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St.Martin/St.Maarten Magical Tour

Recommended by 90% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Philipsburg, St Maarten
Great choice
5+ bookings last month.
  • 2 to 5 hours (approx.)
  • Pickup offered
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.6
·
· Bob_H ·
Mar 2026
Our guide was excellent, he shared so much knowledge with us. He took us to places where we got great views of the Island. He also took us to Maho beach which is famous for airliners landing and taking off so close to the beach you get blown away. He taught us so much about Sant Maarten.
· Stephanie_P ·
Jan 2026
Manny was wonderful and very informative! Plenty of time back to the cruise port for shopping. Beach stops were great!

Overview

    What's Included

    • Alcoholic Beverages
    • Soda/Pop

      Meeting and Pickup

      Pickup points

      Select a pickup point

      Pickup details

      Here is how to find us. As you exit the ship, walk toward a bar called sharks. continue walking until you see a taxi dispatch sign, walk through the dispatch, turn left towards the EDC parking lot. You will see a white tent, walk in the direction of the tent then you will see a security booth right next to the booth, someone will be there with a sign with your name on it. On your map you will see two meeting points section A and section B. Your meeting point will be section A, follow the arrow to section A. Here is our phone number just in case of emergency1-721-5889736.

      Operating hours
      .9:00 am

      Itinerary

      1

      Oyster Pond

      10 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

      2

      Maho Beach

      2 hours Admission Ticket Free

      3

      Marigot

      1 hour Admission Ticket Free

      4

      Simpson Bay

      10 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

      5

      Orient Bay

      1 hour Admission Ticket Free

      6

      Simpson Bay

      30 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

      7

      Cole Bay

      10 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

      Additional Info

      • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
      • Infant seats available
      • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
      • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
      • Near public transportation
      • Most travelers can participate
      • Not wheelchair accessible
      • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 33 travelers

      Cancellation Policy

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

      Traveler Photos

      Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
      Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
      Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
      Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
      Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

      Featured review

      David_O
      This was a very relaxing, informative and enjoyable experience. Initially, finding our meeting spot was a bit confusing but we were able to get things sorted out and met with Richard, our tour guide. Richard was very personable and accommodating and provided a great tour of the island. We were able to get a good feel for both countries and the island. We would definitely recommend this tour to anyone interested experiencing St. Maarten.

      Reviews

      4.6
      based on 42 reviews
      Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

      At the beginning, the...

      Jaravis_G, May 2026
      At the beginning, the tour did not start as planned because somehow they could not find my booking, which was frustrating since everything had already been confirmed. To make matters worse, Viator only provided four pickup locations in the app, when the actual tour company does offer hotel pickup services. The nice lady waiting for us even mentioned that we should not have taken a cab because they could have arranged pickup directly from our hotel. This caused unnecessary confusion and extra transportation costs for our group. Thankfully, once everything was sorted out, Richard, our driver, completely turned the experience around. He was amazing — very patient, professional, and accommodating with our group of eight. He made sure we were comfortable, took us to every location smoothly, and even brought us to an amazing lunch spot. His kindness, positive attitude, and excellent service truly made the tour enjoyable for all of us

      Response from Host, May 2026

      Thank you very much for this wonderful review

      Buyer beware!!

      Ron_J, Apr 2026
      I have never had a bad tour through Viator, but unfortunately, this was the worst. First, this exact tour didn’t even happen. It was supposed to start at 9 o’clock am. My husband and I got off the dock and in the general vicinity of where the directions told us to go at 8:30. We were unable to find exactly the location to go, and when we went to the main hub where tours congregated (EDC), yet no one knew what tour we were talking about. It does not say which company the tour works for/is affiliated with, so that was also difficult to try to figure out where we were supposed to go. Eventually, someone found our name on a list in small writing, and at nearly 930, we followed some people that were also on the same tour. However, we got to the van, and the van was full; they said we would have to wait until another van came. We waited until 945ish and other tours were leaving the hub, and my husband finally had to pester another employee to figure out when we were going to go because we did not want to miss out on any parts of the tour we paid for. Again, we were led to a van, but it was full again and we would have to wait, we were told. My husband had to talk to yet another person and we were pretty heated because this is horrible Customer Service of us being there on time and nobody communicating with us properly. Finally, some employee took us to a van and we got in with another family. We were on the road about half a mile, and the other family was curious where we were going because the beaches we were talking about in the car, were definitely not ones lists in the tour they paid for/ on their itinerary. Come to find out, they had booked on a different tour so we had to turn all the way around and go back to the pick up hub. They got off and went to try and figure out what to do next bc they had smaller kids and a kid in a wheelchair, and they were promised to go on the Rhino Tour, but the employee said, “no, that’s a photo. You didn’t sign up for that.” They were very upset (rightfully so)and then the driver did not want to take just my husband and I on a tour, so again we were left in the parking lot. It was already past 10 o’clock and someone told some other employee (who looked like she was about to just go home for the day) that she had to take us on an island tour in her car. She didn’t particularly look like she wanted to drive us around, and she didn’t even offer her name (I had to ask once we were belted in). We had chosen this particular tour because of the certain places we would be visiting, Maho Beach being the one I really wanted to visit with the airplanes flying over. Immediately this random driver, (although she was friendlier later on) told us we would be stuck in traffic bc of all the cruise ships, so Maho Beach was not the best idea. I was pretty upset, bc this is one of the MAIN reasons I booked this tour (to go to Maho Beach), but we were already in the car so I didn’t know what to do. She kept pushing the idea that we wouldn’t be back to the port on time bc of the bumper to bumper traffic, so I gave in to do whatever she offered. She asked if I wanted to go to Orient Bay and I said yes because that was also on the itinerary. I only stayed for a couple minutes to take photos, but I felt like I was in a rush bc it wasn’t a proper tour. Here’s what our tour promised (2-5 hours) 1. The first place on the tour stated we were to go to Oyster Pond (10 min) I was excited about that because it says there is a coral reef photo shoot, but we didn’t stop there. 2. The second stop: Maho Beach (2 hours). Didn’t even attempt to go there. 3. Marigot - we drove by it on the way back to the port. She offered that we go there, but again she kept stressing about traffic being backed up, and as a person who is a stickler for being on time places, I definitely didn’t want to end up stuck somewhere off the ship. I said we could go directly to the port. 4. Simpson Bay (10 min) - she pulled over so I could take a photo of the landmark 5. Orient Bay (1 hour) - here is where she took us and I offered to only be a few minutes to take photos. I didn’t get to look at the goods people were selling or go in the water. I forgot a towel, so there was no getting in the water bc getting the car wet would cost her money. (Which I understand) 6. Simpson Bay (30 min) - we passed it maybe? We definitely didn’t stop there 7. Cole Bay (10 min) - we were to get “Mr. Bell’s photo shoot …of the island with the national flag in the background…” Nope. Didn’t stop there. We did stop for lunch at Cynthia’s Talk of the Town Lolo Bbq. My husband felt obligated to purchase her lunch since she was our personal chauffeur so we ate and I was able to see some of the beautiful water behind the restaurant. I’m just pretty miffed that we spent $140 ($70 each) for a drive around the island without the major stops the tour promised. I’m pretty sure the woman we drove with doesn’t even work directly with the St Maarten Magical Tour, but I really try to research what I’d love to do in certain places, and this was a bust. Don’t waste your money unless you are guaranteed to go on the tour in the bus, even if you’re super early to the arrival scene. Very poor experience.

      Response from Host, Apr 2026

      thanks for your feed back

      A tour of St. Maarten

      David_O, Apr 2026
      This was a very relaxing, informative and enjoyable experience. Initially, finding our meeting spot was a bit confusing but we were able to get things sorted out and met with Richard, our tour guide. Richard was very personable and accommodating and provided a great tour of the island. We were able to get a good feel for both countries and the island. We would definitely recommend this tour to anyone interested experiencing St. Maarten.

      Response from Host, Apr 2026

      Thank you David for that amazing review

      Great knowledge of the...

      Dennis_S, Mar 2026
      Great knowledge of the area and showed us many sights. Left it up to our group as far as time at each stop

      Response from Host, Mar 2026

      Thank You Dennis for the wonderful review

      Fantastic Family Excursion

      Heather_R, Mar 2026
      We had a great time! It was a 6 hour tour, and they stopped at all the best stops! We went to 2 beaches, a market, Maho Beach to see the airplanes, several stops for photos. He had a cooler of drinks for us to enjoy and they got us to the ship with plenty of time! We traveled with our 2 year old, 12 year old and 14 year old, and they all had a blast!

      Response from Host, Mar 2026

      Thank you Heather we are happy to hear that you enjoy your tour. lets make more memories and show the world what they are missing. thank you

      Great Tour, Great Views, Great Experience.

      Bob_H, Mar 2026
      Our guide was excellent, he shared so much knowledge with us. He took us to places where we got great views of the Island. He also took us to Maho beach which is famous for airliners landing and taking off so close to the beach you get blown away. He taught us so much about Sant Maarten.

      Response from Host, Mar 2026

      Thank you soo much for that amazing review

      Wonderful tour

      Stephanie_P, Jan 2026
      Manny was wonderful and very informative! Plenty of time back to the cruise port for shopping. Beach stops were great!

      Response from Host, Jan 2026

      Thank you Stephanie for your wonderful review for Simani

      Expected More by

      Dora_M, Jan 2026
      He waited for other participants for an hour past the scheduled time. Therefore, our time at Maho Beach was reduced and we didn’t get to see any comercial aircraft landing. We were almost late to the port.

      Response from Host, Jan 2026

      Thank you for your feed back

      Awesome tour & guide!

      Karen_I, Dec 2025
      Our tour driver Shawn went above and beyond for us to have a great experience! Thank you!! <3 St. Martin

      Response from Host, Jan 2026

      Thank you Karen it was our pleasure to host you on our friendly Island

      Horrible host, hard to find meeting point.

      RaulE_L, Dec 2025
      It is very difficult to locate the meeting point, I tried asking many people in the cruise terminal and nobody knew about this tour. I ended up getting lost and not going anywhere and my day was ruined. Half hour after the meeting time, the tour guide called me and got upset yelling at me demanding that I stopped what I was doing and come and meet him because he was waiting somewhere by the ship. Overall it was a total loss.

      Response from Host, Dec 2025

      you did not follow instructions. even when we call you refuse to come so its not the company fault

      Super!

      Sergiy_T, Dec 2025
      We had an unforgettable time on our tour of St. Maarten! Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the entire trip both fun and informative. We got to see breathtaking viewpoints, beautiful beaches, and some hidden local spots we would have never found on our own. We especially loved the local insights and stories that brought the island’s culture and history to life. Highly recommended for anyone visiting St. Maarten—this tour was absolutely worth it!

      Response from Host, Dec 2025

      Thank you for that wonderful review

      Richard our fantastic driver/guide

      WeiMing_K, Dec 2025
      Richard our driver was outstanding! He made sure to account for all passengers at all times (3 groups from 3 different cruise ships), and adapted the itinerary on the fly based on what the entire group wanted to emphasize, and effectively managed timing for each stop based on group interest and traffic conditions, all the while maintaining a cool, no pressure vibe. I especially appreciated him taking care of my mom who stayed in the van while the rest of us stepped out onto Maho Beach to watch the planes land. Apparently she got a good alternate view and essentially a private tour guide for those 40 minutes or so... thank you Richard! He was also a wealth of knowledge explaining the history, economy, wildlife, and sights of both sides of SXM as well as a few tidbits of neighboring islands as well. I enjoyed his recommendation for the local cuisine in Marigot... stewed conch was great! Richard kept us well hydrated with water and sodas, and the beers and a few shots of tasty rum punch were fantastic too! Next time I'm in SXM I'd look forward to having Richard lead my next adventure!

      Response from Host, Dec 2025

      Thank You Wei that review was outstanding and lovely, cant wait to see you again next year

      Time well spent

      Ian_O, Dec 2025
      Excellent tour, great guide and got to see and experience the best of St Martin/ St Maarten. Our only issue was finding the pickup point at the cruise terminal, better instructions are needed, however contacting the agent via the app produce a prompt response so we were present on time.

      Response from Host, Dec 2025

      Thank you for that amazing review

      Excellent tour! If you...

      Sherri_M, Oct 2025
      Excellent tour! If you love history and awesome sites. The tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly.

      Response from Host, Oct 2025

      Thank you Sherri for the amazing review

      Fantastic tour of the St.Maarten/St.Martin!

      Sherraine_E, Oct 2025
      Great tour! Shawn was a great guide. Full of history and humor. We got to see a good amount of St.Maarten/St.Martin for the short time that we had. Highly recommend!

      Response from Host, Oct 2025

      Thank you very much for your wonderful feedback. We do hope to see you again soon

      Enjoyable island tour

      Randy_M, Oct 2025
      This was a great excursion to see you both sides of the island. Nadean ? was extremely friendly, very knowledgeable and accommodating to our requests. Highly recommend! Word of caution: Do NOT tender any services from the women on the beach, they are scammers and operating illegally.

      Response from Host, Oct 2025

      Thank you Randy for that wonderful feedback

      Fantastic time in St Maarten

      Michelle_T, Oct 2025
      Our tour guide Noreen was excellent 👌 Nothing was too much trouble and her knowledge was excellent. We would definitely use this company again.

      Response from Host, Oct 2025

      Thank you Michelle for those lovely feed back

      This was such a great...

      Lori_C, Sep 2025
      This was such a great tour. Our tour guide, Shawn, was the absolute best. Shawn was very knowledgeable and provided our group with such a detailed history of both sides of the island and best of all made it entertaining, keeping everyone on this tour captivated. Shawn is a true professional and great at making sure everyone had an amazing experience. I would definitely recommend taking this tour.

      Response from Host, Sep 2025

      Thank you Lori for that wonderful review and we are looking forward to see you and your friends again. Cheers

      Absolutely the Best City Tour Ever!

      Kim_B, Aug 2025
      From start to finish, this tour was unforgettable—and that’s all thanks to my amazing guide, Nerline. Not only was she incredibly knowledgeable about the history, culture, and hidden gems of the city, but she made every moment engaging, fun, and personal. Nerline went above and beyond to make sure she answered every question with patience, and even shared insider tips that made the rest of my trip so much better. I’ve been on many tours, but this one stands out as the absolute best. If you want to truly experience the city, not just see it, book this excursion —you won’t regret it!

      Response from Host, Aug 2025

      Hi Kim Thank you so much for that amazing review

      An Amazing Day!!!!

      Daphne_F, Jul 2025
      So glad we did this tour! Shawn was AMAZING. So professional, funny, amicable but most of all exceptionally knowledgeable about every aspect of both sides of the island. Glad we did it early in our week so that we can go back and visit some of the beautiful beaches he showed us and try his “fave” local restaurants. A fabulous day. Highly recommended!

      Response from Host, Jul 2025

      Thank you very much for that wonderful review

      Great cruise ship shore excursion!

      Ken_J, Jul 2025
      Mr. Shawn Green was a fantastic tour guide, both friendly & knowledgeable! We hit all the tourist hotspots!

      Response from Host, Jul 2025

      Thank you Ken

      Nice island sampler platter

      Karen_L, Jun 2025
      Shawn took us around the island and shared a lot of history and took us to all the hot spots on both sides of the island. Stopped to have some lunch in the French capital Marigot. The Maho beach airport stop was just too cool. Enjoy the ride and a couple beers!

      Response from Host, Jun 2025

      Thank you Karen

      This turned out to be a...

      Cherylle_B, Jun 2025
      This turned out to be a lovely tour. I initially booked with another tour and they cancelled on me. This outing with Pelican Island Tours worked out for me. From the moment Shawn did the pick up I sensed I would have fun, and let me tell you, I HAD FUN!!! Shawn was quite knowledgeable about the island and the stops we made. Some stops were the usual tourist spots but he also added a couple that were not on my radar. Overall, I enjoyed myself and will recommend him to friends and family coming to the island.

      Response from Host, Jun 2025

      Thank you Cherylle it was an assume day.

      Satisfied customer

      Darlene_C, Jun 2025
      Our tour guide Simanni was excellent. He was very knowledgeable and helpful with his tour. The places he took us to, he explained the history and many facts about where we were. He took us to a local restaurant for lunch that was great. I will definitely recommend anyone to take this tour, it’s well worth it.

      Response from Host, Jun 2025

      Thank you for that wonderful review

      Kevin’s Experience.

      Kevin_R, Jun 2025
      I wanted to take a tour of the island and get a good feel for the geography and history of both the Dutch and French sides. I certainly was not disappointed with my tour guide Shawn and his trainee Gabriel. Both of them were a valuable resource and had a vast knowledge of the history of the island. I like to talk a lot and had many many questions for Shawn and Gabriel. The tour was approx 5 hours long and covered both the Dutch and French side and stopped at around 7 different photo stops. The tour was done in a large brand new van that was luxurious, comfortable and the a/c was perfect. Only 2 others, Leica and Naomi, mother and daughter, joined the tour so our guides had plenty of time for the three of us. Shawn and Gabriel took approx 20 individual photos for me and they documented the fun tour we had. All stops on the tour were different but, I guess the plane spotting on Maho beach was the highlight for me. My overall impression of the tour was that Shawn and Gabriel were very professional, knowledgeable local tour guides that added authenticity to my tour and left me with a fond memory that I will treasure. One thing I forgot to do that pretty much ruined my night the day of the tour was not wearing sunscreen! I’m a faired skinned Irishman that did not realize even when its overcast one can still get burnt! Wear sunscreen and thank you Shawn and Gabriel.

      Response from Host, Jun 2025

      Thank You Kevin for that wonderful review and I am pretty sure Shawn and Gabriel enjoyed it as well. You are always welcome back with open arms. We do hope to see you again soon, until we meet again cheerssss

      Great experience.

      Sherry_R, Jun 2025
      Our guide was Shawn and he was great! We went to many sites, had refreshments, and learned a lot. Would recommend this excursion to anyone!

      Response from Host, Jun 2025

      Thank you Sherry for that lovely review

      This tour was exactly...

      kia_c, Jun 2025
      This tour was exactly what I was looking for during my full day on the island. We got to see the entire island and stop at a few great view points/points of interest. Nerline was an absolute gem and we couldn't have asked for a better guide!

      Response from Host, Jun 2025

      Thank you very much Kia

      Excellent tour of the Island exploring the French/Dutch sides

      Nolan_W, Apr 2025
      Very nice tour of French and Dutch sides of the island, iconic stops and friendly staff, drinks in a cooler for us, Sean was great and we highly recommend this tour.

      Response from Host, Apr 2025

      Thank you Nolan for that great feedback

      Fun informative trip with a great driver!!

      mjrigterink, Mar 2025
      This tour hit all the good spots and Sean the driver was so friendly and informative. He made sure we were all having a good time and provided a variety of drinks. I would definitely do this tour again and would recommend others to do also.

      Response from Host, Mar 2025

      Thank you, it was our pleasure showing you St.Maarten. See you again soon

      A Great Way to See St Maarten in One Day!

      Lynette_S, Feb 2025
      We were not expecting to have our very own driver and a private tour but that's what we got and we had a terrific time! Richard is a wonderful guide, very knowledgeable and willing to share lots of interesting information with us. He patiently answered all our questions while he dealt patiently with the traffic too - he is a safe driver which I also appreciated very much! I was able to check off a bucket list item I have wanted to do for some time which was to visit Maho beach and watch the planes whiz right overhead. Awesome!! Richard was determined to that I should get my wish! He checked the flight schedule for us, and drove back and forth a couple of times to find a spot then dropped us off right by the beach so we could get the best view and experience. We didn't have to wait long and there was Richard back again to pick us up and take us to our next point of interest. My husband got to feed the iguana's which was fun too. They seem to be everywhere on St Maarten! We asked Richard to have lunch with us (I recommend a stop at Cafe Atlantico)! It is just a small cafe, but the staff and the food are excellent. While we ate lunch the conversation and laughs continued and we learned yet more about the fascinating history of this beautiful island. This was just an excellent day. Richard has a wonderful manner. Not only is he knowledgeable but he embodies the warmth of the islands with his personality too! Thank you for a wonderful day in Magical St Maarten!!

      Response from Host, Feb 2025

      Thank You very much for the amazing review

      From $75.00

      per person

      up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

      Book ahead!
      On average, this is booked 35 days in advance.

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