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Molokini Crater and Turtle Town Snorkeling From Kihei

Name: Molokini Crater and Turtle Town Snorkeling From Kihei
Brand: Makena Coast Charters
SKU: 294859P1
Price: 179 USD
Rating: 5 (513 reviews)

Recommended by 95% of travelersBadge of ExcellenceMaui, USA

4 Hour Molokini Crater plus Turtle Town Snorkeling Tour

3 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Get an up-close view of Maui’s coastal scenery—and leave the mainland behind for half a day of exploration—on this immersive snorkeling excursion. In the early morning, meet for a personal snorkel-gear fitting, hop aboard your vessel, and head out on the water. You’ll visit the Molokini Crater and Turtle Town, where you can snorkel in clear waters, spy marine life, and soak up the Pacific beauty.

Spy sea turtles and other marine life during this snorkeling excursion
This tour makes it easy to explore the Molokini Crater and Turtle Town
Boat transit, snorkel gear, and on-board snacks and refreshments included
Immerse yourself in nature, and enjoy an active excursion

What's Included

Use of Snorkeling equipment
Floatation devices
Snacks
Light Lunch
Bottled water
Hawaiian fruit juices

Gratuities
Towels
Sunscreen

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

2800 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI 96753, USA
- Check-in at 6:30 a.m. at Kihei Boat Ramp, 2800 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI 96753. - Look for our 40-ft raft boat, "The Getaway." - Sign and complete our online liability waiver before boarding. - Board when your group is called; departure is at 7:00 a.m. sharp. - Free parking is available on-site.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Start time
.07:00 am

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
No elderly or fragile people or those with back or neck problems.

Must be able to walk down the dock without assistance.
Weight Limit 300 pounds maximum.
No children under 5 years old
Pregnant women prohibited
Non-swimmers are restricted to the boat
Participants must be capable of moderate-to-advanced physical activity
Guests must be able to climb a vertical boat ladder
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

David_T

Great trip, great guides. We went at 7:00am 7/10 and had an awesome time. Guide was a marine biologist (I’m terrible with names) that was extremely nice, helpful and informative. Captain had a great sense of humor and drove expertly. Plenty of time at Molokini and Turtle Bay. Had sandwiches and snacks. Turtles and reefs were beautiful and fantastic to see in person.

Reviews

4.8

513 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 513 reviews

Worth it!

Arlee_O, Jan 2025

Watching the waves hit the walls of the crater from below the surface was an amazing visual that I really wasn’t expecting! Beautiful reefs and fish. Mesmerizing turtles! Our guides, Sam and Lucia, were amazing!

Great trip with turtles, whales and tons of fish

Alejandro_Z, Jan 2025

Great experience. Turtles, whales and tons of fish. Jess and Joe were a fantastic crew. They did everything to make all of all enjoy the trip.

Wonderful crew and...

Catherine_T, Dec 2024

Wonderful crew and experience! They made the day worth while - and so knowledgeable about marine biology.

Knowledgeable Guides for First Time Snorkelers!

Sarah_Z, Dec 2024

I would definitely recommend this tour company and tour! This is a tour run by a smaller, local company called Makena Charters. The excursion was well-organized and the communication before and during the excursion clear and timely. Our excellent guides were Joe and Lucia, who taught us everything we needed to know to be successful as first time snorkelers. They provided opportunities for whale watching during the boat ride to and from Molokini. During our particular outing, it was deemed unsafe to go to the coral gardens due to low visibility (prime shark hunting conditions, since they can sneak up on the green sea turtles in murky water.) We ended up snorkeling around two different parts of Molokini Crater, and there were many interesting fish, coral, and other creatures to see. Joe and Lucia made sure everyone felt comfortable using the equipment, including providing snorkel masks with vision correction (it may be helpful to comment that you need this during booking to help their preparations), belt flotation devices, pool noodles, and appropriately sized flippers. They explained where all the safety items were on the boat, including life jackets, life raft, and fire extinguishers in case of emergency. They also explained clearly the rules of how to respect the environment to minimize impact and the consequences of not following those rules. Their explanations were marked by humor, kindness, and professionalism. They kept the boat nearby and eyes on our snorkeling party members at all times. At one point, a member of our party had a mild medical emergency (the person ended up being fine), but Lucia was out on the water ready to assist within about 30 seconds. I later got seasick (if prone to sea sickness like me: Joe said it helps some people to take non-drowsy dramamine the night before AND the morning of...) and Joe and Lucia were both very kind, sharing ginger chews, bringing me water, and helping me sit on the boat in the most comfortable location possible. They provided good sized sandwiches and chips during the ride back to the harbor. Their knowledge of the area and ability to adjust to local conditions to provide the best experience possible was clear. Thanks Joe and Lucia!

Absolutely Amazing!

Nadia_L, Dec 2024

The captain and assistant were nothing short of incredible, knowledgeable, and kind. The whole adventure was amazing! From being surrounded by fish and turtles to seeing whale tails in the ocean, even snacks and drinks on board, I loved it all and would highly recommend!

Perfect!

Kim_S, Dec 2024

We are really glad we chose Makena Coast Charter’s- Joe and Lucy were great from beginning to end. They were both very friendly, attentive and helpful to everyone on the boat.

Snorkeling

Christine_M, Nov 2024

We really enjoyed our time on the Getaway. Joe and Lucia were fabulous hosts. Liked the smaller crowd and shorter time especially with kids.

Fish, birds, and turtles!

Judy_M, Nov 2024

I was thrilled to find a tour that did both Molokini and turtles. I really like the smaller boats with fewer passengers. I also liked the length of the tour. Joe and Megan were knowledgeable and very helpful. There were several people who got seasick so if you get motion sick, plan ahead and take Dramamine or a scopolamine patch which requires an RX from a doctor. We were very fortunate and saw a whale and a small pod of dolphins. I’ve been coming to Maui for over 30 years and am so glad I finally did this trip.

Would totally do this again

Greg_J, Nov 2024

First time snorkeling and the experience was amazing. Molokini Crater was awesome but Turtle Town beat it!! Jess was very knowledgeable and patient 😀

Amazing, Fun, informative

chris_r, Nov 2024

Joe and Luciana made the day memoriable for the whome group. Well worth it I recommend people choose them as a small business. Support the locals.

Great experience, diving...

Claes_K, Nov 2024

Great experience, diving was super. The boat was really robust and stable. Guides were helpful. Can recommend the trip.

Well worth the time

Tariq_A, Oct 2024

Jess and Capt Joe were incredible. This was an awesome experience. Between all the different fish, bottle nose and spinner dolphins, and finally the turtles were amazing.

Amazing experience

veronica_s, Oct 2024

We saw so many cool fish and we got to swim with turtles!! We saw the first whale of the year on that side of the island which was very unexpected and definitely added to the experience. The crew was very nice and informative about the areas we were in and the things we would see. I would definitely recommend other people taking this tour!

Exceptional Experience

Paula_W, Oct 2024

First things first. Since my girlfriend and I have never been snorkeling we were a bit apprehensive. Lucia, our “snorkeling teacher” did a great job explaining how to use the equipment and made us feel comfortable about its use. Once in the water everything worked perfectly. Our captain, Joe, was very detailed regarding the Hawaiian rules of the sea and the protocols for observing the sea turtles and the fish at Molokini. In addition, he was very entertaining and we thoroughly enjoyed both the historical and ecological information that he provided along the way. But above all, we saw many amazing sea life!! He placed us in the ideal spots at the ideal times to see sea turtles and other sea life within a few feet of our faces! We surely enjoyed the smaller group (15) that was in our boat. Overall we highly recommend captain Joe, first mate Lucia and Makena Coast Charters.

This is the Molokini tour you want

Warren_H, Oct 2024

Great tour from a smaller company. The captain was very much in tune with weather and sea conditions. We avoided Molokini first because the sea was tough. Enjoyed Turtle town alone as a group and then headed to Molokini to grab a prime spot in perfect calm seas. Highly recommended you go with Makeana Charters instead of a bigger name company/boat.

So-so

Robin_D, Oct 2024

The operator was very good but I was under-whelmed by the snorkeling experience at the crater. Water was very clear but not a lot of fish or variety, coral is dull.

Great snorkeling trip

Kristina_K, Oct 2024

Joe and Lucia were fantastic!! They were super nice and patient with us. Very knowledgeable and made sure that we had a safe and enjoyable time. I highly recommend them !!

Snorkeling with this...

Jamie_G, Sep 2024

Snorkeling with this group was absolutely amazing! Joe and Lucia were fantastic guides and were great with everyone on the boat. I am personally not very comfortable swimming especially in deep water with a current but Lucia and Joe made sure to take their time with us and supplied plenty of floatation devices that helped make us comfortable. The water was crystal clear and we could see plenty of fish and turtles at both locations. I would recommend this experience in a heart beat!

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Thank you for your review Jamie! so happy you enjoyed snorkeling and the crew took good care of you. We hope to host you again on your next trip.

Great experience!!!

Grace_B, Sep 2024

Joe & Jess were great and the spots they took us to had tons of beautiful fish and turtles. They fostered a fun environment on the boat. Jess is a marine biologist and answered our questions with a lot of detail and enthusiasm. That made the experience so much more interesting! Definitely recommend.

Perfect snorkeling morning

Ashley_U, Sep 2024

Joe and Jess were awesome, they made our morning snorkeling so much fun. They definitely knew what they were doing, were so knowledgeable, extremely hospitable, and we had a wonderful trip start to finish. They took us to 2 amazing spots and it was an adventure my husband and I will remember forever.

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