St.martin/st.maarten Magical Tour

Good tour if you like beaches. I wished at least the French beach (Orient Bay) was cut out so we could have spent an hour in Marigot to shop instead of 30 minutes. The Dutch beach (Mullens I think that's the name) was very nice and loved the restaurant. Maho beach was cool too. Loved the tour guy Shawn Green. He was very informative, educational, professional, and down to earth guy. My only request besides taking Orient Bay out is also getting better air conditioning vans. The air didn't work as good as it should and was very stuffy in van. Definitely too hot for AC not to function properly. Besides that excellent tour and would recommend.

We have a good time with Richard our tour guide. We recommend that if you want to get in one day both of the island

At the beginning, the tour did not start as planned because somehow they could not find my booking, which was frustrating since everything had already been confirmed. To make matters worse, Viator only provided four pickup locations in the app, when the actual tour company does offer hotel pickup services. The nice lady waiting for us even mentioned that we should not have taken a cab because they could have arranged pickup directly from our hotel. This caused unnecessary confusion and extra transportation costs for our group. Thankfully, once everything was sorted out, Richard, our driver, completely turned the experience around. He was amazing — very patient, professional, and accommodating with our group of eight. He made sure we were comfortable, took us to every location smoothly, and even brought us to an amazing lunch spot. His kindness, positive attitude, and excellent service truly made the tour enjoyable for all of us

I have never had a bad tour through Viator, but unfortunately, this was the worst. First, this exact tour didn’t even happen. It was supposed to start at 9 o’clock am. My husband and I got off the dock and in the general vicinity of where the directions told us to go at 8:30. We were unable to find exactly the location to go, and when we went to the main hub where tours congregated (EDC), yet no one knew what tour we were talking about. It does not say which company the tour works for/is affiliated with, so that was also difficult to try to figure out where we were supposed to go. Eventually, someone found our name on a list in small writing, and at nearly 930, we followed some people that were also on the same tour. However, we got to the van, and the van was full; they said we would have to wait until another van came. We waited until 945ish and other tours were leaving the hub, and my husband finally had to pester another employee to figure out when we were going to go because we did not want to miss out on any parts of the tour we paid for. Again, we were led to a van, but it was full again and we would have to wait, we were told. My husband had to talk to yet another person and we were pretty heated because this is horrible Customer Service of us being there on time and nobody communicating with us properly. Finally, some employee took us to a van and we got in with another family. We were on the road about half a mile, and the other family was curious where we were going because the beaches we were talking about in the car, were definitely not ones lists in the tour they paid for/ on their itinerary. Come to find out, they had booked on a different tour so we had to turn all the way around and go back to the pick up hub. They got off and went to try and figure out what to do next bc they had smaller kids and a kid in a wheelchair, and they were promised to go on the Rhino Tour, but the employee said, “no, that’s a photo. You didn’t sign up for that.” They were very upset (rightfully so)and then the driver did not want to take just my husband and I on a tour, so again we were left in the parking lot. It was already past 10 o’clock and someone told some other employee (who looked like she was about to just go home for the day) that she had to take us on an island tour in her car. She didn’t particularly look like she wanted to drive us around, and she didn’t even offer her name (I had to ask once we were belted in). We had chosen this particular tour because of the certain places we would be visiting, Maho Beach being the one I really wanted to visit with the airplanes flying over. Immediately this random driver, (although she was friendlier later on) told us we would be stuck in traffic bc of all the cruise ships, so Maho Beach was not the best idea. I was pretty upset, bc this is one of the MAIN reasons I booked this tour (to go to Maho Beach), but we were already in the car so I didn’t know what to do. She kept pushing the idea that we wouldn’t be back to the port on time bc of the bumper to bumper traffic, so I gave in to do whatever she offered. She asked if I wanted to go to Orient Bay and I said yes because that was also on the itinerary. I only stayed for a couple minutes to take photos, but I felt like I was in a rush bc it wasn’t a proper tour. Here’s what our tour promised (2-5 hours) 1. The first place on the tour stated we were to go to Oyster Pond (10 min) I was excited about that because it says there is a coral reef photo shoot, but we didn’t stop there. 2. The second stop: Maho Beach (2 hours). Didn’t even attempt to go there. 3. Marigot - we drove by it on the way back to the port. She offered that we go there, but again she kept stressing about traffic being backed up, and as a person who is a stickler for being on time places, I definitely didn’t want to end up stuck somewhere off the ship. I said we could go directly to the port. 4. Simpson Bay (10 min) - she pulled over so I could take a photo of the landmark 5. Orient Bay (1 hour) - here is where she took us and I offered to only be a few minutes to take photos. I didn’t get to look at the goods people were selling or go in the water. I forgot a towel, so there was no getting in the water bc getting the car wet would cost her money. (Which I understand) 6. Simpson Bay (30 min) - we passed it maybe? We definitely didn’t stop there 7. Cole Bay (10 min) - we were to get “Mr. Bell’s photo shoot …of the island with the national flag in the background…” Nope. Didn’t stop there. We did stop for lunch at Cynthia’s Talk of the Town Lolo Bbq. My husband felt obligated to purchase her lunch since she was our personal chauffeur so we ate and I was able to see some of the beautiful water behind the restaurant. I’m just pretty miffed that we spent $140 ($70 each) for a drive around the island without the major stops the tour promised. I’m pretty sure the woman we drove with doesn’t even work directly with the St Maarten Magical Tour, but I really try to research what I’d love to do in certain places, and this was a bust. Don’t waste your money unless you are guaranteed to go on the tour in the bus, even if you’re super early to the arrival scene. Very poor experience.

This was a very relaxing, informative and enjoyable experience. Initially, finding our meeting spot was a bit confusing but we were able to get things sorted out and met with Richard, our tour guide. Richard was very personable and accommodating and provided a great tour of the island. We were able to get a good feel for both countries and the island. We would definitely recommend this tour to anyone interested experiencing St. Maarten.

Great knowledge of the area and showed us many sights. Left it up to our group as far as time at each stop

We had a great time! It was a 6 hour tour, and they stopped at all the best stops! We went to 2 beaches, a market, Maho Beach to see the airplanes, several stops for photos. He had a cooler of drinks for us to enjoy and they got us to the ship with plenty of time! We traveled with our 2 year old, 12 year old and 14 year old, and they all had a blast!

Our guide was excellent, he shared so much knowledge with us. He took us to places where we got great views of the Island. He also took us to Maho beach which is famous for airliners landing and taking off so close to the beach you get blown away. He taught us so much about Sant Maarten.

Manny was wonderful and very informative! Plenty of time back to the cruise port for shopping. Beach stops were great!

He waited for other participants for an hour past the scheduled time. Therefore, our time at Maho Beach was reduced and we didn’t get to see any comercial aircraft landing. We were almost late to the port.

Our tour driver Shawn went above and beyond for us to have a great experience! Thank you!! <3 St. Martin

It is very difficult to locate the meeting point, I tried asking many people in the cruise terminal and nobody knew about this tour. I ended up getting lost and not going anywhere and my day was ruined. Half hour after the meeting time, the tour guide called me and got upset yelling at me demanding that I stopped what I was doing and come and meet him because he was waiting somewhere by the ship. Overall it was a total loss.

We had an unforgettable time on our tour of St. Maarten! Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the entire trip both fun and informative. We got to see breathtaking viewpoints, beautiful beaches, and some hidden local spots we would have never found on our own. We especially loved the local insights and stories that brought the island’s culture and history to life. Highly recommended for anyone visiting St. Maarten—this tour was absolutely worth it!

Richard our driver was outstanding! He made sure to account for all passengers at all times (3 groups from 3 different cruise ships), and adapted the itinerary on the fly based on what the entire group wanted to emphasize, and effectively managed timing for each stop based on group interest and traffic conditions, all the while maintaining a cool, no pressure vibe. I especially appreciated him taking care of my mom who stayed in the van while the rest of us stepped out onto Maho Beach to watch the planes land. Apparently she got a good alternate view and essentially a private tour guide for those 40 minutes or so... thank you Richard! He was also a wealth of knowledge explaining the history, economy, wildlife, and sights of both sides of SXM as well as a few tidbits of neighboring islands as well. I enjoyed his recommendation for the local cuisine in Marigot... stewed conch was great! Richard kept us well hydrated with water and sodas, and the beers and a few shots of tasty rum punch were fantastic too! Next time I'm in SXM I'd look forward to having Richard lead my next adventure!

Excellent tour, great guide and got to see and experience the best of St Martin/ St Maarten. Our only issue was finding the pickup point at the cruise terminal, better instructions are needed, however contacting the agent via the app produce a prompt response so we were present on time.

Excellent tour! If you love history and awesome sites. The tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly.

Great tour! Shawn was a great guide. Full of history and humor. We got to see a good amount of St.Maarten/St.Martin for the short time that we had. Highly recommend!

This was a great excursion to see you both sides of the island. Nadean ? was extremely friendly, very knowledgeable and accommodating to our requests. Highly recommend! Word of caution: Do NOT tender any services from the women on the beach, they are scammers and operating illegally.

Our tour guide Noreen was excellent 👌 Nothing was too much trouble and her knowledge was excellent. We would definitely use this company again.

Great place for photos to show off your trip to and time spent in St Martin. The sign is neat and welcoming. Great back drop for photos whether you are solo or group traveling.

This was such a great tour. Our tour guide, Shawn, was the absolute best. Shawn was very knowledgeable and provided our group with such a detailed history of both sides of the island and best of all made it entertaining, keeping everyone on this tour captivated. Shawn is a true professional and great at making sure everyone had an amazing experience. I would definitely recommend taking this tour.

From start to finish, this tour was unforgettable—and that’s all thanks to my amazing guide, Nerline. Not only was she incredibly knowledgeable about the history, culture, and hidden gems of the city, but she made every moment engaging, fun, and personal. Nerline went above and beyond to make sure she answered every question with patience, and even shared insider tips that made the rest of my trip so much better. I’ve been on many tours, but this one stands out as the absolute best. If you want to truly experience the city, not just see it, book this excursion —you won’t regret it!

So glad we did this tour! Shawn was AMAZING. So professional, funny, amicable but most of all exceptionally knowledgeable about every aspect of both sides of the island. Glad we did it early in our week so that we can go back and visit some of the beautiful beaches he showed us and try his “fave” local restaurants. A fabulous day. Highly recommended!

Mr. Shawn Green was a fantastic tour guide, both friendly & knowledgeable! We hit all the tourist hotspots!

Shawn took us around the island and shared a lot of history and took us to all the hot spots on both sides of the island. Stopped to have some lunch in the French capital Marigot. The Maho beach airport stop was just too cool. Enjoy the ride and a couple beers!

This turned out to be a lovely tour. I initially booked with another tour and they cancelled on me. This outing with Pelican Island Tours worked out for me. From the moment Shawn did the pick up I sensed I would have fun, and let me tell you, I HAD FUN!!! Shawn was quite knowledgeable about the island and the stops we made. Some stops were the usual tourist spots but he also added a couple that were not on my radar. Overall, I enjoyed myself and will recommend him to friends and family coming to the island.

Our tour guide Simanni was excellent. He was very knowledgeable and helpful with his tour. The places he took us to, he explained the history and many facts about where we were. He took us to a local restaurant for lunch that was great. I will definitely recommend anyone to take this tour, it’s well worth it.

I wanted to take a tour of the island and get a good feel for the geography and history of both the Dutch and French sides. I certainly was not disappointed with my tour guide Shawn and his trainee Gabriel. Both of them were a valuable resource and had a vast knowledge of the history of the island. I like to talk a lot and had many many questions for Shawn and Gabriel. The tour was approx 5 hours long and covered both the Dutch and French side and stopped at around 7 different photo stops. The tour was done in a large brand new van that was luxurious, comfortable and the a/c was perfect. Only 2 others, Leica and Naomi, mother and daughter, joined the tour so our guides had plenty of time for the three of us. Shawn and Gabriel took approx 20 individual photos for me and they documented the fun tour we had. All stops on the tour were different but, I guess the plane spotting on Maho beach was the highlight for me. My overall impression of the tour was that Shawn and Gabriel were very professional, knowledgeable local tour guides that added authenticity to my tour and left me with a fond memory that I will treasure. One thing I forgot to do that pretty much ruined my night the day of the tour was not wearing sunscreen! I’m a faired skinned Irishman that did not realize even when its overcast one can still get burnt! Wear sunscreen and thank you Shawn and Gabriel.

Our guide was Shawn and he was great! We went to many sites, had refreshments, and learned a lot. Would recommend this excursion to anyone!

This tour was exactly what I was looking for during my full day on the island. We got to see the entire island and stop at a few great view points/points of interest. Nerline was an absolute gem and we couldn't have asked for a better guide!

Very nice tour of French and Dutch sides of the island, iconic stops and friendly staff, drinks in a cooler for us, Sean was great and we highly recommend this tour.

This tour hit all the good spots and Sean the driver was so friendly and informative. He made sure we were all having a good time and provided a variety of drinks. I would definitely do this tour again and would recommend others to do also.

We were not expecting to have our very own driver and a private tour but that's what we got and we had a terrific time! Richard is a wonderful guide, very knowledgeable and willing to share lots of interesting information with us. He patiently answered all our questions while he dealt patiently with the traffic too - he is a safe driver which I also appreciated very much! I was able to check off a bucket list item I have wanted to do for some time which was to visit Maho beach and watch the planes whiz right overhead. Awesome!! Richard was determined to that I should get my wish! He checked the flight schedule for us, and drove back and forth a couple of times to find a spot then dropped us off right by the beach so we could get the best view and experience. We didn't have to wait long and there was Richard back again to pick us up and take us to our next point of interest. My husband got to feed the iguana's which was fun too. They seem to be everywhere on St Maarten! We asked Richard to have lunch with us (I recommend a stop at Cafe Atlantico)! It is just a small cafe, but the staff and the food are excellent. While we ate lunch the conversation and laughs continued and we learned yet more about the fascinating history of this beautiful island. This was just an excellent day. Richard has a wonderful manner. Not only is he knowledgeable but he embodies the warmth of the islands with his personality too! Thank you for a wonderful day in Magical St Maarten!!

We had a wonderful tour with our guide, Nerlina. She was exceptional. She picked us at our resort on time and drove us everywhere we wanted to see and then offered some places that we didn't know about. She was very knowledgeable about both sides of the island. This was a private tour, so no bus rides with lots of other people. I highly recommend this tour.

We saw many sights, stopped at a few and the van was fairly comfortable. The only drawback was the amount of time spent in the van and not visiting various sights. The traffic was horrendous and made for a long day.

Shawn, our tour guide was very knowledgeable especially about history and where to take photos with beautiful views and historical landmarks. It was just me and my mom during this tour. He was able to take photos of us both! He was accommodating in the pick up place and drop off as well. Would recommend!

We had a great experience with Shawn. In my experience with tours like this, I can't believe this tour was under $200 for 4 people. So worth it. Pay close attention to the details for the meet spot as it is about a 10-15 min walk from where the ships dock. Our ship docked a few minutes late, which caused a small issue with other people from another ship, who booked the same/similar tour. They worked it out quickly, and kept our group of 6 together despite different bookings. Shawn was awesome, and very accommodating. He customized the sites and times based upon our interest. We shortened some areas and extended others, while still getting everything in. Total trip was about 5.5 hours. Shawn had water, soda, and beer for us as well. Recommendations are you spend either more time at the 1st beach (Orient) or 2nd beach (mullet bay). The 3rd beach (Maho) was super crowded, smaller, and not as nice. We liked mullet bay the best. There were lots of chairs/umbrellas for $25 for 2 chairs and an umbrella. The food was decent and a bucket of 6 beers was $30. Shawn provided lots of narration throughout and always made sure he was meeting our needs.

Would have given 5 stars if it wasn’t an hour wait at the start. We were a party of 7, got to the pick up point as requested 8.45am and lead to sit in a mini van, wait and wait, our driver keep disappearing to look for the other party of 4 from the other ship (Royal Caribbean), we were from P&O. 9,45, the driver came back and drove to the port said we found them!! What happened there was miscommunication between the operator and the guests about shop time and local time !!! There is an hour difference between the RC ship time. So please Viator, you must specify the meeting time is local time to avoid this problem!!!

Wonderful experience. We enjoyed each spot. The highlight was the opportunity to do the Moses walk. It was a beautiful memory to create with my family.

Shawn was extremely attentive to our needs and ensured we stayed hydrated throughout the tour. He modified the itinerary to omit certain attractions that we preferred not to visit. In addition to taking us to several of the beaches, he gave us a brief tour of the island. He allowed the perfect amount of time to buy a couple souvenirs. He took some great photos of my daughter and I. I actually had never used this type of service previously so I was a bit apprehensive, but he made us feel at ease and delivered a wonderful experience.

Nerline was an excellent guide! We learned so much about both sides of the island. We saw so many sights and never felt rushed. We had an excellent lunch in Grand Case. Highly recommend!

Shawn was very informative and fun, we laughed and joked a lot. Very enjoyable. He also took great pictures for us.

Our guide Nerline Green made it memorable. In one day she told us about the history, culture, took us to beaches giving us enough time to enjoy each place. Yes was 100% considerate us our needs as her costumer, when we wanted to stop she stopped when we were hungry took us to a great place for lunch and she also opened up and told us about stories of the Island and her family.