Top Puerto Vallarta Day Trips & Excursions

Embark on an adventure-driven day trip to nearby Punto Mita and Sayulita. Set out from either Nuevo Vallarta or Puerto Vallarta, enjoying a scenic drive to Punto Mita before taking charge of a 4WD UTV (utility terrain vehicle) for a noteworthy ride of your own. Follow your guide along undulating trails and river beds to Sayulita, a laid-back fishing village home to a bustling arts & crafts scene. Here, take a guided tour, peruse the stalls or savor a snack. Then hit up the off-roads once again.

Combine culture with adventure on an 8.5-hour off-road adventure in the Sierra Madre Mountains from Puerto Vallarta. In a Mercedes Benz jeep, you’ll drive off-road on Mexico’s wealth of terrains and visit a local home to feast on corn tortillas, beans, and chunky salsa. Take a short trek deep into the jungle, eat lunch on a virgin beach, and enjoy unlimited drinks such as soda, beer, and tequila.

Discover the secluded and sublime Las Caletas nature reserve on an enchanting full-day tour from Puerto Vallarta. Venture to Mexico’s answer to the Garden of Eden during your excursion to the coastal haven of Banderas Bay; stroll through the atmospheric jungle on the hunt for diverse wildlife; experience an authentic cooking class; or let the stress slip away on the golden sands of the beach. Enjoy a light breakfast, fulfilling and flavorsome buffet lunch in addition to an open bar on this family friendly adventure.

Spend the day with a private guide seeing parts of Mexico away from the usual tourist spots. Get picked up from your Puerto Vallarta accomodation in the morning and set out for your day. Visit the EntreAmigos community social agency in San Pancho, take a drive out to the surf town of Sayulita, then decide where to go after that: Punta de Mita or Cruz de Huanacaxtle.

Hit the beach at Sayulita on a 6-hour tour from Puerto Vallarta that explores the scenic Riviera Nayarit. Check out the coast’s highlights, pause to see Punta de Mita, then enjoy the rest of the day on Sayulita’s gorgeous beach, with time to swim, sunbathe, or catch waves on a boogie board or surfboard. This 6-hour Sayulita tour includes pickup and drop-off at Puerto Vallarta hotels and an hour-long boogie board or surf board rental when you get to the beach.

Visit the towns of Toriles and Tequila on a full-day excursion from Puerto Vallarta that explores ancient Aztec ruins, traditional tequila, and historic architecture. With an expert guide to lead the way, you’ll see mysterious buildings and petroglyphs, then learn how locally-grown agave plants are transformed into tequila. This 12-hour tour from Puerto Vallarta to Toriles and Tequila includes hotel pickup and drop-off, a hearty breakfast, entrance fees, and a tequila tasting for a day-long immersion in authentic Mexican culture.

Leave Puerto Vallarta behind to explore one of Mexico's last hidden vestiges: San Sebastián, tucked within the Sierra Madre. On this 7-hour tour, take in scenes of daily rural life as you travel by comfortable vehicle into the mountains toward this colonial enclave. Meander among its whitewashed structures with your guide, see remnants of its mining past, and simple enjoy a town mostly untouched by tourism. Lunch is included.

Explore the best of Mexico's Riviera Nayarit—a stunning coastline of pristine beaches and inviting towns just north of Puerto Vallarta—on a highlights tour. Begin with a visit to a bustling beachside market then continue on to the cobbled streets of San Pancho, visiting the Entre Amigos Project for a firsthand look at community action at work. Shop for original artworks made from recycled materials, then spend some time in the village of Sayulita. Lounge on the beach while watching iguanas, enjoy a beverage or simply take in the surrounding scenery.

Embark on an off-road and on-foot adventure through the fabled mountains fo the Sierra Madre, taking in the village remnants and hidden streams of the real Mexican outback. After arriving from Puerto Vallarta, set out via all-terrain vehicle into the heart of a remote jungle, traversing rivers and through tropical forest away from tourists and crowds. Then enjoy a 45-minute guided hike en route to a pristine beach, where lunch will be prepared on-site. Your guide will fill in details of the area's flora and fauna along the way. 

Step back in time on a full-day trip from Puerto Vallarta to San Sebastian del Oeste, one of Mexico’s enchanting ‘pueblos mágicos,’ or magical towns. You’ll tour a traditional coffee hacienda, taste spirits distilled from agave, then dine on Mexican cuisine at a family-owned restaurant. This full-day excursion to San Sebastian del Oeste includes pickup and drop-off at select hotels in Puerto Vallarta, entrance fees, and lunch for a worry-free day of exploring.

Escape the city and get acquainted with the UNESCO-listed colonial town of San Sebastian del Oeste on a private 8-hour day-trip from Puerto Vallarta. Ideal for history lovers, this tour reveals the beauty, heritage, and spectacular lookout points of the 17th-century mining town. Browse exhibits inside the Museum of Doña Conchita, soak up the ambiance of the main plaza, tour a coffee plantation, and visit a historic hacienda that’s played host to Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Hotel or port pickup and drop-off are included.

Use your time in Puerto Vallarta in the best way possible by having a private guide show you two important archeological sites in one day. Stroll the cobbled streets of the Pueblo Mágico (Magic Town) of Mascota, and visit its sacred sites before heading to the Guachimontones archaeological zone. There you will discover several examples of the distinctive architectural style of this pre-Columbian settlement at Teuchitlán.

Visit two of Mexico’s ‘Pueblos Magicos,’ or Magic Towns, on a full-day trip from Puerto Vallarta to Mascota and Talpa de Allende. You’ll explore both villages with an expert guide, from Mascota’s unfinished church to the Our Lady of the Rosary of Talpa, an important pilgrimage place for Mexican Catholics. This 10-hour ‘Pueblos Magicos’ tour includes pickup and drop-off at hotels in Puerto Vallarta, as well as breakfast, lunch, and all transport by climate-controlled vehicle.

Spend hours at your leisure in the forests, bays, and beaches outside Puerto Vallarta. This relaxing day trip takes you to the nearby villages of Yelapa and Majahuitas. A light breakfast and buffet lunch are served on the boat where you’ll have access to sandy shoreline and snorkeling in crystal-clear waters.

Explore El Tuito, the colorful town just an hour south of Puerto Vallarta, on a day-long tour. Meaning ‘small beautiful valley’ in the Nahuati pre-Hispanic language, El Tuito is just that, and you’ll discover the town’s highlights and history with a guide. Visit the main square, a botanical garden, an artisan bakery, and sample tequila at the distillery. A Mexican lunch is included midway through the day.

Experience the history and spirits of Tequila on a full-day, private tour from Puerto Vallarta. Ride through a landscape etched with lines of blue agave, and learn about the plant’s traditional cultivation. Visit a stunning hacienda to follow the tequila-making process from field to bottle and sample some varieties of the regionally-protected drink. Explore the historic landmarks and sights in the town of Tequila, then enjoy time on your own to visit the center, with tips on the best places to eat, drink and shop before returning to the coast.

Step off the tourist trail on a full-day trip from Puerto Vallarta to San Blas, a port town and fishing community with a fascinating history. You’ll explore the town on a guided walking tour, visit a lagoon surrounded by tropical jungle, then find views and 18th-century ruins at La Contaduría Fort. This 10-hour tour includes entrance fees, as well as pickup and drop-off at Puerto Vallarta hotels, with all transport in a climate-controlled van that’s stocked with non-alcoholic drinks.

In this 29-foot fishing boat fully equipped for professional fishing for 4 passengers, and for 10 passengers to go for trip around the bay, can also be used for various purposes such as recreational rides, snorkeling, diving, with areas of shade and sun: equipped with sound stereo for the enjoyment of your music of your choice, it has a bath, ice chest, towels etc.

On this day trip, we will be exploring the north side of Bahía de Banderas Different stops will enhance the learnign about the sectors on which the economy of the area relies on: tourism, Agriculture and Construction.

Discover the town of San Blas and the freshwater spring and estuary of La Tovara with a private guide. Enjoy a day exploring the colonial history of San Blas and the fort which was the administrative centre of the area under Spanish rule. The day also includes a boat ride under the jungle foliage at La Tovara spotting wildlife.