St Maarten & St Martin Tour: Plane Spotting at Maho Beach

Planes land close enough to feel the heat from the engines at Maho Beach.

This guided island tour departs Philipsburg at 9 am and covers four stops across Dutch Sint Maarten and French Saint Martin in three hours: Orient Bay beach, Marigot's shopping district, the plane-spotting viewpoint at Maho Beach, and Cole Bay Hill overlook. The tour includes private air-conditioned transport with a live English-speaking guide, hotel or ship pickup, and a minimum of two people per departure. Children from age 4 are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore St Maarten and St Martin highlights

• Visit Orient Bay beach for 1 hour
• Tour Fort St. Louis for 30 minutes
• Watch planes at Maho Beach for 1 hour
• Stop at Cole Bay Hill lookout for 10 minutes

The Experience

The tour leaves the cruise facility in Philipsburg at 9 am and spends an hour at Orient Bay, the most attractive beach on the island, before moving into Marigot for 30 minutes of shopping in the French capital. The real draw comes next: Maho Beach, where you stand at the runway's edge and watch commercial aircraft descend so low you can see the landing gear and feel the heat from the engines. This is not a distant viewing platform — it is the close view of planes departing and arriving that makes the stop worth the time.

After Maho, the tour climbs to Cole Bay Hill for a 10-minute stop at Mr. Bells photo shoot lookout, a high point that frames Simpson Bay and the local landscape. The whole route runs three hours, and the guide narrates in English throughout. You ride in an air-conditioned vehicle with cold refreshments included, which matters on a Caribbean island where the sun does not let up. At the end, the driver drops you back at your hotel, your ship, or downtown Philipsburg, so you control what comes next.

Pickup is included if you are staying elsewhere on the island, not just at the cruise terminal. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller, and specialized infant seats are available if you need one. The minimum group size is two people, so solo travelers need to pair up or wait for another booking to fill the slot.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned transport with cold refreshments.
• a live English-speaking guide.
• hotel or ship pickup.
• drop-off at your choice of location at the end of the tour.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Red Rose Island Tours

Is this one for you?If you are docked in Philipsburg and want to see the island's highlights without renting a car or arranging multiple taxis, this tour bundles the transport, the guide and the timing into one departure — you show up at 9 am and the route holds together for three hours without you building it.

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Top questions

What is Orient Bay like, and how much time do you spend there?

Orient Bay is the most attractive beach in St. Martin, and the tour allocates one hour for you to swim, walk or rest on the sand before moving on to Marigot.

How close do you actually get to the planes at Maho Beach?

Maho Beach is a close-view spotting point where you watch aircraft departing and arriving — close enough to see the landing gear and feel the engine heat — and the tour spends one hour there.

Does the tour include a guide, and what language does he speak?

A live guide in English is included throughout the three-hour tour and narrates each stop as you move through the island.

Can you be dropped off somewhere other than the cruise ship?

Yes; at the end of the tour, the driver can drop you at your hotel, back at the ship, or in downtown Philipsburg, depending on where you want to spend the rest of your day.

Is this tour suitable for young children?

Children from age 4 are welcome; infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller, and specialized infant seats are available if you need one.