Scuba diving and snorkeling trips from San Diego
The best reefs, walls and wrecks you can fly to from San Diego, for certified divers and snorkelers alike. Each has the cheapest round trip we've seen recently.
Cheapest right now: Kailua-Kona $297 · La Paz $744 · Okinawa $820
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Fares observed October 2 – 8, 2026. USD for the travelers shown. Search a trip for current prices.
Where to go from San Diego
Round-trip totals · Economy · USD · 1 adult unless shown. "From" is a starting total: you pick the return in Axel. Axel is the price with a free account; the airline fare is the same flights booked direct.
| Destination | Why go | Axel | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cozumel (CZM) | Drift dives along Palancar and Columbia reefs in Cozumel Reefs National Park | Not priced yet | See flights | |
| Roatan (RTB) | Walls and reefs of the Mesoamerican Reef, just off the dive shops of West End | Not priced yet | See flights | |
| Belize City (BZE) | The Great Blue Hole at Lighthouse Reef, and snorkel trips to Hol Chan Marine Reserve | $953 (airline $1,005) | Dec 18–27, 2026 | Check prices |
| Grand Cayman Island (GCM) | Stingray City's sandbar, the USS Kittiwake wreck and the North Wall | Not priced yet | See flights | |
| Cairns (CNS) | Day boats and liveaboards out to the outer Great Barrier Reef | $1,641 (airline $1,730) | Nov 10–17, 2026 | Check prices |
| Koror (ROR) | Palau's Blue Corner sharks, German Channel's manta rays and WWII wrecks | $2,413 (airline $2,543) | Nov 10–17, 2026 | Check prices |
| Denpasar (DPS) | The USAT Liberty wreck at Tulamben and manta rays off Nusa Penida | $974 (airline $1,027) | Feb 1–Mar 3, 2027 | Check prices |
| Male (MLE) | Whale sharks in South Ari Atoll all year, and manta rays at Hanifaru Bay from May to November | Not priced yet | See flights | |
| Big Island / Kona (KOA) | The manta ray night dive and night snorkel off the Kona coast | $297 (airline $314) | Nov 10–17, 2026 | Check prices |
| Curacao (CUR) | Easy shore dives like the Tugboat wreck at Caracas Bay, and reefs along the west coast | Not priced yet | See flights | |
| Providenciales (PLS) | Wall dives off Northwest Point and reef snorkel trips right off Grace Bay's beach | Not priced yet | See flights | |
| Cebu City (CEB) | Moalboal's sardine run off Pescador Island and Malapascua's thresher sharks | $3,555 (airline $3,760) | Dec 18, 2026–Jan 3, 2027 | Check prices |
| Okinawa (OKA) | Kerama Shotō National Park's clear blue water, a ferry ride from Naha | $820 (airline $868) | Dec 8–15, 2026 | Check prices |
| Nadi (NAN) | Known as the soft coral capital of the world, with Beqa Lagoon's shark dive on Viti Levu | Not priced yet | See flights | |
| Papeete (PPT) | Moorea's lagoon with rays and blacktip sharks; Rangiroa's passes are an hour's flight | $954 (airline $1,008) | Nov 24–Dec 1, 2026 | Check prices |
| Hurghada (HRG) | Red Sea day boats to the Giftun Islands, and liveaboards out to the Brothers | Not priced yet | See flights | |
| Sharm el Sheikh (SSH) | Ras Mohammed's reefs and the WWII wreck of the SS Thistlegorm | Not priced yet | See flights | |
| Galapagos Islands (GPS) | Hammerhead schools at Darwin and Wolf by liveaboard, and snorkel trips with sea lions | Not priced yet | See flights | |
| La Paz (LAP) | Sea lions at Los Islotes and whale sharks in La Paz Bay in winter | $744 (airline $785) | Feb 23–27, 2027 | Check prices |
| Saint Thomas (STT) | Ferry to St. John for the Trunk Bay underwater snorkel trail in Virgin Islands National Park | Not priced yet | See flights |
The prices shown are what a free account pays, and most travelers book that way. Membership is optional and takes the same flights lower. Live search shows the same free-account price.
About these places
Some sites have seasons: Tubbataha's liveaboards run mid-March to mid-June, and Hanifaru Bay's manta season is May to November. Dive within your certification and book with a licensed operator.
Facts checked October 7, 2026. Sources: Dive The World: best time to dive Tubbataha · Maldives Magazine: manta ray guide 2026 to 2027 · PADI: where to swim with whale sharks by month · Japan Ministry of the Environment: Kerama Shotō National Park
Keep exploring
Hotels in Cozumel with Axel
Axel books the hotel too, at private rates shown beside the public rate for the same stay. Hotels in Cozumel has the best recent deals, and a flight booked with Axel can make the hotel cheaper through the bundle.
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