Rankings are opinions, so here is how we formed ours. We weighed what you actually experience, how well a tour uses limited time, value for money, and what large numbers of past customers say. Ratings and review counts are GetYourGuide’s own, as of October 2026; a tour with hundreds of reviews and a 4.4 is, to us, a safer recommendation than one with three reviews and a perfect 5.
The first nine are the ones we would point most visitors to. After that the list is grouped loosely by type, and the notes tell you who each tour suits — and when something cheaper or simpler would do. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars.
- Best first tour
St. Maarten Half-Day Tour of the French & Dutch Sides
It answers the question every first-time visitor has — what is the other side like? — in four and a half hours, with shopping time in Marigot, beach time at Grand Case and the obligatory stop under the flight path. More than five hundred reviews and a price that undercuts most ship excursions.
Best for: first visits and cruise passengers who want to see both sides.
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- Best day at sea
Full-Day Catamaran Sail to Prickly Pear Cays
A proper sailing day rather than a booze cruise: a big, stable catamaran, a long stop at Prickly Pear with its beach and reef, and a swim off Anguilla on the way home. If you only do one boat trip, make it a full-day sail like this one.
Best for: stay-over visitors who want one big day on the water. Bring your passport.
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- Best budget pick
Extreme Plane Spotting at Maho Beach
It is simply a return ride to the most famous beach in the Caribbean, with hours to yourself when you get there — and for cruise passengers that is exactly what is needed. Check the day’s arrivals before you choose your departure.
Best for: cruise passengers who only want Maho and would rather not negotiate taxis.
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- Most complete island tour
St. Maarten Top Ten Highlights Island Tour
Six hours instead of four and a half buys you a full circuit with more stops — Orient Bay, Maho, the rum distillery, forts and viewpoints — and still costs little more than the half-day tours. The most-reviewed tour on our list.
Best for: travellers who want the whole island explained in a single day.
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- Best party catamaran
Catamaran Snorkel Cruise with Open Bar and Lunch
Open bar, music, barbecue lunch and snorkel stops: a sociable, good-humoured day out that is very well reviewed. Check the departure point on the listing before booking.
Best for: groups of friends and anyone who wants lunch, drinks and snorkelling in one ticket.
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- Best sunset sail
Lambada Sunset Cruise from Simpson Bay
Short, inexpensive and reliably lovely. Ninety minutes is the right length for a sunset, and nearly two hundred reviewers agree. Book it for an early evening of your stay so you can move it if it rains.
Best for: a first evening on the island, couples and anyone unsure of their sea legs.
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- Best thrill
Sky Explorer and Flying Dutchman Entry Ticket
The chairlift ride and the summit view are worth the ticket on their own; the Flying Dutchman turns it into a story. It is close to the cruise port, so it combines easily with Philipsburg.
Best for: thrill-seekers with a port day. Check the height and weight limits on the listing.
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- Best for Anguilla
Anguilla South Full-Day Catamaran Cruise
The highest-rated of the big catamaran days, and the one that includes a sit-down lunch at a beach restaurant on Anguilla. It leaves from Anse Marcel in the north, which suits guests staying on the French side.
Best for: beach lovers who want Anguilla without organising ferries and taxis. Passport required.
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- Best beach combo
Orient and Maho Beaches Half-Day Tour
One beach on each side with the transport sorted: a swim and lunch at Orient Bay, then aircraft at Maho. An efficient way to see the two beaches everyone asks about.
Best for: cruise passengers who want beach time on both sides without a rental car.
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- Best half-day sail
Luxury Catamaran Day Sail with Lunch & Drinks
Five hours with lunch and drinks on a 62-foot catamaran is the sweet spot for people who do not want to commit a whole day — including cruise passengers with a normal port call.
Best for: cruise passengers and couples who want a polished half-day at sea.
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- Best snorkel value
Sand Dollar Half-Day Snorkel Cruise
A well-loved half-day snorkel cruise at about half the price of the big catamarans.
Best for: families and snorkellers who do not want to give a whole day to a boat.
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3-Hour Rhino Safari Excursion
You drive: your own small watercraft, following a guide along the coastline to a snorkelling stop and back. One of the island’s best-known excursions, and far more hands-on than a catamaran.
Best for: active couples and friends. Expect to get wet; check age and driver rules on the listing.
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Bubbly Sunset Cruise with Prosecco & Snacks
A slightly longer and more generous sunset sail than the basic cruise: two hours on a big catamaran with an open bar and warm snacks.
Best for: couples, birthdays and the last night of a trip.
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Sunset Sailing Trimaran Tour
For people who like the sailing as much as the sunset: two hours along the west coast on a trimaran, with drinks and snacks as the light goes.
Best for: sailors at heart and anyone who prefers a smaller boat.
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Sentry Hill & Flying Dutchman Zipline Adventure
The two-zipline ticket at Rainforest Adventures: a run along the mountain ridge on the Sentry Hill line, then the steep Flying Dutchman back to the bottom.
Best for: anyone who thinks one zipline is not enough.
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Sky Explorer with 360° Views and Museum Ticket
The gentle option at Rockland Estate: ride the chairlifts to the top for the view, ride them back down, and visit the estate museum. No zipline required.
Best for: families, photographers and anyone who wants the panorama without the adrenaline.
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ATV Island Highlights Tour
Four hours on an ATV or dune buggy with a guide, linking the island’s highlights and some of its lesser-known corners.
Best for: licensed drivers who want to see the island from the saddle. Check licence and age rules.
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ATV Tour with Scenic Views (private group)
A longer guided ATV day priced for the whole group rather than per person: viewpoints, out-of-the-way beaches and local culture along the way.
Best for: families and groups of friends who can split the price.
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SeaTrek Underwater Helmet Walk
A guided walk under the sea, designed so that non-swimmers can do it as comfortably as swimmers. No diving certificate needed.
Best for: non-swimmers, families with older children and the curious. Check the minimum age.
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Underwater Sculpture Park Snorkel Adventure
A short boat ride from Little Bay to an underwater sculpture park, with gear and instruction provided. Quick, inexpensive and close to Philipsburg.
Best for: a short port call, beginners and budget-minded snorkellers.
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Topper’s Rhum Distillery Tour with Tastings
A cheerful, hands-on look at how one of Sint Maarten’s best-known rums is made, with generous tasting of the signature and speciality rums.
Best for: a rainy afternoon, souvenir hunters — and people with a designated driver.
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Pinel Island: Kayak & Beach Experience
Take a kayak (priced per boat for two) and paddle yourself across the bay to Pinel Island, then spend as long as you like on its beach.
Best for: independent travellers and couples staying on the French side.
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- Best for Pinel
All-Inclusive Local Guided Pinel Island Tour
Pinel is easy if you are staying nearby and awkward if you are not. This small guided day removes the awkwardness.
Best for: visitors without a car and cruise passengers with a long call.
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St Maarten Beaches Tour with Transfer
A guided beach-hop from Philipsburg that takes in Mullet Bay, Orient Beach and more, with some island history between swims.
Best for: beach collectors who would rather not drive.
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Private Customizable Island Tour
A private tour shaped around what you want: both sides of the island, beaches, markets and viewpoints, with a local guide who knows where the prices are fair.
Best for: families, groups and anyone with particular places in mind — Fort Louis, Pic Paradis, a specific beach.
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Discover Scuba Diving on St. Maarten
An introductory dive for people who already swim and snorkel and want to try a tank, with a professional instructor beside you throughout.
Best for: confident swimmers trying scuba for the first time. Check the health requirements on the listing.
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Half-Day Sail around the St Martin Marine Reserve
An afternoon sail through the marine reserve off the French side of the island. A listing with very few reviews so far.
Best for: travellers based on the French side who want the reserve by sail rather than by speedboat.
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Orient Bay Parasailing Experience
A parasail flight above the French side’s most famous bay, with the sea and the coast laid out below.
Best for: an extra thrill during a beach day at Orient Bay.
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Sunset Jet Skiing in Happy Bay
A jet-ski outing timed for sunset at Happy Bay, on the coast near Grand Case. Very few reviews so far, but all of them enthusiastic.
Best for: couples staying in Grand Case who want something livelier than a sundowner.
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Private Charter to St. Barth
A private boat for the day to St Barths, priced per group of up to eight, with an open bar on board. The only St Barths trip from Sint Maarten we found on GetYourGuide; no reviews yet.
Best for: groups who can share the cost. For a budget day trip, use the scheduled ferries instead.
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How to choose
- One day on the island (cruise): the half-day both-sides tour (no. 1) or the Maho transfer (no. 3), plus an hour in Philipsburg.
- Three or four days: add one full-day catamaran and a sunset sail.
- A week: add Pinel Island, the zipline at Rockland Estate and an independent day on Anguilla or St Barths.
- With children: Pinel, the chairlift-only ticket, the helmet walk (check minimum ages) and a half-day snorkel cruise.
- On a budget: the Maho transfer, the distillery tour and the sculpture-park snorkel are all under US$50.
What you do not need a tour for: Philipsburg itself, Great Bay Beach, Simpson Bay and — if you rent a car — most of the island’s beaches. Our beach guide and places pages explain how to do those on your own.