Private island tour with guide, shopping and Maho Beach

Six hours on the island: planes at Maho Beach, duty-free shopping, a fort, local food and the beach

A private, fully customizable six-hour sightseeing tour of the island with a professional guide, air-conditioned vehicle and VIP red carpet treatment. You choose the stops: watch planes land at Maho Beach, browse duty-free shops for cigars and jewelry, visit the bird park or rum distillery, sample cheese and rum at a local store, hike the island's largest fort, or relax on the beach. A cooler of free drinks comes with you all day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Island sightseeing, shopping and beach

• Tour island with personal guide
• Watch planes land at main attraction
• Visit casino
• Hike biggest fort and try local food
• Experience local culture at lolo's
• Relax on beach or do water sports

The experience

This is a private tour built around what you want to see. You're picked up in an air-conditioned vehicle with a guide who speaks English, Spanish or French, and the itinerary is yours to shape: email ahead or decide on the day. The guide handles the route and the history. You decide whether to spend time watching planes touch down at Maho Beach, browse the duty-free shops for Cuban cigars, alcohol and jewelry, or visit the bird park and rum distillery. A cooler of ice-cold drinks, water, sodas, beers and rum punch travels with you.

The island's main attractions are built into the day. Maho Beach is the signature stop: planes land and take off close enough that the engine blast kicks up sand, and you can order coladas while you watch. Beyond that, the tour can include the largest fort on the island (a hike with views), the Amsterdam cheese and liquor store for free tastings, local restaurants for food and French bakeries, or the world-famous lolos where you hang out with locals. A casino visit is an option if you want to try your luck. The beach itself (a chance to relax in a chair under an umbrella or try water sports) can fill the final hours.

You're greeted with red carpet treatment and flower necklaces, and the whole day is framed as exclusive to your group. Six hours is long enough to hit three or four stops without rushing, or to linger at the ones that matter most to you. Because you're building the day, email the operator before you book to sketch out what you're after, or arrive ready to decide on arrival.

What’s included

• Professional tour guide fluent in English, Spanish or French.
• air-conditioned vehicle for the full six hours.
• VIP red carpet greeting and flower necklaces.
• cooler filled with free ice-cold water, sodas, beers and rum punch.
• hotel or accommodation pickup.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and French

Audio guideGerman

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortInfants must sit on laps

Operated by St. Maarten Presidential Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to shape your own day rather than follow a set schedule. The private vehicle and guide mean you move at your pace and stop where you choose, whether that's watching planes at Maho Beach for an hour or hitting four different spots in six hours.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and French.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Maho Beach and why do people go there?

Maho Beach is the island's main attraction where commercial planes land and take off at very close range. You watch from the beach as aircraft descend and depart, and the engine blast is strong enough to kick up sand. Many visitors order drinks and stay to watch multiple landings.

Can I customize the stops on this tour, or is the itinerary fixed?

The tour is fully customizable. You choose which attractions to visit: Maho Beach, the bird park, rum distillery, duty-free shops, local restaurants, the fort, or the beach itself. Email the operator before booking to outline your preferences, or decide on the day with your guide.

What does the VIP red carpet treatment include?

You're greeted with red carpet and flower necklaces at the start. Throughout the day, a cooler of free drinks (water, sodas, beers and rum punch) travels with you in the vehicle, and the tour is framed as a private, exclusive experience tailored to your group.

Are meals included, and where do people eat on this tour?

Food is not included, but the tour can stop at local restaurants, French bakeries or the world-famous lolos (casual beachside spots where you eat with locals). You choose where and what to eat, and your guide can recommend places.

How long is the tour, and is there time to relax on the beach?

The tour runs six hours. Depending on which stops you choose, you can spend time relaxing in a beach chair under an umbrella, try water sports, or move through multiple attractions. The length gives you flexibility to linger at what interests you most.