A girls' trip yacht day in Cabo: which boat for 6 to 15 friends, what it costs each and how the day runs

On a girls' trip to Cabo San Lucas, a private yacht day puts your group alone on the boat with your playlist and your own drinks in the cooler, a swim stop at Lover's Beach and the Arch at golden hour. For up to 12, the Sea Ray 40 is USD 879 (MXN 16,799) for two hours, about USD 73 each with a full boat, boarding at Dock E of IGY Marina Cabo San Lucas, by Ultrajewels. For up to 15, the Sea Ray 55 has air conditioning, cabins and heads for USD 2,129 (MXN 40,399) for three hours. Prices are per boat with the 16% tax included; the 15% crew tip is not.

This guide is for trips without a bride: a 30th or 40th, a reunion, a trip that's been on the group chat for two years. If there's a bride, our Cabo bachelorette boat guide and the bachelorette experience page have that version.

Which yacht for how many of you

Guest limits are firm, so count everyone first. These are the boats girls' trips book most, for two and four hours.

Set your group size and hours to see what each yacht costs per person.

What it costs per person

Guests:

8

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Per boat, 16% tax included, tip not included. Pick a yacht to see its page.

The Sea Ray 40 is the one we'd point most groups of 8 to 12 to: a flybridge for the photos, a captain and deckhand, bottled water and ice, a cooler, towels and snorkel gear. The Azimut 45 Flybridge takes the same 12 and includes towels, water and sodas. The Sea Ray 55 is for 13 to 15, with air conditioning, cabins and heads, plus a floating pool, a paddle board, a lily pad and a floating platform. The Pontoon 38 is the party boat, with two decks and a slide, and our party boat guide covers it.

For a splurge, the two 70-footers host the day: the Azimut 70 with a menu on board and complimentary cocktails from USD 4,199 for three hours, the McKinna 70 with a chef from USD 4,499. The luxury yachts page has both; the whole fleet by headcount is on the yacht by group size page.

A four-hour girls' trip day on the water

Four hours leaves room for a swim stop, the Arch and the sunset without anyone checking the time.

1. Board at your yacht's dock in Marina Cabo San Lucas (it's on your boarding pass) about three hours before sunset, so the last hour lands on it. Arrive 15 minutes early to load the cooler.
2. Out past Pelican Rock and the sea lion colony, with the first round of photos at the Arch in daylight.
3. Anchor on the calm bay side near Lover's Beach for the swim stop. On the Sea Ray 55 the floating pool and the lily pad go in; on the Chaparral 28 the lily pad; on the Pontoon 38, the slide.
4. Food comes out at anchor (ordered in the planner; see below).
5. Back past the Arch in the golden light for the second round of photos, then along Médano Beach as the lights come on. Yachts from the marina may stay anchored in the bay until 10 PM if the group isn't ready to go in.

Sunset is earliest in late autumn and winter and latest in early summer; the trip guide has the time for your dates. Cabo stays on Mountain Standard Time all year, so put the boarding time on the group chat in Cabo time.

Music, drinks and the dress code

The Chaparral 28 lists a Bluetooth sound system among its inclusions. On the other yachts, ask about the sound setup when you book. Download the playlist to one phone before the dock, bring a charging cable, and put one person in charge of it. A professional DJ goes on yachts of 40 ft or more, from USD 399 for 2 hours (USD 649 for 3 hours on 50 ft and up, their minimum), plus USD 150 per extra hour, paid directly to the DJ; our DJ on a yacht guide explains how it's arranged.

The yachts don't sell or serve alcohol. Guests 18 and over bring their own, so the wine and the cans go in the cooler at the dock; buy them in town the day before. Cans beat glass on a deck where people walk barefoot. Bring more water than you think: the Sea Ray 40 and Sea Ray 55 include bottled water and ice, the Chaparral 28 includes a cooler but no water (add it at MXN 17 a bottle).

An all-white day is the most common dress code, and it photographs well against the water. Swimsuits underneath, flat shoes (heels slip on deck), and a cover-up for the ride back. Towels are included only on the Sea Ray 36, Sea Ray 40 and Azimut 45, so on the other boats bring your own. Our what to wear on a boat in Cabo guide has the full list.

The photographer, the decorations and the cake

A professional photographer can join for USD 180, with all the photos from your charter, paid directly to the photographer, so nobody in the group spends the afternoon holding the phone. Add it in the planner. Ask for a group shot at the Arch in daylight and another at golden hour.

If the trip is a birthday, a cake and decorations are extras quoted separately when you book. Decorations are cardstock and a sign only; the Port Captain no longer allows balloons on board, and loose confetti or glitter is out. Our birthday on a yacht guide covers timing the cake with the sunset.

Food for the group

Food is optional and ordered in the planner at cash prices in pesos (card adds 16%). For a girls' trip afternoon, boards do the work: medium MXN 1,440, large MXN 2,520, XL MXN 3,120. For a full meal, the Mexican feast is MXN 2,600 for 6 to 8 or MXN 4,550 for 14 to 16. The Azimut 70 and the McKinna 70 include food.

What every yacht on this page includes

• A captain, and a deckhand on most yachts.
• The CONANP conservation fee for the protected area around the Arch.
• Departures from 7 AM to 7 PM, sailing until 8 PM, anchored in the bay until 10 PM from the marina.
• A new date or a full refund if the Port Captain closes the harbor, which happens mostly between September and mid-October.

Swimming is only when the boat is anchored and the crew says go, and anyone who's had a lot stays on deck. Divorce Beach, on the Pacific side, is a photo from the boat, never a swim.

Booking the girls' trip yacht

Count heads, pick the yacht from the table, and open the planner with your date and four hours. One person books and pays by secure Stripe link once the date is confirmed in writing, then collects the shares. We reply within two hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time, or on WhatsApp at +52 624 300 8029. For 8 to 12, start with the Sea Ray 40; for 13 to 15, the Sea Ray 55. Our best yacht for 8 guide has the smaller-group version.

Yachts in this guide

Sea Ray 40Flybridge yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $879 / 2 hSea Ray 55Flybridge motor yacht · up to 15 guestsfrom $2,129 / 3 hBayliner 33Express cruiser · up to 8 guestsfrom $599 / 2 hChaparral 28Sport boat · up to 10 guestsfrom $519 / 2 h

Questions people ask

What is the best thing to do in Cabo on a girls' trip?

A private yacht day. Your group only, your playlist, your drinks, a swim stop at Lover's Beach and the Arch at golden hour. The Sea Ray 40 for up to 12 is USD 879 (MXN 16,799) for two hours, about USD 73 each with a full boat.

How much is a yacht for a girls' trip in Cabo?

From USD 519 (MXN 9,799) for two hours on the Chaparral 28 for up to 10, about USD 52 each, to USD 2,709 (MXN 51,499) for four hours on the Sea Ray 55 for up to 15, about USD 181 each. Prices are per boat with tax included; the 15% crew tip is extra.

Can we bring our own wine on a yacht in Cabo?

Yes, for guests 18 and over. The yachts don't sell or serve alcohol, so the group brings its own and loads it into the cooler at the dock. The Azimut 70 and the McKinna 70 are the exceptions, with complimentary drinks served by the crew.

Is there a photographer for a girls' trip yacht day in Cabo?

Yes, if you add one in the planner. A professional photographer joins for USD 180, with all the photos from your charter, paid directly to the photographer, so nobody in the group spends the day holding the phone.

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.

Check availabilitySee the fleet