Snorkeling in Maui at Makena Landing with kayak and guide

Paddle to the reef, slip into the water, and meet the turtles where they live

Kayak and snorkel at Makena Landing on Maui with a professional guide who teaches paddling technique, locates the reef, and anchors your kayak so you can slip into the water to snorkel. The experience runs three hours from a fixed meeting point, includes all equipment and a GoPro recording of the day, and focuses on Hawaiian culture, ocean ecology and what lives beneath the surface. A minimum of two people per booking. Moderate fitness required.

The experience

You meet your guide at Makena Landing at 7:15 am. Before the water, there's a waiver, gear check, and a land briefing on paddling basics, technique, and what to expect. Your guide walks through the plan for the morning and helps you launch. Once all kayaks are floating, you paddle out together: your guide navigates and reads the conditions, steering toward a sandy spot on the ocean floor where the reef sits close enough to reach.

When the guide anchors the kayak, you slide off the side and become a snorkeler. The water here holds Hawaiian green sea turtles, reef fish, and coral formations. Your guide stays in the water with you, pointing out what lives there and talking about the ecosystem. The whole experience is three hours from start to finish, and you leave with GoPro footage of the day. The guide films while you're in the water, so you have a record of what you saw.

Aloha Kayaks Maui is locally owned and operates with a focus on ocean stewardship and Hawaiian culture. The guides are experienced in the water and in teaching both the paddling and the ecology. You need at least a moderate level of fitness to paddle and enter the ocean, and bookings require a minimum of two people. Public transportation options are available near Makena Landing if you're staying elsewhere on the island without a rental car.

What’s included

• Professional guide experienced in paddling and ocean ecology.
• kayak and snorkeling equipment.
• GoPro footage of the day.
• land safety briefing and paddling instruction before entering the water.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:15

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (5 to 75 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

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 effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Aloha Kayaks Maui

Is this one for you?Makena Landing is on Maui's south shore and reachable by public transit if you're staying elsewhere without a car: the fixed 7:15 am start and guided paddle mean you don't navigate the reef or the water conditions yourself, so the morning settles into a single plan instead of a series of logistics you arrange.

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Top questions

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's the water like at Makena Landing when I snorkel there?

Makena Landing sits near a reef where Hawaiian green sea turtles, reef fish, and coral formations live in shallow water. Your guide anchors the kayak in sand on the ocean floor, so you enter the water in a stable spot and can snorkel without fighting current or depth.

Do I need kayaking experience to book this?

No kayaking experience is required. Your guide gives a land tutorial on paddling basics and technique before you launch, and assists you getting the kayak into the water. You need a moderate level of physical fitness to paddle and enter the ocean.

How long does the whole thing take?

The experience runs three hours from the 7:15 am meeting at Makena Landing through the paddle out, snorkel time, and return to shore.

What equipment do I get, and do I bring my own?

Snorkeling equipment and kayak gear are provided and issued at the meeting point. You don't bring your own. The guide handles the setup and fit.

Will I get footage of the snorkeling?

Yes. GoPro footage of the day is included in the experience. The guide films while you're in the water, and you receive the recording.

What if I'm staying in a different part of Maui without a car?

Makena Landing has public transportation options nearby, so you can reach the meeting point without a rental car. Check local transit schedules for your hotel location.