Top California On the Water - page 2

Two-Hour Luxury Whale Watching Tour from Oceanside

2 hours

4.7

(993)

from $64

San Francisco Bay Sailing Cruise

No better way than to experience San Francisco Bay from a sailing catamaran.

Paddle your way through California's flora and fauna on a whitewater rafting tour down the Truckee River—with a guide on-hand to provide help throughout. Begin with easy rapids as you pass by the scenery of the Tahoe National Forest, then build up to intermediate-level, Class III rapids and an exhilarating finish in the Floriston Gorge. On hot days, you can enjoy a swimming break in natural pools along the way.

(645)

from $65

Truckee River: Boca to Floriston Run (Class III Whitewater)

3 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Enjoy a thrilling new way to explore San Diego Bay—and enjoy speed, splashes, and spins along the way—on this high-speed jet boat tour. As you race along the scenic waterway, spot landmarks including the USS Midway, Coronado Island, Seaport Village, the Embarcadero, and the city skyline. Then, hang on as your captain takes your boat into power slides, 360-degree spins, and other high-octane maneuvers.

(183)

from $128

San Diego Bay Jet Boat Ride

30 minutesFree Cancellation

Whale Watching Tour From Monterey

(424)

from $45

3 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Swan Boat Rental at Rainbow Lagoon in Long Beach

(1,087)

from $75

1 hourFree Cancellation

4.3

(421)

from $13

For a romantic activity perfect for admiring the LA sunset, just grab your favorite person and pedal out onto Echo Park Lake with this swan boat adventure. Book the time that works for you, hop into your novelty vessel, and admire the LA skyline as you cruise. You can enjoy an onboard picnic, glide across the calm waters, or skip pedaling altogether and relax in the boat's roomy back seat.

Swan Boat Night Ride at Echo Park Lake

1 hourFree Cancellation

(197)

from $13

San Diego Whale Watching & Dolphin Cruise

2 to 3 hoursFree Cancellation

4.6

(1,696)

from $71

2.5-Hour Small-Group Catamaran Sail with Drinks

2 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

5.0

(296)

from $119

Russian River Kayak Tour at the Beautiful Sonoma Coast

2 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

5.0

(137)

from $135

Price varies by group size

Take in the highlights of San Diego Bay during a sightseeing tour by amphibious vehicle. Travel on both land and water, starting on the streets of Seaport Village and rolling down Harbor Drive alongside San Diego Bay. Transition into the water after departing Seaport Village. Cruise past the SeaWorld and Vacation Isle, experiencing the best of maritime San Diego on this fun and informative tour.

1 hour 45 minutesFree Cancellation

San Diego Seal Tour

4.7

(1,306)

from $56

Learn the basics of surfing in San Diego at a beach with gentle waves that are perfect for beginners. This semi-private surf lesson has a low student-to-instructor ratio for personalized attention from a highly trained team. Start on the beach to get a handle on surf essentials like safety, paddling, standing up, and wave etiquette, and then head out into the waves to put your new skills into practice.

Semi-Private Surf Lesson

Guided Whale Watching Tour from Long Beach

5.0

(21)

from $125

Special Offer

2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

City Cruises San Diego: Scenic 90-Minute Narrated Harbor Tour

San Diego Harbor Dinner Cruise

(532)

from $37

3 hoursFree Cancellation

4.1

(1,287)

from $126

Yellow Semi-Submarine Tour of Catalina Island From Avalon

Discover the underwater world of Catalina Island during a 45-minute ride on a semi-submarine. The semi-sub allows you to view the marine life of Avalon Bay as you dive six feet (two meters) below the surface at Lovers' Cove. Stay dry as you get a close look at fish feeding around the submarine, then take in views of the island from your vessel's top deck during the return journey to Avalon.

Yellow Semi-Submarine Tour of Catalina Island From Avalon

45 minutesFree Cancellation

4.4

(579)

from $57

Discover a new side of Monterey—and get up close and personal with its wetlands and wildlife—on this family-friendly boat tour. Pick between morning and afternoon tour times, and hop aboard your electric-powered catamaran. The boat offers up-close views of the Elkhorn Slough, an estuary that’s home to animals ranging from sea lions and otters to bird species and more. Learn more as you go from your naturalist guide.

Elkhorn Slough Wildlife Tour

(460)

from $45

San Diego Harbor Cruise

(3,188)

from $37

Set sail at one of the best times of day—sunset—during this San Diego Bay cruise. Board a comfortable sailing yacht and cruise along San Diego's coastline, taking in views of the scenic waterfront, military vessels, and historical landmarks. Catch sight of marine life and enjoy spectacular photo ops. Gorgeous sunset views and comfortable bean bag seating makes this tour a great choice for travelers celebrating a special occasion.

Sunset Sail Along the San Diego Skyline

An easy beach break with regular, predictable waves that don’t get too big, La Jolla Shores is one of California’s best destinations for learning to surf. Join an experienced instructor and no more than four other learners on a class that’s good for absolute beginners and intermediates alike. Your class includes your board and an Everyday California rash guard top, with full wetsuits available at an additional charge.

(634)

from $109

Learn to Surf in La Jolla

One of the deepest lakes in North America, Tahoe famously has very blue and clear waters, but it can be tricky to get a good view of them on most boat tours. This small-group kayak tour from Sand Harbor State Park takes you out onto the water in completely transparent kayaks so that you can enjoy a fuller perspective. Paddle along the lake while seeing up to 65 feet (20 meters) below the water's surface.

(61)

from $129

Clear Kayak Tour of Lake Tahoe (from Incline Village)

Clear Kayak Tour of Lake Tahoe (from Incline Village)

2 hours 30 minutes

(152)

from $191

Admire views of San Diego that many other visitors miss—and help keep your sightseeing personal—on this small-group sailing excursion that's timed for sunset. Travel aboard a Catalina–style sailboat, and soak up the peaceful ambiance, plus a photo-worthy perspective on the city skyline, Old Point Loma Lighthouse, Coronado Island, and other highlights. Along the way, enjoy beer, soft drinks, and snacks, plus blankets in case you get cold.

Small-Group San Diego Sunset Sailing Excursion

Small-Group San Diego Sunset Sailing Excursion

3 hoursFree Cancellation

Private Surfing Lesson in Santa Monica

(620)

from $127

Price varies by group size

(48)

from $125

Bypass the line and head directly to the gate with your prebooked tickets for this San Francisco Bay sightseeing cruise. This sunset cruise takes you across the bay with outstanding views of the city skyline, Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Bay Bridge, and Alcatraz Island. Relax while background music sets the tone. Watch the sunset or select a city lights cruise during winter months.

San Francisco Bay Sunset & City Lights Cruise

San Francisco Bridge-to-Bridge Cruise 90 Minutes

(2,006)

from $58

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What are people saying about California

Cristina_P, Jun 2026

Mixed age groups

It was an amazing way to see the city and the entire Bay Area! We went at the end of May and the sky cleared up just in time for our 11:45 ride. We had 3 elder guest who only spoke Spanish and they had a great time listening to all the history through headphones. The sitting options everywhere were also key. One elder had a cane and got to go to the front to board. She was given extra time before the rest rushed behind her. All in all highly recommend this for mixed age groups.

San Francisco Ghost Tours: Gold and Ghouls Tour

Nicholas_M, May 2026

Thom Is the Bomb

My wife and I go on many ghost tours—not necessarily due to a belief in the paranormal but because it’s usually a great pairing with a more traditional city tour at learning a city’s more complete history. Thom demonstrated a masterclass performance and due diligence at inculcating us all with his dark tales of San Francisco alongside the spirit of renewal and resurgence the city itself lives as a credo. Brilliant orator with a fine set of approaches to all of these stories—this is THE guy to share this local history!

Whale Watching Tour From Monterey

Laurie_B, May 2026

Fantastic!! Can’t wait to go again!!

Fantastic tour from beginning to end. Very knowledgable naturalist and ship hands. They made it very fun and educational. They did an amazing job of keeping us close enough to the whales to really appreciate them and get good photos, without causing them any distress! Can’t wait to do another tour with them!

San Francisco Movie Sights City Tour

Sarah_H, May 2026

One of the best

Bryan was a wonderful guide and very knowledgeable. He was helpful with capturing some great photos so I can enjoy the memories for years to come. I was surprised that Bryan also took requests to stop at some of our favorite spots so we could get more of what we love and less of what we weren’t interested in. 5 stars, would definitely recommend!

2HR Golden Gate Bridge and Lombard Loop GoCar Tour

Deanna_H, Mar 2026

Do NOT miss this opportunity

The staff were amazingly helpful and kind. I'm not techy. I couldn't get the GPS audio to work. I swung back around to request help. They were extremely apologetic and quickly identified and fixed the issue. The issue was I'm an idiot and didn't know where the volume toggle was located. I highly recommend the 3 or 4 hour package. It takes you all over the City. It was fun, exciting, and absolutely worth it.

San Francisco Private Love Tour

Marilou_M, Feb 2026

A must tour when visiting the Bay

This tour was amazing and Dave was an amazing tour guide! It wasn't easy considering there was Formula One traffic and crowd that day and Dave made sure we still see a lot of the iconic city views. And the vintage VW 1973 was a delight to ride around the city. The Haight-Ashbury stop was the main highlight and didn't disappoint us. Driving down crooked Lombard Street was a treat! Dave went above and beyond what we were hoping for and even changed our drop-off location so we could catch a great dinner at Fisherman's Wharf! This tour is a must when visiting the bay!

Luxury Whale Watching: Fewer People, Extra Speed, Expert Staff

Anita_S, Feb 2026

Watching whales

We went on the Catallac which is smaller and faster than some of the other ferries. We only had 11 people on our cruise and it was nice. The boat has a great viewing area in front but we were warned we would get wet on the way back so we went inside. We saw two gray whales and tons of playful dolphins. The crew was informative and made a point of going around so we saw the whales twice. Highly recommend this on a sunny afternoon!

Sonoma Wine Tour with 2 Tastings Included Small-Group Half Day

Julie_G, Oct 2025

The highlight of our visit to San Francisco!!!

Wonderful experience from the moment we started the tour! Randy was the ultimate tour guide, very informative and personable! He went above and beyond in making sure that our experience was memorable! It will definitely be a highlight of our visit to SF for many years! We will definitely visit the city again and book another tour, hoping with Randy as our guide!

La Jolla Sea Cave Tandem Kayak Tour

Dyanna_S, Oct 2025

It was an amazing...

It was an amazing experience! Sebastian and Magdalena were fantastic, super friendly, professional, and very knowledgeable about the marine life. They made the kayak tour so much fun, and we got to see beautiful views and wildlife along the way. Everything felt safe and well organized. Highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a great outdoor adventure!

2 Hour Sailing Cruise on Lake Tahoe

Cheri_W, Sep 2025

What a Beautiful Way to See Lake Tahoe!

We had a wonderful sail with Justin and his crew. We wanted to do something special for our anniversary, and this sailing excursion did not disappoint! The views are breathtaking and Justin and crew were informative, friendly, and fun to “hang” with. If I had one little nitpick to mention, it is that I had a question about the ability to do gratuities via Venmo, so I texted and called the number provided to ask. Unfortunately I never received an answer. While my question was not super important, if it had been, the lack of response before the tour would have been frustrating. All that said, however, the experience of the sail was so fun and everyone should see Lake Tahoe this way!