Top San Diego Whale Watching

San Diego: 3 Hour Whale Watch Cruise with Legacy Whale Watch

(256)

from $34

San Diego Whale Watching & Dolphin Cruise

2 to 3 hoursFree Cancellation

4.6

(1,688)

from $71

San Diego Whale Watching Cruise

4 hoursFree Cancellation

(2,454)

from $85

Whale and Dolphin Watching in San Diego

(154)

from $149

3-Hour Guided Whale and Dolphin Watching Experience in San Diego

(46)

from $169

San Diego Harbor Cruise

San Diego Dolphin Watch Sunset Cruise on Legacy Whale Watch

4.5

(3,169)

from $37

2 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

4.0

(10)

from $34

Enjoy a sailing adventure on a Catalina-style sailboat with just six people aboard for a comfortable, small-group experience (or, find five friends and fill up the whole boat). Sail in San Diego Harbor, and look out for top city attractions, from Coronado to the USS Midway. Sit back and relax, and enjoy the views, all while enjoying complimentary beer, hard seltzer, non-alcoholic beverages, and snacks.

Small-Group San Diego Afternoon Sailing Excursion

Explore the stunning marine life off the coast of San Diego with premier whale watching tours. Witness majestic whales in their natural habitat while enjoying an eco-friendly experience that emphasizes sustainability. The knowledgeable guides provide insights into the local ecosystem and the species you encounter, making the tour both educational and captivating. Perfect for families, nature lovers, and adventure seekers alike, this tour ensures an unforgettable day on the water. All tours depart from Seaforth Marina, offering a comfortable and accessible starting point for your adventure. - Eco-friendly whale watching tours departing from Seaforth Marina - Expert guides share insights on marine life and ecology - Family-friendly activities suitable for all ages - Enjoy a memorable day at sea while supporting sustainable tourism

4.9

(550)

from $116

Private Whale Watching in San Diego on a Premium Zodiac

Private Whale Watching in San Diego on a Premium Zodiac

4.5

from $1,150

Per group

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

San Diego provides the perfect launching point for a whale-watching tour in California. Cruise on the Pacific Ocean in a sturdy boat with a professional crew, looking for gray whales as they migrate along the coast of North America. Dolphins, seals and seabirds are often spotted during this whale-watching tour and the crew provides informative commentary about the marine animals and environment. Bonus: if the crew does not find any whales during your cruise, you receive a complimentary ticket for another trip.

4.9

(630)

from $99

City Cruises San Diego: Whale and Dolphin Watching Adventure

City Cruises San Diego: Whale and Dolphin Watching Adventure

4 hoursFree Cancellation

4.2

(144)

from $77

Explore some of the top highlights of San Diego with your or or two day trolley pass (depending on option selected) for the city’s Hop-on, Hop-off Trolley Tour. Choose your own adventure as you get on and off the trolley at any of the 11 included stops, covering famous sights including the Gaslamp Quarter, the San Diego Zoo, USS Midway and the Cruise Ship Terminal, Little Italy, and many more. This San Diego trolley tour also features live commentary from the on-board guide during your ride.

San Diego Hop On Hop Off Trolley Tour

Meet some of the world's most exotic animals with your admission ticket to the renowned San Diego Zoo, one of California's top family-friendly attractions. More than 4,000 animals representing 800 species live in this state-of-the-art zoo, including some that are rarely seen at other zoos. Admire the animals and go in-depth during daily keeper talks. With mobile tickets, simply scan your phone for direct entry into the San Diego Zoo. Ticket must be redeemed on travel date selected. Tickets must be purchased at least one day prior to visit.

(2,717)

from $57

San Diego Zoo 1-Day Pass: Any Day Ticket

San Diego Zoo 1-Day Pass: Any Day Ticket

1 to 4 hoursFree 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.

(4,565)

from $78

San Diego Bay Jet Boat Ride

30 minutesFree Cancellation

The renowned San Diego Zoo Safari Park presents more than 3,500 animals roaming in large enclosures that replicate their natural habitat. Go on a safari adventure unlike any other outside of Africa itself, with exhibits inspired by the African Serengeti and the Asian Savanna. With mobile tickets, simply scan your phone for direct entry into the Safari Park. Ticket must be redeemed on travel date selected. Tickets must be purchased at least one day prior to visit. After 3+ years of construction, Elephant Valley is now officially open! Come immerse yourself in this incredible conservation habitat and meet a multi-generational herd of eight African savanna elephants.

(422)

from $45

San Diego Zoo Safari Park 1-Day Pass: Any Day Ticket

San Diego Zoo Safari Park 1-Day Pass: Any Day Ticket

2 to 8 hoursFree Cancellation

4.0

(387)

from $78

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

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

(1,300)

from $55

1 hour 30 minutesFree Cancellation

4.5

(530)

from $37

Experience the thrill of driving a speedboat—and enjoy a new way to sightsee—on this two-in-one San Diego Harbor tour. Learn the basics of boating from your guide before following their boat around the harbor, cruising past highlights such as the USS Midway, Coronado Bridge, the San Diego Maritime Museum, and more. Discover the stories behind the landmarks via the on-board, two-way communication system, and stop for photo ops.

San Diego Harbor Speed Boat Adventure

Put your sea legs to good use while in port and see San Diego’s sights by both land and water on a shore excursion by amphibious vehicle. Listen to stories that bring San Diego’s history to life as you travel along the water’s edge, then steer straight into San Diego Bay. Take in sweeping views of SeaWorld, watch for the seals and sea lions that play, eat and bask at Quivira Basin, and return to your ship along the scenic Harbor Drive.

(744)

from $89

San Diego Shore Excursion: San Diego Seal Tour

San Diego Shore Excursion: San Diego Seal Tour

1 hour 45 minutesFree Cancellation

Christened in 1934, Cloudia is a beautifully restored, rare example of a classic Norwegian double ended ketch. Inspired by the original designs of famed naval architect Colin Archer (1832-1921), from Larvik, Norway, the Cloudia is a Listerskøyte. The top-sail ketch is notable for durability and safety. Archer’s shipyard designed and constructed the famed Fram, which participated in a number of expeditions to the North Pole and later supported Roald Amundsen’s historic first expedition to the South Pole. The Cloudia is rigged as a topsail ketch in the British or American style, which means there are 2 two-piece masts which allow her to carry more sail than a traditional Norwegian rig with shorter single masts. Cloudia’s main mast is 85 feet high including the top-jack. Many different woods were used to craft the ship, including Norwegian white oak, sapele hardwood, Douglas fir, Alaskan yellow cedar, and Ipe Brazilian hardwood. Come experience History!

(186)

from $56

Private Sailing Tour -2 Hour (Up to 12 Passengers)

Private Sailing Tour -2 Hour (Up to 12 Passengers)

San Diego: 3 Hour Whale Watch Cruise with Legacy Whale Watch

5.0

from $1,200

Per group

Top Attractions in San Diego

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Attractions

What are people saying about San Diego

M_B, Jun 2026

It was great and I cried....in a good way!

They don't guarantee a sighting but 3 hours on a boat in nice weather is worth it. We did see an endangered fin whale, a stampede of dolphin pods, sea lions, and birds. It was beautiful. The captain called the other boats to share location which I felt was a great community thing and a nice change from cut throat people. Good music on the boat during down time.

San Diego Whale Watching & Dolphin Cruise

Elizabeth_M, Jun 2026

Great crew, service, and sighting!

We had a fabulous time. We saw dolfins, seabirds, and sealions. The crew was phenomenal. Colleen (nature guide) was fun, engagin, and informative. The ride was smooth (for the ocean) and brought us to great spots for spotting wildlife (Thanks Captain Mike). The support crew was great, Taylor, Joe, and Max provided quick, efficient service. And Joe helped one of our friends when she felt seasick. Overall, this was a great experience with a great crew.

San Diego Harbor Cruise

Aaron_a, Jun 2026

Family trip

Travis should know that this is one of the best excursions I’ve had you get to go all over the San Diego Bay. See the ship. See the harbor. See all the works. He sees. It’s a great excursion. You will love it. it’s really worth the price. It’s not very that expensive people would love it. Tour guides are friendly all the information as informative.

San Diego Whale Watching Cruise

Asher_P, May 2026

The trip was incredible...

The trip was incredible and highly recommend. The boat is a super cool replica of the 1851 America racing yacht from the original Americas cup. The team did a great job to ensure we saw tons of wildlife. We saw 3 whales, hundreds of dolphins and some sea lions too. The crew was overall incredible especially to my partner who was suffering from sea sickness. They had a bunch of remedies on board that helped them through it.

San Diego Hop On Hop Off Trolley Tour

Lois_A, May 2026

Great way to be informed & get around the city.

Great way to get around to sites of the city and with information so you don’t miss the hidden gems. All of the operators are informed and use humor between sites. Milo was especially entertaining. I could have listened to him all day and didn’t want to get off. I’ve used the trolley in other cities & San Diego did not disappoint.

Whale and Dolphin Watching in San Diego

Susan_M, May 2026

Bucket list for dolphins completed

Fantastic tour with a brilliant captain. We really enjoyed getting up close to dolphins and also a humpback whale feeding. Would highly recommend this tour. My life long dream was to see dolphins up close in their natural environment. I wasn’t disappointed as we got to see to loads of pods of the Pacific dolphin and siso the bottle nose dolphin. 🐬🐬

San Diego Seal Tour

Hagenn, May 2026

A very pleasant sojourn

This was a great time, taking a look around at some of the elements of downtown San Diego, then getting on the water and motoring around the western Harbor. Our driver and our tour guide did a great job finding interesting things and giving info on them, including a decent number of temporary things! I especially loved that they had blankets available, since the Harbor wind can get chilly.

Sunset Sail Along the San Diego Skyline

Steven_S, May 2026

Nice way to end our vacation

Dress warm! The water and air temperature are cooler than you think. With a limit of 6 passengers it's a cozy ride. A chance to converse with others who are probably from far away. The captain knows the boat well and is very capable of sailing it alone. They provided wine (and snacks I think). City skyline is beautiful and several interesting sights to see. It was a good time!

3-Hour Guided Whale and Dolphin Watching Experience in San Diego

AzureDee_I, Apr 2026

Highest recommendation

We had such an amazing experience with Rick! The ride felt adventurous but safe and we saw 25 whales! We even went into Mexican waters which was cool. Highly recommend paying the few extra bucks for this very small group (6) and the small boat. Such a unique and special experience!!