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: .
22 experiences
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
$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
$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
$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
$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
$70USD /person
Tequila Distillery & Hacienda Tour
Vallarta Bar Tours
Reserve now, pay later
Visit a working agave field and distillery outside town — see the process end to end, taste blanco/reposado/añejo, lunch at the hacienda. More substance than the in-town bar tasting.
Details
- Meet
- Hotel pickup, 9am
- Ages
- 18+
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- couple, groups
from
$75USD /person
May–December (new moon)
Bioluminescence Night Kayak
Ocean Friendly Expeditions
✓ Free cancellation
After-dark paddle when the plankton glows — every stroke lights up. Runs on new-moon weeks, roughly May–December. Clear-bottom kayaks on some departures.
Details
- Meet
- Boca de Tomatlán, after dark
- Ages
- 10+
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- couple, groups
- Water
- you will get wet
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
$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
$110USD /person
December–March
Whale Watching + Snorkel Combo
Ocean Friendly Expeditions
◆ Combo — 3-in-1
✓ Free cancellation
Morning humpback watching, then the boat drops anchor at a calm cove for a snorkel and swim before heading back. Best of both on one half-day; December–March only.
Details
- Meet
- Los Muertos pier, 8:30am
- Ages
- 8+
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- couple, family, groups
- Water
- you will get wet
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
$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
$160USD /person
Swim with Dolphins
Vallarta Adventures
✓ Free cancellation
Reserve now, pay later
Guided in-water dolphin encounter at Dolphin Adventure — a trainer leads a small group, hands-on, with education about the animals. The single most-booked family experience in PV.
Details
- Meet
- Nuevo Vallarta, morning & afternoon slots
- Ages
- 6+
- Effort
- easy — little walking
- Suits
- couple, family, groups
- Water
- you will get wet
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
$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
$54USD /person
Los Arcos Snorkeling Tour
Ocean Friendly Expeditions
✓ Free cancellation
4-hour snorkeling at Los Arcos National Marine Park. Sea turtles, tropical fish, manta rays. Equipment included.
Details
- Meet
- Playa Los Muertos pier, 9am
- Ages
- 8+
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- couple, family, groups
- Water
- you will get wet
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
$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
$110USD /person
Year-round (best viz May–Nov)
Scuba Diving — Los Arcos (2 Tanks)
Banderas Scuba Republic
✓ Free cancellation
Two-tank guided dive at Los Arcos for certified divers. 15–25m, giant boulders, eels, octopus, seasonal mantas. Gear and nitrox available.
Details
- Meet
- Boca de Tomatlán, 8:30am
- Ages
- 12+
- Effort
- some walking / uneven ground
- Suits
- solo, couple, groups
- Water
- you will get wet
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
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.