Sydney Whale Watching Cruise from Circular Quay

144 Ratings

Sydney

Save

View All (6)

Experience the thrill of a Sydney whale-watching cruise and witness the majestic humpback and southern right whales in their natural habitat. Don’t miss out on this awe-inspiring and unforgettable adventure!

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Cancellation: 1 day learn more

Highlights

Circular Quay Wharf 6 - Whale Watching cruises are an extraordinary opportunity to see the gentle giants of the sea on their annual migration. Your cruise begins from Circular Quay, Sydney Harbour and makes its way past the Opera House, the beautiful eastern suburbs and outside the Harbour headlands to open water. Southern Right, Orca and Minke Whales all visit Sydney’s coastline, but it’s the Humpbacks that come in great numbers and love to show off with breaches, tail slaps and even a sneaky wink when they are feeling extra curious.

What's Included

2.5-hour whale watching cruise
Live commentary on board

What's Not Included

Food and drinks (available to purchase)

Additional Information

See magnificent humpback and southern right whales at play on a Sydney whale-watching cruise. From Circular Quay, this open-water cruise will take you through the entrance of Sydney Harbour and into the open Pacific in search of whales. The open-air viewing decks on board the catamaran offer unobstructed views and the best opportunities for spotting and watching the whales. Getting up close to these gentle giants of the sea is an awe-inspiring experience that you don’t want to miss. With record numbers of whales due to pass along Sydney’s coastline this migration season, there are sure to be plenty of sightings and great photo opportunities!

This activity is seasonal. The 2024 season operates 18 May - 03 November 2024.

Please dress appropriately and wear warm clothing. It will often feel cooler at sea
If you are susceptible to travel sickness, please bring the relevant medication
Whale Guarantee: If a whale is not sighted during your cruise, you’ll be given the opportunity to cruise again for free
Reconfirmation Hotline - Call +61-2-8062 3623 from 7.15am on the day of your cruise to confirm the cruise is going ahead. Cruises may be cancelled subject to weather conditions.
Not recommended for travelers 3 years and younger

Location

Circular Quay Wharf 6

Please check in at least 20 minutes prior to departure to collect tickets from the ticket office located at the departure wharf Circular Quay Wharf 6.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.2

(144 Ratings)

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Phuvan_n

Jul 16, 2024

Great experience - The sea was a bit rough for my wife, but it was a great experience wih Sydney and of course the whales. But it could be a bit shorter.

Review provided by Viator

Kenneth_t

Jul 14, 2024

Thumbs up! - It was an unforgettable experience! Manage to get 3 whales! Manage to get a photo and video shot of whales jumping/flying. Good job! Able to navigate and let us know where is it! Definitely worth it!

Review provided by Viator

Q8713polaurend

Jul 12, 2024

Fantastic cruise with great staff - Had and absolutely amazing time whale watching. We followed a whale at a comfortable distance for an hour. My daughter was feeling crook and Gina the deckhand went above and beyond to make her feel comfortable and even enjoy the experience after being unwell. Can’t wait to go again next year

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Travelingmermaid69

Jul 12, 2024

Absolutely amazing whale watch! - Amazing trip! We saw a pod of whales and they were having a heat run so lots of tail action and breaching! Absolutely incredible and the tour guide educated us so much about whales and sea conservation! A must-do activity in Sydney!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Livwanders

Jul 16, 2024

I would say we had a whale of a time, but the team didn’t do much to ensure that! - I went on 2 whale watching trips with 2 different companies with different friends, and sadly this one wasn’t as good as the other, but was $20 more expensive, for 30 mins less! I know, scandalous. It was a miserable wet day, when we boarded the boat it wasn’t raining, but the seats outside were soaked, it would have made such a difference for the team to quickly dry the seats for us instead of us having to get wet bums, but wet numb bums all round it was. The commentary, I’m sure was great, but couldn’t be heard at the back of the boat so who knows what was actually said. We did see plenty of whales though which was amazing, it’s just a shame the team didn’t really seem to care about our experience on board and didn’t interact with us much. It would’ve been amazing to have hot drink options on board, a cheap and cheerful way to warm up a chilly boat load of whale watchers!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Brenda_z

Jul 5, 2024

Waters way too rough. Not... - Waters way too rough. Not enough viewing of whales. Couldn’t see depending where we’re seated and couldn’t move around easily due to rough waters. Very disappointing

Review provided by Viator

Graciesolarsystem

Jul 4, 2024

Unfortunate Seasickness Nightmare - I went on this experience today with my partner. Personally, I had an absolutely awful experience, like at least a quarter of the others on the boat, who all suffered terribly from sea/motion sickness. I have never experienced this before, but the ride was so extremely choppy & violent many people were throwing up in sick bags for the entire journey, including me (meaning I spent the entire time sitting down & ill, so I didn't get to see any whales). However quite a few were spotted, and my partner had a nicer experience watching the whales & taking photos, but dealt with many rude other guests pushing & shoving. The commentator was kind & funny, and gave lots of interesting facts about animals which helped distract from the sickness! We paid $138, which we both agreed was not worth it considering the nasty/uncomfortable experience we had. I would not recommend this cruise at all for anyone who suffers even slightly from motion/sea sickness, or even just a sensitive stomach.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Lucas_h

Jul 4, 2024

Gamblers assemble - It’s a gambling. Will you throw up because of the huge wave? As a regular ferry passenger, I did, just like most of the other passengers on this trip. Will you see the Whale? Yes we did, from a far distance but we certainly see their back for a few seconds each time. The tour guide was very active, introducing the information about whales, sending out vomit bags…but it would be so much easier if they provide us a anti-motion sickness pill. But thank god the trip was only 2.5 hours, I was about to go to the other one of 4 hours.

Review provided by Viator

Owais_f

Jul 7, 2024

Buyers Beware - It is true that this cruise organizer has no control over the nature, but please be aware that even if you do see any whale, from far and far away, it may not worth the time and costs. I did hear that from friends before that but then we thought we will give it a try anyway. Well the experience was not at all worth it. I would recommend trying other activities than whale watching.

Review provided by Viator

Jiah_b