Pacific Islands · BOAT TOURS IN FRENCH POLYNESIA

15 Boat Tours in French Polynesia Worth Giving a Whole Day

113 tours  ·  from $30

Good boat tours in French Polynesia fill up weeks ahead out here and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.

Half day Snorkeling Shared Boat Tour in Bora Bora - Eagle rays and stingrays in open water
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Half day Snorkeling Shared Boat Tour in Bora Bora

1.Half day Snorkeling Shared Boat Tour in Bora Bora

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 688 reviews · from $130Our pick

Spend about 3.5 hours on Bora Bora’s lagoon with H2O Bora Bora, visiting three or four snorkeling sites chosen for the day’s conditions. Guides such as Matt, Vincent, Wilson, and Rudolph lead small groups of up to seven, with stops for manta rays, eagle rays, coral gardens, and tropical fish. Pickup is offered, and the tour returns to the meeting point.

“Such a fun experience! Was our first time snorkeling and would do it again, definitely recommend to anyone visiting.”

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Full-Day Bora Bora Lagoon Cruise Including Snorkeling with Sharks and Stingrays - First stop at the Coral Gardens
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Full-Day Bora Bora Lagoon Cruise Including Snorkeling with Sharks and Stingrays

2.Full-Day Bora Bora Lagoon Cruise Including Snorkeling with Sharks and Stingrays

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 630 reviews · from $158

Spend six hours cruising Bora Bora’s lagoon with a local crew such as Manu, Ari, or Moana. Swim with black-tip reef sharks and stingrays, look for manta and eagle rays, visit coral gardens, then eat a barbecue lunch on a private motu with coconut demonstrations, music, and island views. Pickup, snorkeling gear, and lunch are included.

“Great snorkeling, we have seen mantarays, swim with alarms and a variety of fish. The captains were very entertaining, sang for us and made a lot of jokes.”

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Half Day Tour : Moorea Snorkeling & Sailing on a Catamaran named Taboo - Ōpūnohu Bay and Moorea’s mountain views
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Half Day Tour : Moorea Snorkeling & Sailing on a Catamaran named Taboo

3.Half Day Tour : Moorea Snorkeling & Sailing on a Catamaran named Taboo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 529 reviews · from $157

Spend four hours aboard the Taboo, a small catamaran limited to eight people, visiting Moorea’s lagoon, coral gardens, shark and ray areas, and underwater tiki statues. Guides such as Louis, Max, Leo, Mai, Flo, and Meri may lead the trip. Gear, fruit, juice, maitais, and hotel transfers are included.

“We had an awesome time on the catamaran taboo! We started off our day seeing a massive pod of dolphins! They took us to a few snorkel spots and saw sting rays, black tip sharks, tons of cool fish and even some tiki statues! They also served us fresh fruit, fruit juice, and mai tais! Overall I’d highly recommend taking this tour!”

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Bora Bora Eco Snorkel Cruise Including Snorkeling with Sharks and Stingrays - What makes the Coral Garden special
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Bora Bora Eco Snorkel Cruise Including Snorkeling with Sharks and Stingrays

4.Bora Bora Eco Snorkel Cruise Including Snorkeling with Sharks and Stingrays

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 501 reviews · from $118

Spend about 2.5 hours on Bora Bora’s lagoon with guides such as Manu, Tane, Tema and Captain T. Expect a shallow-water shark and stingray stop, a colorful Coral Garden session, and possible manta rays, eagle rays, turtles, dolphins or whales. Groups are limited to 12, with equipment, bottled water and pickup from select hotels.

“Captain T and Dan were great! Punctual in the pick up and very funny! We went snorkeling in 2 spots, in the first one we were surrounded by sharks and we saw one stingray, then the coral garden was fully of colors and full of different fishes! I highly recommend it!!”

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Bora Bora Jet Ski Tour, & Eco Shark / Ray Snorkel Cruise - A motu stop, coconut lesson, and swim
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Bora Bora Jet Ski Tour, & Eco Shark / Ray Snorkel Cruise

5.Bora Bora Jet Ski Tour, & Eco Shark / Ray Snorkel Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 376 reviews · from $323

Spend about six and a half hours on Bora Bora’s lagoon, combining a guided single or double jet ski ride with a boat safari to reef sharks, stingrays, coral gardens, and fish. Guides such as Marama, Tarepa, Ali, and Marine have been praised for their humor and care. Lunch, gear, water, and hotel transfers are included.

“What an amazing experience, the staff was extremely helpful and inviting. The actual excursion with the Sharks and Stingrays was so much fun, better than expected... the Jet Ski tour was amazing... such an exhilarating time...”

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Moorea Cruise Ships: 4x4, Belvedere, Pineapple, & Magic Mountain - Belvedere Lookout and Moorea’s interior
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Moorea Cruise Ships: 4×4, Belvedere, Pineapple, & Magic Mountain

6.Moorea Cruise Ships: 4×4, Belvedere, Pineapple, & Magic Mountain

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 363 reviews · from $70

Ride an open-air 4WD across Moorea with guides such as Ron, Mario, Tammo, or Mano. Visit Belvedere, Magic Mountain, pineapple fields, Cook’s Bay, Opunohu Bay, and local tasting stops. Expect spectacular views, a small group of up to eight, and a genuinely bumpy climb.

“Great experience with a very knowledgeable driver. Some off road driving up Magic Mountain with a walk at the top was awesome. We really enjoyed this tour and would recommend.”

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Sunset Cruise : Moorea Sailing on a Catamaran named Taboo - Leaving Mareto Public Beach on Taboo
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Sunset Cruise : Moorea Sailing on a Catamaran named Taboo

7.Sunset Cruise : Moorea Sailing on a Catamaran named Taboo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 245 reviews · from $156

Spend about 2 hours 20 minutes aboard Taboo, a compact sailing catamaran limited to eight people. Captain Leo or another local guide takes you along Moorea’s northern coast, through Cook’s and Ōpūnohu bays and beyond the reef. Expect island stories, fruit juice, cocktails, and a sunset stop from Mareto Public Beach.

“Leo was the best guide, captain and an underrated bartender as well! Extremely relaxing and romantic cruise around several of Moorea’s bays and points of interest. Gorgeous views and my wife and I couldn’t have been more pleased. Would highly recommend for a fun, chill and informative sunset cruise!”

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Self-drive Bora Bora Boat Rental - What the 13-foot Quintrex feels like on the water
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Self-drive Bora Bora Boat Rental

8.Self-drive Bora Bora Boat Rental

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 211 reviews

Take control of a 13-foot Quintrex boat for about four hours around Bora Bora’s lagoon. No boat license is needed. La Plage Tours supplies fuel, safety gear, a map, cooler, ice, phone, and tracker. Stop at coral gardens, sandbars, beaches, and ray-viewing spots, with pickup available and a briefing from staff such as Henry or Paul.

“We had a great time on this self guided trip! The wonderful staff picked us up at our rental home and drove us to the office, where the staff gave us a complete overview of the map of where we should and should not take the boat, and a gps locator, as well as a phone to call them should we need assistance. Paul, who was responsible for giving us the instructions on the beach/launch location about the boat and the motor and anchor. We really enjoyed being able to go at our own pace (which is for sure slow, as it is a tiny boat with a little motor)…”

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Bora Bora Combo Tour: Lagoon Cruise and 4WD Tour Including Snorkeling - Coconut oil, sarongs, and fruit in Faanui Valley
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Bora Bora Combo Tour: Lagoon Cruise and 4WD Tour Including Snorkeling

9.Bora Bora Combo Tour: Lagoon Cruise and 4WD Tour Including Snorkeling

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 200 reviews · from $213

Spend about eight hours seeing Bora Bora from land and sea. A guide such as Manu, Matu, Maui, or Ari may lead the day, with a 4WD island circuit, mountain lookouts, local crafts, tropical fruit, lunch on a motu, and three water stops for stingrays, black-tip reef sharks, and coral fish.

“Can’t recommend this family operated adventure enough! They made sure all was taken care of…from transfers getting there & back to making sure your experience was the best! Lunch provided was perfect & yummy! Highly recommend this tour for a great overall experience of BoraBora!”

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Private Boat Tour of Moorea Lagoon - First stop: choosing your water experience
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Private Boat Tour of Moorea Lagoon

10.Private Boat Tour of Moorea Lagoon

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 196 reviews · from $293

Join Luna and Clem of Mermaid Private Boat Tours for a three-hour private trip around Moorea Lagoon. Snorkel with tropical fish, rays, turtles, and reef sharks, look for dolphins, enjoy local fruit and chilled juice, and receive GoPro photos afterward. Pickup is offered, and the route can match your group’s pace.

“Luna and Clem were the most amazing guides on this trip! This is truly a must do activity. We snorkeled throughout the coral reefs feeding fish, swam with so many sea turtles, sting rays and sharks. It was truly an unbelievable experience. We were seamlessly picked up from the Hilton dock and they helped us arrange a taxi to pick us up to take us to the ferry station.”

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Bora Bora Snorkel Cruise by Polynesian Outrigger Canoe with BBQ Island Lunch - Coral gardens and the clearest snorkeling
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Bora Bora Snorkel Cruise by Polynesian Outrigger Canoe with BBQ Island Lunch

11.Bora Bora Snorkel Cruise by Polynesian Outrigger Canoe with BBQ Island Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 195 reviews · from $296

Spend six hours circling Bora Bora’s lagoon by Polynesian outrigger canoe, stopping at coral gardens, shark and ray sites, and a private motu for a BBQ lunch. Guides such as Sam, Jean, Tarepa, and Ruma add local stories, music, and help in English and French. Hotel pickup, gear, towels, drinks, and lunch are included.

“Sam our guide was so nice accommodating. We have French and English speaking guests and he made us all feel welcome and included. Each stop to swim and snorkel was great. Lunch was so delicious and the host was wonderful. Swimming with sharks and rays were the highlight of the trip.”

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Half-Day Small-Group Cruise in Bora Bora with Snorkelling - Small-group attention helps beginners
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Half-Day Small-Group Cruise in Bora Bora with Snorkelling

12.Half-Day Small-Group Cruise in Bora Bora with Snorkelling

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 172 reviews · from $142

Cruise Bora Bora’s lagoon with Lagoon Service on a four-hour trip capped at 12 people. Your guide leads three snorkel stops, often including coral gardens, black-tip sharks, and hand-fed stingrays, then shares local stories, fruit, coconut bread, and sometimes ukulele music. Gear, towels, and pickup are offered.

“Terrific excursion. Captain Mike was the best. We had 3 stops. 1)rays, which we could touch and even hold. 2) Black tip sharks, 20-30 of them. Very cool. 3) Coral garden with many tropical fish and vibrant colors. Warm, clear water. Much better than the SCUBA dive we did the day before. Highly recommend! The highlight of our trip thus far,”

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LUXURY Catamaran Bora Bora : Sailing, Snorkeling & Floating Bar - Getting from your hotel to Vitamin Sea
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LUXURY Catamaran Bora Bora : Sailing, Snorkeling & Floating Bar

13.LUXURY Catamaran Bora Bora : Sailing, Snorkeling & Floating Bar

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 157 reviews · from $327

Spend four hours aboard Vitamin Sea, a 40-foot former racing catamaran, with a small group and a friendly crew that may include Tony, Alex, Ocean, Clement, or Amy. Sail across Bora Bora’s lagoon, snorkel at a quieter coral garden, then sip rum punch at a floating bar in shallow water. Hotel pickup and drinks are included.

“Terrific experience!!! This was the highlight of our trip to Bora Bora. The all-female crew was amazing. So very nice and informative. Great ride, scenery, snorkeling, and drinking from the floating bar. We even got to drive for a bit and made new friends. Highly, highly recommend so sign up today.”

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From Tahiti: Tetiaroa Island Tour by Sailing Catamaran - Meeting at 5:45 AM in Papeete
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From Tahiti: Tetiaroa Island Tour by Sailing Catamaran

14.Tetiaroa Island Tour by Sailing Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 156 reviews · 11 hours · from $227

Spend 11 hours sailing, or motoring, from Papeete to Tetiaroa on a French Polynesian catamaran. You get breakfast, a guided walk to Bird’s Island, free beach time, a local lunch, reef snorkeling, and punch on the return. The early start and long crossing demand energy, but limited island access keeps the setting peaceful.

“I loved the island, the guides were great! Although, they didn’t speak much English so it was hard to get the full details. The catamaran they used was a smaller one because they had 2 tours that day. It took 4 hours each way, which I think is too much for one day. The journey was too long. I was under the impression it would take 2.5 hours. For four hours I can’t say the same day journey is worth it, but the island is beautiful.”

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1/2 day Tahaa coral garden - departure Raiatea / ideal for cruise passengers - The boat ride from Raiatea to Tahaa
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1/2 day Tahaa coral garden – departure Raiatea / ideal for cruise passengers

15.1/2 day Tahaa coral garden – departure Raiatea / ideal for cruise passengers

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 149 reviews · from $144

From Raiatea, take a scenic boat ride to Tahaa’s famous coral garden. With guides such as Gony and Julian, you’ll float through a shallow channel among bright coral, clams, rays, eels, and tropical fish. The tour lasts about three hours, holds up to 10 people, and suits cruise passengers with basic swimming ability. Bring water shoes.

“Meet up was great at the Cruise Terminal and transfer to the speedboat went to plan. Company staff were great dive/snorkel well organised. Site was busier than expected, but a worthwhile trip nonetheless.”

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