Baja Whales & Wine: From Sea to Vineyard
February 7, 2028 thru February 14, 2028
Discover the wild beauty and distinctive flavors of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula on an adventure from San Diego to the whale-rich lagoons of Guerrero Negro. Travel south through Tijuana, Ensenada, and the dramatic Central Desert, where giant boulders, unusual desert vegetation, and ancient cave paintings reveal another side of Baja. The centerpiece of your journey is two whale-watching excursions on Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, where migrating gray whales gather each winter to mate, give birth, and nurture their calves. Small boats and experienced local guides provide an extraordinary opportunity to observe these magnificent animals in their natural environment.
Then turn north for a leisurely journey back through Baja, with an overnight amid the otherworldly landscapes of Cataviña before returning to the Pacific port of Ensenada. Your adventure culminates in beautiful Guadalupe Valley, Mexico’s premier wine country, where rolling vineyards and innovative wineries provide a delicious finale. Enjoy a winery tour and tasting at Decantos Vinícola along with a leisurely wine-country lunch. Combining remarkable wildlife, dramatic scenery, Mexican culture, regional cuisine, and fine wine, this eight-day journey showcases Baja California at its most memorable.
Transportation
Roundtrip economy air transportation from ABQ
Transportation
Motorcoach/Transfers
Duration
8 days, 7 nights
Activity Level 3
Moderate
Meals
16 meals (7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 3 dinners) included
Availability
Available
Documents Required
Passport
Tour Highlights
- Gray Whale Watching – Get remarkably close to migrating gray whales at Ojo de Liebre Lagoon.
- Two Whale Excursions – Enjoy two opportunities to see whales and their calves in protected waters.
- Guadalupe Valley – Explore Mexico’s premier wine country amid beautiful vineyards.
- Decantos Vinícola – Tour the winery and enjoy a tasting of Baja wines.
- Baja’s Central Desert – Travel through dramatic cacti, granite boulders, and rugged desert scenery.
- Ancient Cave Paintings – Discover fascinating rock art near Cataviña.
- Tijuana & Ensenada – Experience colorful markets, local flavors, shops, and coastal culture.
- Scenic Highway 1 – Journey through Baja’s coastal communities, farmland, and spectacular desert landscapes.
Inclusions
- Roundtrip economy air transportation from ABQ
- All transfers & motorcoach transportation
- 7 nights’ hotel lodging
- 16 meals (7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 3 dinners)
- Admissions & tours as described
- Professional bilingual tour director
- Your Sun Tours tour escort
- Baggage handling
- Tour director, driver & local guide tips (excluding housekeeping)
Day 1 – Welcome to San Diego
Arrive in sunny San Diego and settle into your waterfront-area hotel as your Baja adventure begins. This evening, meet your Tour Manager and fellow travelers for a welcome cocktail and tour briefing, offering a chance to get acquainted and learn more about the exciting journey ahead.
Overnight: DoubleTree by Hilton San Diego Bayside
Day 2 – Tijuana, Ensenada & San Quintín
This morning, depart San Diego and cross the international border into Baja California, Mexico. Your first taste of Mexico comes in lively Tijuana with a visit to Mercado Hidalgo, a colorful traditional market filled with fresh produce, spices, sweets, and local specialties.
Continue south along scenic Mexico Highway 1 to the coastal city of Ensenada, where lunch is included at a local restaurant. This afternoon, travel through the agricultural heartland of northern Baja, passing fields of tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, and other crops on the journey to San Quintín. Settle into your seaside accommodations and gather this evening for a Welcome Dinner.
Overnight: Hotel Misión Santa María, San Quintín
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 – Baja's Desert & Guerrero Negro
Continue south along Highway 1 into the extraordinary landscapes of the Central Desert of Baja California. The scenery changes dramatically as giant cacti, rugged mountains, enormous granite boulders, and seemingly endless desert create one of the peninsula’s most memorable landscapes.
Stop near Cataviña for a short walk among the remarkable rock formations and desert vegetation. Visit nearby caves to see ancient cave paintings, providing a fascinating glimpse into the people and wildlife that once inhabited this remote region. After lunch at a local restaurant, continue across the state line into Baja California Sur and arrive in Guerrero Negro, your base for the next two days of whale watching. Dinner is included at the hotel this evening.
Overnight: The Halfway Inn, Guerrero Negro
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 – Gray Whale Watching at Ojo de Liebre
Today brings one of the signature experiences of the tour. Travel to Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, also known as Scammon’s Lagoon, part of the winter sanctuary used by migrating Pacific gray whales after their remarkable journey south from Arctic waters.
Board a small boat captained by experienced local guides and venture onto the protected lagoon for an intimate whale-watching experience. During the winter calving season, mothers and calves gather in these sheltered waters, and the naturally curious whales can sometimes approach the boats remarkably closely. Following your excursion, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before returning to the hotel. The evening and dinner are on your own.
Overnight: The Halfway Inn, Guerrero Negro
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 5 – A Second Whale Encounter & Cataviña
Return to Ojo de Liebre Lagoon for a second whale-watching excursion, giving you another opportunity to experience one of nature’s great wildlife spectacles. No two outings are alike, and today’s excursion offers more chances to observe gray whales and their calves in their winter breeding and nursery grounds.
Keep watch for the other wildlife that thrives in this rich ecosystem, including dolphins, seals, sea lions, ospreys, and migratory birds. After your excursion, enjoy a boxed lunch as you begin the journey north through Baja’s dramatic desert scenery. Arrive in the small desert community of Cataviña, surrounded by giant boulders and distinctive desert vegetation. Dinner is included at the hotel.
Overnight: Hotel Misión Cataviña
Meals: Breakfast, Boxed Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 - Return to Ensenada
Journey north through the changing landscapes of the Baja Peninsula toward Ensenada, enjoying lunch along the way. Arrive this afternoon and check into your hotel in this lively Pacific port city.
Time permitting, join your Tour Manager for an orientation walk through downtown Ensenada. The remainder of the evening is yours to explore at your own pace. Browse local shops and galleries, relax at a café, or sample Ensenada’s celebrated culinary scene and authentic neighborhood taquerias.
Overnight: Cortez Baja Inn, Ensenada
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 7 – Guadalupe Valley Wine Country
Following breakfast, venture into the beautiful Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico’s premier wine-producing region. Rolling vineyards, boutique wineries, Mediterranean-like weather, and innovative cuisine have transformed this picturesque valley into one of Mexico’s most exciting culinary destinations.
Visit Decantos Vinícola, known for its innovative gravity-flow approach to winemaking. Tour the winery and enjoy a tasting while learning about the techniques and traditions behind Baja’s increasingly acclaimed wines. Then savor a leisurely lunch in wine country, surrounded by the landscapes of the Guadalupe Valley. Return to Ensenada this afternoon for your final evening in Mexico.
Overnight: Cortez Baja Inn, Ensenada
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 8 - Ensenada to San Diego – Hasta Luego, Baja!
Enjoy breakfast before departing Ensenada and traveling north toward the international border. Cross back into the United States and continue to your designated San Diego drop-off point, bringing home memories of up-close gray whale encounters, dramatic Baja deserts, colorful Mexican communities, Pacific coast scenery, and the vineyards and flavors of the Guadalupe Valley. Fly back home from San Diego.
Meals: Breakfast
Itinerary subject to change. **Passport Required!**
Fun Facts
Gray whales are marathon travelers!
They migrate thousands of miles between Arctic feeding grounds and the warm lagoons of Baja California each year.
Baja is Mexico’s wine capital.
The Guadalupe Valley produces a large share of Mexican wine and is celebrated for its boutique wineries and creative cuisine.
Baja’s desert is full of surprises.
Around Cataviña, enormous granite boulders, towering cardón cacti, and ancient rock art create an almost otherworldly landscape.
Hotel Information
DoubleTree by Hilton San Diego Bayside
San Diego, CA
Hotel Misión Santa María
San Quintín, Baja California
The Halfway Inn
Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur
Hotel Misión Cataviña
Cataviña, Baja California
Package Pricing
$4,325 per person
Double occupancy
Deposit: $250
$4,955 per person
Single occupancy
Deposit: $250
Final Payment Due:
September 30, 2027
Deposit: N/A
Price Includes
Roundtrip economy air transportation from ABQ
All transfers & motorcoach transportation
7 nights' hotel lodging
16 meals (7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 3 dinners)
Admissions & tours as described
Professional bilingual tour director
Your Sun Tours tour escort
Baggage handling
Tour director, driver & local guide tips (excluding housekeeping)
Booking Policy
**Passport Required!**
Cancellation Fees:
- None – through September 30, 2027
- $250 – October 1 – November 1, 2027
- 60%* – November 2 – December 1, 2027
- 100%* – after December 1, 2027
*Fee as percentage of total package price.
We pride ourselves on great service and an enjoyable experience for all and will go over our booking policies after you make your request for booking. If you’d like to learn more about our booking policies before your trip, give us a call at (505) 889-8888.
Travel Insurance
In today’s changing travel environment, it’s important to help protect your travel investment so you can relax and enjoy your trip. Unforeseen events such as flight delays, baggage loss or even a sudden sickness or injury could impact your travel plans. For your convenience, we offer a Travelex Insurance Services protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. Travel protection is encouraged. Please click here for more information.
ACTIVITY LEVEL RATING 3
ACTIVITY LEVEL RATING 3: Moderate
Expectations: Expect a moderate amount of walking, 2-3 hours of walking each day. There will be time to rest on the coach and between attractions. To enjoy this tour, you should be prepared to walk slightly longer distances, climb stairs and tolerate periods of standing, for example on city walks, sightseeing stops or ship excursions. The daily pace and timing can fluctuate significantly between longer and shorter travel days, with additional activities possibly occurring in the early morning or evening. There may be some changes in altitude or temperatures.
Appropriate for: Most travelers beginning with those who are moderately fit, lead semi-active lives, are comfortable participating in long days of activities and expect some physical exertion without the use of a cane or walker mobility aid.
ITINERARY
For your reference, we send to you a detailed itinerary approximately 3-4 weeks prior to the scheduled tour departure. This has day-by-day times and events, hotel information where you can be reached in case of an emergency, and airline information.
The times listed on the itinerary are all approximate. We cannot be held responsible for schedule changes due to unforeseen circumstances with the weather, transportation agents, highway conditions, hotels or contracting agents.
AIRLINE TICKETS
You will be issued your boarding pass the morning of our departure, after your arrival at the Albuquerque International Airport. If you have a frequent flyer number, or a TSA number, please call our office at least 3 days prior to the tour to ensure we can note these in your reservation.
If you are joining the tour from locations other than Albuquerque, we make other arrangements for you to join the tour. Please call our office for more details.
AIRPORT SECURITY
Do not forget to bring your government issued picture ID to show at the airport. A passport is required for travel outside of the United States. If you do not have the proper ID, the airline will turn you away.
BAGGAGE
We have arranged for handling for one piece of luggage per person regarding the skycaps (where available) and hotels. If you check through luggage note that the maximum weight for the checked piece of luggage is 50 pounds and maximum size is 62 inches (length + width + height). If your bag weighs over 50 pounds the airlines will levy an extra fee that you will be responsible to pay. If you feel the need to lock your checked through luggage and your bag is searched, your lock could be damaged in the process. You can purchase a TSA (Transportation Security Administration) accepted and recognized lock at any luggage store. Make sure you ask for a TSA approved lock. These locks are the kind that TSA screeners can open by using a special tool without breaking. Passengers can carry-on 1 bag (dimensions are limited to 10x16x24 inches), plus a personal type bag, like a purse. We advise that you pack your carry-on lightly. There are restrictions regarding your carryon baggage and contents due to enhanced security measures. If you have further concerns, please visit the TSA's Web-site at www.tsa.gov. There is room inside the motorcoach for your hand carried bag.
CHECKED BAGGAGE FEES
On our airline for this tour, passengers may be assessed a fee per checked in bag, by the Airlines, upon checking in for the flight.
EMERGENCY CONTACT
It is always a good idea to carry on your person a list of medications that you are taking and an emergency contact phone number while you are traveling. And we suggest making a copy of the itinerary and provide it to a friend or family member.
GRATUITIES/ITEMS INCLUDED IN PRICE
The traditional end-of-tour gratuity to your tour director is included. All hotel porterage and airport skycap (when available) fees are included. We also include the gratuities for the coach drivers. Maid tips are not included.
LODGING REQUESTS
If you would like to request special accommodations at the hotel(s) where we are lodging, please call us as soon as possible and we will forward these requests for you. The phone numbers of the hotel(s) where we are staying are listed on the itinerary.
Many hotels around the country have instituted a "reconditioning fee" of $300 or more that is levied upon a guest that smokes in a non-smoking room. If this occurs during our tour, you will be responsible for paying this fee to the hotel prior to check-out.
TRAVEL REQUESTS
We pay close attention to your requests but please realize that these are merely requests and cannot be guaranteed.
RESPONSIBILITY
SUN TOURS acts solely as an agent in arranging hotels, transportation, sightseeing, baggage-handling, and other services and does not assume any liability for injury, damage, loss or delay due to any act or default of any company or person. We, along with our subcontractors, reserve the right to make changes to an itinerary if it is necessary for the proper handling of a tour.
WEATHER AND CLOTHING/MISC. SUGGESTIONS
Expect mild, comfortable days generally ranging from the mid-60s to mid-70s, with cooler mornings and evenings in the 40s and 50s. Layered clothing and a wind-resistant jacket are recommended, particularly for whale watching on the lagoons.
Call 505.889.8888 to Book Today!
If you aren't ready to inquire by email or would rather call and speak to a team member, we look forward to hearing from you.
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