Tavolara Boat Tour and Snorkeling

Recommended by 98% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Sardinia, Italy

High interest

Booked 2 times today.

4 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9

· Michael_Q ·

May 2026

Our captain Salvatore was amazing! He made the whole trip a fantastic experience for everyone. Timing, itinerary, beverages, delicious snacks, and snorkeling gear were perfect. I highly recommend this excursion.

· Nick_R ·

Jun 2026

Great experience with Salvatore!! The snorkeling was incredible. There were three stops we made and each was unique. The views of Tavolara island were especially stunning. There were small snacks and water/juice served on board the boat. The variety of fish we saw and landscapes was well worth it. The guide Salvatore even gave us history lessons on the surrounding areas.

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Overview

Explore Sardinia's spectacular island, Tavolara, by sea on this scenic boat tour from Olbia. Skirt the granite cliffs of Capo Ceraso before heading to the brilliant turquoise and cobalt waters off the island of Tavolara. Enjoy a series of snorkeling stops in the protected marine area, including Molara Island, Doctor's Beach and Porto Istana Beach, and relax on board with traditional Sardinian snacks and drinks.

Admire the colorful waters in the protected marine area of Tavolara by boat
Snorkel in some of the most isolated and pristine spots along the coast
Taste Sardinian specialties with an aperitif on board
A small group experience for more space on board and a relaxed pace

What's Included

Snacks

An aperitif with typical Sardinian products, drinks (water, tea or juice) is included
Use of Snorkeling equipment

Use of Snorkelling equipment
All Fees and Taxes
Expert naturalist guide on board
Free parking available

Shuttle Service.

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

MOYS - Marina di Olbia Yachting Services
via Piovene, 12, 07026 Olbia OT, Italy
We meet customers 20 minutes before for check-in. Ample free parking in front of our boats. Mooring A45 To respect the itinerary, we cannot wait after the departure time; beyond this time, it will be considered a "no-show". Take into account the traffic.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.9:30 am

Itinerary

L'Area Naturale Marina Protetta Tavolara - Punta Coda Cavallo

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Isola Di Molara

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Spiaggia del Dottore

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Porto Istana Beach

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate

Children from zero to three years not allowed
We do not offer shuttle service.
Only small bags are allowed on board
Itinerary may change according to marine weather conditions
Not recommended for travellers weighing more than 120 kg
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers

Supplied by

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

Julien_K

Very organiz at the meeting point with tool guides, confirming bookings and allocating boats. Extremely friendly, funny and welcoming team with with a sense of fun. Bring along sunscreen and a hat and prepare to hang on for a fun boat ride. Lots of opportunity to swim in the beautiful waters. Antonio was my skipper and can’t speak highly enough of his outgoing personality always making sure each guest has a snack a drink and is having fun.

Reviews

4.9

based on 343 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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Sort by: Most insightful

Well worth the price! Awesome tour and snorkeling experience

Nick_R, Jun 2026

Great skipper and...

rebeca_j, Jun 2026

Great skipper and fantastic itinerary…the whole trip was perfectly planned out with the perfect number of stops

We did this tour in June...

Mary_Q, Jun 2026

We did this tour in June 2026, Great tour, the snorkeling was so much fun, boat was comfortable. We had Francisco he was brilliant, very kind informative and the snacks were an extra bonus. Thanks again Francisco

Fabulous day of swimming...

Rachael_M, Jun 2026

Fabulous day of swimming and snorkelling in gorgeous green and blue waters! Loved our guide, Antonio, he was the best!

Panoramic Boat Tour

Isabella_S, Jun 2026

Antonio our guide and capital was fantastic! His knowledge and personality provided a fun, memorable experience. He was able to engage with the various guests on the tour with ease and at no point did we feel rushed to move to our different destination. Grazie mille 🤗

Our captain Salvatore was...

Michael_Q, May 2026

Francesco, our guide and...

Daniel_F, Oct 2025

Francesco, our guide and boat driver, was very kind. The beaches we visited are stunning, and the Tavolara in the background makes it perfect.

Beautiful morning on the water

Cynthia_G, Sep 2025

There opportunities for snorkeling about every 30-45 minutes . I enjoyed this tour more than the 7 hour tour on a large boat, seating 80 people. If you like smaller speedboats, then you will enjoy this tour. Better value! Our guide, Francesco, should get an award.

Amazing experience our...

Melissa_S, Sep 2025

Amazing experience our boat captain was very helpful, knowledgeable and engaging! I would highly recommend!

Fantastic experience...

Ivana_P, Aug 2025

Fantastic experience overall! Antonio is super professional, cheerful and kind - he really mad our day! The beaches he showed us are great spots for snorkeling and swimming! One shouldn't miss this trip!

Great family trip!

Nicole_H, Jul 2025

Great half-day snorkel trip for a family. Fish aren’t as colorful as some places but water is aquamarine and crystal clear. Went to three different areas — all beautiful with white sand beaches you could swim to when done snorkeling. The Zodiac boats are fun even without the snorkeling. Guide was great, and snacks were delicious. Highly recommend!

Amazing experience!...

Andrea_W, Jul 2025

Amazing experience! Giovanni our skipper was so friendly, nice, and knowledgeable. He made this an unforgettable experience. Definitely worth doing!

Professional, organized and fun!

Julien_K, Jun 2025

Francesco was amazing!...

Karen, May 2025

Francesco was amazing! Had loads of fun snorkelling and saw lots of fish. The water was crystal blue and great to swim in (though a little bit cold). Managed to see a few dolphins from far away which was great!

Wonderful

Raphael_F, Oct 2024

Giovanni was great. Plenty of time to enjoy the sites we visited. Friendly atmosphere. Would recommend this tour!

Great boat trip - highly recommend it!

Cathy_A, Sep 2024

We loved the whole experience. Francesco was very knowledgeable about the nature, history and made it fun. The snorkelling in three areas was brilliant with seeing numerous types of fish. I would definitely recommend the trip.

Highly recommend this amazing tour

Rebekah_H, Sep 2024

Highly recommend this tour! The guide, Antonio, was amazing- so friendly and knowledgeable. Each stop was breath taking and we had plenty of time to swim and explore at each one. There were only 10 people on the boat and plenty of space for everyone. Also the boat was so nice, clean, and comfortable. We even went to back to one of the stops later that day and explored more:)

Great experience!

Camila_D, Sep 2024

We had a great time in this boat tour. Antonio was polite, informative and quite joyful during the trip.

Wonderful Half Day boat trip

Paul_T, Aug 2024

This was a brilliant excursion! Antonio was a fantastic host, funny and knowledgeable. He took us to three fantastic stops, each one exceptional. With 2 kids under the age of 9 we opted for the half day excursion and it couldn’t have worked out any better. Loved every minute, grazie mille Antonio!! Would recommend this trip to anyone!!

Excellent snorkelling sites and the interesting explanation !

Serge_E, Aug 2024

Thank you for the amazing boat trip! Excellent snorkelling sites and the interesting explanation ! Brand new boat!

Visiting Mary and snorkel spots

Jeffrey_S, Aug 2024

Our captain Antonio, brought us to awesome places for snorkeling and scenery. Tavolara is a great monument with a cathedral like cave in which there is a statue of Mary. We were amazed to visit this site. Antonio was charming and fun and a good driver. He also fed us delicious goat cheese and Sardegna crackers. Loved it. Half day was just right.

First date with Sardinia lead by The Dolphin guy Anthony

IdaCamilla_C, Jun 2024

Awesome experience with a very nice, communicative and solution oriented guy! We had a great time snorkling and jumping the waves and we got to see a whole family of dolphins jump and play right next to our boat! We definetely recommend this activity🍾🙌🏄‍♀️ It was the first day of our honeymoon and a great start on our Sardinian adventure🤩

A Fun Day with Gabrielle

Adrian_C, Jun 2024

The boat was a open top RIB with a single 250 hp outboard engine. We had thought the boat was going to be a bit bigger but it turned out to be more fun than we anticipated. Gabrielle was such a pleasant and thoughtful young man. He told us lots of interesting facts about the places we passed and the places we anchored in, from the geology of the rocks to the politics of the region. We even had a lovely chat about the Japanese girlfriend he is missing so much. The boat itself had only us 3 and three other couples who were all so friendly and kind. The water was a bit cool when we first jumped in for our three swimming/snorkling stops but it was soon forgotten as we watched the beautiful fish swimming around us. The 4 hours just flew by, and if we are ever in Olbia again, we will definitely be back on that boat

Fun trip around Tavolara!

Lisa_C, Jun 2024

A wonderful morning/afternoon spent on a small boat tour with Gabriele! We got to explore 3 different places and snorkel around in each. Gabriele also provided some good information on the area while we were boating. It was mid-June and we did go in the water but it was slightly chilly!

Highly recommend! It was a wonderful way to spend part of the day.

Louis_V, Jun 2024

We had a great time! Our captain was so personable and knowledgable. The weather was great and the other passengers, 9 in total were also very friendly.

Great day

Carla_L, Jun 2024

Antonio was our friendly captain. His wife made some pizza scrolls for morning tea which were delicious. The water and beaches were just like the photos… spectacular!!!

Our new friend: Francesco

Mattijn_v, Jun 2024

Francesco guided us through all of the beautiful waters of sardegna. We have seen dolphins and a lot of fish while snorkeling. Francesco gave a lot of information on the way and he was just like us very exited about the tour. What a great experience!

Disappointing trip

Margaret_K, Jun 2024

The water was beautiful, but the snorkeling was below average. We stopped in two spots and there was very little variety of fish. Just one or two different types of fish in each of the two spots. Before we could journey to the third spot, the engine on the boat failed. We had to be towed back to the port, a bumpy trip of about an hour. So we only saw two of the four locations. The skipper refunded us 13% of our money, which we thought unsatisfactory. He first offered 8%, but we argued and he gave us another 5%. I think if he had acknowledged how shortened our trip was and refunded us accordingly, it would have been much more fair.

Response from Host, Jun 2024

Dearest Margaret, I'm sorry but you are the only ones in your group of 14 people who demand a considerable refund after having had a beautiful 4 hour excursion, drinking and eating. An engine failure can only happen with cars, it would have been worse to be left with a broken car in the desert. The stops vary based on how long you stay in the water, it is not a speed race but a relaxing trip certainly not suitable for elderly people with poor mobility like yours. There are so many fish and of different species but if, as in your case, you don't know how to swim and you slam your feet and hands forcefully the fish escape, it's called "Aquatics" which is unknown to you. The stops are three short (about 30 minutes) or two long (about 1 hour) as in your case, since you didn't know how to swim we put a life jacket on you and we wasted some time then you took off your hearing aids and you couldn't hear when we called you, unfortunately it is not suitable for those with physical problems and pathologies like yours, strangely the other customers on the same day - Not from your group) didn't want any refund and thanked us) you could have appreciated the effort instead of criticizing.. and in any case you participated in a beautiful excursion at sea (lasting 3 hours) given that the breakdown occurred at 12:00 and it takes 45 minutes from the island of Tavolara to the port of Olbia. Honestly, I expected the refund request from the other participants since they waited for you to be late at 9:15, everyone was on time except you, and we waited another 10 minutes because you had to go to the toilet. Yours seems to me more like an excuse to go on a free trip. We have new dinghies that are always stored and serviced regularly, a breakdown can happen, they are machines Luckily the vast majority of my guests base their judgment on very different parameters...

AMAZING! Must Try!!!

Travis_K, May 2024

We had an absolute blast with Antonio and his crew! They made us feel welcome, we laughed a lot. We saw some AMAZING sights and even had some Sardinian beer!!

Five stars service!

Lucy_A, Apr 2024

Awesome service and friendly. Marcus went beyond to satisfy clients. I highly recommend this tour. He took us around islands and showed us places not to miss in Sardinia!