Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter in Big Island of Hawaii
Big Island of Hawaii, United States

Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter

Outty Ranking 57 5.0 · 17 traveler reviews3 hoursFrom $990

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September 2026

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From, per person$990
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Outty Ranking

57/100

Worth a Look. Our proprietary evaluation. How we score

Traveler rating

5.0/5

Based on 17 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.

Quick answer

Is Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter worth booking?

Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter is a 3-hour experience in Big Island of Hawaii, United States, from $990 per person. It scores 57 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Worth a Look, based on a 5/5 rating across 17 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.

Outty Ranking
57 / 100
Rating
5/5 (17)
Duration
3 hours
From
$990 per person

You enjoy sunset cruising, and then, You enjoy the world famous Manta ray night snorkeling by private charter on our comfortable Luxury boat. It will be a wonderful and unforgettable experience of your life!

What you get

    About this experience

    You enjoy sunset cruising, and then, You enjoy the world famous Manta ray night snorkeling by private charter on our comfortable Luxury boat. It will be a wonderful and unforgettable experience of your life!

    What's included

    Included

    • Carbonated beverages
    • Snacks
    • Use of snorkeling equipment
    • Tea and coffee

    Not included

    • Dinner
    • Alcoholic beverages

    Where it starts and ends

    Meeting point

    Big Island of Hawaii

    Coming from the highway19 into Kealakehe Pkwy、 Turn right at the first 3way intersection and drive straight ahead. You will pass a gas station on your left, You will find a brown-roofed public restroom, and the pavilion in front of it is the meeting place.

    Hotel pickup

    No pickup: everyone meets at the start point.

    Ends at

    Coming from the highway19 into Kealakehe Pkwy、 Turn right at the first 3way intersection and drive straight ahead. You will pass a gas station on your left, You will find a brown-roofed public restroom, and the pavilion in front of it is the meeting place.

    Before you book

    Cancellation
    For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
    Languages
    ja, en
    Ticket
    Mobile Only
    Runs on
    Every day
    Group size
    Up to 15 travelers per booking
    Operated by
    Aloha Kona Tours

    Know before you go

    • Service animals allowed
    • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
    • Specialized infant seats are available
    • Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
    • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
    • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
    • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

    Photos

    Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter in Big Island of Hawaii, photo 2Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter in Big Island of Hawaii, photo 3Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter in Big Island of Hawaii, photo 4Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter in Big Island of Hawaii, photo 5Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter in Big Island of Hawaii, photo 6Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter in Big Island of Hawaii, photo 7

    What travelers are saying

    Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 17 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.

    Good for families

    6 mentions

    Reviewers traveling with kids report it landed well with their group.

    Knowledge and storytelling

    5 mentions

    Reviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.

    The guide

    4 mentions

    Travelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.

    Photo opportunities

    3 mentions

    The views and photo stops come up again and again.

    Small groups

    2 mentions

    The group size is repeatedly described as intimate rather than packed.

    Traveler reviews

    17 verified traveler reviews for Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.

    5 star
    17
    4 star
    0
    3 star
    0
    2 star
    0
    1 star
    0
    Sort
    MelO547 · March 2026

    otherwordly ...one of the best nature experiences of my lfie

    unexpectedly awesome. Was a little apprehensive about going on a smaller boat, but realized very quickly that the boat was more than safe and the captain knew what he was doing. And, the fact that we were smaller gave us a huge advantage over the other big 30 person boats. We could quickly move to where the Rays were....our guide Joe was awesome, super informative, and pulled us around the bay while we saw more Manta Rays that I can count.....he said that we had an epic evening so perhaps we will never be satisfied again, but I can't recommend this experience more. DO NOT go with the big operators. Jo and Captain Ko are the way to go!

    via Tripadvisor

    166tracib · August 2025

    The BEST Family Friendly Personal Manta Ray Night

    Captain Ko and Joe were amazing! We just did the manta sunrise snorkel with them last night. We were hesitant to go out with a big group with our kids (ages 10-15). But then we found Aloha Kona on a small private boat for 6 people which was the perfect personal attention we needed for our family and make the kids comfortable. And since we were going to have to buy six tickets with one of the bigger outfits anyway, it was only a little bit more to have a private boat and a personal experience. The boat was so nice and comfortable! Captain Ko got us all fitted in wetsuits (which were helpful to keep us warm in the water, even in August). He also had snorkels provided but we brought our own. He was so welcoming and kind to the kids, even let my youngest try driving the boat (with help of course 😉). Joe was so friendly and knowledgeable about Hawaii history and all things in the water! He took several photos for us and even made us a mini go-pro video of our trip…totally unexpected and a great surprise. Ko and Joe are masters at hunting the manta rays if they aren’t coming to you. The benefits of being a small group and a small boat…they go where the mantas are, not waiting for them to come to you. Captain Ko took us straight out with a beautiful sunrise set, making sure to pause that we got the perfect sunset pictures. And when we arrive to the Manta Ray spot with many of the other boats, we were immediately greeted with one manta ray who swam right up to the boat. They quickly launch the modified surfboard with rails to hang onto and bright lights underneath. And Joe jumped in the water as the lead with his huge flippers and his job as swimmer to take us to the rays. He towed us around this area, swimming like a pro with 6 people in tow, for about 30 or 40 minutes and we saw a few Mantas, but they were all hanging out down low and a little further away. Still very impressive though! They just weren’t getting close. Captain Ko noticed a better spot where people were seeing the rays closer. So he flagged Joe down, picked us all back up on the boat, and drove to the other side. He wanted to be sure we got the up close experience. So we all jumped back in the water with Joe and within a couple minutes of getting back in the water. We had two rays barrel rolling right under us! We enjoyed this view for another 15–20 minutes before we headed back. Their dedication to creating memories and doing the extra work to make sure everybody was happy it was incredible. 100% recommend!

    via Tripadvisor

    emilyeU253NH · August 2025

    Incredible experience, very friendly and knowledgeable staff

    t off the bat we saw a baby seal in the harbor hanging out right next to our boat. He was so cute. Then we start to drive out and the amazing staff told us to keep an eye out for dolphins. We kept our eyes peeled and yelled “dolphins!!!!” and the captain stopped the boat and we were able to see the dolphins doing some amazing tricks. They rode alongside our boat for awhile and we got so many amazing videos of the dolphins at sunset. The captain was also extremely flexible for us as we wanted a family photo at sunset, and he made sure we had the perfect view for our photo. When we finally got to the manta ray site, we put on our wet suits and our staff Carmela explained we’d be attracting plankton with our light that the manta rays will eat. Surely enough, almost as soon as we got into the water, 2 huge manta rays swam underneath us. The staff was extremely knowledgeable about the area and the sea life, and we had an unbelievable time on this cruise. Definitely recommend for anyone coming to the big island, a must!!!

    via Tripadvisor

    U7221JTlaurenr · May 2025

    Amazing Experience

    I cannot recommend this highly enough! We did night snorkeling with the manta rays as a family with a four year old. The experience was just incredible, and they were so accommodating to our daughter! Captain Co and Cameron were the best guides and got us up close to the manta rays. It was so nice having the entire boat to ourselves (and the boat is very nice).

    via Tripadvisor

    deborahwD4292PL · April 2025

    Experience of a Lifetime! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!

    Our family of five, including grandparents, sons, and 10-year-old granddaughter, had an unforgettable experience with Aloha Kona Tour’s Manta Ray Night Tour. Captain Ko was incredibly kind, gentle and helpful. His boat was meticulous, extremely comfortable and well equipped. Our guide Joe was absolutely fantastic—super friendly and very knowledgeable. They both were a perfect team and you just felt that they loved the ocean and were passionate about what did! We saw several manta rays up close, which was amazing, but the true highlight of the trip was encountering several pods of dolphins. They were fun and playful coming up to our boat that we could have touched them if we wanted to but we were "educated" not to do so out of respect to their environment. It was truly a magical experience and beyond anything we could ever imagine! Captain Ko and Joe took great care of us. They attended to our every need, and even took lots of pictures of us all. We loved every minute of our truly once in a lifetime experience. If you are ever in Kona, don’t miss this tour as it is perfect for families and anyone who loves the ocean! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!

    via Tripadvisor

    Good to know

    Duration
    3 hours
    Free cancellation
    Up to 24h before
    Minimum age to book
    All ages
    Availability
    Bookable today
    Runs on
    Every day
    Hotel pickup
    No pickup, meet at start point
    Booked in 30 days
    6
    Verdict
    Worth a Look

    Why this scores 57

    The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.

    Traveler sentiment (30% weight)91
    Review evidence (18% weight)37
    Booking momentum (14% weight)29
    Value for money (12% weight)0
    Listing quality (10% weight)60
    Local standing (8% weight)64
    Booking flexibility (8% weight)100

    Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter: questions travelers ask

    Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Big Island of Hawaii.

    How much does Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter cost?

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    Prices start at $990 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Big Island of Hawaii usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.

    How long does Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter take?

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    Plan for about 3 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Big Island of Hawaii is not rushed.

    Is Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter worth it?

    +

    It holds an Outty Ranking of 57 out of 100, which we label "Worth a Look". That score blends traveler sentiment (5/5 across 17 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Big Island of Hawaii, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.

    Can I cancel or reschedule Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter?

    +

    Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.

    Is Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter suitable for kids and families?

    +

    Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 3-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.

    How far in advance should I book Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter?

    +

    Around 6 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Big Island of Hawaii can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.

    What should I bring or wear?

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    Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Big Island of Hawaii and add a light layer if any part of the 3-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.

    Where does Sunset Cruise & Manta Night Snorkeling Charter start and how do I get there?

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    The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Big Island of Hawaii within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.

    What are the best things to do in Big Island of Hawaii?

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    The Big Island is volcano country: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park tours, Mauna Kea summit stargazing, night manta ray snorkels off Kona, Waipio Valley lookouts and coffee farm visits. Summit tours have real altitude rules, so we weight safety detail. On Outty we rank every Big Island of Hawaii experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include KONA Manta Ray Night Snorkel - FREE re-ride if no Sightings, Big Island: Captain Cook Snorkel On A Power Catamaran With Lunch, Big Island in a Day: Volcanoes Waterfalls Sightseeing and History. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.

    When is the best time to visit Big Island of Hawaii?

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    April to October, though the island runs year round. Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.

    How many days do you need in Big Island of Hawaii?

    +

    Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.

    Do I book through Outty or through the operator?

    +

    Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.

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