Maui is known for having the best snorkeling out of all of the Hawaiian Islands, and in large part that’s because there are so many places that you can snorkel right from the beach making it super accessible (I’ve written about those spots here).

But one of the top things to do on Maui is a snorkeling tour. Being out on the boat is such a fun way to spend the day, and there are some spots that are only accessible via boat (or boat is the safest, most convenient option even though you could technically swim out from the shore). 

So as you can imagine, there are a LOT of options for snorkel tours on Maui. I’ve done quite a few (plus a TON of research), and there are two snorkel tours that I recommend over all of the others. 

Best Snorkeling Tours on Maui

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Maui also has two superstar off shore snorkeling sites that get a lot of buzz. Well, one is technically another island but it’s only accessed via Maui. 

If you’ve done any research at all about the must do things on Maui, you’ve heard about snorkeling in Molokini Crater. It’s iconic. 

But slightly more off the radar is a day trip to Lanai to snorkel at the renowned Hulapoe Bay. 

Snorkeling Molokini and Lanai both involve booking a snorkel trip on a boat.

Since Molokini is closer to Maui (and such a big draw with the tourists), there are a lot of companies that do trips there and you’ll find a wide range of types of tours at different prices…from bargain to luxury. 

Since Lanai is quite a bit further from Maui, there are fewer companies that do trips to Lanai for snorkeling and therefore they’re a bit more expensive. 

Like I said, I have two favorite snorkel tours on Maui. One to Molokini (and Turtle Town) and one to Lanai: 

In my opinion: 

The best Molokini excursion is Kai Kanani’s Sunrise Snorkel Trip. 

The best Lanai excursion is Trilogy’s Discover Lanai Tour. 

Keep reading for the full details on each tour so you can decide which is best for you!

And if you want to read a more direct comparison between snorkeling Molokini and snorkeling Lanai, read this post. 

Molokini Sunrise Snorkel Tour with Kai Kanani

Located three miles off Maui’s southern shore, Molokini Crater has long been Maui’s (and possibly Hawaii’s) most popular snorkeling and diving destination and it’s easy to see why.

The partially submerged volcanic crater with its famous crescent shape is not only home to an extensive coral reef with 250+ species of tropical fish, but it also has an incredible quality of water that boasts up to 150 feet of visibility.

There are some amazing snorkeling spots on Maui that can be accessed by beach or even by boat, but Molokini is completely unique. Because the crater is volcanic rock and it’s miles off shore, there’s not a trace of sand or soil in the water. This is what gives the incredible clarity that’s unprecedented in Hawaii.

Sounds pretty great, right? So what’s the downside? The downside is the number of boats that take snorkelers out to the crater that can make it CROWDED, and many tour providers operate under conditions that can make the experience less than ideal. Not that it’s ever bad, but when you’re paying a premium, you want the best experience possible.

Showing up to Molokini mid morning with a dozen other boats (some with as many as 150 people!) after an hour boat ride just isn’t magical. But don’t worry-I’ve got the scoop on how to see Molokini the best way. Uncrowded.

On my latest trip to Maui, I went to Molokini and Turtle Town with Kai Kanani on their Sunrise Deluxe Snorkel. I’ve done a lot of research on the best Maui snorkel tours (it’s literally my job), and because I know the island pretty well, it’s easy for me to cut through the pretty marketing and high ranking Google search results to pick a company based on what matters.

What it comes down to is reading a map. The majority of Molokini snorkel tours leave from Ma’alaea Harbor, which is a long way from Molokini (at least nine miles through the water). Kai Kanani is the only catamaran tour that leaves from Makena, which is just three miles from the crater. 

They’re also one of the only companies to offer a sunrise tour (6:15 AM departure when I went in September). All of this means that the 40 people on our spacious catamaran were the only people snorkeling at Molokini. That’s pretty cool. 

Also, being the first boat there allows the crew to scope out the best spot for daily conditions. A random (and rare!) swarm of jellyfish hanging out in pockets at the west end of the crater? No problem! We’ll head to the east end and snorkel without the little devils (not easy to do when there are more than a dozen boats there all vying for a spot).

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Now that I’ve convinced you that Kai Kanani is the BEST company to snorkel Molokini with, here’s a rundown of how the morning went:

Our scheduled departure was 6:15, and we were supposed to check in about 30 minutes early. The rendezvous point in Makena is about 10 minutes from Wailea, and they also offer complimentary pick up from the Wailea resorts. 

We laid everything out the night before and set an alarm for 5 AM. Before I hear grumbles about waking up at 5 AM on vacation, I’ll point out that to my Midwest wired internal clock, that was 10 AM- a perfectly respectable wake up time on vacation. But I will say if you’re worried about the early start, plan this for early in your trip when you’re less acclimated to the time difference.

It was still dark as we waited for the valet to bring the Jeep (Wailea life), but by the time we got to the check in site, the sky was starting to lighten up. To set your expectations, this tour is called the “Sunrise” Deluxe Snorkel because of the time of day, but don’t expect to see a dramatic sunrise. Since the sun rises in the east and Haleakala looms high between there and Wailea, you won’t actually see the sunrise, it just won’t be dark anymore.

The check in site is easy to find with the directions in the confirmation email. It’s a small gravel parking lot (currently a lot of construction going on as the previous Makena Beach Resort is being turned into a private vacation club, but it’s a short walk from the check in site (water and coffee provided) to the beach where the catamaran loads.

This is another fun part of going with Kai Kanani. The catamaran loads from the beach instead of a dock. It’s a little wet (I’d suggest taking off your shorts and holding your bag up a bit), but the instructions are clear and it only took them a few minutes to get us all on the boat. 

I will say that I wasn’t looking forward to getting wet so early in the morning. The sand felt COLD on my feet as we waited on the beach to load, but as soon as I felt the water it was actually really warm and it wasn’t even shocking when I got in to snorkel about 7 AM.

After we loaded, we got a safety briefing by the captain and set off for the crater. There were cinnamon rolls and fruit set up in the galley as well as drinks. We arrived at Molokini in about 30 minutes. When we pulled up, there was a small dive boat near the crater in deep water, but otherwise we had the whole crater to ourselves.

We snorkeled in the crater for a good while (probably 45 minutes to an hour). Conditions were pretty magnificent. The water was relatively calm and sooooo blue. There were schools of fish everywhere and it was the perfect number of snorkelers (not so many that it felt crowded but enough that it felt secure-I believe in safety in numbers in the ocean haha). After snorkeling, we loaded back up into the boat and headed for Turtle Town.

Turtle Town is a stretch in Makena near the shore where turtles are quite prevalent due to the algae that they feed on growing there. While it’s possible to access it from the beach at Makena Landing, it’s just a bit far out for me to want to attempt by myself. The conditions at Turtle Town are night and day from Molokini. 

Remember when I said Molokini was so clear because of the volcanic rock from the crater not containing sand and soil? Well in addition to sand and soil stirred up from the nearby shore, the algae that attracts the turtles also makes the water here appear a little murky. But alas, it’s where the turtles are (you won’t find them out at Molokini!) and they’re such a site to behold. At least one crew member was in the water with us at all times and at Turtle Town she was able to find turtles and point them out to us. We saw 4-5 in the time we were there!

After we swam with the turtles, it was time for BRUNCH. The captain took the boat back offshore and we floated while we feasted on a pretty fair spread. The bar also opened after we left Turtle Town and mai tais and mimosas were plentiful. We had plenty of time to eat and soak up the sun before we headed back to the beach and unloaded.

We were unloaded by 9:45 and back at our hotel by 10! Besides the advantages of snorkeling with Kai Kanani that I’ve mentioned so far, I think having such a grand adventure (bucket list experience!) and being back at your hotel by 10 AM is a pretty big deal. Especially if you’re trying to take advantage of the pool and beach to relax.

Visit Lanai with Trilogy’s Discover Lanai Tour

Trilogy has a big legacy on Maui…they were the first company to offer sailing excursions on Maui and they just celebrated their 50th anniversary.

While they offer a bunch of different snorkel and whale watching tours around Maui, their flagship tour is their day trip to Lanai. 

There are other companies that take you to spots off of Lanai to snorkel, but Trilogy is the only tour operator that actually lands on the island. And they’ve put together the PERFECT itinerary for a day of fun in the sun. 

There are four options for this tour every day (an early morning and a late morning departure from both Kaanapali Beach and Maalaea Harbor). 

Since I was staying in Kapalua (and still running on mainland time), I picked the early morning tour leaving from Kaanapali Beach. 

The tour leaves from Kaanapali at 7AM, but you need to arrive by 6:30AM to check in. 

They’ll validate your parking if you park in the Sheraton garage (you’ll still pay about $15), but at this hour it’s pretty easy to get one of the free parking spots in the public parking section of the garage (not the main section and you won’t go through a gate to park).

We met on the beach in front of the Sheraton (right near the public beach entrance) and got loaded up on the boat quickly and after getting settled and a quick safety spiel, we were off!

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*This tour loads from the beach which means you have to wade through knee deep water to get to the boat’s ladder. They time each person’s entry with the waves so you shouldn’t get wet but I usually like to take off my shorts just in case. 

It took just over an hour to cruise over to Lanai and it was smooth sailing. We were served warm cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit, and coffee pretty quickly after we boarded and then just before we got to Lanai, they brought out warm breakfast croissant sandwiches. 

When we got to Lanai, we docked at Manele Harbor, gathered our things and did the quick walk (about ¼ mile) to Hulopoe Beach. The crew also had some golf carts if you’re not able to walk that far. 

Once we got to the beach we had about 2.5 hours to spend on the island. They have a great set up on the beach with chairs, mats, plenty of shade and a snack and drink station. 

 

The snorkeling is right off the beach and the crew is there to help you get your gear and time your entry in between waves. There are also a couple of crew members further out on surfboards to keep an eye on everyone. 

I was actually pretty impressed with the snorkeling…I think it’s one of the better spots I’ve been to in Hawaii.

But what I really LOVED about this setup is that you can snorkel for however long (or little) you want and when you’re done, you’re on one of the best beaches in Hawaii. 

There’s also a short hike you can do up past the tidepools for a great view of Pu’u Pehe Rock. 

The time flew by (I could’ve stayed here all day) and a little before 11:30AM we packed up our things and walked back to the harbor for lunch. 

If you’ve ever done a snorkel tour, most of the time “lunch” consists of a sandwich and bag of chips, but this is a BBQ lunch in a large pavilion overlooking the harbor. 

We had salad, rolls, kiawe-wood grilled chicken, corn on the cob, and stir fry noodles all served at the table. And there was plenty for seconds!

They have adirondack chairs and corn hole set up on the lawn plus the general store down below has a great gift shop (with Trilogy and Lanai merch). 

After lunch, we loaded back up on the boat to sail back to Maui. They opened the bar up plus we had ice cream sundaes just before we landed. 

And we saw dolphins! 

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