Best Tours in Benidorm: Boat Trips, Day Trips & More

Twenty minutes inland from the high-rises, there’s a mountain village clinging to a rock with a bell tower built into the cliff. An hour up the coast, you can swim in turquoise pools fed by a river. Benidorm is a great base for day trips because the town sits in the middle of the Costa Blanca, and most of what’s worth seeing is a short drive away.

Benidorm gets a reputation as a place where people don’t leave the beach or the bar. Fair enough. But the people who do leave come back talking about Guadalest, the Algar waterfalls, and a boat ride out to an island shaped like a sleeping elephant.

This guide breaks the options down by type: boat trips, day trips, theme parks, and food and culture. Each one comes with realistic prices, how long it takes, and where it leaves from. If you’re still mapping out your trip, our things to do in Benidorm guide covers the wider picture, and the Benidorm travel guide helps with the basics.

Best Boat Tours and Island Excursions

Benidorm harbour, at the bottom of the old town near Playa de Poniente, is where almost every boat trip departs. You’ll see the kiosks lined up along the quay. Prices run roughly €12 to €35 depending on whether you want a 40-minute hop or a half-day cruise with lunch.

Benidorm Island Glass-Bottom Boat

The cheapest and easiest option. The glass-bottom boat to Benidorm Island (locals call it Isla de Benidorm) costs around €12-15 for adults, less for kids, and the crossing takes about 20 minutes each way. You watch fish swim under the hull through the glass floor, and there are frequent departures throughout the day so you don’t need to plan around a fixed time.

The water around the island is a marine reserve, so the snorkelling is genuinely good. Some tickets let you stay on the island and catch a later boat back, which means you can hike up to the little café at the top. Worth it if the kids get bored on the beach.

Coastal Catamaran Cruises

For something longer, a catamaran cruise runs €25-35 for a half-day and usually includes a swimming stop in a quiet cove, drinks on board, and sometimes lunch. These sail along the coast toward Altea and Calpe, so you get the cliffs and the Peñón de Ifach rock from the water, which is the best angle on it. You can compare departure times and operators on GetYourGuide before you go, which saves haggling at the harbour kiosks.

Best Day Trips from Benidorm

This is why Costa Blanca is amazing and I love calling it my home. The day trips are the reason to book a tour at all, and you don’t need a car for any of them, most include hotel pickup. If you’re driving yourself, our guide on how to get to Benidorm from Alicante Airport covers the routes.

Guadalest & Algar Waterfalls

The most popular half-day trip, and rightly so. Guadalest is a fortress village built into a mountain about 25km inland, with a castle, a tiny whitewashed centre, and views down over a turquoise reservoir. The combo tour pairs it with the Algar waterfalls (Les Fonts de l’Algar), a series of natural rock pools where you can swim in cold, clear river water. Bring a towel and water shoes, the rocks are slippery.

Expect to pay €25-40 for the combo, which usually runs around 5-6 hours with transport. It’s the trip most people remember from their week. You can book the Guadalest tour through Viator or GetYourGuide, and slots fill up fast in summer.

Valencia City Day Trip

The longest option but a proper change of scene. Valencia sits about 1.5 hours north, and a full-day trip (8-10 hours, €40-60) usually centres on the City of Arts and Sciences, that white spaceship-looking complex with the aquarium and science museum. Spain’s third city has a real old town, the Central Market, and it’s the birthplace of paella. A long day, but a satisfying one if you want a city break inside your beach holiday.

Altea & Calpe Coastal Tour

Shorter distances, prettier than you’d expect. Altea old town is a hill of whitewashed houses topped by a blue-and-white tiled church dome, and it’s only 15 minutes up the coast. Calpe adds the Peñón de Ifach, a 332-metre limestone rock rising straight out of the sea that you can hike if you’re up for it. A half-day coastal tour runs €30-45 and is the photogenic, low-effort choice for couples.

Theme Park Excursions

Benidorm is surrounded by theme parks, and most of them sell tickets with transport included if you don’t want to deal with getting there. Terra Mítica is the big one: a ride-heavy park themed around ancient Mediterranean civilisations, with rollercoasters that justify the trip for older kids and teens. Day tickets run roughly €30-40.

Aqualandia is the water park, good for hot afternoons, and it sits next to Mundomar, an animal park with dolphins, sea lions, and penguins. The two often sell combo tickets, which work out cheaper than buying them separately, around €45-55 for both. Terra Natura, a little further out, mixes a zoo with a water section and is the gentlest option for younger children.

Go midweek if you can. Weekends and the peak of August get packed, and the queues for the big rides at Terra Mítica can swallow an hour. Most of these tickets are available on Viator with skip-the-line entry, which is worth the few extra euros in high season.

Food, Wine and Cultural Tours

This is the side of Benidorm that breaks the party stereotype. A tapas walking tour through the Casco Antiguo (the old town) takes you to the small bars locals actually drink in, the ones behind the seafront where you’ll get a plate of grilled sardines and a glass of vermouth for a couple of euros. These run €35-55 with food and drinks included over a couple of hours.

Paella cooking experiences are popular too, since you’re an hour from the dish’s birthplace. You shop for ingredients, cook the pan over a fire, and eat what you made, usually €50-70 per person. And the Marina Alta region just inland has small wineries doing Moscatel and reds; a half-day wine tasting trip runs €40-60 and pairs nicely with a Guadalest visit if you want to combine both.

If you’d rather wander solo, the Casco Antiguo is free to explore. Climb up to the Balcón del Mediterráneo at sunset, the blue-domed viewpoint between the two main beaches, and you’ll understand why people kept building here.

How to Book Tours in Benidorm (and Save Money)

You’ve got two routes: book online in advance, or buy from the kiosks and hotel rep desks once you arrive. Both work, and which is better depends on how you travel.

Booking online through platforms like GetYourGuide, Viator, or Klook means you lock in your spot, see real reviews, and usually get free cancellation up to 24 hours before. That last part matters when Costa Blanca weather turns and you’d rather move a boat trip to a sunnier day. Prices online are often the same or cheaper than the kiosks, and you skip the sales patter.

The harbour kiosks and hotel reps are handy for last-minute decisions and the occasional cash discount, but you’re trusting whoever’s behind the desk. If a deal sounds too cheap, check what’s actually included. For tours with limited daily slots, like Guadalest in July, book ahead. Staying central also helps with pickups, our guide on where to stay in Benidorm covers which areas tours collect from most easily.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best tour in Benidorm?

The Guadalest and Algar waterfalls combo is the single best tour in Benidorm for most visitors. It packs a mountain fortress village and natural swimming pools into a half-day, costs €25-40, and works for families, couples, and solo travellers alike. If you only book one excursion, make it this one.

How much do tours cost?

Short boat trips start around €12. Half-day day trips run €25-45, full-day excursions like Valencia hit €40-60, and food or cooking experiences land at €35-70. Theme park tickets with transport are roughly €30-55.

Are tours suitable for kids?

Most are. Glass-bottom boats, the theme parks, and the Algar waterfalls are all family favourites. The long Valencia day trip can be a stretch for very young children, and tapas or wine tours are aimed at adults.

Do I need to book in advance?

In July and August, yes, especially for Guadalest and catamaran cruises. Off-season you can often book a day or two ahead, or grab same-day spots at the harbour.

Can I take a tour without a car?

Yes. Nearly all day trips and theme park excursions include hotel or central pickup, so you don’t need to rent a car or work out buses.

Final Thoughts: Making the Most of Your Benidorm Trip

The best tours in Benidorm get you out to the parts of the Costa Blanca the postcards forget: a cliff-edge village, river pools you can swim in, whitewashed coastal towns, and an island full of fish. Book Guadalest and a boat trip at the very least, then leave a day or two free to wander the old town and the beaches on your own terms. For more ideas on filling out your itinerary, browse our full list of things to do around Benidorm and build a week that’s more than just the sun lounger.