Worldwide · GUIDED
Whales move and seasons close, so the shortlist matters more than the wish list. These 15 guided whale watching trips are the ones that reliably deliver, with what each costs and when it sails.
Review of Húsavík whale watching with North Sailing, including wildlife, boat comfort, price, weather tips, and what to expect.
“We saw lots of whales and even saw a whale breaching. just incredible.”
Review of Reykjavik whale watching with Special Tours, covering the ship, wildlife, comfort, timing, price, weather, and practical tips.
“I booked this to celebrate my 40th birthday and was trying to manage my expectations that we might not see any whale. However, we saw a minke on the way to the feeding ground, then at least 3 humpbacks. The guide was really good at sharing interesting information, then pointing us where to look. You also get access to a folder with the photos the guide took. It was really incredible - a real bucket list thing ticked off!”
Review this Reykjavik whale watching tour, with practical advice on sightings, boats, guides, cold weather, price, and repeat tickets.
“Really good facilities on the boat, beautiful scenery and we were able to view both Minke and Humpback whales. A well organised trip that I would definitely recommend.”
Review of Reykjavik’s whale-watching boat tour, with expert guides, warm overalls, wildlife tips, pricing, timing, and practical advice.
“This trip was perfect! The staff and boat guide were friendly and informative. We went on an afternoon excursion on a sunny July day, however that did not stop us from utilizing the warm overalls they provide because it gets quite chilly on the open air deck. We sat indoors on the lower deck while trekking out to sea. You can hear the guide speaking though a speaker system even when indoors. We spotted a couple whales that were being very playful and showing off for us with flapping its tail in the air quite a bit. It was so exciting when a whale would jump out of the water…”
Cruise from Bay Bulls to Witless Bay Reserve for puffins, millions of seabirds, and possible whales, with local guides and coastal views.
“We were so lucky to see minke whales before we even really took off! And after that, it was a party on the boat with live music, informative (and funny) commentary, some fishing, drinks, and screeching. The staff were so amazing, from the captain to the bartender, we all enjoyed the experience. HIGHLY recommend.”
Review of Monterey’s 3-hour sunset whale-watching cruise, with guide, wildlife sightings, practical tips, pricing, weather advice, and FAQs.
“An excellent day - great sightings of whales, porpoises, and sea lions.”
Review of Húsavík’s 3.5-hour whale and puffin cruise, with oak boat sailing, wildlife tips, hot chocolate, price advice, and FAQs.
“Excellent experience. They extended your trip for about 2h just to take us to see very rare blue whale who was showing. Everything was outstanding. 100/10”
Review of Monterey’s 150-minute whale-watching cruise, with practical tips on wildlife, seating, price, timing, parking, and what to expect.
“Was wonderful saw a couple whales and baby calves lots of seals and sea birds thoroughly enjoyed the trip”
Review of Long Beach whale watching cruise: dolphins, whales, Queen Mary views, practical tips, comfort, price, and what to expect.
“Saw several whales and what seemed like thousands of dolphins. Beautiful sunset and ride overall. Very knowledgeable. Would go again.”
Search for sperm whales, dolphins, and humpbacks off Dominica on a small boat tour with a marine guide, drinks, and whale songs.
“Fantastic experience. Skipper Mr Beanz was knowledgeable and keen to ensure that our experience was a good one. Most importantly he was clearly passionate about the animals and their welfare. His approach to the whales was careful and would be in accordance with the WISE guidlines in the UK. Be aware that it is a small boat, the ride can be a bit bumpy and you will probably get wet, but the consequence was that we went wherever we needed to go to see the whales. Highly recomended!”
Review of Vancouver Whale Watch, a five-hour Gulf Islands cruise with expert guides, orcas, humpbacks, sea lions, and practical planning tips.
“Amazing tour. We've got to see 4 humpback whales, sea lions and bold eagles. Our guides were super knowledgeable and took great care of us. Just be aware that if you get sea sick easily, this might not be the 4 most enjoyable hours 😅”
Review of Cape Town’s Hermanus whale tour, with coastal views, shore watching, Hemel-en-Aarde wine tasting, and Peregrine Farm Stall.
“What a wonderful experience and interesting stops along the way! It's a beautiful drive with interesting stops and nuggets of information along the way. Hermanus is a beautiful town any day of the year. 'Opted for the additional sightseRead more”
Chase orcas and humpback whales from a fast RIB outside Skjervøy, with warm gear, local guidance, and Arctic scenery from October to February.
“In short: highly recommended! I’ve been to Tromsø whale watching 10 years ago and back then I had to say it can’t get better than this. Now the herring has moved further north east and with it the whales and the tourists. This year I wanted to give this experiance to my young daughters and I’ve booked a tour with Viktor. Everything about this tour was highly professional and we felt being in good hands. We got all equipment needed including boots, hats, googles, suits, etc. The weather was nice, we even got sunlight and the snow covered mountains in the distance couldn’t have been more beautiful. There was a…”
Review of Tahiti’s small-group whale watching tour, with ethical encounters, lagoon snorkeling, practical tips, pricing, and what to expect.
“Swimming with humpback whales has been my dream my entire life, and it finally happened!! It was even better than I imagined. This was one of the best experiences of my life! I cannot recommend this enough!”
Review of Naha whale watching with pickup, English support, digital guide, boat details, whale guarantee, value, and practical tips.
“A very crowded meet up point. On board all were made to use life jackets but not all crew was using them. One crew member even on flip-flop foot wear! Spoken information quite poor. Nothing more them what I read from a Zanami island brochure.”
Pick a coast, a season or a boat.
