Camel Rides in Los Cabos: Which of Six Trips to Book, and the Costs the Price Leaves Out
8 min read
The short answer: if you want only the camels, book the camel safari with Mexican lunch and tequila tasting – three hours, €138.10, 4.2 stars from 57 reviews, and the park entry fee is already in the price. If you also want to drive something, book the camel ride and off-road UTV combo – three and a half hours, €97.50, 4.1 stars from 203 reviews, the most-reviewed camel trip here. The cheapest of the five in the table is the camel ride on the beach at €101.57, two hours, 4.6 stars from 12 reviews.
See prices and dates for the camel safari with lunch
Almost every camel trip in Los Cabos works the same way. A van collects you from your hotel, the camels live in a private eco-park on the Pacific side near Migriño beach, and the ride itself is short. The differences are in what surrounds it, and in the extras that appear at the entrance rather than on the booking page.
Five trips compared
| Trip | Duration | From | Rating | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camel safari with Mexican lunch and tequila tasting | 3 hours | €138.10 | 4.2 (57) | Anyone who wants camels, a buffet and no surprise at the gate |
| Camel ride safari with lunch and tequila tasting | 2.5 hours | €115.38 | 4.6 (26) | The better-rated alternative, with a nature walk |
| Camel ride on the beach | 2 hours | €101.57 | 4.6 (12) | The shortest and cheapest, camels and not much else |
| Camel ride and off-road UTV combo | 3.5 hours | €97.50 | 4.1 (203) | People who also want to drive a buggy |
| Camel ride in the canyon with water slides | 3 hours | €102.46 | 3.7 (11) | Families with children from four who want a day out at a park |
The ride is the short part
Reviewers of the lunch-and-tequila safari are matter of fact about it: the camel ride is about fifteen to twenty minutes, and the rest of the three hours is a photo with a camel, an optional walk through the desert to learn about the plants, tortilla making and a buffet. That is not a complaint. It is a description to read before you pay €136.08 for it. The listing also mentions ocean views with seasonal whale sightings.
The ride itself is gentle. The camels walk in a line led by a guide along the beach, and on the combo trip you meet them at Migriño before the UTV.
Check availability for the camel safari with lunch
What is extra
This is where the cheapest trip stops being the cheapest.
- Park entry fee, 25 US dollars per person. It is included in the lunch safari’s price. On the beach ride the listing states plainly that the price does not include it, and on the combo it is a mandatory fee payable at check-in. The 2.5-hour lunch safari says it is payable on site. Add it before comparing.
- Photos. Reviews of several listings mention a no-phone rule during the ride, with professional photos sold afterwards. Two reviews complain about the photo package price, one of them saying almost 200 dollars. Decide beforehand what you will pay, because you will be asked at the end.
- UTV collision cover, 45 US dollars per vehicle, optional on the combo.
- Transport. The combo has round-trip transport from most hotels in Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. A reviewer advises paying for it, because the park is far and you pass checkpoints. On the canyon trip, transport is not in the price: 10 US dollars per adult and 5 per child from the usual hotels, payable at check-in.
Weight limits and ages: the canyon trip and the sunset one
Two listings give limits, and they are specific. The canyon trip with water slides sets a minimum age of four and a maximum weight of 260 lb (118 kg). A five-hour camel ride with sunset, buffet and tequila tasting (three reviews, €70.22) recommends the activity for families with children of five and up and does not permit guests over 120 kg (256 lb). The other listings give no limit that we could find; ask the operator rather than assuming.
The canyon trip also has the lowest rating of the six, 3.7 from 11 reviews; one reviewer was surprised by the park fee, another sat out because of the heat.
Heat
Camels are in the sun, mostly in the open. A reviewer of the combo says it was very hot and advises going as early as you can; a reviewer of the lunch-and-tequila safari recommends the last departure at 4 p.m. for the sunset and the whales. Pick your slot with that in mind. Hat, sunglasses and water, as for any trip in the dry hills behind the hotels.
Camel or quad
The combo exists because the camels are slow and the quads are not. If you want speed, the quad tours have their own comparison, with the age limits for driving, and the whole range is on the ATV and desert tours page. The combo has a rating of 4.1, lower than the quad tours – combinations have more things that can go wrong.
Our recommendation
For most visitors: the camel safari with lunch and tequila tasting at €138.10. Of the two lunch safaris it is the one that includes the park fee, the lunch is a buffet, and 57 reviews are a better base than 26. It is the most expensive way to ride a camel here.
For the best rating at a lower price: the lunch safari with the nature walk at €115.38, 4.6 stars from 26 reviews – add the 25-dollar park fee.
For adults who want an engine too: the camel and UTV combo. Pregnant women and people with back problems are listed as not suitable.
Skip the camels if what you want is an hour of mild riding for a good photograph. There are cheaper photographs on the things to do page, and the water is a better use of a morning: see snorkelling Santa María and Chileno.
