Day Trips from Puerto Vallarta

Day trips from Puerto Vallarta head two ways: out across Banderas Bay by boat, or inland and uphill into the Sierra Madre. The water holds reefs, coves and a village with no roads, and the hills hold a mountain town and jungle trails. Between the bay and the mountains, we have 50 day trips and tours from Puerto Vallarta for you in 2026.

We would start with how well you swim, because sea trips on Banderas Bay range from a calm snorkel to a swim through a rock arch. Then weigh the time on the water or the road.

Travellers have left more than 1,404 reviews on the trips shown here, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5.

Of the trips shown here, the one with the most reviews is "Full-Day Hike to 6 Hidden Beaches & Snorkeling", with more than 498 reviews and a rating of 4.8 out of 5.

Close to town

Los Arcos sits just off the southern shore, so a complete boat and snorkelling trip there takes 2 to 3 hours. The Vallarta Botanical Garden is close as well, 35 to 50 minutes south of town by road.

About an hour by boat

Water taxis to Yelapa take 45 to 60 minutes, while larger tour boats can need up to an hour and a half. Majahuitas, a cove on the same southern shore that only boats can reach, is about 45 minutes away by direct speedboat.

Further out to sea, or up into the mountains

Out at the northern edge of Banderas Bay, the Marietas Islands are 60 to 90 minutes away by fast boat. Slow sightseeing catamarans can take nearly 3 hours each way, so check the boat before you pick one of our Marietas Islands tours from Puerto Vallarta. In winter, you will very likely see humpback whales on the way.

San Sebastián del Oeste is 90 minutes to 2 hours inland by road. The highway climbs the Sierra Madre on tight curves that call for a slow pace.

Reefs, arches and seabirds

Families, first-time snorkellers and anyone short on time do well at Los Arcos. Its granite arches rise from the sea as a natural aquarium. Angelfish, boxfish and sea turtles live around the arches, and you meet them in the water on our Los Arcos snorkeling tours from Puerto Vallarta.

Confident swimmers, active couples and wildlife lovers get the most from the Marietas Islands, a protected park with colonies of blue-footed boobies. To reach the Hidden Beach inside a collapsed crater, you swim through an arch at low tide, which is why the trip rewards strong swimmers.

If other travellers' scores help you decide, our Los Arcos trips stand at 4.7 out of 5 and our Marietas trips at 4.2.

A car-free village or a beach club

Yelapa suits slow travellers, hikers and families who want to step off the resort grid. The fishing village in its deep cove has no roads for cars. You eat at beach palapas and walk up through the jungle to a waterfall.

Our Yelapa tours from Puerto Vallarta make the crossing for you, since a boat is the only way into the village.

Majahuitas is for music lovers and groups of friends. On Saturdays its beach club turns the jungle cove into a party with DJs, fire shows and cocktails. On weekdays it is calm again, a catamaran stop for kayaking and quiet swimming.

If choice matters, Yelapa offers more of our trips of the two southern coves: 7, where Majahuitas has 4.

Trails, waterfalls and warm pools

Active travellers and wildlife watchers will enjoy the guided hikes. The coastal trail from Boca de Tomatlán passes cliffs and hidden beaches on its way to Las Ánimas. Inland, trails climb river canyons to jungle waterfalls, and a dip in a cove or a waterfall pool cools you down at the end.

Up in the hills, hot springs suit adventure-seekers and wellness lovers who do not mind a bumpy ride. Their rustic pools of mineral-rich water sit in jungle river canyons, often reached by 4x4 or a short hike.

A slower day inland

San Sebastián del Oeste suits history buffs, photographers and couples after a slower day. This old silver-mining town is a Pueblo Mágico of cobblestones and whitewashed colonial buildings. Fog drifts through the pines in the afternoon, a cool break from the coast.

Multi-generational families, plant lovers and relaxed sightseers will like the Vallarta Botanical Garden. Its conservatories hold Mexico's premier orchid collection, and paved paths take strollers. Jungle trails lead down to swimming holes in the Los Horcones River.

On Banderas Bay the boat sets the pace, since a fast water taxi is much quicker than a large catamaran. We would also check where each trip leaves from and whether its park and port fees are included.

Table data is indicative and comes from the GuruWalk catalogue. Each activity's current details, including availability, are the ones shown on its listing when you book.