Cabo itinerary for 3, 4 or 5 days, and where the boat day fits
Day-by-day plans for 3, 4 and 5 days in Cabo San Lucas, with the boat day placed where it fits best.
In this guide
A good Cabo itinerary puts the boat day on day 2 and fills the rest around it. With 3 days you get the beach, the Arch and one night out; with 4 you add Todos Santos; with 5 you add a second day on the water or the drive to Cabo Pulmo. A 2 hour private boat to the Arch starts at USD 519 (MXN 9,799) per boat.
The plans below count full days on the ground. If you land in the afternoon, use that evening for a walk around the marina and dinner downtown. From Los Cabos International Airport (SJD), plan on 40 to 50 minutes by road to the marina in Cabo San Lucas.
Why put the boat day on day 2?
Day 1 is a bad bet because flights run late and people are tired after traveling. An early boat day also leaves room to reschedule if the weather turns.
The Port Captain, part of the Mexican Navy, closes the harbor only under a hurricane or storm threat or another extraordinary situation. Most closures fall between September and mid-October. If it happens on your date, you get a new date or a full refund, and a new date is only useful if you still have days left in Cabo.
Never put the boat on your last day. A delayed charter and a flight home don't mix.
Morning snorkel, whales or sunset: which boat day fits?
The boat day you pick depends on the month and what your group wants. Prices below are per boat with 16% tax included; the 15% crew tip is not included.
| Boat day | Length | Best months |
|---|---|---|
| Snorkel at Santa María | 4 hours, morning | July, October, November |
| Whale season | 3 hours | November to April, best January and February |
| Sunset cruise | 2 hours, evening | November to March, and June |
| Full day, Santa María and Chileno | 5 to 8 hours | Any month the harbor is open |
The morning snorkel runs the Arch first, then up the coast to Santa María Bay, with a swim stop on the way back. That's 15.5 miles round trip, which is why it needs four hours. On a Bayliner 33 for up to 8 guests, 4 hours is USD 1,139 (MXN 21,699).
The sunset cruise is shorter. The 2 hour Pacific sunset route goes around Land's End to face the sun as it drops toward Cabo Falso. Sunset in Cabo runs from about 5:36 PM in late November and December to about 7:09 PM in early July, and Cabo stays on Mountain Standard Time all year. Our trip guide lists sunset times and weather month by month.
If you can't choose and you have 4 or 5 days, book the morning snorkel on day 2 and a short sunset cruise near the end of the trip.
3 day itinerary for Cabo San Lucas
Three days covers the main sights around Cabo San Lucas without rushing.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon and evening |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Médano Beach, swim or rent a kayak | Walk the marina, dinner downtown |
| 2 | Boat day: 4 hour snorkel, or whales in winter | Pool and rest, early night |
| 3 | Slow breakfast, beach time | 2 hour sunset cruise, or San José del Cabo |
Day 1: Médano Beach and the marina
Médano Beach is Cabo's swimming beach, the long stretch facing the bay, 0.8 miles from the marina. You can rent kayaks there. In the evening, walk around Marina Cabo San Lucas, which is where your boat leaves from the next day, and eat downtown.
Day 2: the boat
Book the morning. Departures start at 7 AM, and an early start leaves the afternoon free. Order breakfast in the planner and it's on board when you arrive. Chilaquiles, huevos rancheros and banana pancakes are MXN 325 each in cash (card adds 16%).
From November to April, you can swap the snorkel for a 3 hour whale trip. The snorkel route passes the Arch and the sea lion colony on the way out.
Day 3: sunset or San José del Cabo
End the trip with a 2 hour sunset cruise. Yachts from the marina can stay anchored in the bay until 10 PM, so you can watch the town lights come on from the water.
If your third day is a Thursday between November and June, consider San José del Cabo instead. Its Art Walk runs from 5 to 9 PM, with the galleries in the historic center open late. San José is about 20 miles away along the tourist corridor, roughly a 30 minute drive.
Cabo itinerary for 4 days
Four days lets you split the water into two trips and add one day inland.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon and evening |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Médano Beach | Marina walk, dinner downtown |
| 2 | Boat day: 4 hour snorkel at Santa María | Rest |
| 3 | Drive to Todos Santos | Back for dinner |
| 4 | Beach morning | 2 hour sunset cruise at the Arch |
Todos Santos is a Pueblo Mágico about 48 miles north, roughly an hour's drive up Highway 19 along the Pacific. Go for the galleries and the cobblestone streets.
Day 4 ends on the water. A sunset cruise for up to 12 guests on the Sea Ray 40 is USD 879 (MXN 16,799) for 2 hours, and the flybridge puts you up high for the Arch. Add a board from the menu: a small board is MXN 780 and a medium board is MXN 1,440, cash price.
5 day itinerary for Cabo San Lucas
With five days you can make the boat day a full day, or keep it short and use the extra time for Cabo Pulmo.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon and evening |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Médano Beach | Marina walk, dinner downtown |
| 2 | Full boat day: Santa María and Chileno | Lunch at anchor, back late afternoon |
| 3 | Todos Santos | Back for dinner |
| 4 | Rest, pool, spa | San José del Cabo, Art Walk on Thursdays |
| 5 | Cabo Pulmo, or beach | 2 hour sunset cruise |
The full day on the corridor is the 5 to 8 hour Santa María and Chileno route, 18.5 miles round trip. It covers the Arch, then both coves with time to snorkel each. Chileno Bay has a sandy bottom and reef on both sides. Six hours on the Sea Ray 40 is USD 1,979 (MXN 37,699) per boat, and eight hours is USD 2,419 (MXN 45,999).
For lunch at anchor, the menu has a burrito box lunch for MXN 289 or a Mexican feast for 6 to 8 people at MXN 2,600, cash price.
Cabo Pulmo National Park is about two hours by car. It protects a coral reef on the Sea of Cortez and has been part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. It's a long day, so pair it with an easy evening.
Adjusting the plan for your group
Families with young kids do better with a 3 hour boat day than a full day. Our family day trips stay on calm water with shade and room to move. Tell us the kids' ages when you book so the crew has the right life jackets on board.
For a bachelorette boat day or a birthday, move the boat to the afternoon of day 2 and make it 3 or 4 hours, so the group ends on the water at sunset. You can bring your own drinks if everyone drinking is 18 or older, since we don't sell or serve alcohol on board. The exceptions are the Azimut 70, all-inclusive with food and complimentary drinks served by its crew from USD 4,199 (MXN 79,799) for 3 hours, and the McKinna 70, which includes a chef, food and complimentary drinks served by its crew, from USD 4,499 (MXN 85,499) for 3 hours.
Bigger groups have one obvious pick: the Pontoon 38 takes up to 18 guests and has a water slide from the upper deck. Four hours is USD 1,619 (MXN 30,799) per boat.
If you only have one day because you're arriving by ship, skip the itinerary and read our cruise port guide instead.
Planning around the season
Whales start arriving in November and stay through April. Snorkeling is best in July, October and November. From September to mid-October, when most harbor closures happen, keep your boat day early and your plans flexible. Water is cooler from December to March, which matters more for snorkeling than for a sunset cruise. Our guide to the best time to visit Cabo covers each month.
What to book first
Book the boat first, then fit the land days around it. Departures run from 7 AM to 7 PM with a 2 hour minimum on most yachts (3 hours on the Sea Ray 55, the Sea Ray 65, the Azimut 70 and the McKinna 70), and your group gets the whole yacht. If you haven't picked the trip yet, our things to do in Cabo San Lucas list covers every stop, with its distance from the marina.
When you have dates, open the planner, choose the yacht, the hours and any food, and we reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time.
Yachts in this guide
Questions people ask
How many days do you need in Cabo San Lucas?
Three full days covers the beach, a boat day to the Arch and one evening out. Four days adds a day trip to Todos Santos, and five gives you room for a second boat day or a drive to Cabo Pulmo.
Which day of the trip should be the boat day?
Day 2. You're rested from the flight, and if the Port Captain closes the harbor that day you still have days left to take a new date instead of a full refund.
Is a morning or a sunset boat trip better in Cabo?
Morning suits snorkeling, since the 4 hour Santa María route needs the time. Sunset suits a 2 hour trip to the Arch, and yachts from the marina can stay anchored in the bay until 10 PM.
What time is sunset in Cabo San Lucas?
Sunset runs from about 5:36 PM in late November and December to about 7:09 PM in early July. Cabo is on Mountain Standard Time all year with no daylight saving.
Plan your day on the water
Pick a yacht, the hours and the food in the planner. A written reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time.
Keep reading
Things to doThings to Do in Cabo San Lucas: Water, Land and NightCabo San Lucas on the water and on land, with distances from the marina and the best months for each.9 min read
Plan your tripBest Time to Visit Cabo San Lucas: Month by MonthCabo weather by month for a boat day: water temperature, rain, sunsets, whale season, the best snorkel months and when the port may close.7 min read
Yacht chartersBest Sunset Cruise in Cabo: Private vs Shared, TimesPrivate vs shared sunset cruise in Cabo, sunset times by month, the Pacific route past the Arch, luxury yachts for sunset and what each costs.10 min readThings to doDay Trips from Cabo San Lucas: Drive Times and PicksFour day trips by road and one by sea from Cabo San Lucas, with drive times and who each one suits.8 min read