SHORE EXCURSIONS

Combine all the highlights of West Maui on this comprehensive excursion: Iao Valley, Maui Tropical Plantation and the Maui Ocean Center. You'll start with a visit to the most well-known and beautiful gorge on the ‘Valley Isle,’ the Iao Valley. Here, you'll visit one of Maui's most striking sights, the Iao Needle, a 2,250-foot cinder cone pinnacle that pierces through the clouds and dominates its lush surroundings. Next, stop at Maui Tropical Plantation, where you'll enjoy a fully narrated 40-minute tram tour through macadamia nut orchards, agricultural villages, sugar cane fields and flower gardens. Then at the Maui Ocean Center, experience the underwater journey that gives you an up-close look at some of the beautiful creatures only found in Hawaii's waters.

Sit back and enjoy the sights along the famed Hana Highway without having to navigate the twisting, curving road yourself. With an expert driver at the wheel, you won’t miss any of the incredible scenery of lava cliffs, tumbling waterfalls, the rugged northern coastline, lush hillsides of feathery ferns and trees laden with tropical fruits. You’ll stop to explore various sites along the way to "Heavenly Hana," in this wonderfully natural and pristine landscape. This tour goes to Hana and returns on the same route. A box lunch is included at the start of the tour.

Come aboard as we depart from Ma'alaea Harbor aboard one of our extremely stable, 65 ft., double deck, powered catamarans and head out to our first snorkel site, world-famous Molokini Crater. Maui's iconic crescent-shaped islet is a beautiful reef known for its crystal-clear waters, abundant coral, colorful fish and resting seabirds. A protected marine conservation area, this volcanic crater is only accessible by boat with a certified tour operator. You'll snorkel about an hour at Molokini and then head to your second snorkel site, Turtle Arches, with its underwater lava formations and frequent green sea turtle sightings. Your tour will be led by our certified Marine Naturalists who have a love for our oceans and will educate you about what you'll be witnessing throughout your trip. Your adventure includes a continental breakfast, BBQ lunch, refreshments, 1 complimentary alcoholic drink (beer, wine, tropical well drinks), snorkeling gear, free reef tour by one of our Marine Naturalists, learn-to-snorkel instruction, fish ID class, and Junior Naturalist program for kids. bor. Moreover, all profits from this and all Eco-tours are used to fund Pacific Whale Foundations' ongoing research, conservation and education programs aimed at protecting our oceans through science and advocacy. If sea conditions make either Molokini or Turtle Arches unsafe, our captains will utilize their experience to select the best possible alternative sites. Sometimes that may mean snorkeling the entire time at Molokini or substituting the Turtle Arches site for another spot know for green sea turtle populations.

Check out Maui’s massive Haleakala volcano from bottom to top, as you journey from sea level to the summit to view spectacular island scenery and the immense crater of volcanic rock. You can catch a glimpse of Haleakala, Maui’s massive dormant volcano, from almost any point on the island, but you will go all the way to the top on this scenic journey – from sea level to 10,000 feet. At the summit is a vast crater seven and a half miles long by two and a half miles wide, and 3,000 feet deep. It last erupted in 1790 and has slumbered ever since, though that does not mean it won’t one day wake up. The Hawaiians revere it as a sacred site, and tell tales of Pele, Goddess of Fire and Volcanos.

The views from the top are magnificent. If the day is clear, you may even make out two other towering peaks – Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the Big Island. From the crater’s rim, you'll be able to appreciate first hand the unique beauty of this imposing caldera with its interesting mix of volcanic rock and plant life, some of which, like the silversword plant, is found only in Hawaii's volcanic craters.

Savor authentic Hawaiian dishes and beverages at several establishments in the historical district of Wailuku, which nestles at the foot of the West Maui Mountains.

After departing from the pier, you will soon arrive in the heart of historical Wailuku, where you will stop in a variety of unpretentious restaurants and locales to sample pure Hawaiian specialties. Some of the dishes will reflect the town’s Asian and Pacific Islander ethnicities.

While the exact offerings will vary, you can expect to taste breakfast staples such as banana pancakes and hot malasadas, a fried-dough treat that Portuguese sugarcane workers introduced to Hawaii in the late 19th century.

Loco moco is another classic, and the Tasty Crust has been serving it for more than 40 years in Wailuku. The dish is a savory combination of rice, hamburger patty and brown gravy, topped with a fried egg or two.

In all likelihood, you will also sample delectable sashimi, a variety of poke bowls and seasoned saimin noodles. Another favorite is Spam musubi, a handheld with a slice of Spam wedged between two blocks of rice and wrapped in nori, a Japanese seaweed.

You will also sample several beers at the Maui Brewing Company, Hawaii’s largest craft brewery. Selections range from a citrus-flavored India Pale Ale known as Big Swell to Coconut Hiwa Porter, a robust dark ale with hints of mocha.