Boat Tours Maui

If you want to see Maui from the water, a boat tour in Maui is the way, and the choice between boat tours in Maui comes down to what you want to do once you are out there: watch whales, snorkel at Molokini, or sit with a drink while the sun goes down. I compared the 15 trips you can book on GetYourGuide right now, from a $50 whale watch to a $192 snorkel and sail with lunch. Everything below comes from the operators’ own listings: prices, ratings, durations, meeting points and what is included. I haven’t been on any of these boats, so my picks rest on the data and the review snippets, not on a personal sailing.

My short answer for a first Maui boat tour: I’d book the Sail Maui sunset sail from Ma’alaea Harbor at $124, rated 4.9 from 142 reviews. If you would rather spend less and look for whales, I’d take the Quicksilver whale watch at $50, which is the most reviewed trip on the list (1,091). Prices are in US dollars, checked in October 2026, and the booking links are affiliate links, as I explain on my about page.

Boat Tours in Maui

Boat tours in Maui start from three places: Ma’alaea Harbor on the south coast, Lahaina on the west coast, and the beach at Ka’anapali. Ma’alaea has the most departures of any Maui boat tour, and it is the quickest to reach from Kihei and Wailea. Lahaina and Ka’anapali are better if you are staying on the west side. The trip types are the same wherever you board: whales in winter, snorkeling at Molokini or on the west coast, and sunset sails all year.

The cheapest boat tour in Maui in my list is also the most reviewed. The Quicksilver power catamaran whale watch costs $50 for two hours and has 4.6 from 1,091 reviews. Its listing mentions a double-deck boat, a captain who narrates whale behavior, underwater hydrophones so you can hear the whales sing, and restrooms on board. For something quieter I’d look at the Teralani whale watching cruise from Ka’anapali Beach at $113, which scores 4.8 from 170 reviews and boards straight from the sand, so you skip the harbor. Both are on my whale watching page, which compares all three whale trips.

The third card in this section is a smaller catamaran, the PWF Eco Adventures sunset sail with appetizers. It costs $126 for 2 to 2.5 hours and has 4.7 from only 16 reviews, so I’d treat it as a promising newcomer, not a proven favorite. The listing says certified marine naturalists are on board and that you choose between two meeting points when you book.

Quicksilver Charters

Ma'alaea Harbor: Whale Watching Tour Aboard Power Catamaran

• ★ 4.6 (1,091 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The budget whale watch and the most reviewed trip in my list: $50, two hours, 4.6 from 1,091 reviews.

from

$50

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Teralani Sailing Adventures

Ka'anapali Whale Watching Cruise on Luxury Sailboat

• ★ 4.8 (170 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Boards from Ka'anapali Beach with no harbor drive: $113, 4.8 from 170 reviews, snacks and Pogmosas included.

from

$113

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Night tour

PWF Eco Adventures

Ma'alaea Catamaran Sunset Sail with Appetizers

• ★ 4.7 (16 reviews)
• 2 - 2.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: A smaller catamaran with a naturalist on board, from $126; only 16 reviews so far, so I'd read them first.

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$126

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Maui Boat Trips

Maui boat trips for snorkeling are the long ones, and the longest of the Maui boat tours I compared. The Malolo Molokini and Turtle Town snorkel with a meal costs $160 and lasts 5 to 5.5 hours. The listing includes a continental breakfast, a lunch of flatbread sandwiches or veggie burgers, snorkel gear, flotation devices and freshwater showers, and it has 4.3 from 969 reviews. Wetsuits cost $10 and underwater cameras $85 to rent, according to the listing, so budget a little extra. All the snorkel trips are on my snorkeling page.

At the other end of the day, Maui boat trips in the evening are about the light. The Teralani sunset dinner sail from Ka’anapali costs $169, lasts 2.5 hours, and has a buffet and an open bar. It scores 4.8 from 164 reviews, and check-in is at the Aqualani Beach Activities Kiosk on the Ka’anapali beach walk. Alii Nui’s luxury catamaran happy hour sail is $159 for two hours, and it has a perfect 5.0 from just 4 reviews, so that rating tells me nothing yet. It leaves from slip 56 at Ma’alaea Harbor, and parking at the harbor is listed at about $1.06 an hour.

Malolo Molokini Snorkeling Charters

South Maui: Molokini & Turtle Town Snorkeling Tour with Meal

• ★ 4.3 (969 reviews)
• 5 - 5.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The all-day snorkel with breakfast and lunch: $160, 5 to 5.5 hours, 4.3 from 969 reviews.

from

$160

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Night tour

Teralani Sailing Adventures

Ka'anapali Luxury Sunset Dinner Sail

• ★ 4.8 (164 reviews)
• 2.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Buffet dinner and an open bar on a Ka'anapali sunset sail: $169, 2.5 hours, 4.8 from 164 reviews.

from

$169

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Alii Nui Sailing Charters

Alii Nui Luxury Catamaran Sunset Happy Hour Sail

• ★ 5.0 (4 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: A cocktail-led sunset sail with a zero-proof menu; 5.0 but from only 4 reviews, so I treat it as unproven.

from

$159

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Maui Boat Cruises

Maui boat cruises at the shorter end are the 3-hour snorkel and the dinner cruises, so these are the boat tours in Maui I’d pick for a half day. The Malolo afternoon snorkel costs $100 and takes you to Coral Gardens or Molokini Crater, depending on the day. The listing says the first 45 minutes are a cruise with a safety briefing, then 1.5 hours in the water, then 45 minutes back with lunch. It is the cheapest snorkel trip in my list, with 4.3 from 792 reviews. Check-in is mandatory 30 minutes before departure at the Boss Frog’s shop on Ma’alaea Road.

For an evening on the water without a sail, the Quicksilver sunset dinner cruise costs $140. It is two hours, and the listing says a three-course meal, two drinks, soda, juice and water, and island-style music are included. You sit on the upper deck or in the cabin. It has 4.5 from 226 reviews. The listing says passengers must park at Maui Harbor Shops, next to Maui Ocean Center, at 300 Ma’alaea Road. My dinner cruise page compares this one with the other two.

Malolo Molokini Snorkeling Charters

South Maui: Snorkel to Coral Gardens or Molokini Crater

• ★ 4.3 (792 reviews)
• 3 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The cheapest snorkel on the list: $100 for 3 hours to Coral Gardens or Molokini, 4.3 from 792 reviews.

from

$100

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Quicksilver Charters

From Ma'alaea: Sunset Dinner Cruise Aboard the Quicksilver

• ★ 4.5 (226 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Three-course dinner and two drinks from Ma'alaea for $140; 4.5 from 226 reviews.

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$140

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Dolphin Tours in Maui

I have no dedicated dolphin boat tour in Maui in my data, so I won’t pretend otherwise. What I can say is what the listings state. The Calypso snorkel description says you may see marine life from dolphins to turtles and coral reefs, and the Malolo and Calypso itineraries both mention whale watching during the channel crossings. None of these promises dolphins, and I’d not book a Maui boat tour on the hope of them, however good the other Maui boat tours look.

If dolphins are the point of your day, read the listing of any trip for the words you care about and ask the operator before you pay. For a more reliable animal sighting on the water, the winter whale trips are the better bet, and the whale watching page shows what the reviews say.

Maui Boat Tour Reviews

Reviews are the best filter I have, so here is how to read them across Maui boat tours. The Calypso Molokini Snorkeling Adventure costs $190, lasts 5.5 hours, and has 4.6 from 481 reviews. It runs on a triple-deck catamaran and the listing names two snorkel spots, Molokini and Turtle Town, weather permitting. Lifeguards are posted in the water and a naturalist is on board to identify marine life. Reviewers say the boat is clean and the stairs make getting into the water easy. Slip 76 to 78 on the South Ferry Dock is the meeting point.

The other card among these Maui boat cruises is the Sail Maui sunset sailing cruise from Ma’alaea Harbor at $124. It has the best rating of any trip with a real review count: 4.9 from 142 reviews. The boat is a 54-foot catamaran called Akialoa, and the listing has you cross the channel between Maui, Lanai and Kahoolawe. Appetizers, soft drinks and an open bar are included, and the meeting point is slip 72, at the far end of the jetty side of the harbor.

Calypso Molokini Charters

South Maui: Molokini Snorkeling Adventure

• ★ 4.6 (481 reviews)
• 5.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: My pick for snorkeling: $190, 5.5 hours, 4.6 from 481 reviews, lifeguards in the water and a naturalist on board.

from

$190

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Night tour

Sail Maui

Maui Sunset Sailing Cruise from Ma'alaea Harbor

• ★ 4.9 (142 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: My pick for a first sunset: $124, 4.9 from 142 reviews, open bar and appetizers included.

from

$124

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Boat Ride Maui to Big Island

None of the 15 boat tours in Maui crosses to the Big Island. They all return to the harbor they left from, and the longest, the Malolo and Calypso trips, last about 5.5 hours. If you search for a boat ride from Maui to the Big Island, I can only point you to what the data has, which is Maui’s own coast and the inter-island channels around Lanai and Kahoolawe. The Calypso dinner cruise is the only card here, and it is a leftover that I put in this section rather than a match for the search.

It is a decent trip on its own terms. It costs $150, lasts two hours, and the listing says the sunset glows on the Kahalawai Mountains, Lanai and Molokini. Dinner is a prime rib or island fish, with live Hawaiian music and two drinks. It scores 4.6 from 260 reviews and meets at slip 76 to 78 in Ma’alaea. Humpback whales are named from December through April.

Night tour

Calypso Molokini Charters

South Maui: Sunset Prime Rib or Island Fish Dinner Cruise

• ★ 4.6 (260 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Not a Big Island trip at all: a two-hour Ma'alaea dinner cruise with live music, $150, 4.6 from 260 reviews.

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$150

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Maui Yacht Tour

A Maui yacht tour (and a yacht among Maui boat tours) in the sense of a private boat for your group isn’t in my data. All 15 trips are shared departures. The nearest thing is a luxury sailing catamaran, such as the 65-foot Alii Nui or the Ka’anapali Teralani boat, and I describe those on my sailing page and my catamaran page. If you need a whole boat to yourselves, ask the operators for a private charter directly, because I can’t tell you a price I haven’t seen.

Private Boat Tours in Maui

For the same reason, I have no private boat tour in Maui to recommend. The smallest group trip in my list is the Maui Ocean Adventures whale watch, which the listing calls an epic small group trip, but it is still shared. If you are in a group and want the boat alone, the trips above show the sort of price and duration to expect, and a private charter will be quoted separately.

Boat Tour Maui Hawaii

A boat tour in Maui, Hawaii in January or February is mostly about whales, and the Epic Small Group Whale Watch from Maui Ocean Adventures is the one I’d pick for that. It costs $73, lasts two hours and has 4.9 from 125 reviews. The listing promises whale sightings, a hydrophone, filtered water, and views of Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and Haleakala. It is a no-shoes cruise, there are no bathrooms on board, and you check in at Mala Boat Ramp 20 minutes before departure. Reviewers praise the guide and one took the last day of the season.

For something that is not about whales, the Alihilani sunset sail from Sail Maui is $124 for 2.5 hours. It is a catamaran from Lahaina, with light appetizers, an open bar of beer, wine and cocktails, and a view across the channel to Lanai and Molokai. It has 4.8 from 371 reviews. You check in at the parking lot at 116 Prison St and the crew walks you to the harbor. If you prefer Lahaina to Ma’alaea, this is the one I’d choose.

Maui Ocean Adventures

Epic Small Group Whale Watch

• ★ 4.9 (125 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The small-group whale watch I'd pick: $73, two hours, 4.9 from 125 reviews, no bathroom on board.

from

$73

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Night tour

Sail Maui

Lahaina Maui: Sunset Sail aboard Alihilani

• ★ 4.8 (371 reviews)
• 2.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: A Lahaina sunset sail with open bar and appetizers: $124, 2.5 hours, 4.8 from 371 reviews.

from

$124

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Boat Ride Maui

A boat ride in Maui can be as light as a cocktail cruise or as full as a snorkel day with lunch. The Teralani Ka’anapali luxury sunset cocktail sail costs $135, lasts two hours, and has appetizers, an open bar and gratuities included. Its score is 4.7 from 194 reviews. You board at the Aqualani kiosk on the Ka’anapali beach walk, and exclusive parking is at the Outrigger Ka’anapali Beach Resort. I’d choose it for a couple who want a drink and a view without the dinner.

The Gemini snorkel and sail with a buffet lunch is the longest ride from the west side. It costs $192, lasts four hours and has 4.8 from 137 reviews. The listing says the main snorkel spot most of the year is the Honolua Bay Marine Reserve, with Olowalu’s Turtle Town and Lanai as alternatives. Mai Tais, wine and Maui Brewing beers come with the complimentary bar, and prescription masks and small gear for kids are available. Meet in front of Ulu Kitchen, and park at the Whalers Village garage.

Night tour

Teralani Sailing Adventures

Ka'anapali Luxury Sunset Cocktail Sail with Open Bar

• ★ 4.7 (194 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Cocktail sail from the beach at Ka'anapali: $135, two hours, open bar, 4.7 from 194 reviews.

from

$135

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Gemini Sailing Charters

Snorkeling and Sailing Adventure with Buffet Lunch

• ★ 4.8 (137 reviews)
• 4 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Four hours of snorkel and sail with a hot buffet and bar: $192, 4.8 from 137 reviews.

from

$192

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What You See on a Maui Boat Trip

From the water the island looks like two volcanoes joined by a flat isthmus, and the boats use that shape. On most Maui boat trips from Ma’alaea you sail across the bay and out into the channel toward Molokini, Kahoolawe and Lanai. From Lahaina and Ka’anapali you look across to Lanai and Molokai. The infographic below marks the sights and piers I use as reference points, from Maui Ocean Center to Molokini Crater.

The humpbacks are the main seasonal draw of Maui boat tours. Three trips are built around them, the Calypso dinner cruise lists December through April, and reviews of the late-April trips say sightings were harder than in peak winter. The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary has its own information on the NOAA sanctuary site if you want the science. Outside whale season, snorkeling and sunset trips run all year according to their listings.

Where the Boats Leave From

Most Maui boat tours leave from the south or west coast. Ma’alaea Harbor, beside Maui Ocean Center, is the base for the Quicksilver, Calypso, Malolo, Alii Nui and Sail Maui Akialoa trips. In a straight line it is about 12 miles from Lahaina Harbor and 14.7 miles from Ka’anapali Beach, so choose your side of the island before you book. On the west side, Lahaina is the start for the Alihilani sunset sail and the small group whale watch at Mala Boat Ramp, and Ka’anapali Beach is where the Teralani boats load from the sand.

Which Maui Boat Trip Type Fits You

My data splits the 15 boat tours in Maui into six types, and each has its own page. Prices are the lowest listed for that type and durations come from the listings. Some trips count in two types, so the numbers overlap.

Trip type	Price from	Typical duration	Best for
Whale watching	$50	2 hours	Winter humpbacks, from a harbor or the beach
Snorkeling tour	$100	3 to 5.5 hours	Molokini, Turtle Town and the west coast reefs
Sunset cruise	$124	2 to 2.5 hours	Couples and groups who want the golden hour
Sailing trip	$113	2 to 4 hours	Real sailing with a whale, sunset or snorkel stop
Dinner cruise	$140	2 to 2.5 hours	A meal and drinks on board
Catamaran tour	$50	2 to 2.5 hours	Easy, stable boats for mixed groups

How I’d Choose a Maui Boat Tour

Here is how I’d pick among the boat tours in Maui in four questions.

1. What month is it? From December to April I’d start with whales; the rest of the year snorkeling and sunset trips are the best of the boat tours in Maui.
2. Which coast are you on? South Maui stays are close to Ma’alaea Harbor. West Maui is better served by the Lahaina and Ka’anapali departures.
3. How long can you give it? Two hours covers every whale, sunset and dinner trip; snorkeling takes 3 to 5.5.
4. What is your budget? Under $75 is a whale watch; around $125 is a sunset sail; $150 to $190 buys a dinner cruise or a full snorkel day.

All 15 listings offer a full refund if you cancel in time, either 24 hours or 2 days ahead, so book early and move the date if the weather turns. Whichever boat tour in Maui you choose, confirm the meeting point in your confirmation email, because the harbors and slips are easy to mix up.