Tours
Family FavoritePrincess Monterey Whale Watching
$50+Narrated whale watching and wildlife cruises on Monterey Bay aboard two large heated vessels departing from Old Fisherman's Wharf.
Monterey, CA
Area guide · California, USA
Things to do in Monterey Peninsula
Whale watching boats and dive shops along Monterey's historic wharf
- Tours
- Sightseeing
- Sport & Outdoor
- Nearest airport: SJC, about 84 miles
Whale watching boats and dive shops along Monterey's historic wharf. This guide covers places to visit in Monterey Peninsula, CA, by category and on a map.
Start here
Three to see first in Monterey Peninsula
Tours
Outdoor AdventureDiscovery Whale Watch
$50+Narrated whale watching cruises departing daily from Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf.
Monterey, CA
Tours
Family FavoriteLittle Mermaid Glass Bottom Boat Tours
Under $25Cruise Monterey Harbor on a glass bottom boat to spot sea otters, seals, and kelp forest life.
Monterey, CA
Every place
Everything in Monterey Peninsula, on the map
Filter by the kind of day you want. Tap a card to open the place, or a dot on the map to find it in the list.
Tours
Family FavoritePrincess Monterey Whale Watching
$50+Narrated whale watching and wildlife cruises on Monterey Bay aboard two large heated vessels departing from Old Fisherman's Wharf.
Tours
Outdoor AdventureDiscovery Whale Watch
$50+Narrated whale watching cruises departing daily from Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf.
Tours
Family FavoriteLittle Mermaid Glass Bottom Boat Tours
Under $25Cruise Monterey Harbor on a glass bottom boat to spot sea otters, seals, and kelp forest life.
Tours
Outdoor AdventureCentral Coast Scuba
$50+Family-owned dive shop offering guided scuba and snorkeling tours plus PADI and NAUI certification courses in Monterey Bay.
Sightseeing
IconicOld Fisherman's Wharf
FreeHistoric waterfront pier in Monterey lined with seafood restaurants, shops and whale-watching operators.
Sightseeing
Local GemSalinas City Center
FreeDowntown Salinas improvement association promoting Old Town's restaurants, shops and events.
Sightseeing
IconicBixby Bridge
FreeSee the 1932 concrete arch of Bixby Bridge carry Highway 1 high over Bixby Creek on the Big Sur coast.
Sport & Outdoor
IconicJulia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Under $25Look down on McWay Falls, an 80-foot waterfall that drops onto a Big Sur beach, from a trail above the cove.
Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor AdventurePinnacles National Park
$25–$50Hike among volcanic rock spires, scramble through talus caves and watch for California condors overhead.
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More guides in California
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About
About Monterey Peninsula
The Monterey Peninsula is a coastal area on California's Central Coast overlooking Monterey Bay. All of the listed venues operate out of the city of Monterey, many clustered at Old Fisherman's Wharf, a working pier that hosts whale-watching and glass-bottom boat operators alongside shops and restaurants. Central Coast Scuba runs dive trips into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Several companies, including Discovery Whale Watch, offer year-round boat tours to view marine wildlife in the bay.