Shore Excursions

Shore excursions offer an exciting way to experience each island on your itinerary. Here is an overview of the most popular excursions.

Note: Not all cruise lines offer all excursions listed.

Off-Road Safaris
On these excursions you travel in a four-wheel drive vehicle around an island. In Moorea, you might drive inside the volcanic crater that created the island, visit a huge pineapple plantation, stop at the island's Agricultural School to sample homemade jam, or explore a marae (open-air temple) before ascending to the top of the mountain for a tremendous view over Cook's and Opunohu bays. In Taha'a, you may drive across one of Taha'a highest mountains, visit a scenic viewpoint, learn the traditional use of local plants and trees, learn the tamure, a Tahitian dance, or tour a local vanilla plantation and a black pearl farm to learn how these treasures are cultured and harvested. In Raiatea, you may drive through bamboo forests, mango trees, and ginger flowers, or visit Marae Taputapuatea, the sacred site from where the ancient Polynesians departed to discover Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island.

Catamaran Sail with Snorkel
Explore an island's lagoons aboard a catamaran, then drop anchor for a snorkeling adventure.

Island Tours
Explore the culture of a French Polynesian island by car or bus. Expect to visit scenic overlooks, museums, cultural centers, markets and more.

Snorkeling
Snorkeling excursions are offered at almost every port of call in Tahiti and French Polynesia, including uninhabited motus (islets) off the coast. Enjoy abundant marine life like tropical fish and pristine coral formations.

Dolphin Watching Expedition
On these excursions, with a little luck, you'll see schools of spinner dolphins. Dolphins are found around many islands, and guests visiting between July and early November may also view humpback whales in their annual mating and calfing rituals.

Glass-Bottom Boat
Discover the coral gardens and tropical fish on a glass-bottom boat tour. You'll slowly float over the huge coral heads that cluster in shallow areas, viewing a colorful world full of parrot fish, butterfly fish, and surgeon fish through the large windows. Your boat crew will attract the fish under the glass panels to make it easy for you to observe and photograph them.

Golf in Paradise at the Moorea Green Pearl
Enjoy magnificent mountain and ocean views while playing this 18-hole championship course. The Nicklaus Design team created the course around the natural beauty of the island. Amateurs and professionals alike will find the Moorea Green Pearl Golf Course to be both challenging and inspirational.

In Paul Gauguin's Footsteps
Take a walk in the footsteps of Paul Gauguin and explore the museum that bears his name during this scenic tour of Tahiti. Gauguin lived in Polynesia from June 1891 to August 1893 and again from August 1895 to May 1903, the time of his death in the Marquesas Islands. The museum features a few of Gauguin's original works, and an interesting retrospective of his life in the islands as told through his documents, letters, writings and household objects. There is also a miniature display of Gauguin's work that depicts the location of all of his paintings.

Snorkel and Black Pearl Farm
Discover the Motu Pearl Farm, where you'll learn all about the magnificent black pearl. Continue to a small motu for some snorkeling in the crystal clear lagoon of Taha'a and get acquainted with the myriad of tropical fish there. You'll also find a small lagoonarium where you can swim with turtles, rays, and fish enclosed in different pools.

Snorkeling Rangiroa Aquarium
Discover Rangiroa's spectacular marine life during this scenic visit to Motu Nui Nui, a natural, open-water aquarium. Observe an abundance of colorful fish, coral and marine life. You may also have an opportunity to hand-feed the fish.

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