Sydney Whale-Watching Cruise Including Lunch or Breakfast
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Sydney, Australia
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Many whale-watching tours head straight into open water, but this cruise begins in Sydney Harbour, where you can enjoy breakfast or a barbecue lunch (depending on the option selected). After your meal, sail past sights such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge en route to the Pacific Ocean, in search of migrating humpback and southern right whales. A naturalist guide provides live commentary along the way, and helps you spot marine life.
- Learn more than you would on your own with live commentary
- Maximize your chances of spotting whales with a naturalist guide
- Enjoy views of Sydney and its harbor that many other visitors miss
- This tour handily includes breakfast or lunch, plus hot drinks
What's Included
- BBQ buffet lunch or breakfast (depending on departure time selected)
- Tea and Coffee
- Live commentary on board
- Humpback whale watching
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Sydney Princess CruisesEastern Pontoon, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Eastern Pontoon, Eastern side of Circular Quay (same side as Opera House) The pontoon is located in front of Searock Grill Restaurant Please check in 15-30 minutes before departure time
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Make your way independently to King Street Wharf to board your whale-watching vessel. Group numbers are capped, providing space to move comfortably between the indoor cabin and outdoor viewing decks throughout the cruise.
Begin the experience in the sheltered waters of Sydney Harbour, where you can settle in and enjoy a buffet breakfast or barbecue lunch on board. As you cruise past the waterfront, take photos of landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Fort Denison.
After your meal, continue past coastal highlights including Manly Beach, Watsons Bay, and The Gap before exiting the harbor and entering the Pacific Ocean.
From May to November, humpback and southern right whales migrate along this stretch of coastline between Antarctica and the Great Barrier Reef. During this period, you may observe behaviors such as breaching, tail slapping, and surface spouting. A naturalist-guide provides live commentary, sharing insights into whale migration patterns, marine ecosystems, and other wildlife that may appear, including dolphins and seabirds.
While whale sightings are highly likely during the season, marine wildlife remains unpredictable. If no whales are spotted during your cruise, you are eligible to return on another whale-watching tour at no additional cost, subject to availability.
Begin the experience in the sheltered waters of Sydney Harbour, where you can settle in and enjoy a buffet breakfast or barbecue lunch on board. As you cruise past the waterfront, take photos of landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Fort Denison.
After your meal, continue past coastal highlights including Manly Beach, Watsons Bay, and The Gap before exiting the harbor and entering the Pacific Ocean.
From May to November, humpback and southern right whales migrate along this stretch of coastline between Antarctica and the Great Barrier Reef. During this period, you may observe behaviors such as breaching, tail slapping, and surface spouting. A naturalist-guide provides live commentary, sharing insights into whale migration patterns, marine ecosystems, and other wildlife that may appear, including dolphins and seabirds.
While whale sightings are highly likely during the season, marine wildlife remains unpredictable. If no whales are spotted during your cruise, you are eligible to return on another whale-watching tour at no additional cost, subject to availability.
1
Sydney Harbour Bridge
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Royal Botanic Garden Sydney (Pass By)
Manly Beach (Pass By)
Sydney Harbour (Pass By)
Watsons Bay (Pass By)
Oz Whale Watching (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- We suggest all guests to please bring motion sickness medication, our policy is better safe than sorry.
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Please dress appropriately with comfortable shoes and warm clothing depending on the time of the year
- Service animals allowed
- Please bring a camera and sun protection
- Available May - November (Whale Watching Season here in Sydney)
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 96 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.5
based on 949 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Food was actually good and the staff quickly found a whalea and its calf. They continued to point it out to us, so we were able to observe them for the majority of our tour.
Definitely worth it.
The majority of our group of ten got sea sick. We did see whales but would not do the trip again. Too rough.
The boat ride was good
The food was great
We saw a lot of whales & dolphins
Very very pleasant experience
Water is rough make sure you take sea sick meds . Buffet was good but maybe more choices they ran out of food
It was awesome but so many sick people was hard to find a seat wear someone wasn't throwing up. Please take the motion sickness meds so you don't ruin others trip!!!
I had a great time on the boat, the team was very efficient and informative. The food was tasty and we were able to see a few whales.
The lunch was nice. Be sure to take extra clothing as it can get cold. The sea was a little rough when we went so if you’re prone to sea sickness the trip might not be for you and a few people did fall over in the rough seas so if mobility is an issue again this might not be for you. But despite the rough seas, we tracked a mother and calf and the calf was back flipping out if the water. It was absolutely amazing to witness.
Overall an exciting experience, saw quite a few humpback whales and a lot of dolphins in close distance , the onboard buffet was nice
Difficult to describe, when I spent the entire trip throwing up into a bag. The trip went ahead in rain and choppy seas, and while they do suggest sea-sickness meds, I'd never suffered until this time. Buffet was lovely, weather was dreadful, didn't see much of the crew, but did see whales and dolphins. Wouldn't do it again.
Family loved the day out on the water
Got to see whales and dolphins.
Even on a wet overcast day, we had a good day.
I’ve been on this cruise a couple of times now and have had the best time. A big thanks to the gentleman that works on there , he gave awesome service.🙃😊
Beautiful trip and 2 humpbacks follicking and breaching within sight for an hour. Just enjoying spring, jumping and backflapping.
It was succes an extraordinary excellence
The marinebiologist was very skilled in guiding us throug their behavior and anatomi.
The buffet was good too
Well worth the time and cost! We recommend it and would fox again ourselves. Boat was neat and tidy. Food was very good. Guides offered lots of great facts about the whales.
There’s good and bad aspects to this tour;
Pros:
- knowledgeable friendly staff
- successful at finding humpback whales
- food is actually pretty good!
Cons:
- **dangerous** seating arrangement; on the back of the boat, there are chairs and tables set up outside for eating. They are NOT secured whatsoever.
- I am 3 months pregnant and got harshly flung out of my chair the moment we hit open water after we finished eating, with absolutely nothing to help stop my fall. I wound up with bruising along my ribs and legs due to falling into other sets of chairs (also not secured). Thank god I did not fall on my stomach. Not sure if any staff witnessed but no one came to check on the folks who got thrown suddenly.
- the other tourists; large groups of folks run back and forth all over the boat at the first mention of a whale sighting, effectively blocking everyone else’s view. Not considerate and not the fault of the cruise line but be prepared for that aspect as it puts a damper on the experience.
The food was nothing special. Had to find a crew member to get service at the bar. The commentary & seeing whales was great. Just do the cruise don't waste your money on lunch
When we checked in for our tickets, it was recommended to get motion sickness pills and majority of the boat did not do so! The gentleman at the ticket counter said the swells were 1-2 m however, that was not the case! The swells were more like 4-5 m and the weather was cloudy with a chance for some rain in the afternoon. That rain started about halfway through our excursion. The sound of people vomiting on the boat was awful! You have to vomit in a throw-away bag, or I guess over the side of the boat, but not in a bathroom. Fresh air will make people feel better but several just stayed seated inside which I think makes it worse. My husband and I dressed for the weather and spent most of the time outside of the interior portion of the boat. Neither of us got sick, and the rain did come. The whales however started performing more and coming out of the water and breaching high up…it was magnificent!!! The company served breakfast prior to going out but for anyone who has any sort of seasickness, don’t eat!! The open sea water is NO JOKE!! Overall, seeing whales in the open water and just getting to see them as you would on a nature documentary was just amazing and I would do it again! We also had some dolphins that came up literally within a meter of the boat and were jumping through the waves and playing! Also note - you may get wet if standing on the lower level on the side of the boat as the waves splash up.
Service is average , food is bad. Staff are pretty friendly. All the way everyone vomiting, especially children. I would never go with this kind of cruise
This was an excellent experience. I cannot over hype this. The entire crew was excellent. Devlin our vocal guide was so informative and personable and made the entire experience a delight. We saw a lot of humpback whales frolicking in the water for the majority of the time we were out. Please wear a seasick patch. A lot of people got very sick. But my family and I were patched up and we got to enjoy the full experience.
Loved it! Such a great whale-watching experience. The buffet was good, and the staff were very organised and friendly. Everything ran smoothly and we had a really enjoyable time!
We visited on Sept 23, 2026 and were delighted to see many whales so close to the boat! The commentary was very informative!
Amazing experience! The guide was super knowledgeable and we saw whales in under an hour. Will highly recommend.
It didn't start off too well. The ground staff were unorganised. People were getting confused with the lunch 2hr cruise and telling people doing the whale watching to get on when it was the one before the whale watching Cruise. Apart from that it was great. The food was fresh. The onboard staff were fantastic and the commentary was great.
Make sure you bring your sunscreen, hat and sunnies. Make sure your camera is ready for some great shots. So much fun.
A fabulous experience. The cruise was well organised, with a nice lunch and fabulous commentary from Devlin. And we saw whales!!
It was a great experience, but since it is too wavy it made us sick as a family. Highly recommend that you have seasick tablets before the trip. Of course this detail has nothing to do with the company. They hosted us great and saw lots of whales!
DRAMAMINE, DRAMAMINE, DRA-MA-MINE!!! They mention it multiple times. Do not take it as a suggestion, it’s a must. You’re dealing with Mother Nature and it’s better safe than sorry. Now for the stuff you came for, the experience. We didn’t get full shows of whales but a few flukes, dorsal fins, blows and a pod of dolphins on the horizon. The buffet had a good selection of food: chicken and sausage, veggies and pastas. Alcohol can be purchased on board. Overall I enjoyed my time on the water.
We were 2 adults and 3 kids. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery. Staff were friendly and super helpful. The travel guide Delvin was very knowledgeable and keen to share everything he knows.
Incredible experience. Seeing humpback whales close up has been on my bucket list of decades. Great trip, informative but non intrusive commentary. I didn’t take many pictures because I was too busy just watching these magnificent creatures. The food was ok, wasn’t expecting much from this type of trip but it did exceed expectations, good mix of healthy and more stodgy options on the buffet. Staff were knowledgeable and helpful throughout. Would thoroughly recommend and would consider going with them again is I get the opportunity
The crew tries really hard to get the sightings. We had 4 separate sightings. The food is average but good for the time.
It was a wonderful experience. We watched a juvenile whale doing its thing during migration. I recommend this tour.
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up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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