Things to do in Puerto Vallarta
Whale Watching Puerto Vallarta9 optionsSnorkeling Puerto Vallarta23 optionsATV Tour Puerto Vallarta19 optionsZipline Puerto Vallarta16 optionsBoat Tour Puerto Vallarta48 optionsPuerto Vallarta Airport Transfer8 optionsMarietas Islands Tours15 optionsCatamaran Cruise Puerto Vallarta8 optionsFood Tour Puerto Vallarta38 optionsHiking Puerto Vallarta14 optionsCity Tour Puerto Vallarta8 optionsSunset Cruise Puerto Vallarta8 options
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Banderas Bay whale watching cruise with open barA 3-hour whale watching cruise through Banderas Bay operates December to March, when humpback whales migrate to the bay to breed and raise their young. You scan the horizon from a stable yacht while the crew tracks the latest sightings, and you're likely to see dolphins, rays and sea turtles alongside the whales. The tour includes fresh fruit, pastries, coffee and juices at the start, plus guacamole, ceviche, chips and an open bar throughout—water, coffee, beer, wine, margaritas, tequila and piña colada. You choose your meeting point (Nuevo Vallarta or Puerto Vallarta cruise terminal) before booking.Is it for me?Book the morning or afternoon departure that fits your schedule—both run the same 3-hour route and include the same food and bar, so the choice is yours based on when you want to be on the water. If you're arriving mid-trip with a free afternoon or a port day, you can pick your meeting point in Nuevo Vallarta or at the cruise terminal and be on the bay within hours.
Puerto Vallarta: Los Arcos Sunset & Bioluminescence Boat TourYou’ll start your evening on a boat from Puerto Vallarta or Mismaloya Beach, catching stories from your local guide as you cruise toward Los Arcos for sunset views with drinks in hand. After dark, slip into glowing waters alive with bioluminescent plankton—swim or just watch them dance around your hands before heading back under the night sky.
Marietas Islands: Snorkeling & Hidden Beach Small Group TourYou’ll meet your small group at Marina Vallarta before heading out to snorkel around Marietas Islands with a biologist guide who actually points out wildlife you’d miss alone. If you’re lucky in the draw, you’ll swim into the famous Hidden Beach for ten minutes—otherwise you’ll relax on board watching birds wheel overhead. Expect real conversation, salty air, and honest moments you’ll remember later.
Puerto Vallarta: Whale Watching Speedboat Tour & Marine ExpertYou’ll ride a small speedboat into Banderas Bay with a marine expert guiding your search for humpback whales. Listen to live whale songs through hydrophones, watch mothers and calves from up close (but respectfully distant), and share laughs with your group over light snacks and stories from your guide. It’s not just sightseeing — it’s an experience that lingers long after you’re back on shore.
Sayulita & San Pancho: Private Day Trip with Art, Markets & BeachYou’ll feel swept along by color and sound as you explore San Pancho’s art-filled streets and Sayulita’s lively market on this private day trip from Puerto Vallarta. Taste local food, meet artisans (maybe even try your hand at beading), wander sun-warmed beaches, and return with sand between your toes—and probably a story or two.
Puerto Vallarta: Road Food Tour with Tastings & Local GuideYou’ll ride through Puerto Vallarta’s neighborhoods tasting everything from barbacoa tacos to beachside flan with a local guide leading the way. Expect real stories behind every dish, plenty of laughs in the van, and enough flavors for a full lunch — plus transport and water included. It’s more than just eating; you’ll feel part of the city for an afternoon.
Puerto Vallarta: Whale Watching Tour with Biologist & HydrophoneYou’ll set out from Marina Vallarta with a small group and a marine biologist who knows every quirk of the local humpbacks. Listen to live whale songs through a hydrophone, snack on granola bars as you scan the horizon, and learn how your day trip supports real conservation work. Sometimes it’s those quiet moments at sea that linger long after.
Puerto Vallarta VIP Tour: Malecón, Romantic Zone & Local ArtisansA guided tour of Puerto Vallarta covering the Malecón, Romantic Zone, Marina Vallarta and Los Arcos National Marine Park with stops at an artisanal tequila distillery, jewelry workshop, saddlery and tropical animal shelter. The tour includes private transportation, all tastings and presentations, bottled water and an air-conditioned vehicle, with a live guide in English or Spanish. Minimum age is 14; the tour runs seven to eight hours and does not include lunch or swimming.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want to move through Puerto Vallarta's main neighborhoods and landmarks in a single afternoon without arranging your own transport or figuring out which artisan workshops and cultural stops are worth the detour—the guide and the sequence do that work, and you finish the day knowing where to eat, which beaches matter and what's happening in the city for the rest of your stay.
Puerto Vallarta: Seafood Food Tour Old Town & Beach StopsYou’ll wander Puerto Vallarta’s Old Town with a local guide who knows every seafood stall worth stopping for. Taste fresh ceviche, octopus tacos hot from the fryer, aguachile by the beach — all while hearing stories that connect food to place. Expect laughter, surprises, and maybe some lime juice on your shirt.
Puerto Vallarta: Private City Tour, Malecón & Los ArcosYou’ll walk Puerto Vallarta’s Malecón with a local guide who knows every shortcut, pause by Los Arcos’ blue waters, step inside Guadalupe’s church where sunlight streams through stained glass, and maybe try tequila straight from Jalisco roots. Expect laughter, small surprises, and a sense that you’re not just watching—you’re part of it.
Chocolate & Truffles Workshop in Puerto VallartaA chocolate and truffles workshop in Puerto Vallarta's city center where you learn to temper dark chocolate, prepare flavored ganache, and hand-craft filled bonbons and truffles to take home. The workshop runs 2 hours with an expert chocolatier guide; minimum age is 12. The workshop sits on the second or third floor without elevator access.Is it for me?You'll leave with handmade chocolates you created yourself—the hands-on craft and take-home box make this a workshop, not just a museum visit.
Puerto Vallarta: Breakfast Taco Tour & Local Food StandsYou walk through the Romantic Zone's local neighborhoods and eat at family-owned food stands, learning taco culture and Puerto Vallarta food history along the way. All food and drinks are included. Groups are small, and the tour is run by the only Mexican-owned operator registered with the city's tourism bureau. Book early in your stay so you can eat like a local for the rest of it.Is it for me?Book this if you want to eat where locals eat and understand Puerto Vallarta's food culture before exploring on your own — the small-group format and local ownership mean you'll skip the tourist-trap stands and learn which neighborhoods are worth coming back to.
Puerto Vallarta: Whale Watching Boat Tour & Los Arcos ViewsYou’ll feel your heart skip as whales surface near your boat in Puerto Vallarta’s bay, cruise past Los Arcos’ dramatic rocks, snack on fresh fruit and sandwiches under open skies, and share small laughs with locals like Marta—all while soaking up that salty air and gentle sea motion.
Puerto Vallarta: Jet Ski Tour, Los Arcos & Snorkeling SpotsYou’ll ride a jet ski from Marina Vallarta with a local guide, pausing by the Malecón for stories you won’t read in guidebooks. At Los Arcos you can snorkel in clear water before racing back across Banderas Bay—expect salty hair, laughter, and memories that feel more real than perfect.
Puerto Vallarta: Marietas Islands Hidden Beach & SnorkelYou board a small boat at Punta Mita, ride 15–20 minutes to Marietas Islands, then swim through a natural tunnel to reach Hidden Beach with a guide protecting your phone. After 30 minutes on the sand, you snorkel at Playa Nopalera with included equipment before returning to the pier. The whole tour keeps groups to eight people and includes life jacket, snorkel gear, and non-alcoholic drinks.Is it for me?Book this if you want to reach Hidden Beach without arranging your own boat or worrying about timing—the small group size and fixed schedule handle both, and the guide's phone protection means you actually enjoy the moment instead of filming it.
Puerto Vallarta: Wild Dolphin Encounter & Los Arcos SnorkelingYou meet a marine biologist at Marina Vallarta, learn about dolphin ecology, then observe wild dolphins in the bay from a small boat. Afterward, you snorkel Los Arcos Marine Park with provided equipment and see the underwater life there. Lunch, water, and all gear are included, and you're finished by early afternoon.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see dolphins without the crowds and understand what you're looking at — the marine biologist and small group size are what make that possible in a half-day window.
Puerto Vallarta: Sun Buggy Jungle Ride & Los Arcos Snorkel TourYou’ll ride through Puerto Vallarta’s lush jungle in a manual Sun Buggy (or let your guide drive), relax at hidden terraces, sample fresh agave at El Baston Del Rey factory, and snorkel around Los Arcos’ iconic rock formations—all with lunch included. Expect laughter, new tastes, and moments where time slows down beneath palm trees or out on the water.
Puerto Vallarta: Private ATV Sierra Madre Tour & Tequila TastingYou’ll ride ATVs through winding mountain trails outside Puerto Vallarta, splash across rivers, pause in quiet villages, and cool off by waterfalls if you want. A local guide keeps things easygoing and personal — plus there’s a proper tequila tasting at the end. It’s not polished or fancy; it’s just honest fun in the Sierra Madre hills.
RZR tour Puerto Vallarta: Drive Sierra Madre trails yourselfAn RZR activity near Puerto Vallarta where you drive your own vehicle through Sierra Madre trails for 3 hours, guided by a local expert. The route includes dirt roads, a panoramic viewpoint, tequila tasting with traditional Mexican food, and a waterfall with natural pools for swimming. Small groups keep the pace personal, and you choose between a 2-person or 4-person RZR at checkout.Is it for me?Book the 2-person RZR if you're going as a couple or with one friend and want the tighter handling on narrow trails; choose the 4-person if your group is larger and you want to share the cost. Either way, you're driving yourself, which is what separates this from a guided tour where you sit and watch—the dirt roads and the control are yours.
Hiking Jorullo Point: Sierra Madre Trails & Tequila TastingThis hiking tour from Puerto Vallarta takes you into the Sierra Madre Occidental to trail through subtropical forest, then onto the Jorullo Point glass platform for a panoramic view from above. A professional guide leads the five-hour outing, which includes transport from central Puerto Vallarta, bottled water, and a tequila tasting to close the day. The photographer guide documents the hike, and you can purchase prints afterward.Is it for me?Choose this shared group tour if you want a guide leading both the hike and tequila tasting, with transport included from central Puerto Vallarta; book the private option instead if you need hotel pickup.
