Best Day Trips from Cabo San Lucas: Todos Santos, Cabo Pulmo, La Paz and the Desert

Cabo is the end of the road, which means every day trip goes in one of three directions: up the Pacific side to Todos Santos, up the Sea of Cortez side to Cabo Pulmo and La Paz, or straight into the desert. All of them leave early. Most have you back by dinner. We have done each of these more than once, and we sorted them by how much of your day they take. Prices are per guest from our listings, and each one adds 16% IVA.

The half-day trips

Magical Todos Santos & Camels

The easy one. Four hours, leaving at 9am, pairing the historic town of Todos Santos, with its cobblestone streets, crafts and art galleries, with a stop at a private desert ranch to meet the camels. You also visit a hand-woven blanket factory in Pescadero and finish with a Mexican buffet and a mezcal and tequila tasting. $129 USD plus 16% IVA, ages 5 and up, rated 4.5. If you would rather drive yourself, Todos Santos rewards a slow afternoon in the galleries and a long lunch.

Outdoor Adventure 4x4 + Cabo Zipline + Rappel

The adrenaline one. Three and a half hours inside a UNESCO-protected biosphere, with a circuit of ziplines that includes one of the longest in Mexico, then rock climbing, a rappel, a suspension bridge and your own 4x4 to drive. $149 USD plus 16% IVA, ages 8 and up, rated 4.7, with departures at 9am and 1pm and free hotel pickup from most hotels. It is built for people in good shape.

Cabo ATV Tour & Desert Adventure

The desert ranch sits 45 minutes north of Cabo San Lucas. You ride an automatic ATV along a winding sand circuit, past canyons, to a 360-degree view at the top of the trail, then eat a Mexican buffet with a tequila tasting. Three hours, $130 USD plus 16% IVA, rated 4.8. Drivers must be 18 with a license, and riders can be 8 and up. Good for first-timers.

Outback & Cabo Camel Ride

The gentle version of the desert. A camel ride from the desert to the Pacific, a guided nature walk, a tortilla lesson and an oceanfront buffet. Three hours, $128 USD plus 16% IVA, ages 5 and up, rated 4.8. Take the 1pm departure, since it ends with a sunset bonfire.

The full-day trips

Cabo Pulmo Snorkeling Expedition

Cabo Pulmo National Park is a two hour drive up the Sea of Cortez side, and the reef there is 20,000 years old and one of the healthiest in the sea. This is a full eight hour day, leaving at 7:30am, with a small group, expert guides, sea turtles, sea lions and tropical fish, and a Baja-style lunch at a local restaurant. $289 USD plus 16% IVA, ages 10 and up, rated 4.5. Round-trip transport is included.

Cabo Pulmo Diving Tour

Same park, deeper. For certified divers only: two guided dives at sites like El Islote and El Bajo, with over 200 fish species, coral and a historic shipwreck. Eight hours, 7:30am start, $289 USD plus 16% IVA, ages 12 and up, rated 4.6. If you dive, this is the best day you can buy from Cabo.

Swim with Whale Sharks in Cabo

The name says Cabo but the whale sharks are near La Paz, a two hour van ride from Los Cabos. It is the longest day on this list: ten hours, leaving at 7am. You snorkel beside the biggest fish in the ocean with bilingual guides, then have lunch in town. The season runs roughly November to April. $289 USD plus 16% IVA, ages 8 and up, rated 4.6. Worth the early alarm.

The one you can do on your own

San José del Cabo is the other town in Los Cabos, up the Corridor from Cabo San Lucas, and it is the easiest day trip of all. Go for the historic downtown and the galleries, stay for dinner. No tour needed, a taxi or a rental car is enough.

How to plan

• One big trip per visit. Cabo Pulmo and La Paz each take a full day and four hours in a van. Do not book them back to back.
• Check the season. Whale sharks are roughly November to April. November through April is also the most comfortable weather for the desert.
• Bring cash in pesos for tips and for shops in Todos Santos.
• Book a few days ahead from December through April. Summer has more availability.

Todos Santos for a slow day, Cabo Pulmo for the reef, La Paz for whale sharks, the desert for a half day. See every trip we list on our adventures in Cabo page.