the best street taco stands in Centro. Eat birria, carnitas, fish tacos, and elote. Local guide, no tourist traps.
Details
- Meet
- Malecón, 7pm
- Ages
- 10+
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- solo, couple, 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
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
Downtown E-Bike Tour
Vallarta Walking Tours
2-hour electric-bike loop — Malecón, the pier, Gringo Gulch, the Cuale island, 5 de Diciembre — with stops for photos and a snack. Pedal-assist, so the hills don't matter.
Details
- Meet
- Centro, 9am or 4pm
- Ages
- 12+
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- solo, couple, family, groups
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
$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
$50USD /person
Quimixto Waterfall & Beach Boat
Boca de Tomatlán water taxi co-op
Panga to Quimixto, a tiny south-shore village. Walk (or ride a mule) 20 minutes to a jungle waterfall with a swimming pool, then lunch on the beach. Quieter than Yelapa.
Details
- Meet
- Boca de Tomatlán pier, 10am
- Ages
- 6+
- Effort
- demanding — active
- Suits
- solo, couple, family, groups
- Water
- you can stay dry if you want
from
$55USD /person
Taco & Cerveza Bike Tour
Taco Tour PV
Cruiser-bike ride between four taquerías and a craft-beer stop, with a guide who knows which stand does the best al pastor. Flat route, ~3 hours, plenty of eating.
Details
- Meet
- Centro, 5pm
- Ages
- 16+
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- solo, couple, 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
$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
$95USD /person
December–March
Whale Photo Safari (Small Boat)
Ecotours de México
✓ Free cancellation
Reserve now, pay later
Small-group humpback research boat with a marine biologist. Fewer people, closer to the science, better photos. Federal permit holder.
Details
- Meet
- Nuevo Vallarta marina, 8am
- Ages
- 8+
- Effort
- easy — little walking
- Suits
- solo, couple, groups
from
$98USD /person
Food & Mixology Tour
Vallarta Food Tours
✓ Free cancellation
An evening walking tour built around drinks as much as food — tequila, mezcal, raicilla and agave cocktails paired with tacos, birria and street snacks across Centro. From the team behind the Downtown Food Tour.
Details
- Meet
- Centro, ~5pm
- Ages
- 18+
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- couple, groups, solo
from
$200USD /person
Year-round (Nov–May best)
Sport Fishing — Half Day
PV Sport Fishing
✓ Free cancellation
4-hour sport fishing charter in Banderas Bay. Target: yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi, sailfish. Bait, tackle, and captain included.
Details
- Meet
- Marina Vallarta pier, 6am
- Ages
- 6+
- Effort
- easy — little walking
- Suits
- solo, couple, groups
- Water
- you can stay dry if you want
from
$380USD /person
Year-round (Nov–May prime)
Deep-Sea Fishing — Full Day
PV Sport Fishing
✓ Free cancellation
8-hour charter offshore for marlin, sailfish, tuna and dorado — further out than the half-day, better shot at the big pelagics. Captain, mate, bait and tackle included.
Details
- Meet
- Marina Vallarta pier, 6am
- Ages
- 8+
- Effort
- easy — little walking
- Suits
- groups, solo
- Water
- you can stay dry if you want
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.
Build a day around it ↗AI Itinerary Planner
Let us build your itinerary.
Tell us your dates, budget, and what you like. We'll put together a day-by-day plan using live data — open restaurants, upcoming events, current beach conditions.
Plan my trip →Hand-picked, not paid placements. Recommendations are a plain rule — party, budget, and live weather — and we show you the reason. Some “Book” links earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you; it never changes what we list or the order.