AdventureInHawaii.com | Lanai Explorer

Dolphins are frequently seen while cruising the Lanai coast

Landing at Manele Harbor on the south shore of Lanai

Brilliant colors of the point near Hulopo'e Beach on Lanai

A tidepool that looks like a giant round bathtub is nearby

Posing for a photo on top of the sea arch near Lanai's Sweetheart Rock

Sweetheart Rock (Pu'u Pehe) is rich in legend ... and beauty

Scramble down a wooden ladder to a hidden beach on Lanai's south shore

A little nook carved out of the red volcanic cliff

Everyone receives a personal sized cooler with a fresh deli lunch

The dramatic coast of Lanai with Sweetheart Rock

You have 3 hours on your own to go off and explore Lanai

Fun in the sun exploring the rugged coastline of Lanai

Majestic pillars created by the powerful waves of the Pacific

Always impressed by the unique lava rock formation

Endless beauty on Lanai coast makes you want to come back again

Hiking along the cliffs of the rugged coastline

Geologic remnants of Mount Lanaihale - the volcano near the center of the island

Playing in the surf at Shark Bay next to Sweetheart Rock

Snorkeling in the crystal blue waters of Manele Bay

The Pyramid Butterfly fish - a rare sight in Hawaiian waters

Shark Fin - one of the best snorkel spots in Hawaii

A shoreline view of the rugged coast

The pristine waters of Hulopo‘e Beach - an easy 5 minute walk from the harbor

Crossing the ʻAuʻau Channel from Maui to Lanai

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Nine miles across the Au’au channel from West Maui lies the privately-owned island of Lanai. It was once the largest pineapple plantation in the world; now very little pineapple is grown there. The island’s economy is centered around the two resort hotels – the Manele Bay Hotel and the Lodge at Ko’ele. Most visitors to the island come over for the day from the island of Maui. The island is very dry and doesn’t have the lush beauty found in Maui’s rainforests, but Lanai has the longest stretch of coral reef in Hawaii and the beaches on this island are down right deserted. The area around the Manele Bay hotel is particularly beautiful, with uncrowded beaches, fascinating tidepools, great snorkeling, red seacliffs, and lots of sun. But the biggest attraction of Lanai is the large pod of Spinner Dolphins frequently encountered on Lanai’s southern coast … watching these marine mammals in their natural environment will surely be one of your most memorable vacation highlights!

Lanai Explorer with Landing – 6.5 Hours

What a great trip! As your raft crosses the Au’au Channel on the way to Lanai the search for dolphins begins. When you arrive at the island of Lanai the captain will select an excellent spot to snorkel from the boat. After snorkeling, the Lanai Explorer lands at Manele Bay Harbor. You get to spend three hours on the island of Lanai, exploring some fabulous isolated beaches that are a 7-10 minute walk away. More great snorkeling is available at the beach, and don’t miss the fascinating tide pools found nearby (see the amazing photos above). This 6.5 hour trip is perfect for people who want to go on a snorkel trip to Lanai, but who don’t want to spend the entire time on the boat. During the three hours on the island you are on your own and free to go off and explore. Hike the trail to the spectacular Sweetheart Rock overlook. Relax at breathtaking Hulopo’e Beach. You can even walk up to the luxurous Manele Bay Hotel and stroll the grounds or enjoy a cocktail at their poolside bar.

The Lanai Explorer with Landing is the single most highly recommended activity by Adventuremaui.com clients! We had one client who enjoyed this tour so much that the next year they came to Maui they booked this same tour for TWO days in one vacation! Here is a sample letter we received from one of our clients … “I just wanted to let you know that the Lanai Explorer w/ landing trip was the best trip ever! I will never forget the snorkeling experience that I had. My whole family enjoyed it. They packed a mean lunch that fed us the whole time we were on the island. Just to experience this was once in a lifetime, but if I do come back I will definitely take this trip again.” J McKernan, Lafayette, OR

Schedule: Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays

Time: 9:30am to 4:00pm. 7am tours are added during busy season.

Check In: Lahaina Harbor Slip #11

GPS: 675 Wharf Street, Lahaina, Hawaii 96761 Click to view map

Tour includes: Continental breakfast, personal-sized cooler with a deli lunch (turkey or veggie) and beverages that you take with you to the beach.

Gear Provided: Snorkel gear

Note: This tour is not available on state and federal holidays, and operated date may get switched with non landing tour.

Reserve Lanai Explorer with Landing – 6.5 Hrs

Lanai Explorer Dolphin (no landing) – 4.5 Hours

This tour is operated on the same boats that do the Lanai Landing, but with a shorter itinerary. Instead of stopping at Manele Harbor and giving you three hours to explore the island of Lanai, the boat goes to a second snorkel location for an additional hour of snorkeling. The tour includes two snorkel sites from the boat with a total snorkel time of a little over two hours, and dolphin watching … all in a 4.5 hour trip. While the overall tour length is shorter than the landing version, the non-landing tour does have more time on the water and this increases the opportunities for encountering dolphins!

Schedule: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays

Time: 7:30am to 12:00pm

Check In: Lahaina Harbor Slip #11

GPS: 675 Wharf Street, Lahaina, Hawaii 96761 Click to view map

Tour includes: Continental breakfast, a deli lunch, and beverages

Gear Provided: Snorkel gear

Reserve Lanai Explorer Dolphin (no landing) – 4.5 Hrs

Lanai Explorer / Whale Watch Combo

This is a WHALE of a combo deal! If you are coming during humpback whale season (mid-December through April) reserve either of the Lanai Explorer snorkel tours listed above and receive an adult rate of $28 per person on one of the Whale Explorer (normal list price is $39). CALL OUR OFFICE to order this special combo!

General Information

Check In: Lahaina Boat Harbor Slip #11

GPS: 675 Wharf Street, Lahaina, Hawaii 96761 Click to view map

Restrictions: No one with neck or back injuries or pregnant women allowed. Minimum age for these tours is 5. Exceptions may be made for kids who are 4 years old and particularly adventurous and are good swimmers.

What to Bring & Wear: Backpack, Beach Bag or Water-Friendly bag to keep your goodies in, Swimsuit, Towels, Non-Aerosol Sunscreen , Light Cover-Up or Jacket, Sunglasses, Camera (make sure you’ve got lots of storage on your media card)

Vessel: 49′ Explorer Super Raft

Capacity: 36

Meal: Vegetarian and gluten free lunches are available by request … if you would like a vegetarian lunch please call our office after making your reservation.

Note: Lanai Explorer has a $6 per seat fuel surcharge for adults and children on all of their tours which will be added to the rates.

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations must be made at least 48 hours before the start of the event.

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Brilliant ocean colors and landscape on Lanai

Snorkel in the deep blue waters of Manele Bay

Cruise Ship Passengers

NCL cruise ship passengers in Kahului are able to do non-landing tour on day 2 in port. Transportation is not included, and is most economically done by renting a car. We can arrange a rental car with shuttle pick-up at the harbor; rates vary throughout the year but start around $40 per day in low season; see our rental car page for more information. Drive time is approx. 60 minutes to Lahaina. You might also consider a Molokini snorkel tour as those trips depart from Maalaea Harbor, which is just 15 minutes away from your cruise ship’s dock.

Lahaina cruise ship passengers can do the Lanai Explorer with Landing as long as you are in port on the correct day of the week. This tour leaves from the same harbor where your ship’s tender arrives, so no transportation is necessary.

Activity Tips

Kevin Ditamore – Owner / Manager

A Lanai dolphin adventure is a must-do on my list of Maui activities. If you have time for two snorkel boat tours, go to Molokini and Lanai. If you only have time for one, go to Lanai!!! The reef there is just as good as Molokini (better in places) with lots of fish and turtles … and there are a lot less people.

Lanai trips are definitely a good way to go for people staying in the West Maui area (Kapalua, Kahana, Honokowai, Kaanapali, and Lahaina). Lanai trips leave from Lahaina, so much less driving is involved than most of the Molokini boats.

While none of the Lanai trips GUARANTEE dolphin sightings, it is unusual to not encounter dolphins along the south coast of Lanai. Your chances of seeing dolphins is in the 75-80% range on any given day.

Lots of people ask if they can swim with the dolphins. The honest answer is “probably not.” Snorkel tours have to be very cautious in approaching dolphins … they are protected marine mammals. Once in a while a boat will stop to snorkel and the dolphins will approach out of curiosity. If this happens, enjoy the moment … you are truly blessed. Don’t plan on it happening. You will likely see plenty of activity just watching them from the boat … the large pod of spinner dolphins at Lanai is very active. You will likely witness acrobatic behavior and dolphins will probably swim on both sides of the bow of the boat just a few feet away from you.

The Lanai Explorer is our most popular Lanai tour …. it offers the adventure of rafting … but more comfort than most rafts as there are real seats on board the vessel (you don’t have to sit on the innertube sides of the raft unless you want to). The Lanai Explorer also offers quite a bit of shade and has a marine head on board when nature calls. We absolutely LOVE the Lanai Explorer with Landing tour. Grab your camera and hit the trails that go out to the point beyond Hulopo’e Beach … see the colorful tidepools and sea arch, scrample down a wooden ladder to the hidden beach that looks out to Sweetheart Rock (the Hawaiian placename is Pu’u Pehe), and hike up to the overlook. You can even walk up to the Manele Bay Hotel … the place Bill Gates rented out entirely when he got married here on Lanai. This tour is doable for the majority of our clients … but not all. Keep in mind that there is a walk of about 5-7 minutes each way to and from the beach.

The non-landing version of the Lanai Explorer is a great choice for people who have been on-shore at Lanai before … and want to spend more time out on the ocean around the island.

If you’re looking for more adventure to Lanai, check out Ocean Riders.

One more Lanai ocean adventure worth mentioning … for CERTIFIED scuba divers, Extended Horizons operates an excellent scuba diving trip to Lanai … they typically visit the spectacular underwater grottos called “Cathedrals” as well as one other site. For more information about Lanai scuba diving see our Scuba Diving page.

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