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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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.
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Right now in PV: 38°C feels-like · UV 5 · Overcast.
21 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
$142USD /person
Cirque du Soleil LUDÕ
Cirque du Soleil
✓ Free cancellation
The first permanent Cirque du Soleil production in Mexico — an immersive theatrical dinner where acrobats, live music and a multi-course tasting menu unfold around your table. Runs several evenings a week near the Marina.
Details
- Meet
- Cirque du Soleil venue, near Marina Vallarta — evening seatings
- Ages
- 8+
- Effort
- easy — little walking
- Suits
- couple, groups, 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
$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
$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
$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
$63USD /person
Canopy Zip-Line Tour
Canopy El Edén
✓ Free cancellation
2.5-hour zip-line tour through the jungle canopy near the Cuale River, at the El Edén film location. 14 lines up to 250m. Transport from PV included.
Details
- Meet
- Hotel zone pickup, departs 8am
- Ages
- 6+
- Effort
- demanding — active
- Suits
- couple, family, groups
from
$130USD /person
Rhythms of the Night — Las Caletas
Vallarta Adventures
✓ Free cancellation
Reserve now, pay later
Evening cruise to a candle-lit, no-electricity beach cove for a dinner and a theatrical show inspired by ancient Mexico. PV's best-known night out.
Details
- Meet
- Terminal Marítima, 6pm
- Effort
- easy — little walking
- Suits
- 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
$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
$100USD /person
Sunset Sailing Cruise
Bahía Catamarans
✓ Free cancellation
3-hour sunset catamaran cruise along the Bay of Banderas. Open bar, light dinner, live music. Anchored swim stop near Los Arcos.
Details
- Meet
- Marina Vallarta pier, 6pm
- Effort
- easy — little walking
- Suits
- couple, family, groups
from
$600USD /group
Private Boat Charter — Half Day
Banderas Bay Charters
✓ Free cancellation
Private 4-hour boat charter for up to 10. Set your own route — Los Arcos, Las Ánimas, Quimixto. Captain, fuel, snorkel gear, cooler included. Price is per group.
Details
- Meet
- Marina Vallarta or Los Muertos pier
- Effort
- easy — little walking
- Suits
- couple, family, groups
- Water
- you can stay dry if you want
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
$85USD /person
Horseback Ride to a Waterfall
Rancho El Charro
✓ Free cancellation
Half-day trail ride into the Sierra Madre to a swimmable waterfall. Well-kept horses, matched to your experience level. Family-run since 1993.
Details
- Meet
- Rancho El Charro, Las Palmas road (pickup available)
- Ages
- 8+
- Effort
- demanding — active
- Suits
- couple, family, groups
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
$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
$75USD /person
Sunset Horseback Beach Ride
Rancho El Charro
✓ Free cancellation
Ride along the sand and into the surf as the sun drops, north of the marina. Calm, well-kept horses; short (90 min) and beginner-friendly. Photos included on most departures.
Details
- Meet
- North-shore ranch, ~5pm
- Ages
- 8+
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- couple, family, groups
- Water
- you can stay dry if you want
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
$130USD /person
UTV / RZR Off-Road — Sierra Madre
Wild Vallarta Tours
Reserve now, pay later
Side-by-side UTV (not solo ATV) through jungle trails, river crossings and a hidden village, ending at a waterfall. Two to four per vehicle, so kids and non-drivers can ride along.
Details
- Meet
- Hotel zone pickup
- Ages
- 6+
- Effort
- demanding — active
- Suits
- 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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