Where to Book Three-Hour Whale Watching Trips: The 12 Best Trips Worldwide

1.Akureyri: 3-Hour Classic Whale Watching Tour by Ship

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 3,000 reviews · 3 hours · from $108Our pick

Search for humpback whales from Akureyri on a comfortable three-hour Eyjafjord cruise with expert guides, thermal suits, and whale photos.

“Breathtaking experience! After sailing for a little over an hour we were very lucky to come across a pair of male humpback whales who put on an incredible display, including breaching twice. The guides on the ship were excellent and provided lots of information about what we were seeing. The facilities on the ship were very good. Highly recommended.”

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2.Tadoussac/Charlevoix: 3-Hour Whale Watching Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 2,179 reviews · 3 hours · from $122

Review of AML Cruises’ 3-hour Tadoussac whale tour, with whale species, boat comfort, fjord views, costs, tips, and practical advice.

“We went on a three hour whale watching tour with AML Croisières out of Tadoussac. We saw many, many whales for an hour and a half. It was exciting! The boat had a lot people on it but we were able to get a great spot along the front edge of the boat on the second level. It was perfect for taking pictures with a long lens (500 mm). Sometimes the whales were so close that the whale’s tail filled the frame of the camera. Excellent adventure. Note: I was not able to understand the English speaking announcer, mostly because she talked so fast and the sound was muffled.”

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3.Reykjavik: the Original 3-Hour Whale Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 908 reviews · 3 hours · from $108

Review of Reykjavik’s 3-hour Elding whale tour, with warm gear, marine guides, strong sighting odds, practical tips, and honest drawbacks.

“Great tour! Within 5 minutes we saw the (rare to the bay, and ironically) common dolphin! Then not long after a couple of humpback whales which were bobbing around the bay for a couple of hours. It was lovely to see! Tour guides were very informative and knowledgeable, kept us updated and had good humour. Thank you for a wonderful day!”

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4.3-hour Whale and Dolphin Watching and Listening Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 808 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $50Top rated

Sail Tenerife’s south coast for pilot whales, dolphins, swimming, snacks, drinks, and sunset views on this affordable three-hour catamaran trip.

“Super helpful and knowledgeable team. Saw loads of dolphins and a couple whales. Sunbathing on the catamaran was tops”

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5.Alaska Whale Watching Cruise w/ 3 HOURS on the water

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 801 reviews · 4 hours 5 minutes (approx.) · from $159

Review of Juneau’s 4-hour whale watching cruise, with three hours on the water, glacier views, wildlife, shuttle pickup, and practical tips.

“Loved it! The captain Dalton and naturalists Tessa and Cora were fantastic! Lots of good information, really knowledgeable. Saw whales! And a good variety of other animals and beautiful vistas. I would highly recommend and would absolutely go out with them again! I also loved that they shared the photosthat they took at the end, so I could spend more time watching with my eyes and still have some amazing photos from the experience! 😍😍😍”

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6.Whale and Dolphin Watching Sailing Tour – Los Gigantes (3H)

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 691 reviews · 3 hours · from $76

Review of Los Gigantes whale and dolphin sailing tour, with pilot whales, snorkeling, cliffs, snacks, group size, price, and practical tips.

“Had an amazing trip. Antonio was very informative, provided some food and stopped off for some swimming. We saw many whales on our trip which was the highlight. Can’t recommend this enough, was such an amazing experience on a great sailing boat. Thanks again!”

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7.Victoria: 3-Hour Zodiac Whale-Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 651 reviews · 3 hours · from $140

Review of Victoria’s 3-hour Zodiac whale-watching tour, with orcas, humpbacks, seals, practical tips, pricing, safety, and honest advice.

“We saw so many whales!! 4 different Orca groups and several Humpback whales, too many to keep track of. Outstanding time on the zodiac, so fun being on the water like that to view the amazing marine life. We learned so much from the guide about the whales and their unique situations in relation to people and resources. It is all so very interesting and makes you want to steward the natural resources so much better. Thank you for the education, advocacy, and amazing tour! We would go again in a heartbeat! Thank you!”

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8.3h Viking Cruise with Drinks, Whales watching & Swimming Time

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 590 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $45Best value

Review of Tenerife’s Viking Ragnarok cruise, with whale watching, swimming, live entertainment, free drinks, practical tips, and value advice.

“Considering I have been on a similar cruise in Norway and Iceland, I will have to say this is far better and far more entertaining. We saw plenty of pilot whales quite close up. The food and drink on board was amazing. Constant supply of included beer and drink was well needed. 2/3s of the boat have shade but the breeze is good enough at cooling you down. The staff were excellent are entertaining and looking after us from the chef to the actors to the captain. As an experience there was not a stone left unturned. 100% recommend for families or couples as it’s a great way to spend…”

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9.Tenerife 3-Hour Discover Whales and Dolphins

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 433 reviews · 3 hours 5 minutes (approx.) · from $70

Review of Tenerife’s small-group whale and dolphin cruise, with sailing, snorkeling, lunch, hotel pickup, and practical booking tips.

“We really enjoyed our trip. Salvador was very friendly and very knowledgeable. We saw two species of dolphins, turtles and a fin whale! Swam in in the sea and had a nice lunch.”

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10.Victoria: 3-Hour Whale Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 288 reviews · 3 hours · from $123

Review of Victoria’s 3-hour SpringTide whale watching tour, with orcas, humpbacks, expert guides, warm cabins, pricing, and practical tips.

“Amazing experience! The boat was comfortable with plenty of spaces to sit, a bathroom, and great views from any seated position. We were extremely lucky to see two orca pods, one young humpback whale, heaps of sea lions, a porpoise, and seals as well. The orcas even made an appearance in the harbor as we were coming back in! The tour guides and boat crew were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this tour to anyone visiting Victoria!”

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11.Puerto Vallarta: 3-Hour Whale Watching and Snorkeling

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 62 reviews · 3 hours · from $45

Review of Puerto Vallarta’s 3-hour whale watching and snorkeling tour, with whale sightings, beach stops, costs, timing, and practical booking advice.

“La actividad dejó mucho que desear. Sí logramos ver ballenas, pero fue exactamente igual que con todos los demás barcos; no hicieron ningún esfuerzo extra ni ofrecieron algo especial para mejorar la experiencia. En cuanto al snorkel, fue muy decepcionante: aunque pagamos por la actividad, no nos permitieron bajar al agua. Solo nos dejaron observar desde la lancha cómo otros grupos de otros barcos sí snorkelaban, lo cual resulta muy frustrante. Además, nos llevaron a una playa poco atractiva y la lancha iba demasiado llena de personas, lo que hizo el paseo incómodo. En general, no siento que la experiencia haya valido lo que se pagó ni que cumplieran con…”

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12.Port Stephens 3 Hour Whale and Dolphin Watch Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 53 reviews · from $62

Review of Port Stephens’ 3-hour whale and dolphin cruise, with boat comfort, wildlife, price, timing, and practical booking advice.

“Exellent whale watching experience, friendly and knowledgeable staff. Did their best to ensure we saw as many whales as possible.”

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