Old Fisherman's Wharf
Old Fisherman's Wharf
4
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
About
Gift shops and stores fill this part of town.
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393 within 3 miles
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279 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- cohomanSammamish, Washington2,446 contributionsMy family visited the wharf on a Sunday afternoon, and it was bustling with activity. As we entered the wharf area, we were greeted by the sight of several sea lions barking and basking on the rocks right in front of the candy store. It felt like a free Sea World show! The wharf had a variety of nice restaurants and the usual shops selling sweatshirts, souvenirs, candy, and ice cream. My family enjoyed exploring the different shops. Conveniently, there's a parking lot adjacent to the wharf where you can park at an affordable rate. I paid just $3.89 for 2 hours using the ParkMobile app.Visited July 2024Traveled with familyWritten July 21, 2024
- jv66210Oklahoma City, Oklahoma152 contributionsWe took a whale watching boat that departed from the warf. There were lots of sea lions that we could see from the warf. In the afternoons, you can see fishermen cleaning their catches. There are many restaurants and gift stores. The warf is dog friendly.Visited October 2024Traveled with familyWritten October 16, 2024
- roy vTraralgon, Australia6,069 contributionsIt was exciting to visit the wharf just before Independence Day as it was really well decorated for the occasion. It really is a bustling tourist destination with soo many shops and restaurants of all kinds, great place for gifts and souvenirs and a place to eat and drink. It has a long history, built in 1870 and untill the 1960s it was still a working wharf, it sure could tell some historical tales.Visited June 2024Traveled with familyWritten July 5, 2024
- DrMomMaryland103 contributionsThis is a great place to explore! The shops are very touristy, but fun. We ate our best meal of the vacation here at CasaFina. We did the BEST whale watch from Discovery here too! It was an awesome day. The sea lions and otters were on the rocks and water here so it was great to see them in their natural habitat with rafting behaviors.Visited June 2024Traveled with familyWritten June 13, 2024
- PorkyCat67Regina, Canada30 contributionsLove all the shops and restaurants on the wharf. Had a fantastic seafood dinner, bought a big bag of salt water taffy to take home. We also bought great jackets to take home.Visited March 2025Traveled as a coupleWritten March 21, 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
2,795 reviews
Excellent
973
Very good
1,068
Average
606
Poor
109
Terrible
39
traveler
Concord, CA209 contributions
Jun 2023
Last visited about 10 years ago and a lot of changes -- none for the better. Traffic was horrific, parking difficult to find and charged by the hour so; you over pay, or run back to your car, or get a ticket (NOT cheap). Handicapped parking is VERY limited considering the massive number of parking spaces. The wharf is/was crowded and everything very pricey. at one place a bag of caramel corn was $18 (about 12 oz).
Written June 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SimbaTheExplorer
California239 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
The wharf itself is okay but what made it special and why I rated it a 5 were all the sea lions. I have seen many sea lions in my life. I have been to Pier 39 and watched the sea lions on the dock. But this location is sea lion adrenaline! The sea lions come onto the beach and sit right in front of the rocks on the other side of the metal fence. You can make eye contact with the sea lions, that’s how close they are. I am really surprised that the city allows people to get so close to them. I would say you are within 5 feet of them. It is also fun just to watch them play in the bay and “fight” with each other.
Written August 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
petricek2017
Berkeley, United States4 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
The short pier filled with competing chowder, candy and whale watching trips is a step back in nostalgia, full of the treasures of childhood, though expensive. Such a treat to see and hear the seals sunbathing and frolicking (not for the smell sensitive). For me, cannery row and the Monterey Aquarium are worth seeing at least once if you don’t live close by, frequently as a child living nearby.
Written September 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheExplorerFamily
Somerset, NJ7,131 contributions
Jun 2022
The Wharf was built in 1846 by a Shipping Company to bring in shipments of Lumber and all kinds of Fish – large and small – to this area. Today, the commercial area serves as a unique tourist attraction full of Seafood Restaurants and kitschy Souvenir Stores with a Pirate Theme. There is a Beach on the other side and a Pier that was safe to walk around in. Luckily, as tourists, we were able to come on a weekday, so the place was not that crowded.
We had a delicious lunch at the Rockfish Harbor Grill, and had Dessert at the Monterey Bay Creamery.
The area is chock full of docked Boats of all types and sizes, and you can even book Glass Bottomed Boats, Whale Watching Excursions and Bay Cruises right here.
Would love to come again on our next visit to the Bay Area.
We had a delicious lunch at the Rockfish Harbor Grill, and had Dessert at the Monterey Bay Creamery.
The area is chock full of docked Boats of all types and sizes, and you can even book Glass Bottomed Boats, Whale Watching Excursions and Bay Cruises right here.
Would love to come again on our next visit to the Bay Area.
Written July 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Erick Tseng
San Francisco, CA946 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
Sure it's a tourist trap, but this is still a fun place to drop by and walk around when you visit Monterey. During Covid-19, it's required that you wear a mask. Otherwise, you may get fined $100. Finish distancing policies are also in place though it's really hard to follow these rules sometimes with the crowds
Written August 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GitchSup
Duluth, MN1,399 contributions
May 2022
The Old Fisherman's wharf is a fun place to go for a walk, window shop, grab a bite to eat on the go, or find a nice restaurant to sit and have a meal. It's like a mini summer shore boardwalk with all the fun and a lot less noise. Our whale watching tour left from the end of the wharf so we had a chance to see the whole thing. If you have kids definitely stop here for a look around, all ages will like seeing taffy pulled in the windows, the seafood being sold on the walkway, and all the fun signs out in front of the shops. The only downside, if you can call it that, is the restaurants trying to do anything to get you to eat at their place, they will stop you and ask if you want to come in and eat and offer free things like appetizers or dessert.
Written June 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
melwashere81
Cleveland, TX3,441 contributions
Sep 2021 • Couples
We stumbled upon this place by accident and unfortunately didn't have long to visit. Its too bad considering how many shops there are. I could have easily spent hours browsing but we snapped some pictures and visited one gift shop and the candy shop. There is a fee to park that is based on how long you stay so you pay before returning to your vehicle. I think we ended up paying $2 since we didn't stay long. I would definitely recommend spending a few hours here and I would love to come back and visit again in the future.
Written September 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anonymous855
Trabuco Canyon, California1,809 contributions
Jul 2021
We walked out here one night and fended off restaurants hawking their meals and the garish and gaudy retail store fronts full of junk. Cancelled our dinner reservation when we saw an average meal would be $60. It's not our anniversary, lol. We ate on a picnic table one of the many clam chowders. It was good and got us off the pier quickly.
Written August 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Seaview5
1,011 contributions
Jan 2020
Fisherman’s Wharf was interesting if a little underwhelming. It seemed to comprise mainly restaurants and tourist shops. As my wife was feeling cold we were glad of the tourist shops and bought a very reasonably priced zip-up fleece. The Customs House Museum at the top of the Wharf was small but interesting. The views from the wharf were nice and we enjoyed seeing the sea lions basking under the pier.
Written January 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ItchyFeet
Camarillo, CA12,077 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
Lots of sea lions here this year . Please give them their distance, they are wild animals! Wharf has great restaurants, tourist shops, several whale watching trips. We like Old Fishermen’s Grotto restaurant and Monterey Whale Watching
Written June 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Will there be any kind of special celebration for the 4th of July?
Written June 16, 2019
1. Visit Monterey Aquarium. 2 Old Cannery. 3 Atos. 4. Carmel. The winery to many to name. Check Big Sur
Camping. But it might be full. And crowded with people.
So plan on staying the night there to rest. And relax a little. Remember have fun and be safe!!!!😎😤
Written June 16, 2019
Is there somewhere to watch the fishermen bring their catch in and if so, at what sort of time of day & where? Thanks
Written June 27, 2017
There are two different places the main pier and then there's a pier little bit farther north they fish off of both of them and because it's pier fishing almost anytime
Written June 30, 2017
I recently became wheel-chair bound. Will I be able to get around the area, and into most restaurants and shops? Is the wharf boards or concrete? Thanks !
Written June 29, 2016
This is a dense area. In high season (roughly May through October) it's over-run with tourists and can be difficult to navigate on foot. I imagine a wheelchair adds an extra layer of difficulty with that.
The boardwalk is mostly concrete. There are some areas with plank sidewalks. Most of the shops have fairly wide open doorways.
Most restaurants will certainly have first floor access.
I think you'll be fine. Just pack some patience! This is true whether in a wheelchair or walking! As a local, I avoid this area during high season! Enjoy!
Written June 30, 2016
Josie G
Madera, California
What time does most of the shops and restaurants open?
Written March 25, 2015
They open around 9 or ten, but not really sure our first stop was the aquarium, that morning, breakfast shops open early, but once open lots to see and buy.
Written April 4, 2015
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