St. Maarten two-island tour: Dutch and French sides

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/10

Duration5h–6h

GroupUp to 22

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Commercial jets pass overhead at Maho Beach while you stand on the sand.

A guided tour of both the Dutch and French sides of St. Maarten departing from Philipsburg, covering 5 to 6 hours with stops at Orient Bay Beach, Oyster Pond, Maho & Mullet Bay for plane spotting, and the Marigot market. The tour includes a live English-speaking guide, bottled water, and pickup from your hotel or the cruise port. Children are welcome from age 10.

5h–6h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Dutch and French St. Martin

Visit Cole Bay Hill lookout
See Flying Dutchman zip line
Stop at border monument
Enjoy plane spotting at Maho Bay
Relax at Orient Bay Beach
Explore Marigot market and cafes
View Oyster Pond lagoon
Discover Grand Case village
End tour in Philipsburg shopping area

The Experience

The tour starts from Philipsburg and moves between two distinct sides of the island, each with its own character. You'll cross the world's only unguarded border between two European nations—a simple monument marking over 350 years of peaceful coexistence between French and Dutch territories. The guide navigates both sides, pointing out how the landscape, food and atmosphere shift as you move between them. This is not a museum tour; the stops are chosen for what locals actually do: the open-air market in Marigot where vendors sell spices and fresh pastries, the fishing village known as the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean, the lookout at Cole Bay Hill for panoramic views of the island's eastern side.

Orient Bay Beach gets a full hour. It's a long stretch of white sand on the French side, lined with restaurants and beach bars, and you can rent a chair and umbrella or simply sit in the water. The beach is quieter than Great Bay near the port, and the turquoise water and protected lagoon at Oyster Pond—shared by both sides—offer the kind of calm that photographs well. Maho & Mullet Bay is the main spectacle: commercial jets descend low enough overhead that the experience is loud and unmissable, a draw for aviation enthusiasts and anyone who wants to witness something you won't see anywhere else.

Marigot, on the French side, gets 45 minutes. The waterfront market is the sensory centerpiece—vendors, spices, local crafts—and the bakeries and cafes along the main street serve fresh croissants and coffee. You'll also pass the Flying Dutchman zip line at Rainforest Adventures and see Great Bay Beach from above before heading back. The tour ends in Philipsburg, where you can walk to the cruise port in 20 minutes or take a water taxi, or stay to explore Front Street and Back Street shops and the Boardwalk restaurants. Bottled water is included; the pace is steady but not rushed.

What’s included

The tour includes a live English-speaking guide, bottled water, and pickup from your hotel or the cruise port in Philipsburg; you'll visit both the Dutch and French sides of the island with stops at Orient Bay Beach (one hour), Oyster Pond, Maho & Mullet Bay for plane spotting, Cole Bay Hill for panoramic views, Marigot's open-air market and bakeries (45 minutes), and the border monument marking the world's only unguarded frontier between two European nations.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by Sunita Tours St Maarten

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see both sides of the island in a single day without arranging transportation between them—the guide handles the route, the border crossing, and the timing, so you move between Dutch and French territories without stopping to navigate or plan.