Leave your cares and worries behind when you join this Maui kayaking tour, which casually paddles the turquoise waters above Turtle Reef in Maui. Launching out of Makena Landing just 10 minutes south of Wailea, this Maui kayaking tour hugs the shoreline of a historic volcanic cove. In addition to teeming with schools of fish, this area is home to everyone’s favorite—the endangered Hawaiian Green sea turtle.

Kayak tour off the south side of Maui
Snorkeling adventure in the tropical underwater world
Close encounter with marine life including endangered green sea turtles
Stunning views of Haleakala
Optional swimming or snorkeling adventure

What's Included

Beach Instructions and Safety Talk
Guide Assisted Launch and Landings
Quality Snorkel Equipment, PFD, and dry bag if needed
Light refreshments
Quality Touring Kayaks - Singles and Doubles Available
CPR and First Aid Certified Guides with Many Years Ocean Experience
Local taxes

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop off

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

5230 Makena Alanui
5230 Makena Alanui, Kihei, HI 96753, USA
<<<<< PLAN YOUR DRIVE TO ARRIVE ON TIME >>>>>> *** Google / Apple Map "Makena Landing" **** From Makena Landing parking lot, walk 100 yards over the little hill with ocean on right - you'll see kayaks / us there. Please google map "Makena Landing beach Park" or "Maluaka Beach Parking Lot" option B

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

This 2.5 mile (4km) Maui kayaking tour is a short and leisurely paddle, designed as a family friendly activity for paddlers 5 and up. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned pro or it’s your very first time in a kayak, as everyone who experiences this kayaking in Maui can appreciate the tropical beauty.

Hear the history of Makena Bay and get views of Haleakala volcano, with the main highlight being snorkeling with sea turtles as they casually float above the reef. Makena is one of the best spots for a family to go kayaking in Maui, where the warm, clear, protected waters are just waiting to be explored.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Paddling distance is approx 2.0 to 2.5 miles
The 10:30am tour is only available to guests who are 16 years and over.
The 7:15am departure offers ideal weather conditions, more active reef life, better visibility, etc. Best Experience!
715 tour time ages 5+ / 1030 tour time ages 16+

Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Infant seats available
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

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

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Mary_K

My husband, along with our son and wife enjoyed a beautiful kayaking and snorkeling trip with an amazing guide, John Hess. His knowledge of the island was great. Great personality with a sense of humor to match. When we book again, we will only do it with John. I don’t swim, but John made me feel totally safe. His knowledge of the coral and sea life was great also. We were very fortunate as he knew right where to go for the best experience. We saw sea turtles and the turtle “car wash!” Book your trip and ask for John.

Reviews

4.5

271 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 271 reviews

Jeremiah is amazing!

Jennifer_C, Apr 2023

Jeremiah was amazing! It was the first time for me to kayak and snorkel. I didn't know how to breath through my mouth under the water. Miah explained everything to me and was so patient and knowledgeable to teach me. Because of his expertise and wonderful teaching, I learned quickly and was able to have the best first-time of kayaking and snorkeling! I really appreciate his patience and expertise! Thank you so much!

All-Around Fantastic

Lori_O, Apr 2023

Jakeb👍our guide was highly attentive to the entire group’s individual needs and provided lots of cultural info with a cheery, upbeat attitude. Fantastic. Plus lots of turtles!🐢

GreatTurtle/ kayak experience

John_K, Apr 2023

Beautiful morning on the water - we had a awesome guide ( Kyle) we saw whales& saw turtles even before we snorkled

Wonderful experience

Ellen_M, Mar 2023

In all of our years coming to Maui we had never done a kayak tour, but with our kids now older we were looking for different activities. The tour was the best! I did not expect to see whales swimming around our boats- amazing! Will definitely do this again on future trips.

We made reservations for...

Tasneem_A, Mar 2023

We made reservations for 3/9/23 but were canceled last minute making a lame excuse of weather, when weather was actually beautiful this day in Maui. We missed out on the experience and we shall see how the refund is handled.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Aloha - we cancel tours for safety. While the sun may shine, the ocean can have a variety of dangers including shore break......our guides are experienced waterman who err on the side of caution. We don't apologize for that.

Top notch snorkeling

MaryJudith_M, Mar 2023

My husband, sister and brother in law and myself all had a wonderful time at Makena Landing Park. The water is crystal clear and gentle. The kayaking was perfect- probably about one mile round trip. Cody was our guide and he was very helpful getting us back in the kayak after we snorkeled. The reef at the park was spectacular. We saw the green turtles, needle fish and other beautiful fish. Overall, this was a top notch activity. So glad we made the trip down from Kaanapali to enjoy this adventure.

Best experience ever

Ashley_A, Mar 2023

Tyler, our guide, made this one of the best experiences I’ve had on the island! He is so knowledgeable of the ocean and such a great teacher that it made kayaking for us that much more special and easy! Would definitely book this activity again!

Marine Life Experience

Dave_L, Feb 2023

John Hess was an extremely knowledgable host. His understanding of whales and marine life enhanced our experience.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Aloha - Mahalo for the great review. John is a staple with us as he has been for many years. We rest easy when John is on the job as he is a customer favorite for all the reasons you mention.

Worth every penny and more

Paul_E, Feb 2023

This was an amazing adventure and worth every penny. I cannot say enough good things about Jake. He managed to get my girlfriend to feel comfortable snorkeling, despite the fact that she can’t swim and was nervous. And we SAW whales!!!!! Jake took fantastic pictures for us to remember. He was really personable. Just do this!

Highlight to swim with turtles

Penny_W, Jan 2023

Tyler was such a great guide. Easy going and knowledgeable. He made our family feel so comfortable we all had the best day. We kayaked, learned a little about the island. Snorkeled, saw beautiful turtles and fish. We saw an amazing rainbow. The 3 of us were all at different comfort levels with kayaking and snorkeling and Tyler made it such an enjoyable experience for each of us. I’d recommend this tour to all levels, we wore life jackets making snorkeling easy.

Great experience !!!

rohit_k, Nov 2022

Kyle took us on the Kayak trip. He was very helpful and had a good attitude. Also he got us snorkeling equipment and stopped at a couple of spots for snorkeling. That made the trip very value added.

Great kayak and snorkel experience!

KevinGSmith, Nov 2022

Our guide Tyler was excellent! He led a group of 3 couples, including my wife and me. He provided each couple with a 2-seat kayak, life vests, paddles, a dry bag, and snorkel gear. He gave us useful instruction on how to paddle and steer and how to properly exit and re-enter the kayak while wearing snorkel gear. We kayaked to 3 different coral reef spots and snorkeled at each spot. Tyler anchored his kayak at each snorkel spot at a sandy-bottom location between coral structures and tied his kayak and our kayaks end-to-end while we all snorkeled. We saw turtles and coral reef fish at each spot which was amazing. Tyler took photos of each couple in the water and in our kayaks, and of the turtles using his iPhone within an AquaTech waterproof case. He Airdropped the photos and videos to our iPhones at the end of the tour. The photos were fantastic! Great experience - I highly recommend!

Excellent company

Jennifer_D, Nov 2022

This was my favorite part of our trip. Our guide was fun and informative. He made sure we had the best experience ever even though the wind was not working in our favor. I would highly recommend using this company.

Amazing Kayak/Snorkeling

Matthew_Y, Nov 2022

John was our tour guide, and he was absolutely amazing! He was super knowledgeable, professional, and fun to be with for the few hours of the tour. We were able to see a ton of marine life, including turtles, fish, eels, and so much more! John knew the best locations to make the tour super active! He was also very accommodating to everybody’s skill levels on the tour. Would highly recommend and will be back during whale season to do this again!!

Great family adventure

Corrie_B, Nov 2022

Great family experience. Saw some turtles and other marine life while snorkelling! Jake was a great host

Fantastic trip!

Pam_B, Oct 2022

Madison was very knowledgeable and an awesome guide. We had a really good time and will be back on our next trip to Maui

Madison is the best!!!!

Michael_C, Oct 2022

Our experience was beyond epic and exceeded our expectations. Madi was the perfect guide! We appreciated her knowledge and expertise making us feel safe while enjoying a memorable family experience. We highly recommend this tour with Madi since she was the ideal guide. We received an education as well as better understanding of the ocean life and how to navigate the water respectfully and mindfully. It was the ultimate island experience.

Great morning

Missy_K, Oct 2022

John our guide was amazing! Added humor along with education. There was a first timer in our group and he was so patient and encouraging. It took her a bit but she finally let go of the boat and enjoyed her time in the water without any pressure. We got lucky and saw 2 turtles. I liked that we were away from the crowds. Just our small group of 5. Go at 7:15 it’s worth it.

Kayaking and snorkeling perfection

Simon_F, Oct 2022

Tyler was knowledgeable, friendly and professional. We went out with only one other couple and it was a great personal experience, kayaking out to the reef and being able to snorkel surrounded by sealife and turtles was amazing. 100% recommend this experience, much better than the boat tours for snorkeling that look impersonal, crowded and not relaxing at all.

A must do!

Brittany_S, Oct 2022

John was an amazing guide! He was so enthusiastic and made everything seem so amazing! I would 10/10 recommend anyone do the tour! Seeing the reefs and fish up close (even a sea turtle!) made my dreams come true!

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