I've lived here my entire life and have never been whale watching but have always wanted to,…read morehowever it's just not an experience I'd typically consider splashing out on for myself (**spoiler alert - my visit was less than two weeks ago and immediately after disembarking I told my husband I wanted to get on another tour stat!) For Christmas, my husband's aunt gifted tickets to our entire extended family to enjoy a whale watching tour together so we finally landed on a date and it was an awesome experience from start to finish. We arrived about 15 minutes early for our 9:30am boarding time, checked in at the kiosk and were given paper tickets to be handed over to the crew as we came aboard. Once onboard, we were introduced over the speaker to the captain and crew and given a quick rundown of the itinerary and safety procedures. We navigated through the harbor where we spotted our local sea lion neighbors basking in the sun which especially delighted the kids and the out-of-town/state passengers, sailed out of the harbor and into the open sea. It was a pleasantly calm morning with hardly any wind and very smooth sailing. The only slight downside was that it was a particularly gray morning, so there was little distinction between the color of the ocean versus the sky but it was very clear and we could see for a long distance. We got probably close to halfway through our two-hour tour without any sightings but once we were about 5 miles off the coast, we started hearing transmissions between the crew over their walkies so we knew to start keeping our eyes peeled. The next half hour or so was spent watching three beautiful fin whales take turns coming up for air, swimming under the boat, rolling playfully and showing their light-colored bellies. It was so fun to be able to move about the boat freely to try to get the best view, some photos and videos, while being filled in by the crew on interesting marine facts. Finally the whales took their deep dives, at which point we were informed they wouldn't be coming back up for air for a while and it was about time to head back. The cruise back was equally smooth as the adventure out, and we got in right on time and prepared to disembark but not before getting coupons for a future expedition and adorable fin whale stickers to commemorate our tour. I can't WAIT to go on another whale watching tour with Oceanside Adventures - it was the best time!! I would 100000% recommend.

What a great day for whale watching!…read more The crew is amazing! Ivy, Tekon, Saxon, Chris. Hope I got all the spelling right! I've been on this boat and it's not always a guarantee as nature is nature but today was perfect. Calm seas, thousands...yes thousands of dolphin and a dozen whales. Mostly humpback but we saw two finback as well. So rad. Can't wait until next time!

I always looooove going to the Carlsbad flower fields every Spring. This year I went with my dad…read moreand we had a blast!! The flowers are gorgeous! Just fields and fields of beautiful flowers. We took the tractor ride which took us all around the fields. They also have different little sectioned cut outs in the fields to take pictures and walk in the flowers. Please do not go over the tape and trample the flowers, there are literally spots designated to walk in the flowers and take photos without hurting them. We also went inside the butterfly room! That was soooo fun :))) We had lots of butterflies land on us and fly around. It's $8 per person but I recommend it! They also have many different snack options, a sweet pea maze, and an inside orchid exhibit. Lots of things to do whether you're a kiddo or an adult! They also had field trips with elementary school kiddos while we were there. So cool that they have programs for kiddos to learn more about plants and agriculture :) Parking- There's plenty of parking. If the lot gets full, the outlet mall is next door and has more parking. Pricing- Pricing has gone up, but is so worth it to keep the fields growing! The tractor ride and butterfly exhibit cost $8 per person, but we enjoyed it :)

First time coming here and wanted to take some beautiful shots of my girlfriend. We found parking…read moreafter fighting for it and we walked over to the entrance. We had a booked timeslot in advance, around 1PM, and we walked in there was a good amount of crowds inside. I was really impressed by the organization of this place. The people here on the day we came are pretty respectful of everyone's time. I offered to take people's photos and they reciprocated back. It was pretty great despite the super hot weather. PS DEFINITELY BRING AN UMBRELLA!!! I'm so glad I did. Hats can be good too but I feel like it could be inconvenient if you want to take pics of your face in clear view. Once you walk up to the fields, you can immediately line up to which bench you want to take pics at or do some of your own shots. Plentyyy of space to do so, no need to worry on people showing up in your photos up there in the fields. I think the statues and included photo-ops are a delight for some, but wasn't a must for us to take pics at. Only taking off a star rating because I find the prices for the tickets a bit costly but the flowers are very well-maintained and taken care of. One side of the flower fields were much more bloomed than the other side. I'm pretty glad we took pics at the more bloomed side. Great one of a kind experience!!! Extra activities to do include a tractor ride (looks like it's treated like a train station where you get dropped off in certain areas of the fields) and I saw a butterfly exhibit but you have to pay extra for and line up at. Saw a mariachi band playing here so it's nice they're really keeping up on keeping this spot active!!! They also do private booking events etc if you're interested.

This was everything great one expects from a food tour! The food was of course amazing. The other…read moregroup members were friendly and upbeat. The tour had just the right ratio of food to walking to history. And best of all was our tour guide Ben! He made the experience casual and relaxed while at the same time welcoming and delicious! Thank you!

I was really disappointed with this food tour. I've done several in the past and this one just…read moredidn't compare. The biggest issue was the structure of the experience. It started with a donut and then included two more desserts along the way crepes, and gelato. That felt excessive and unbalanced. Typically, food tours are paced more thoughtfully with a variety of courses like appetizers, soups, salads, and a solid main dish. The pasta was underwhelming and didn't feel like the highlight it should have been. You could tell the meatballs were previously frozen. Not one person finished the taste. Overall, the tour lacked variety, balance, and quality. It just didn't feel well thought out or worth the cost. It needs to be revamped. I really wanted to enjoy it, but unfortunately it missed the mark.

My wife and I recently decided a great way to spend a holiday Saturday with our son, his wife, and…read moretheir daughter, would be to spend some time on Lake San Marcos - and what better way to do that then a gondola? After some quick research on Yelp, we made our reservations (VERY easy to do) and met everyone on said Saturday at the Black Swan dock. (side note - they want you there 20 minutes early...this does NOT mean you can check in 20 minutes early...chances are very high that the person checking you in is your gondolier, and he/she will be on the water at that moment). We had Conner (VERY traditional Italian name....cough) - and he was awesome. He shared some great details as we made our way along the shoreline, including some of the local nicknames for the houses on the water. He was VERY knowledgeable about when the lake was created, the various depths, and gave us tips on when to avoid being on the water (July 4th was high on that). We brought along our own drinks and snacks, and thoroughly enjoyed our ride. Highly recommended!

What a great experience. Drew was very good. I highly recommend this service. We did the sunset…read morecruise, and was fun for everyone. Thanks again Drew!

Had so much fun on this wine tour!!! Went with 3 other girls...it was a rainy day but we didnt…read morecare! We were drinking wine! Made it even more of an adventure...Adam was awesome! Had a very good playlist of music for us...Took us to witch creek winery (where he had brought an assortment of amazing cheeses and meats to pair with our wine),carruth cellars and wine steals for a fabulous lunch...he even bought us an extra bottle and took us to a beautiful beach area to take pictures and pop the bottle of wine! The vehicle we were in was fun and it was a great day...good times :) definitely would recommend!

From the owner: Our open-air Jeep Tour was created for active and adventurous wine enthusiasts looking to enjoy San…read moreDiego's scenic beauty! Our Goal is to guide our guests on a relaxing day filled with Fun, Fine Wine, and Great Memories! We offer safe and professional guided tours to local Wineries, Wine Bars, and Vineyards in North San DIego County areas like Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solona Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, & Escondido. Enjoy A Coastal Tour or head out east on the Del Dios Highway to visit Beautiful Rolling Vineyards. Call us and Book your Wine Adventure Today!

My friend and I went for a birthday celebration. It was just the two of us. On March 14, it was a…read morefine spring day. Perfect to be on a mountain top in the sunshine sifting through rocks and hunting for gems. The Oceanview mine works in finding a number of different quartz, Tourmoline, and other gems. Take a look at their website. For $75 for an adult, you get all the equipment that you need to sift through rock and gravel piles which they set out for you. There are a big tables, the two grades of sorters, a bucket, trowel, and toothbrush to clean off rocks. Also a big tray of water to rinse your rocks in and clean them off. There were igneous rocks with black tourmaline and tiny pieces of garnet. It was a lot of fun. You have to get there promptly at the opening time in order to get situated and the digging/sorting/sifting begins sharp at 10 AM. You have three hours and 45 minutes to go through all the rocks that you want. Bring your own gloves! They also have shaded umbrellas, and 5 gallon buckets to purchase that you can load up with rocks to sift through on your own at home. While it was a fun adventure, and I've never been to a quarry mine that you could actually look for your own gems, the staff did leave a little to training, although they were very good about going around and assisting you. However, I think if you really want to find something, you need to educate yourself ahead of time as to what you are looking for and what is available. Five minute presentation to 50 people wouldn't you can't even really look at the rocks and no handout or guide sheet for reference was a drawback. They don't take credit cards for the entrance. You have to pay cash. Children are a lower price. But they do take credit cards for memorabilia, gemstones that they have turned into jewelry and other items. And also for the rentals. I thought the purchasing of a 5 gallon bucket for $10 was too much. They don't make it clear that if you want to take home a 5 gallon bucket of extra stones to sort through then you can bring your own. I thought for the price of $75 a 5 gallon bucket would be included. They are not. There are picnic tables in the shade where you can have your own lunch, there is a grill you can use if you want to utilize that. Bring all of your own beverages, water, and snacks and meal. There is a short tour that you can take of the areas that they mine on this mountain. You load up on a four wheel vehicle that holds six people and spin around the mountainside, stopping at the entrance of three of the mine shafts. This is only about a 5 to 7 minute tour. They don't allow you to stop get out and take pictures in front of the mine openings. This was certainly a drawback. They could've extended the "tour" to let you get out and take pictures in front of the mine shafts. Perhaps it is a liability issue I don't know. I would not do this for a second time since I've already done it, without further educating myself about gem hunting and what exactly I was looking for. But for a one time adventure, it was fun and we had a beautiful spring day. Don't forget your sunblock and sunglasses and hat!

We were a group of three that booked the Pala Chief mine for January 11th. It was a long trip from…read moreSan Jose, but it was so worth it; we found so many tourmalines! The drive up to the Pala Chief dig site was not too difficult. Our tesla with a low suspension could do it. The tutorial from the staff was quick, and the 4 hour dig time was definitely enough. By the end it got really hot; so definitely bring a hat and a lot of water. It had rained a couple days before, so we found a bunch of tourmalines on the surface. My best find was a 50 gram blue cap pink tourmaline that I found near the top of the mountain. Found a bunch of pinks, some greens, some blue ones, and a bunch of large quartz pieces.

We had a great time with Emil on a 1 hr ride through rain and snow flurries. The ride was safe,…read morewell paced and super fun. I would recommend wearing some waterproof pants/jacket if you are going during such weather. This is my new favorite activity! Can't wait to do it again.

I booked this adventure for 2 reasons: (1) to FINALLY get out of the house during this pandemic…read moreespecially since all we have been doing is working and we have been working more than ever since our job is considered 'essential', and (2) celebrate my boyfriends 30th birthday. This was my first time on a quad/ATV and my boyfriend has been riding dirt bikes since he was like 6yrs old. I love being outdoors & going on new adventures, and he loves riding ... so the mixture of those things i came upon this place. For birthdays I love and prefer creating memories instead of giving materialistic gifts. Example: For his 28th birthday I booked us a little personal speed boat in San Diego. Upon arrival check-in was easy, quick, and they gave us hand sanitizer so we felt assured. They had helmets and other PPE lined up and available for us to use, however we had brought our own (riding gloves, riding jerseys, riding DOT certified helmets, and googles) which they allow. Our guide Jorge was funny and very easy going. The ride overall was really fun!! During our ride our guide also took pictures of us and he took some awesome ones with amazing backdrops! The only complaint I have was that I only booked us the 1 hour ride. Next time we are doing the 2 hour ride for sure! And maybe the Big Bear location as well.

Do yourself a FAVOR & BOOK THIS YACHT!!…read more We had the best experience with the Champagne Yacht! The entire crew was absolutely incredible and made the whole trip so fun, relaxing, and memorable. Brittany, the bartender, was especially amazing -- she was so hands-on, attentive, friendly, and truly went above and beyond to make sure everyone was having a great time! The captain was professional and made us feel safe and comfortable the entire trip, and deckhands Jeff & Drew were awesome as well. Everyone on the crew brought such great energy and hospitality. You can really tell they care about creating an unforgettable experience for their guests. Highly recommend Champagne Yacht for an amazing day on the water! A day I will cherish forever & wish I could relive again & again!

this is the second time i've celebrated a friend's birthday with champagne yacht. their crew is the…read morebest. they're beyond nice and attentive. when it was time to dock, the yacht was cleaned up and everything was packed for us to take home. the yacht itself was super clean and well kept. brittany was one of the crew members that remembered my friend and i from the first time we attended a friends birthday party. looking to book my own birthday with champagne yacht next year because of the service !

This is a bit of an overdue review, but I had such an amazing time horseback riding! I hadn't…read moreridden since I was about 5 years old, so I was definitely a little nervous going into it. I'm not sure it's exactly like riding a bike--but Karen made me feel completely at ease from the start. Kiwi, my horse, was incredibly patient and gentle with me. I swear she knew I needed a little extra TLC! It made the whole experience so enjoyable and stress-free. I even got to do a tiny bit of trotting, which was such a fun bonus. Overall, it was such a great experience, and I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone looking to try horseback riding or get back into it!

Great horses, great guides. It is always a pleasure to do a…read morehorseback ride at Suzie Q Ranch. Lovely afternoon today January 19th of 2026. Will be back! I think this ranch is the best of the area. Thank you Suzie!

BUYER BEWARE: This excursion looks appealing because it promises a small group and a fun, fast boat…read moreexperience. However, booking with this company comes with a real risk: if the boat isn't completely full (6 people), they may cancel your trip. We planned a special outing around this excursion for our wedding anniversary, only to have it canceled with less than 8 hours' notice. Ironically, their own policy requires customers to give at least 24 hours' notice to cancel. If you don't want your plans disrupted at the last minute, I strongly recommend booking with a more reliable company.

What a fantastic experience! My sister and I took my 80 year old father on the up close dolphin and…read morewhale trip and it was the best one I have done - by far! Being in the smaller boat allowed us to really get close to the animals and the day was gorgeous! Nate was our guide and he was very knowledgeable and friendly. I highly recommend this experience!