The 14 Best Sailing Trips in the Pacific Islands

1.South Sea Sailing Full Day Trip (5 years and above only)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 600 reviews Our pick

Spend about seven hours aboard Sabre, a 78-foot sailing catamaran, cruising Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands. Swim and snorkel at coral reefs, visit a deserted sand cay, use the paddle boards and water slide, and enjoy morning tea, a gourmet buffet, soft drinks, water, beer, and wine. Coach transfers are offered from Nadi, Denarau, Vuda, and Wailoaloa.

“Crew and the boat were awesome. Super lively bunch of crew members. The food is incredible and plenty! You won't leave hungry or thirsty. The snorkeling was a great time! You'll enjoy yourself for sure!”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

Spend about four hours aboard Taboo, a small catamaran circling Moorea’s lagoon. Swim with blacktip sharks and stingrays, visit coral and underwater tiki sites, and enjoy fresh fruit, juice, and mai tais. Crews including Max, Louis, Leo, Mai, Flo, and Meri have led tours in French and English. Groups are limited to eight.

“Magical snorkel with Taboo in Moorea, our two amazing guides shared their knowledge with us and where fun and caring, and made every moment unforgettable.”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

Join Captain Leo or another Taboo skipper for a 2-hour-20-minute sunset sail from Mareto Public Beach. You’ll cruise inside and outside Moorea’s barrier reef, pass Cook’s Bay and Ōpūnohu Bay, hear island stories, and enjoy cocktails and fruit juice. The compact catamaran carries no more than eight people.

“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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

Spend about six hours circling Bora Bora’s lagoon by motorized Polynesian outrigger canoe. Guides such as Sam, Jean, Tarepa, and Ruma lead stops for coral gardens, black-tip sharks, stingrays, manta rays, and tropical fish, followed by a BBQ lunch on a small motu. Hotel pickup, gear, towels, drinks, and lunch are included.

“We were staying at the Conrad resort for five nights and did a couple excursions, had massages and ate at every restaurant there. Everything was amazing but the small group snorkel with Bbq lunch was absolutely the highlight for both of us. I would say you should not miss it. It is more expensive than the regular, larger group snorkel excursion, but it isn’t cheap getting to Bora Bora so you might as well spend the extra money for something memorable. The captain of our boat was Tauarii and the guide was Tarepa. Both were super nice. Honestly, I LOVED TAREPA. He was a big bear and super sweet. They…”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Major Tom -Sailing Day Cruise, with Snorkeling, Lunch & More!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 182 reviews · from $164

Spend about five hours aboard Major Tom with Captain Ben and crew, sailing protected Havannah waters, snorkeling two sites, eating a fresh BBQ lunch, visiting a beach market, and enjoying kayaks or paddleboards. Hotel transfers from Port Vila, gear, water, and onboard toilets are included.

“Great staff, extremely helpful. Amazing day out! Beautiful snorkel spot! Great lunch options (for kids) totally worth it!”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

Spend about four hours aboard the 40-foot Vitamin Sea catamaran with a small group of up to 12 people. Sail past Mount Otemanu, snorkel at a quieter coral garden, relax on deck, and stop at a floating bar in Paradise Bay. Hotel or port pickup, drinks, water, and a professional guide 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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Tetiaroa Island Tour by Sailing Catamaran

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

Leave Papeete at 6:00 AM for Tetiaroa aboard a large catamaran, with breakfast, lunch, and drinks included. A guide leads you to Bird’s Island, then you get free time for photos, swimming, and sunbathing before snorkeling the reef. English and French are offered, though some explanations may be mainly in French.

“Great catamaran, beautiful location, food was excellent. French speaking so missed a bit of the explanation by the guide on the island. The boat crew tried to explain to us separately which worked ok.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.South Sea Sailing Experience with Lunch & Drinks

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 155 reviews · 7 hours · from $124

Spend seven hours aboard South Sea Cruises’ Sabre catamaran, sailing the Mamanuca Islands with morning tea, a chef-prepared buffet, guided reef snorkeling, paddleboards, and a sand cay stop. Crew members including Moses and Suka help keep the day friendly and relaxed. Hotel transfers from several Nadi-area resorts are included.

“Fantastic experience! We've been to Fiji several times, but this experience was exceptional. I would do it again in a heartbeat! Included transfer transport was awesome, staff were well trained, thoughtful, respectful, playful. There was so much food! Morning tea was wonderful, lunch was filling, tasty, well catered for those who eat a lot (i.e. no-one went without!). Safety and friendly guidance was top of the list for the snorkeling event, and who wouldn't have enjoyed the floating bar! Definitely worthwhile doing this trip. 5 stars!”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Introduction to sailing and discovering the lagoon

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

Spend four hours aboard Vaapiti, Moorea’s handmade double sailing canoe, with room for up to eight people. Guides including Jr, Nainoa, Raphael, and Jean Roland introduce you to Polynesian sailing, let you help raise the sail and steer, and take you to snorkel sites with rays, blacktip sharks, fish, turtles, and underwater tikis. Fruit, drinks, snacks, gear, and GoPro images are included.

“Amazing tour of the lagoon, learning about sailing the canoe, and swimming with the rays and sharks. The crew were so nice and knowledgeable. We had good wind this day so were able to sail and each of us had a go steering or putting up the sail. Perfect day.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.LUXURY Catamaran Bora Bora : The Sunset Escape

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

Board a 46-foot sailing catamaran from your hotel dock, or transfer by skiff to the boat, then cruise around Bora Bora for about two hours. Captain Thelma, Alex, Camille, Dylan, or Jane may lead the trip. Expect lounge music, chaise lounges, nets, snacks, chilled drinks, and sunset views of Mount Otemanu.

“Had a good trip. Weather was great. Captain and crew were nice and friendly. Very relaxing. Laid on the front netting with my wife + the soft padded lounge area up front. They gave us towels for the back of our heads for comfort. Sunset Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 105 reviews

Spend three to four private hours aboard Taboo with a captain and guide from Voila Moorea. You will sail or motor along Moorea’s coast, stop at several snorkeling sites, and look for stingrays, blacktip reef sharks, turtles, coral, tropical fish, and an underwater Tiki. Gear, snacks, drinks, and pickup are included.

“Louis and Vincent were great and went above and beyond to make sure we had a wonderful time. They even took us out to swim with turtles.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.The Vanilla tour of Taha’a in a comfortable outrigger canoe

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 58 reviews · from $156

Set out from Raiatea at 8:30 a.m. aboard Blue Lagoon, a modern outrigger canoe for up to 12 people. Jimmy and his team take you to a pearl farm, coral garden, rum shop, vanilla plantation, and a motu lunch. Snorkeling gear, drinks, snacks, and a Polynesian buffet are included.

“The tour was fantastic. The ship is modern, clean, and comfortable. Captain Jimmy is a super tour guide. He is very nice and friendly.”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Sunset sailing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 56 reviews · from $115Best value

Set out from Vaapiti Moorea at 3 pm for a three-hour sunset sail with a small crew and up to eight passengers. You’ll look for rays, sharks, turtles, and colorful fish, hear stories of Polynesian navigation, use snorkeling gear, and enjoy fruit, juices, local specialties, and a cocktail as the sun fades.

“Very unique experience from taking a homemade boat but great experience. Not the fanciest excursion but JR and his brother made sure we enjoyed our time”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Moorea Discovery Half-day Sailing

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 53 reviews · from $115

Spend about three hours sailing Moorea’s lagoon with captain Hervé and a group of no more than five. Swim and snorkel near Motu Tiahura, look for rays and sharks, visit the motu, and enjoy fruit, snacks, water, and drinks aboard a Polynesian boat. Morning and afternoon departures include hotel transfers.

“Was a beautiful and relaxing experience. Our guide was great and it made for a great experience! We saw many snorkel spots that weren’t crowded and were able to relax on the catamaran”

Check availability →Read our full review