Most reviewed catamaran
1 / 4
High deck2 h9 am · 12 pm
Whale watching catamaran experience- ✓ Light breakfast or lunch
- ✓ Domestic open bar
- ✓ Hotel pickup (48 h ahead)
- ✕ Crew tips
US$99per person
Check datesFree cancellation up to 24 h · pay later
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Updated November 2026 · Prices checked November 2026
Catamaran Whale Watching Cabo San Lucas
The best-value catamaran is the 2-hour cruise with a light meal, open bar and hotel pickup from $99; the luxury pick adds a hydrophone and appetizers for $156.
6
big-boat tours
$99
from, per person
5 of 6
with food and open bar
Quick answer
Take a catamaran if you want shade, a toilet, food and a bar, or if anyone in your group gets seasick. You sit higher and further from the whales than on a small boat, and you share the deck with more people.
Key takeaways
- 6Big-boat tours: three catamarans, a trimaran, a 100-foot boat and a pirate ship.
- $99From, per person; the luxury catamaran is $156.
- 5 of 6With food and an open bar; the trimaran serves water, soft drinks and beer.
- $5Dock fee in cash at check-in, on three tours.
The catamaran whale watching tours, each with a job
The Pez Gato catamaran has the most reviews and includes hotel pickup; the luxury catamaran is the only one with a hydrophone; the breakfast cruise carries a marine biologist; the 100-foot boat is the one with wheelchair access. The breakfast and pirate cruises share a 9 am start from La Terminal de Cabo, and the new Rancho trimaran adds hotel transport and the pier fee for $120 per person.
Most reviewed
1 / 4
High deck2 h
Whale watching catamaran experience9 am · 12 pm · 5 pm in March- ✓ Light meal
- ✓ Open bar
- ✓ Hotel pickup
- ✕ Tips
US$99per person
BookFree cancellation up to 24 h
Luxury
1 / 5
High deck2.5 h
Luxury catamaran whale watching3 pm in January · 8, 11, 3 in March- ✓ Appetizers
- ✓ Open bar
- ✓ Hydrophone
- ✓ Transport
US$156per person
BookFree cancellation up to 24 h
With a biologist
1 / 3
High deck2 h
Whale watching breakfast cruise9 am · La Terminal de Cabo- ✓ Biologist
- ✓ Breakfast
- ✓ Open bar
- ✕ $5 dock fee, cash
US$99per person
BookFree cancellation up to 24 h
Wheelchair access
1 / 2
High deck2.5 h
Whale watching with buffet and open bar10:30 am · $135 with transport- ✓ Mexican buffet
- ✓ National bar
- ✕ $5 dock fee, cash
- ✕ Tips
US$115per person
BookFree cancellation up to 24 h
Pirate ship
1 / 4
High deck2 h
Pirate whale watching cruise9 am · La Terminal de Cabo- ✓ Breakfast
- ✓ Open bar
- ✕ $5 dock fee, cash
- ✕ Binoculars
US$99per person
BookFree cancellation up to 24 h
New
1 / 4
High deck2 h
Whales and the Arch on a trimaran10 am · 1 pm- ✓ Hotel transport
- ✓ Water, beer
- ✓ Pier fee
- ✕ Gratuity
US$120per person
BookFree cancellation up to 24 h
Swipe · 1 / 6
Source: GetYourGuide · Nov 2026 · price for one adult
Side by side: food, bar and the cash fee
What separates the six big boats is what comes with the ticket, not the whales you see. Five include food and an open bar; the trimaran serves water, soft drinks and beer. Three include hotel transport in the price, and the 100-foot boat sells it as a $135 option. Three — the breakfast cruise, the pirate cruise and the 100-foot boat — add a $5 dock fee paid in cash at check-in.
TourFoodBarBiologistPickupDock feeFrom
Catamaran experience★ 4.70 (132) · CatamaranFood✓ Light mealBar✓ DomesticBiologist—Pickup✓ 48 h aheadDock feeNot stated$99Book
Luxury catamaran★ 4.56 (66) · Two decksFood✓ AppetizersBar✓ NationalBiologistExperts · hydrophonePickup✓ Round tripDock fee✓ Included$156Book
Breakfast cruise★ 4.82 (31) · Twin-level catamaranFood✓ BreakfastBar✓ Beer, spiritsBiologist✓ BiologistPickup✕ MarinaDock fee$5 cash$99Book
Buffet + open bar★ 4.73 (33) · 100-ft boatFood✓ BuffetBar✓ NationalBiologist—Pickup+$20 optionDock fee$5 cash$115Book
Pirate cruise★ 4.53 (21) · Pirate shipFood✓ BreakfastBar✓ Beer, spiritsBiologistTour guidePickup✕ MarinaDock fee$5 cash$99Book
Trimaran + the Arch★ New · TrimaranFood—BarWater, beerBiologistBilingual guidePickup✓ HotelDock fee✓ Included$120BookPickup “+$20 option”: the 100-foot boat is $115 from the marina or $135 with transport.Source: GetYourGuide · Nov 2026 · price for one adult
Luxury catamaran whale watching Cabo San Lucas
“Luxury” here means a bigger boat, an open bar, appetizers and hotel pickup — not a private boat.
The luxury catamaran is a two-deck boat with freshly prepared appetizers, a national open bar and a hydrophone to hear the whales below the surface; round-trip transport and the dock fee are included. It costs $156 per person, $57 more than the Pez Gato catamaran. One reviewer saw orcas, and several mention that the crew keeps a respectful distance.
“We saw plenty of whales and appreciate that the tour company was sensitive to the comfort and safety of the whales by keeping a reasonable distance and giving them space.”
US$156per person
Check datesPrivate boats from $194 →Catamaran vs small boat: which to book?
A catamaran is steadier, shaded and has a toilet and a bar; a small boat or zodiac sits at water level, carries a smaller group and reaches active whales faster. Five small boats offer a free second trip if you see no whales — none of the catamarans do.
High deckCatamaranfrom $99 per person
At water levelSmall boat or zodiacfrom $90 per person
Where you sit
Higher, further from the whales
At eye level with a breach
Group
Larger group on deck
Smaller; 10–12 max on some
Comfort
Shade and a toilet
Spray, little shade, often no WC
Food & drink
Meal and open bar
Water or soft drinks
Free 2nd trip
None offer it
5 tours offer it
How a catamaran whale cruise runs
Most catamarans collect you from your hotel or meet you at the marina, serve breakfast or a light meal on the way out and spend the trip moving between groups of whales off Land’s End. The bar opens once you are under way.
The Pez Gato cruise needs hotel pickup arranged 48 hours before departure; if your hotel is not on the list, you contact the local partner after booking. The breakfast and pirate cruises meet at La Terminal de Cabo, where the $5 dock and protected-area fee is paid in cash at check-in.
On the 100-foot boat the meal is a Mexican buffet — carne asada, chicken skewers, guacamole, rice, beans and fresh fruit — and the bar pours margaritas, piña coladas and beer.
“First class operation. Crew was amazing. Boat was spotlessly clean. No waiting, left on time. We saw whales and followed them for probably 1 1/2 hours!”
Seasickness, children and accessibility
WheelchairThe 100-foot buffet boat advertises wheelchair access; the others say not suitable.
ChildrenThe luxury catamaran takes children from 5; unaccompanied minors are not allowed on the Wild Cabo cruises.
Motion sicknessThe breakfast cruise lists it as not suitable; the 100-foot boat runs in most weather — take precautions before boarding.
Live dates — the most-reviewed catamaran
Powered by GetYourGuide — see live dates and prices for this tour.
Before you book a catamaran
Three things catch catamaran guests out, and each has a simple fix. Half of the six boats charge a $5 dock fee in cash at check-in, so bring dollars. The Pez Gato pickup has to be arranged 48 hours ahead, or you meet the boat at the marina. And no catamaran offers a free second trip if you see no whales — five small boats do.
Cash dock fee$5 per person on 3 of the 6Instead: bring dollars to check-in, or pick the luxury catamaran — its fee is included.
Pickup needs noticePez Gato: arrange 48 hours aheadInstead: book early or meet at the marina.
No whale guaranteeNo catamaran offers a free second tripInstead: a small boat that does.
Catamaran whale watching Cabo San Lucas: questions
How much is catamaran whale watching in Cabo San Lucas?
From $99 per person for a 2-hour cruise with a meal and open bar; the luxury catamaran is $156 and the 100-foot buffet boat $115, or $135 with transport.
Is the open bar really included?
Yes on five of the six: domestic drinks on the Pez Gato and luxury catamarans, beer, vodka, tequila and sodas on the Wild Cabo cruises, and a national bar on the 100-foot boat. The trimaran includes water, soft drinks and beer.
Do catamarans get as close to the whales as small boats?
Not as close — you watch from a higher deck. A zodiac or panga sits at eye level with the water.
Which catamaran is best for a cruise-ship passenger?
A 2-hour morning departure from the marina; check the return time against your all-aboard time.
Is there a toilet on board?
Yes, the large catamarans and the 100-foot boat have one; most zodiacs do not.
Can I see the Arch on a catamaran whale cruise?
Yes — the Pez Gato, the breakfast cruise and the trimaran all pass the Arch and Land’s End.
Other ways to see the whales
At water levelSmall boats and zodiacsfrom $90 per person
Your group onlyPrivate whale watching toursfrom $194 per boat
5 pmSunset whale watching cruisefrom $109 per person
Check catamaran dates
Powered by GetYourGuide — see live dates and prices for this tour.