Molokini is a sunken volcanic crater off Maui’s south shore, and one of the clearest, most protected reefs in Hawaii. Compare every Molokini snorkel tour by price, boat, trip length and departure point, then book the one that fits your day.
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Prices are adult rates before tax, as listed in November 2026. Operators change prices and run sales often, so the booking page always has today’s rate. We may earn a commission when you book through this site.
From the Kīhei Boat Ramp · About 2 hours · From $129
Our favorite way to snorkel Molokini: a quick ride out, a good stretch of time in the crater, and you’re back on land with the rest of your day free. It’s about a 15-minute boat ride from Kīhei, with no more than 14 guests and Molokini guaranteed.
Snorkel gear, life jackets and flotation belts included · Ages 8 and up · Rafts are faster and bouncier than big catamarans, and there’s no bar
From Maluaka Beach, Mākena · About 3.5 hours
From $259
The closest launch to Molokini. The 65-foot catamaran loads straight off the beach in Mākena, so the ride is short. The Sunrise Deluxe arrives at Molokini first thing; the mid-morning Signature Deluxe adds a gourmet lunch.
Best for: Wailea and Mākena guests · Food and open bar · Shuttle from Wailea available
2, 3 or 5.5 hours
From about $140
Small rafts from the Kīhei Boat Ramp with three choices: a 2-hour Molokini express, a 3-hour Molokini and Turtle Town trip, or a 5.5-hour day that adds the remote Kanaio Coast sea caves and up to three Molokini sites, including the back side.
Best for: adventurous snorkelers who want the wild coastline · No restrooms on board · No alcohol
About 5 hours
From $219.95 · online sales often lower
The easy family choice. Two snorkel stops, a learn-to-snorkel class, naturalists on board, a junior naturalist program and a water slide, with breakfast and a barbecue lunch grilled on board. 100% of profits support the nonprofit’s ocean programs.
Best for: families and first-time snorkelers · Children 4 and under free
About 5 hours
$213 incl. tax
Maui’s largest power catamaran, run at well under its Coast Guard capacity so there’s room to spread out. Breakfast, a barbecue lunch, an open bar, a water slide and an optional Snuba add-on. The same company runs the smaller luxury catamaran ʻElua.
Best for: big-boat comfort and an all-inclusive day · Family-owned since 1983
About 5–5.5 hours
About $179
A big, stable triple-deck catamaran with two water slides, a jump platform and a glass-bottom viewing area. Breakfast and a grilled lunch are included; drinks are available after snorkeling.
Best for: families and anyone who wants a steady ride · Accessible for manual wheelchairs
About 5 hours
About $160
A 55-foot power catamaran with easy stairways into the water at the front and back, two restrooms and plenty of flotation. Two snorkel stops, usually Molokini and Turtle Town, with breakfast and lunch.
Best for: good value on a comfortable mid-size boat
About 5 hours
About $289
The luxury option out of Māʻalaea: a large sailing catamaran that runs well under capacity, with a full breakfast, a buffet lunch and an open bar. Optional transportation is available.
Best for: a special-occasion day with room to spread out · Run by Aliʻi Class Yachts
About 5 hours
About $200
A long-running family company on spacious sailing catamarans. Two stops, Molokini and often Turtle Town, with homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast, a barbecue chicken lunch and two cocktails on the sail home.
Best for: a classic sail-and-snorkel day · Snuba upgrade for ages 8 and up
About 5 hours
From $200
A proper sailing trip on the 54-foot performance catamaran Akialoa, limited to 49 guests. Breakfast on the way out, lunch and an open bar on the way home. If Molokini isn’t safe that day, they sail to another snorkel spot.
Best for: people who care as much about the sail as the snorkeling · All ages
About 5 hours
From $190
Maui Classic Charters’ family boat, with Maui’s only glass-bottom room you can sit inside, a water slide, breakfast, lunch and an open bar.
Best for: young kids and non-swimmers · All ages · Snuba add-on
About 5 hours
From $205
Maui Classic Charters’ faster 54-foot power catamaran. It leaves early to beat the crowds to Molokini, then heads to a second site for turtles, with breakfast, a taco-bar lunch and an open bar.
Best for: more snorkel time on a mid-size boat · Ages 5 and up
About 5 hours
About $175
A mid-size boat that caps its group size, with a continental breakfast and deli lunch. The standout is the optional Snuba add-on for going deeper than a snorkel allows.
Best for: trying Snuba at Molokini
About 5–6 hours
About $198
A small-group trip on the 54-foot single-deck Ocean Explorer that heads for the less-visited back side of Molokini, then a second site such as Turtle Arches or Puʻu Ōlaʻi.
Best for: confident snorkelers who want the back wall · Ages 7 and up
Prefer to sleep in? These shorter afternoon trips leave Māʻalaea around midday. The trade winds usually pick up by afternoon, so the captain decides each day between Molokini and calmer Coral Gardens off West Maui.
About 3 hours
About $90
One of the few afternoon trips that can still reach Molokini. The captain picks Molokini or Coral Gardens based on the day’s wind and swell. A light lunch is available.
Best for: late risers and the lowest price
About 3.5 hours
From $125
A shorter, later version of the Four Winds trip, usually to Coral Gardens with its turtles, and to Molokini when conditions allow. Lunch, the glass-bottom room and the water slide are all included.
Best for: families who want a relaxed afternoon
Snuba sits between snorkeling and scuba. You breathe through a regulator connected by a long air hose to a tank floating on a raft at the surface, so you can dive down to about 20 feet with a guide, with no certification needed. It’s best for people who are comfortable snorkeling and want a closer look at the reef.
Trilogy (ages 8 and up), Pride of Maui, Four Winds II and Aqua Adventures offer Snuba as an add-on to their Molokini trips, usually for about $65–$80 more. Spaces are limited, so add it when you book. Read more in our Snuba guide.
| Tour | Leaves from | Boat | Length | Snorkel stops | Adult price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redline 2-hour (our favorite) | Kīhei Boat Ramp | Raft, up to 14 | About 2 hours | Molokini | From $129 |
| Redline 5-hour Adventure | Kīhei Boat Ramp | Raft, up to 24 | About 5 hours | Molokini incl. back wall, South Maui coast | From $209 |
| Blue Water Rafting | Kīhei Boat Ramp | Raft | 2, 3 or 5.5 hours | Molokini; Turtle Town or Kanaio Coast | From about $140 |
| Pride of Maui | Māʻalaea Harbor | Large power catamaran | About 5 hours | Molokini, Turtle Town | $213 incl. tax |
| Kai Kanani | Maluaka Beach, Mākena | 65-ft catamaran | About 3.5 hours | Molokini, Turtle Town | From $259 |
| Pacific Whale: Turtle Arches | Māʻalaea Harbor | Catamaran | About 5 hours | Molokini, Turtle Arches | From $219.95 |
| Calypso | Māʻalaea Harbor | Triple-deck catamaran | About 5–5.5 hours | Molokini, Turtle Town | About $179 |
| Malolo | Māʻalaea Harbor | 55-ft power catamaran | About 5 hours | Molokini, Turtle Town | About $160 |
| Aliʻi Nui | Māʻalaea Harbor | Luxury sailing catamaran | About 5 hours | Molokini, second site | About $289 |
| Trilogy | Māʻalaea Harbor | Sailing catamaran | About 5 hours | Molokini, often Turtle Town | About $200 |
| Sail Maui | Māʻalaea Harbor | 54-ft sailing catamaran | About 5 hours | Molokini or alternate site | From $200 |
| Four Winds II | Māʻalaea Harbor | 55-ft glass-bottom catamaran | About 5 hours | Molokini | From $190 |
| Maui Magic | Māʻalaea Harbor | 54-ft power catamaran | About 5 hours | Molokini, turtle site | From $205 |
| Aqua Adventures | Māʻalaea Harbor | Mid-size boat | About 5 hours | Molokini, Turtle Arches | About $175 |
| Pacific Whale: Wild Side | Māʻalaea Harbor | 54-ft catamaran, small group | About 5–6 hours | Molokini back side, second site | About $198 |
| Malolo Afternoon | Māʻalaea Harbor | 55-ft power catamaran | About 3 hours | Molokini or Coral Gardens | About $90 |
| Four Winds II Afternoon | Māʻalaea Harbor | 55-ft glass-bottom catamaran | About 3.5 hours | Coral Gardens or Molokini | From $125 |
The ride out is part of the trip. A shorter crossing means more time in the water and less time for seasickness; a longer one on a big catamaran can be the relaxing part of the day.
≈3.5 mi to Molokini
The closest launch. Boats load from the sand, so expect to get your feet wet. Ideal if you’re staying in Wailea or Mākena.
≈6 mi to Molokini
Central South Maui, a short drive from Kīhei and Wailea. Small, fast boats like rafts launch here.
≈11 mi to Molokini
Home of the big catamarans and sailboats. The longest crossing, but the easiest drive if you’re staying in West Maui or central Maui.
On a calm day you can see 100 to 150 feet down. The crescent-shaped rim blocks much of the open-ocean swell, so the water inside the crater is usually calmer and clearer than at Maui’s beaches, especially in the morning before the trade winds arrive.
Molokini is what’s left of a volcanic cone that erupted from the seafloor between Maui and Kahoʻolawe. Geologists estimate it formed roughly 230,000 years ago; over time the sea broke through one side, leaving the crescent you see today.
The islet covers about 20 acres and rises roughly 160 feet above the sea. Inside the crescent the reef is shallow enough to snorkel; outside, the back wall drops more than 300 feet into deep blue water, which is why only some trips snorkel it.
Marine biologists have recorded more than 250 fish species and 38 species of coral at Molokini, including Hawaii’s state fish, the humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa or reef triggerfish. See our Molokini fish and reef guide and sharks at Molokini Crater.
Native Hawaiians fished here for centuries, and during World War II the U.S. military used the islet for bombing practice. Today Molokini is a state seabird sanctuary and the surrounding waters are a Marine Life Conservation District, so you can’t take or feed marine life, and you should never touch or stand on coral. Read the full history of Molokini.
Mornings are best year-round. Winter brings humpback whales, roughly December through April. Maui’s water typically runs from the mid-70s °F in late winter to around 80 °F in late summer. More in the best month for Molokini snorkeling and Maui water temperatures.
Mineral, reef-safe sunscreen (Hawaii bans sunscreens with oxybenzone and octinoxate), a towel, a hat and a light layer for the ride home. Most boats provide masks, snorkels, fins and flotation, and many don’t allow full-face masks.
A two-hour raft from Kīhei or a 3.5-hour catamaran from Mākena gets you to Molokini and back by late morning.
The two-hour raft and the afternoon catamarans are the lowest-priced ways to snorkel Molokini; five-hour trips include more food and a second stop.
Choose the shortest crossing, from Mākena or Kīhei, or a big catamaran, which rides more smoothly than a small boat.
Pacific Whale Foundation, Four Winds II and Calypso are built for families, with slides, flotation and kids’ programs.
The Four Winds II and Calypso have glass-bottom viewing areas, and every boat provides flotation.
Sail Maui, Trilogy and Aliʻi Nui put up sails, which makes the crossing quieter and more relaxing.
For most visitors, no. Molokini sits about three miles off Maui’s south coast, there’s no beach to swim from, and the islet itself is a protected seabird sanctuary you can’t land on. A tour boat is the practical way to get there.
Most Molokini snorkel tours cost roughly $125 to $310 per adult before tax. Short trips, like a two-hour raft from Kīhei or a three-hour afternoon catamaran, are at the low end; five-hour luxury sails with an open bar are at the top. Prices change often, so check each operator’s booking page.
Shorter trips usually cost less than five-hour, all-inclusive cruises. A two-hour raft from Kīhei or a three-hour afternoon catamaran from Māʻalaea are typically the lowest-priced options, though afternoon boats only go to Molokini when the wind allows.
Morning. The water is usually calmest early, before the trade winds build. Afternoon trips exist, but they often switch to a calmer site like Coral Gardens when Molokini is too windy.
Yes, occasionally. Whitetip reef sharks are sometimes seen resting near ledges along the crater, and they’re generally shy around snorkelers. Seeing one is usually a highlight, not a worry.
No. Ocean conditions decide, and many boats go to another snorkel site when Molokini isn’t safe. Redline Rafting guarantees Molokini on its trips. Check each operator’s policy before you book.
It depends on where you leave from. In a straight line Molokini is roughly 3.5 miles from Maluaka Beach in Mākena, about 6 miles from the Kīhei Boat Ramp and about 11 miles from Māʻalaea Harbor.
Often not. Several Molokini operators, including Sail Maui and Pacific Whale Foundation, don’t allow full-face masks. Boats provide standard masks and snorkels, and some carry prescription masks.
Yes, on the right boat. Big catamarans with slides, flotation and kids’ programs suit young children, and several let children under 4 ride free. Some boats have minimum ages, such as 5 and up on the Maui Magic and 8 and up on Redline Rafting.
You can still enjoy the trip. Boats provide flotation, and the Four Winds II and Calypso have glass-bottom viewing areas so you can watch the reef while staying dry.
Humpback whales are in Maui’s waters in winter, roughly December through April, with the peak from January through March, so morning snorkel trips in those months often include whale sightings.
Yes. Several boats, including Trilogy, Pride of Maui, Four Winds II and Aqua Adventures, offer Snuba as an add-on: you breathe through a long hose from a raft at the surface, so you can dive a little deeper than snorkeling without scuba certification.