Water activity

Full-Day Dolphin Watching Tour from Lisbon

4.8 / 5

97 reviews

Activity provider: TakingUThere
Water activity

Full-Day Dolphin Watching Tour from Lisbon

Activity provider: TakingUThere

From US$ 98.15 per person

Take a cruise on a restored sea galleon to see wild bottlenose dolphins in their natural environment. Head south from Lisbon to discover one of the 10 most beautiful bays in the world and explore a natural park and the region.

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Reserve now & pay later
Keep your travel plans flexible — book your spot and pay nothing today.
Covid-19 precautions
Special health and safety measures are in place. Check your activity voucher once you book for full details.
Duration 6 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Skip the line through a separate entrance
Live tour guide
German, English, Portuguese, Spanish
Small group
Limited to 14 participants

Experience

Highlights
  • Cruise the coast on a modern catamaran or a restored salt galleon (depending on weather conditions)
  • Be on the lookout for bottlenose dolphins in their natural environment
  • Take in the amazing landscapes of the Arrábida Natural Park
Full description
This full-day tour begins as you head south from Lisbon to Setúbal, a picturesque region best known for its fishing port. In Setúbal, board a fully restored salt galleon, or a modern catamaran (depending on weather and sea conditions), for a relaxing and enjoyable cruise in the Sado Estuary, where you’ll learn about the resident bottlenose dolphins and hopefully be able to observe wild dolphins in their natural environment. The duration of the cruise takes about 2 to 3 hours. See the natural reserve of Arrábida, take in the stunning views, and learn about the area’s history and gastronomy. See the Arrábida Convent and discover some important historical sites before returning to the old city center of Setúbal. Before returning to Lisbon, stop at a few sights in the Arrabida Mountain range, from where you can marvel at the natural reserve and get a land view of all the region.
Includes
  • Pick-up and drop off from/at meeting point in Lisbon
  • Private guide
  • Boat cruise with dolphin watching
  • Entrance fees
  • Transportation by air-conditioned car or van
  • Lunch
  • Any other items not mentioned as included
Not suitable for
  • Wheelchair users

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

Meeting point may vary depending on the option booked.

Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes
  • Warm clothing
  • Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen
  • Comfortable clothes

Know before you go

  • Be sure to bring comfortable shoes, sunscreen, and a camera
  • For tours with a maximum of 6 participants there will be 1 private guide. If there are more than 6 people on the tour there will be 2 guides and vans
  • The tour is for free for children up to 3 years of age
  • Children between 4 and 12 years are eligible for a 50 per cent discount
  • The sequence of the places visited may be changed on request or due to weather conditions. The tour could be canceled if unsafe/severe weather conditions occur
  • There is a 95 percent change of spotting dolphins, however it is not guaranteed that they will be seen, as they are wild and not trained, animals
  • The duration of the cruise itself is 2 to 3 hours, and if dolphins are seen, you can only spend a maximum of 30 minutes close to them.
  • They are wild dolphins, and protected by law, everybody has this time restriction (30 minutes) to keep the animals safe and protected
Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.8 /5

based on 97 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    5/5
  • Transportation
    5/5
  • Service
    4.9/5
  • Organization
    5/5

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Star rating:

Rod our very appreciated tour guide did an excellent job leading us throughout the day. He was very very knowlegeable about history, plants, animals, politics, everything :-)…he adapted schedule to best serve us, shown us trom the fortaleza of sao filipe where the dolphins could be, and finally on the boat we ve spotted many of them quite clise..great day great tour

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March 31, 2023

We had a last minute request to change our trip date due to a technical problem with the boat. However Joao was very flexible and accommodating to our needs and we managed to still do the trip to see the dolphins. Joao was very friendly and he was extremely knowledgeable about the history of Portugal and the dolphins and we had a very enjoyable day. Thank you so much, we really appreciated you making arrangements to fit us in during our time in Lisbon .

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March 31, 2023

Ricardo is really friendly. He knows and loves what he is talking about. The tour was just amazing we expected to see dolphins from far away but they (Ricardo and the sailor) managed to make us as close as possible to the dolphins. Afterwards we had a peaceful ride on the river to discover the area and Ricardo drove us to the forteress. Such a wonderful day !

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March 31, 2023

Product ID: 54920