Los Cabos excursions at a glance
Most Los Cabos activities you can book fall into five groups: whale watching boats in winter, desert rides with quads, UTVs or camels, zipline parks, cultural day tours to Todos Santos and snorkeling trips to Cabo Pulmo National Park. Boat trips to the Arch and sunset cruises leave from the marina in Cabo San Lucas and are covered on our Cabo San Lucas boat tours page.
Three things differ from tour to tour: where it starts, whether hotel pickup is included, and which fees come on top. Many desert and whale tours collect guests from hotels in Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. Some add a park entrance fee at check-in, and some leave transport to you.
Our picks: tours compared
Pick the Pulmo day for snorkelling and kayaking away from the crowds, the sightseeing tour for an easy look at both towns, and the quad or camel options if you want the desert. Whale tours fit December to April.
Hand-picked tours, booked through Viator and GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Cabo Pulmo snorkelling and kayaking from Los Cabos
- Return transport
- Park and beach fees
- Lunch included
A long day to the marine park with the return transport, park and beach fees, kayak, snorkel gear and a lunch at a local restaurant.
Check availability →
Whale watching by catamaran with hydrophone
- Hydrophone on board
- Snacks
- Alcoholic drinks
A two-and-a-half-hour catamaran trip with a hydrophone to hear the whales sing. Humpbacks are around from December to April.
Check availability →
Sightseeing day through Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Live commentary
- Professional guide
Six hours by vehicle with a guide and live commentary, linking both towns of Los Cabos, with pickup and drop-off at your hotel.
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Whale watching with a female crew and photos
- Digital photos
- Biologist guides
- Second tour free if no whales
Two hours with biologist captains and guides, plus digital photos. If you do not find whales, you get a second tour free.
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Desert ATV ride with buffet and tequila tasting
- Safety briefing and gear
- Unlimited Mexican buffet
- Tequila and beer
You ride your own ATV after a safety briefing, with protective gear provided, then eat at the Mexican buffet.
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Beach camel ride with Mexican buffet and tequila
- Hotel pickup
- Unlimited Mexican buffet
- Bilingual guide
A long, relaxed half day: camel ride on the beach, an unlimited Mexican buffet and a bilingual guide, with pickup at your hotel.
Check availability →Los Cabos excursions you can book
Whale watching, desert rides, ziplines, Todos Santos and Cabo Pulmo, with live prices and availability.
Excursion types compared
What the tours on offer usually include. Check each tour for the details.
| Excursion | Length | Start | Often included | Often extra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whale watching boat | 2 to 3 hours | Cabo San Lucas, some with hotel pickup | Guide, water, photos on some tours, hydrophone on some | Hotel transfer on some tours |
| Quad or UTV ride | 2 to 3.5 hours | Hotel pickup in Cabo San Lucas and San José on many tours | Guide, safety gear, water, tequila tasting | Park entrance on some tours, optional insurance |
| Camel ride combo | 3 to 5 hours | Hotel pickup on most tours | Camel ride on the beach, often with quad or UTV and a buffet | Park entrance on some tours |
| Zipline park | 3 to 4 hours | The park, transport depends on the option | Zipline gear, water | Park entrance, transport, photos |
| Todos Santos day tour | About 6 hours | Hotel pickup | Transport, guide, water; lunch on some options | Tips |
| Cabo Pulmo snorkeling | 3 hours on site or 8.5 hours with transfer | Cabo Pulmo, or pickup in Los Cabos | Guide, snorkel gear, park fee | Transport on the on-site tour |
For most visitors in winter, a whale watching boat plus one desert ride is the easiest pair to fit into a short stay. If you have a full free day, Todos Santos or Cabo Pulmo give you more of the region beyond the cape.
Whale watching tours from Cabo San Lucas
A winter excursion with seasonal rules.
Most whale boats leave from Cabo San Lucas, and several tours include hotel pickup and drop-off. Trips last about 2 to 3 hours. Some carry a marine biologist and a hydrophone so you can listen to the whales. Some include digital photos, water and park and dock fees.
Humpback whales are usually around Los Cabos from December to April, with the best chances from January to March. The federal notice for 2025/2026 set 15 December 2025 to 30 April 2026 for the area around Cabo San Lucas and San José. A new notice is issued for each season.
What "guaranteed sightings" means
Some tours advertise guaranteed sightings. In practice this means a second trip free of charge if you see no whales on the first one. It is not a promise that you will see whales. Mexican rules keep boats 60 m from humpback and gray whales for small boats and 80 m for medium and large boats, with no more than 4 boats at a time with the same group of whales and at most 30 minutes per group. Details on the whale watching page.
Desert tours: quad, UTV, camel and zipline
Different vehicles, different fees.
Quad (ATV) rides
Beach and desert quad tours run about 2 to 3 hours, with a single or double quad depending on the option you book. Guides, safety gear, water and a tequila tasting are common. Some tours add a park entrance fee at check-in and offer optional insurance.
ATV tours →UTV and camel combos
A UTV is a side-by-side vehicle, not a quad. Combo tours pair a UTV or quad with a camel ride on the beach. Some include a Mexican buffet lunch. Check whether the park entrance and insurance are in the price.
Desert tours →Ziplines
Zipline parks in the desert canyons of Los Cabos sell tours with gear included. The park entrance is paid extra, and transport depends on the option you choose. Arrange the transfer before the day.
Ziplines →
Quad and camel rides usually take place on the Pacific side, in desert with dry stream beds. The municipality asks riders to respect turtle nesting areas on the beaches.
Todos Santos and Cabo Pulmo day trips
Two full days, two very different coasts.
Todos Santos tours
Todos Santos is a Pueblo Mágico on the Pacific side, about 1 hour by road from Cabo San Lucas. Day tours last about 6 hours with return transport and a bilingual guide. Some add a Mexican buffet lunch and a tequila tasting, or lunch as an option. A tour that visits a camel ranch does not automatically include a camel ride, so read what the tour lists. More on the Todos Santos page.
Cabo Pulmo snorkeling trips
Cabo Pulmo National Park lies on the Gulf coast, 98.1 km from San José del Cabo. You can book a full day with transfer from Los Cabos that includes a guide, kayak and snorkel gear, park and beach fees, snacks and lunch. Or you drive yourself and join a shorter snorkeling tour that starts in Cabo Pulmo with gear, guide and the park fee included. Snorkeling in the park takes place with an authorized guide, at most 8 swimmers per guide, with a life jacket and for no more than 30 minutes. See the Cabo Pulmo page.
Boat trips and other Los Cabos activities
What sits on the sister guide, and what is not on offer here.
Glass-bottom boats to the Arch, snorkeling cruises to Santa María Bay and sunset sails all leave from Cabo San Lucas. These are covered in detail on our guide to snorkeling in Cabo San Lucas. Trips to Espíritu Santo start in La Paz, several hours north, and are a separate plan; see day trips. For scuba diving, read the diving page first, since dive sites like Gordo Banks are for experienced divers only.
Before you book
A short checklist for any tour.
Pickup area
Check whether your hotel is in the pickup zone. Some tours charge extra for resorts further away.
Fees at check-in
Park entrance and protected area fees are separate from the tour price unless the tour lists them as included.
Season
Whale tours only make sense in winter. Snorkeling depends on sea conditions and beach flags on the day.
Sun protection
In Cabo Pulmo, use biodegradable sunscreen, as the park rules ask.
Los Cabos excursions: frequently asked questions
Which excursions pick up in San José del Cabo?
Many quad, UTV, camel and Todos Santos tours include return transport from most hotels in Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. Several whale tours do too. Check the pickup area for your hotel before you book.
When can I book whale watching?
Humpbacks are usually seen from December to April, best from January to March. The season is set each year; for 2025/2026 it ran from 15 December 2025 to 30 April 2026.
Is the park fee included in the tour price?
It depends on the tour. The park fee is MXN 125 per person and day for Cabo Pulmo and the Cabo San Lucas protected area (2026), and children under 12 are exempt. Some tours include the fee, others do not.
Do camel ranch tours always include a ride?
No. Camel ride combos list the ride, but a Todos Santos tour that stops at a ranch does not automatically include one. Read the inclusions of each tour.
Can I snorkel in Cabo Pulmo on my own?
Park rules call for snorkeling with an authorized guide, at most 8 swimmers per guide and a life jacket. Plan on a guided tour rather than swimming out to the reef alone.