Whale watching trips from your city: Cabo, Maui, Sri Lanka, Dominica, Alaska, Iceland and more
The whale-watching places you can fly to from your city, each with its species, its season and a fare for one week inside the peak. Boat tours are booked separately.
Choose your departure city
Each city page shows real round-trip fares from that city, with the cheapest one for each destination.
United States: Seattle · New York · San Francisco Bay Area · Los Angeles · Miami or Fort Lauderdale · Chicago · Denver · Minneapolis · Houston · Washington, DC · Dallas-Fort Worth · Atlanta · Orlando · Las Vegas · Charlotte · Phoenix · Boston · Detroit · Philadelphia · Salt Lake City · San Diego · Nashville · Tampa · Austin · Honolulu · Portland · Raleigh/Durham · Saint Louis · Sacramento · San Juan · New Orleans · Kansas City · Fort Myers · San Antonio · Indianapolis · Cleveland · Pittsburgh · Columbus · Cincinnati · West Palm Beach · Jacksonville · Maui · Hartford · Charleston · Milwaukee · Anchorage · Boise · Omaha · Albuquerque · Buffalo · Richmond · Norfolk
United Kingdom: London · Manchester · Edinburgh · Birmingham · Glasgow · Bristol · Newcastle · Leeds · Aberdeen
Canada: Toronto · Vancouver · Montreal · Calgary · Edmonton · Ottawa · Winnipeg · Halifax · Quebec · Victoria
Where to go and why
- Colombo · Blue whale season, Dec 1 – Apr 30, 2027: Blue whales off Mirissa, 2.5 hours south of Colombo, on morning boats from the harbor; season December to April
- San Jose Cabo · Gray and humpback whale season (peak), Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2027: Gray and humpback whales off Cabo San Lucas from Dec 15 to Apr 15, and gray whale calves in Magdalena Bay up the coast
- Kahului · Humpback whale season (peak), Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2027: Humpbacks in the channel off West Maui, from Maalaea harbor boats or the Kaanapali shore; peak January to March
- Dominica · Sperm whale season (peak), Nov 1 – Mar 31, 2027: Sperm whales live off Dominica's west coast all year, with calm seas and the most sightings November to March
- Juneau · Humpback whale season, May 1 – Sep 30, 2027: Humpbacks feeding in Auke Bay and Stephens Passage from April to November, with bubble-net feeding in summer
- Reykjavik · Whale season (peak), Jun 1 – Aug 31, 2027: Minke and humpback whales in Faxaflói Bay from Reykjavik's old harbor, and Húsavík up north; peak June to August
- Sydney · Humpback migration (peak), May 15 – Jul 31, 2027: About 40,000 humpbacks pass Sydney from May to November; watch from Cape Solander, North Head or a harbor boat
- Ponta Delgada (Azores) · Azores whale season, Apr 1 – Oct 31, 2027: Resident sperm whales and summer dolphins off São Miguel, with blue and fin whales passing in spring
- Boston · Stellwagen Bank whale season, Apr 1 – Oct 31, 2027: Humpback, fin and minke whales on Stellwagen Bank, with boats from Long Wharf and Provincetown; April to October
- Cape Town · Southern right whale season, Jun 1 – Nov 30, 2027: Southern right whales calving in Walker Bay at Hermanus, 2 hours from Cape Town, seen from the cliff path; Jun to Nov
- San Diego: Gray whales pass Point Loma from late December to mid-March; watch from Cabrillo National Monument or a harbor boat
- Vancouver: Orcas, humpbacks and passing gray whales from April to October, on tours from Granville Island and Steveston
- Anchorage: Belugas in Turnagain Arm along the Seward Highway, and Kenai Fjords boat tours from Seward for humpbacks and orcas
Fares are for flights only; boat tours are booked separately and sell out in peak weeks. Seasons are typical, not guaranteed, and sightings depend on the day.
Facts checked October 8, 2026. Sources: Mexico News Daily: whale watching season in Los Cabos · Visit Los Cabos: whale watching · NOAA Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary · Honolulu Star-Advertiser: first humpback whale of the season off Maui · Daily FT: blue whales off Mirissa · Discover Dominica: whale watching · Travel Juneau: whale watching and wildlife viewing · Iceland Review: when is whale watching season in Iceland · NOAA Ocean Service: Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary · IWC Whale Watching Handbook: Portugal and the Azores · Wikipedia: Hermanus · Destination NSW: whale watching in Sydney · National Park Service: whale watching at Cabrillo National Monument · Destination Vancouver: whale watching