13 French Polynesia Sailing Tours, Best Day First

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

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

Spend about four hours aboard Taboo, a small catamaran limited to eight people. Swim with blacktip sharks and stingrays, visit coral and underwater tiki sites, and cruise near Opunohu Bay. Guides such as Max, Louis, Leo, Mai, and Flo provide local stories, gear, fruit, juice, and mai tais, with hotel pickup available.

“Max and Louis did great job getting us to the best spots for snorkeling. Yes, we did swim with sharks and rays! Super informative about local history and culture. Only 8 on board so we all get time in the “net” during the tour. Highly recommend!”

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

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

Spend about 2 hours 20 minutes aboard Taboo with Captain Leo or Neil, sailing inside and outside Moorea’s reef. Expect views of Cook’s Bay and Ōpūnohu Bay, island stories, fruit juice, and cocktails, including mai tais. Pickup may be available, and the cruise returns to Mareto Public Beach.

“Very nice trip. Winds were calm, so we had to motor around which was fine. Our captain was friendly and very knowledgeable . The clouds to the west were too dense for a nice sunset. Mother Nature has her way sometimes. We were on the island 10 days with no colorful sunsets, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

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

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

Spend four hours aboard Vitamin Sea, a former 40-foot racing catamaran, with a small group of up to eight on the boat. Your crew sails across Bora Bora’s lagoon, guides you through a coral garden, serves drinks, and stops at a shallow-water floating bar. Hotel or port pickup, drop-off, and a professional guide are included.

“The boat and crew were spectacular. The snorkeling was beautiful. We really enjoyed the entire experience.”

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4.From Tahiti: Tetiaroa Island Tour by Sailing Catamaran

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

Meet your English or French-speaking crew at Papeete Marina before sunrise for a 2.5-hour catamaran ride to Tetiaroa. A hostess leads a 20-minute walk to Bird’s Island, followed by free time, local lunch, reef snorkeling, and a punch on the return trip. The normal boat is large and fast, though the crossing can take longer on some departures.

“We absolutely loved the crew, the location, and the experience on the boat. The breakfast, lunch, snacks made for a delicious day. The crew was really helpful and cool throughout the day. The beach where they take you on the island is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Can be a little tricky to get parking and find the location of the boat that early in the morning, and in the dark. So just give yourself plenty of time. And if there are two boats leaving that day, it could be that yours is not where you see the group standing. So just walk a bit…”

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5.Introduction to sailing and discovering the lagoon

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 144 reviews · from $126Best value

Spend four hours aboard Vaapiti, Moorea’s hand-built double sailing canoe, with guides including Jr, Nainoa, Raphael, and Jean Roland. Learn to raise the sail and steer, visit sandbanks, motu, underwater tikis, and snorkeling sites, and look for rays, black-tip sharks, turtles, and tropical fish. Morning and afternoon departures are available.

“Our family of five (two adults, three kids 13, 11 and 7) had a wonderful time on the tour. It was fascinating to learn about the boat and its construction and we saw lots of amazing sites around the lagoon. The trip was a great experience for our family and we highly recommend it.”

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6.LUXURY Catamaran Bora Bora : The Sunset Escape

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 129 reviews · from $267

Sail around Bora Bora for about two hours aboard the 46-foot Vitamin Sea catamaran. You’ll have hotel dock pickup, lounge music, light snacks, chilled drinks, and views of Mount Otemanu. Captains such as Thelma and crew members including Alex, Camille, and Cami are praised for warm service and local insight. A small boat transfer may be needed.

“The crew was great! Super attentive and fun, knowledgeable of the islands and sailing. It was a wonderful evening on the water and the sun cooperated with a lovely sunset. The speed boat came to pick us up from our resort to take us to the St. Regis to take the catamaran and that was lots of fun too!”

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 105 reviews · from $926 whole boat, up to 4

Spend three to four private hours aboard Taboo with a captain and guide such as Léo, Flo, Max, or Louis. Cruise Moorea’s lagoon, snorkel with rays, black-tip reef sharks, turtles, and tropical fish, and visit an underwater tiki site. Gear, fruit, juice, water, snacks, and some alcoholic drinks are included.

“Max and Flo were absolutely amazing and truly personalized the tour for us. Their warmth and hospitality were great. We were sad when we ended for the day, but look forward to booking again!!!”

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8.LUXURY PRIVATE Catamaran Bora Bora : Half-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 33 reviews · from $1,805 whole boat, up to 2

Spend four private hours aboard Vitamin Sea, a 40-foot former racing catamaran, with a captain and host. You’ll sail Bora Bora’s lagoon, stop to snorkel among colorful fish, and relax at Paradise Bay’s floating bar with cold drinks, snacks, and music. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

“It was a beautiful half day excursion. Thelma and Jane were fantastic and made us feel very welcome. They took us to an amazing snorkel spot that was like swimming in an aquarium. So many beautiful fish. We went to another location for a flRead more”

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9.LUXURY PRIVATE Catamaran Bora Bora : Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · from $2,918 whole boat, up to 9

Join Sailing Bora Bora for a six-hour private catamaran trip from 9:00 am. Sail under wind power, watch for sting rays and eagle rays, swim near the reef, and enjoy snacks, drinks, alcohol, music, and views of Mount Otemanu. Crew members may include Thelma, Nick, Alex, Clement, or Perla.

“We were on Vitamin Sea II as a family of 8 (grandparents, parents and kids). We had a wonderful day sailing around Bora Bora, snorkeling and relaxing. Thelma, our Captain, was amazing. We all enjoyed ourselves and would recommend this experience!”

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10.LUXURY PRIVATE Catamaran Bora Bora : The Sunset Escape

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · from $1,407 whole boat, up to 2

Set sail on a private Bora Bora catamaran for about two hours, with hotel pickup, drinks, snacks, music, and sunset views of Mount Otemanu. Your crew handles the sailing and photos, while guides such as Nick, Candice, Thelma, and Alex have helped make past trips personal, including letting an interested young sailor take the helm.

“Trip highlight! A wonderful experience loved by everyone in our family. Tour was well organized and made for a very relaxing and enjoyable experience.”

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11.LUXURY PRIVATE Catamaran : Full-Day Sail & Polynesian Motu Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $2,731 whole boat, up to 2

Spend about six hours on a private catamaran for up to two people, with hotel pickup, a captain, hostess, snorkeling gear, drinks, and a Polynesian lunch on a private islet. Sail past Mount Otemanu, stop in a scenic bay for swimming, and look for sting rays and eagle rays beneath the catamaran nets.

“Attention to every detail. The captain and staff insure a memorable way to experience Bora Bora! Paradise in paradise!”

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12.Bora Bora: Half Day Catamaran Sailing & Snorkelling

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 4 hours · from $314

Spend four hours aboard Vitamin Sea, a former racing catamaran, with a small group of up to eight people. Captain Dillon and Jane have welcomed guests, hoisted the sails, and even let some steer. You’ll sail near Mount Otemanu, snorkel when conditions allow, and stop at Paradise Bay for drinks, snacks, music, and a floating bar.

“Best activity on Bora Bora! Captain Dillon & Jane were fantastic! We got to steer the beautiful catamaran & so neat to watch them hoist the sail & set anchor. The lively music & refreshments were great! Snorkeling was fun but best part was partying with the floating bar in the most beautiful crystal clear water. Ours was the 4 hour trip & regretted not booking the full day!”

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13.Moorea: private sunset sailing tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 3 reviews · from $567 whole boat, up to 2

Join Captain JP and crew member Anais for a private three-hour sunset sail from Moorea Yacht Club. On the 47-foot Mori Ora, you can trim sails, steer, tie sailor’s knots, and watch Moorea turn gold. Drinks are included, and whale sightings are possible from July 20 through November 20.

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