Activities & Things To Do on St Maarten / St Martin
An Introduction to the Best St. Maarten Excursions
Research has shown that one of the five key factors that makes St. Maarten worth visiting is its wide variety of things to do. From the steepest zipline in the world at Rainforest Adventures to the historic UnderSXM statue park for snorkelers and scuba divers. From sampling the culinary capital of the Caribbean to indulging in its culture, there is a lot of excursions to explore. Every area and beach on the island are available well within one St. Maarten day trip!
Booking the Best St. Maarten Tours
See below a guide of the top 10 categories of activities our visitors like to do on island, divided in activities on land, sailing tours, St. Maarten scuba diving and snorkeling tours, other water and activity tours, island hopping and excursions, excursions for history and culture fans, excursions to the French side and island hopping tours and those looking for inspiration.
Below our guide you find a visual overview of the many things to do on St. Maarten / St. Martin. See what appeals to your preferences and click for more information!
If you want to swiftly book excursions, you can also directly proceed to reserve your spot in our overview! All St. Maarten Tour companies involved are professional and part of the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association. See the conditions of the individual tour companies, dress code and what you need to bring when checking for availability.
Excursions and Tours for Families and Cruise Visitors
If you are visiting St. Maarten by cruise ship, the vast majority of activities listed below can be experienced during your stay. To ensure your timely return to the ship, see our dedicated guide on best things to do when visiting the Philipsburg St. Maarten Cruise Port to explore what trips are available during your stay in port of call St. Maarten.
If you are traveling with family and looking for things to do with kids, see our inspiration page for kids friendly activities. That does not mean that many other activities listed below can not be enjoyed by the youngest generations, so take a look regardless!
A Quick Travel Guide to St. Maarten Excursions at sea, on Land and Under Water
St. Maartens famed offer of activities can be divided into these main categories:
Things to do on land
If you are aiming to explore the lush green hills and highly varied activities and areas of St. Maarten on land, make sure to enjoy our wide offer of activities for zipline thrillseekers, bike fanatics, pirate trainees, scavenger hunters and puzzle pros! See our Things to do on Land page for a more detailed overview of land based St. Maarten excursions on offer. Some tips in advance for iconic landlubber tours you might want to book directly:
Nature & Hiking Tours
Explore the beautiful and highly varied landscapes, either by taking part in a guided tour or on your own with a car rental! Some suggestions for a guided tour to discover St. Maartens natural beauty to the fullest:
Active & Sports Excursions
Many visitors like to enjoy their holidays in an active manner. Some fun tips to combine exercise with great views of the Caribbean:
Set Sail for Great Vistas On and Under Water- Sailing Excursions
St. Maarten is an internationally recognized sailing centre, famous for its yearly Heineken Regatta. Embark on one of its famous and well-provisioned catamarans for a great day at sea, or charter your own catamaran! Explore our sailing activities page what excursion fit you best. Some great sailing tour options:
Other Water Excursions: From Motor Boat Tours, Dinner Cruises to Jetskis & Kayaks
St. Maarten offers many nautical activities beyond sailing. St. Maarten boat tours can also be motor boat excursions during the day or in the evening, jetski or kayak trips and dinner cruises. Go and navigate the St. Maarten / St. Martin shores! See our for a full overview – but here are some suggested excursions on the water in advance:
St. Maarten Scuba Diving & Snorkeling Excursions
St. Maartens / St. Martins beauty does not end at its shores. Amongst the many nautical activities on offer, boat excursions including Scuba Diving and Snorkeling are important tour categories on their own merit for those curious for under water sea life. Some excursions that will bring you to amazing spots to snorkel and / or dive:
Excursions to the French side
Though most tour companies depart from Dutch side St. Maarten, many visit the French side of the island too. See the descriptions of your excursions of choice for more information on their itinerary. Some tours that visit famous parts of the French side:
Island Hopping Excursions to Anguilla, Saba and St. Barths
A popular day trip for stayover tourists is to spend a day of island hopping by sailing a catamaran or taking a fast ferry to neighboring islands like Saba, Statia, St. Barths and Anguilla! St. Maartens geographic position, with many neighboring islands clearly visible on the horizon, allows for excellent excursions to other islands for just a day. Explore our St Maarten Island Hopping Page for an overview of surrounding islands and for more information on their character. Some excursions that can take you to our “neighbors”:
St. Maarten Culinary & Craft Brewery Excursions
When on St. Maarten, do not forget to take a culinary tour along St. Maartens dazzling offer of restaurants, cuisines, bars and breweries. Explore our multicultural cuisine offer and try Caribbean, American, Austrian, Chinese, Dutch, French, Indonesian, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Lebanese, Mexican and many other tastes! Immerse yourself in the stories of craft breweries with a St Maarten brewery tour or rum distillery visit during the day. Consider these excursion packages to get a feel of how to experience food and drinks apart from our great lunch and dining options:
Cultural & History Excursions
Many visitors like to learn about the history of destination St. Maarten on their excursion. See below some guided tour ideas; see our dedicated St. Maarten culture page and St. Maarten Monuments site if you want to explore local history on your own.
Beach Excursions
Rest assured any trip with St. Maarten Tour Operators will include a visit to at least one of St. Maartens dozens of world famous, pristine beaches. There are many beaches to explore on St. Maarten day tours beyond world famous Great Bay and Maho Beach alone, from the lively to the tranquil.
Excursions to Maho Beach
Seeing planes landing at Maho Beach is a must-do for many. This most famous St. Maarten activity of all is incorporated in many tours, but can also be reached easily by bus or taxi. The distance is about 11 kilometers.
Go shopping!
Philipsburg especially has received many accolades for its shopping experience. In addition, the nations capital provides opportunities for cultural, culinary and beach activities. See our dedicated list of things to do in Philipsburg.
If you are still looking for inspiration for fun things to do on island, see our list of unique experiences on St Maarten! Should our famous St. Maarten sun be absent during your stay, see our dedicated page for things to do on St. Maarten when it rains.
How to get to the excursions?
See our St. Maarten buses page how your excursions can be reached via the St. Maarten minivan bus system. See for an overview of St. Maarten taxis and taxi rates to the various activities should you want to take a cab to your excursion.
NIGHT DIVE (ONE TANK)
PADI UNDERWATER NAVIGATOR
The Gem of St. Maarten Bicycle Tour with E-Bike
Dive Adventure – Discover Scuba
ST MAARTEN HEINEKEN REGATTA
Ultimate Prickly Pear Anguilla Experience
PADI WRECK DIVER SPECIALTY
Soualiga Sky Explorer & Flying Dutchman
PADI DIGITAL UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY
Kayak lagoon tour
TWO TANK DIVE
PADI OPEN WATER
Tri-Sport SXM
RENEGADES
THE SPA AT BELMOND LA SAMANNA
Tropismes Gallery
Mullet Bay Golf Course
Santino Round The Island Snorkel Tour
Seagrape Tours
Dive Adventures – Scuba Dive Discount Packages
FISHING CHARTERS
CORAL IDENTIFICATION
Kayak Snorkel tour
Dutch Blond Escape Rooms
Aqua Mania Adventures
Tropical Sailing, Beach, and Snorkel Tour
SXM BEER, BREWERY TOUR
Lambada Sunset Sail
Kayaks Rental
DISCOVER SCUBA DIVE
Moondance Sailing Charters
St. Maarten Brewery & Beer Tour
Tango Caribbean Dinner Cruise
FISH IDENTIFICATION
Tour de Lagoon with E-Bike
PADI DEEP DIVER
Island Street Art Tour
ST MAARTEN FLAVORS MONTH
PADI PEAK PERFORMANCE BUOYANCY
PADI RESCUE DIVER
The Big Three: Soualiga Sky Explorer, Flying Dutchman, Schooner Ride And Sentry Hill Zip Line
Rusty Parrot
Adventure Race St Maarten
Guana Bay Hiking Tour
Champagne Sunset Tour by Eagle Tours
Simple Beach Day At Divi Little Bay Resort
5x TWO TANK DIVE
Roland Richardson Gallery Museum
Wave Runner (Jetski)
Soualiga Sky Explorer, Sentry Hill Zip Line & Schooner Ride
Edge Ferry From St Maarten to St. Barth’s (Roundtrip)
ST MAARTEN CARNIVAL
EMERGENCY FIRST RESPONSE (EFR)
Bicycle Rental
A DAY IN ST. BARTHS WITH EAGLE TOURS
DUTCH BLONDE BREWERY
10x TWO TANK DIVE
Seaside Nature Park / Lucky Stables
EAGLE TOURS
DAY CHARTER
DIVE SINT MAARTEN
Dive Adventures – Scuba Night Dive
Soualiga Sky Explorer & Schooner Ride
Sand Dollar Half Day Snorkel Adventure
Dive Adventures – PADI Dive Courses
Philipsburg Mural & Sunset Tour
Casino Royale
Two countries, one e-bike tour
The Rusty Parrot – An amazing Pirate Experience
THE ART BOX GALLERY
PADI DRIFT DIVER
The Rusty Parrot – Make your own rum workshop
Themed Sunset Dinner Cruise
Historical Bike Tour and Beach Time
Tango Bubbly Sunset Sail
Soualiga Sky Explorer + Sentry Hill Zip Line + Flying Dutchman
Sun, Sea, Sail
ECO FRIENDLY TOUR AROUND THE ISLAND
Snorkel trip at the Under Water Sculpture Park
Discover Scuba Diving at the Under Water Sculpture Park
UNDERSXM
Soualiga Sky Explorer & 360 View Points
Mambo To Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla
Cheese And Wine Tasting
Rainforest Adventures
SINT MAARTEN YACHT CLUB
Edge Ferry To / From Saba
SXM Pub Crawl
Dive Adventures – Single Dive / Refresher Dive / Snorkel
ONE TANK DIVE
Dive Adventures – Scuba Double Tank Dive
Lambada To Prickly Pear Cays & Anguilla
Distillery Tour: Topper’s Rhum
PADI ADVANCED OPEN WATER
Edge Ferry To Saba (Day Trip)
SXM PADEL GROUP
Seaview Beach Hotel: Day passes and Cabanas
Soualiga Sky Explorer & Sentry Hill Zip Line Adventure
SXM Beer Cruise Ship Tour
