Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Tour: Explore Culture, Turtles, and Ancient Navigation in Maui

53 Ratings

Kihei

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Embark on a thrilling Hawaiian outrigger canoe tour in Maui to discover the rich culture, encounter majestic sea turtles, and learn about ancient navigation techniques. Book now!

Duration: 1 hour

Cancellation: 1 day learn more

Highlights

Experience a piece of Hawaiian history and follow in the footsteps of the Ali’i (Chief, Royalty) with a traditional Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Tour! Discover the story of Hawai’i’s illegal occupation and the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy. Engage in traditional Hawaiian Chants (oli) as you paddle our canoe (hoe wa’a) along Maui’s south coast, taking in the stunning views of Haleakala, West Maui Mountains, Lana’i, Kaho’olawe/Kanaloa, and Molokini! Paddle to Turtletown off Wailea Point to see the honu and honu’ea (Hawaiian Green Sea & Hawksbill Turtles) that inhabit this beautiful area! Swim with the turtles or watch them glide alongside the canoe!

Learn about the Polynesian Voyagers who navigated the Polynesian Triangle (New Zealand to Rapa Nui to Hawaii) using Celestial navigation/wayfinding.

In honoring the wisdom and knowledge passed down through generations from our ancestors, we are inspired to share the wisdom, values, and traditions that have sustained Hawaiian culture in the past and will continue into the future.

Your journey begins at the beautiful Wailea Beach in south Maui! In ancient Hawaii, Wailea translates to “Waters of Sacred Happiness.” Join us for an unforgettable experience for the entire family!

Points of Interest

Wailea Beach
Hawaiian Ocean Sports

What's Included

Canoeing equipment provided
Expert guidance by a professional guide
All local taxes included
Outrigger canoe adventure

What's Not Included

Food and drinks
Gratuities
Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Additional Information

Embark on a journey to explore a significant aspect of Hawaiian history with this 1-hour canoe trip in Maui. Maneuver a native Hawaiian outrigger canoe as you gain knowledge of the ancient practices of Wayfinding and Celestial Navigation employed by early Hawaiian seafarers. Setting off from Wailea Beach, you’ll glide through the picturesque southern coasts of Maui, witnessing a diverse range of sea creatures, including the threatened green sea turtles! Don’t miss the Kohola, or Humpback whales from November to April during their migratory season!

Children 5 and younger are not recommended
You must be able to paddle a minimum of a half mile
Check-in is 20 minutes prior to the booked tour start time

Location

Wailea Beach

There is free public parking at Wailea Beach Park. After parking, walk towards the ocean and take a left at the "Y" along the beach boardwalk and take your first right down the staircase leading to the beach. Look for canoes to your right. You've made it!

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.6

(53 Ratings)

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Susan_p

May 20, 2024

Outrigging fun! - Our Outrigger rides are always great! We do them every year! Wonderful experience for all ages. We have come to know Kevin well. He makes the excursion so interesting.

Review provided by Viator

Tancew

May 4, 2024

Wonderful adventure! - Our guides were great. They helped us feel comfortable in the canoe and were very informative about the people and places on the islands. We saw turtles and the reefs below the canoe. We were provided really good instructions on how to find the canoe the evening before our reservation. Highly recommend and we would do again.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Lisa_w

Feb 8, 2024

Peaceful Paddle - Fantastic! Our guides were welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable Chris even took pictures and videos- we got to hear whales too! Definitely a vacation highlight.

Review provided by Viator

Lisat662

Oct 11, 2023

Outrigger Cultural & Turtle tour - Maui - This was one of the highlights of our trip to Maui. Beautiful location and easy to find. Our guide Donald was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about sharing the history and culture of his island and its people. We learned a lot and it sparked even more curiosity to learn about the history of the Hawaiian islands. We saw many turtles, and some curious ones checked out our canoe! We couldn't bring anything in the canoe, but Donald took photos while we were out on the ocean and shared them immediately.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Allison_k

Jun 6, 2023

Exciting - Views were gorgeous, instructions were clear, guide was kind and full of knowledge, and got to get close to sea turtles.

Review provided by Viator

Vineeta_b

Dec 23, 2022

A beautiful morning well... - A beautiful morning well spent doing this activity . Kevin’s (our guide) tidbits about Hawaiian culture was interesting and we did see few whales …a happy soul returned back to shores 😀

Review provided by Viator

Garong2021

Nov 1, 2022

Best outrigger and turtle tour - I can’t say enough great things about Kevin Hope and his crew and how much I enjoyed the tour! The canoes were beautiful and in great shape, the views of the coastline were amazing, and the crystal clear calm waters allowed the perfect opportunity to see sea life. Kevin knew exactly where to go to see a bunch of turtles. Not only was the paddling experience calming and peaceful but Kevin is a wealth of knowledge for Hawaiian history and tradition. His friendly personality slides humor in with the education which makes it that much more interesting and fun. If you haven’t yet, you better book your tour now because it is the best around and fills up quickly! Have some fun, respect the island and it’s native people, see amazing views, and enjoy.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Tracy_n

Jun 24, 2024

Turtle tour - This tour focuses heavily on turtles and secondary on the history of Hawaii. There is not much about the outrigger. On other Viator tours it has been made clear whether or not to tip our guide but there was no mention of tipping in this case.

Review provided by Viator

N5809dklindal

Jan 21, 2023

Short and sweet - Great instruction prior to entering the water. Our time was cut short due to increasing wind and waves. Top focus on safety! We requested and are in the process of receiving partial credit commiserate with the time on the water. Equipment was in good shape and plenty of staff to help enter and exit the water. Unfortunately, our schedule did not allow us to come back and finish the tour. We did not get far from the beach and basically paddled within a very small area. I would do this again but would first make sure there was no chance of weather interrupting the experience. it is an expensive outing however so could prohibit those on a tight budget.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Lois_l

Dec 22, 2022

Outrigger canoe paddle - Rather expensive for the what we received. We paddled a very short distance. We did see a turtle up close & whales swimming out in the ocean, and then we were done.

Review provided by Viator

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up to 15 guests