• A person snorkeling in bright turquoise ocean water, wearing a pink snorkel mask and a white swim cap.
  • A beach scene with clear turquoise water, a white boat anchored offshore, and two people in the shallow water near the shore under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
  • A tropical ocean scene with clear turquoise water in the foreground, a narrow white sandbar, and a small palm-covered island under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.
  • Raw red fish fillets on a white cutting board with a knife, set on the edge of a boat with turquoise ocean water and a sandy beach under a blue sky in the background.
  • Three people sitting on beach towels under a striped blue and white umbrella on a sandy beach, with turquoise ocean water and a blue sky in the background.
  • A tropical beach scene with white sand, palm trees, green foliage, blue sky with clouds, and turquoise water. A small person is visible walking near the shoreline, and the beach setting fills the frame.
  • A person in a dark wetsuit and cap takes a photo with a smartphone from a boat, overlooking vibrant turquoise ocean water under a blue sky with scattered white clouds. A small tropical island is visible in the distance.
  • A man smiling on a boat with turquoise ocean water and a cloudy blue sky in the background. He is wearing a green seaweed head wrap and a blue, white, and light blue striped towel around his neck.
  • A woman wearing a black wetsuit with 'AIDAUN Everest' printed on the chest stands on a boat deck with a tropical beach and palm trees in the background.
  • A smiling woman outdoors by the turquoise ocean, wearing a green baseball cap with a red embroidered logo, sunglasses, and a beige patterned wrap or blanket draped around her shoulders.
  • A woman on a boat with her arm raised in the air, wearing a light blue and white striped shirt and a bright blue towel draped over her shoulder. Another person in a black swimsuit stands in the background on the boat against a tropical ocean and cloudy sky.
  • A scenic view of a tropical island with a long white sandbar and palm trees, surrounded by bright turquoise ocean water under a cloudy sky.
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Tau Island Snorkel Shore Excursion

Tau Island Snorkel Shore Excursion

Skip the crowded tour buses - your day in Tonga deserves better. Step off your ship and straight aboard a privately chartered boat exclusively for a max of 6 cruise ship guests, bound for Tau Island: a picture-perfect, remote outer-reef island most visitors to Tonga never see.

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⭐ Chartered exclusively for cruise ship guests — max 6 on the boat

🕐 Departs 1 hour after your ship arrives 🌊 5 hours on the water 👥 Tiny group — just 3 to 6 guests

✓ We guarantee your return at least one hour before your ship departs — every tour, every time.

🗺️ How your day flows

Sample times — once you're out on the water, the ocean sets the schedule. Your captain follows the day's best conditions.

10:00

☕ Depart Friends Café, Nuku'alofa

Your guide collects you from your reserved table — then it's 25 minutes to the boat wharf.

10:30
Snorkelling the reefs at Tau Island, Tonga Crystal-clear turquoise water on the Tau Island snorkel tour, Tonga

🌊 Out on the water~5 hrs — the ocean sets the pace

Your captain reads the day and picks the best of it — snorkelling coral bommies and outer reefs, a stop at uninhabited Tau Island's white sand, paddleboarding the turquoise shallows, and a light locally-sourced lunch wherever paradise looks best. This is the tahi (ocean), enjoyed the local way.

🤿 Snorkel stops — all gear supplied 🏝️ Tau Island — uninhabited 🦺 Life jackets on board 🥪 Light local lunch
3:50

🚢 Back at Friends Café

A short stroll to the wharf — at least an hour before your ship departs.

What's included

✓ Included

  • Chartered boat & return transfers
  • Snorkel gear — mask, snorkel & fins
  • Light locally-sourced lunch & refreshments
  • Life jackets on board

✗ Not included

  • Towels — please bring your own
  • Personal spending
  • Gratuities (never expected, always appreciated)
☕

Meeting point: Friends Café, Nuku'alofa

A short stroll from the wharf. Your table is reserved — arrive whenever suits, relax with a coffee, meet your fellow travellers, and your guide collects you at departure time.

Good to know

👥 Min 3 to run · max 6 on the boat 🤿 All snorkel gear supplied 🦺 Life jackets on board 👙 Wear swimmers — bring towel, hat & reef-safe sunscreen ⚠️ Not suitable for limited mobility 🥗 Dietary needs happily catered — let us know when booking

Payment & cancellation policy

Full payment is required to confirm your booking and becomes non-refundable 7 days prior to arrival. In extreme or unforeseen circumstances, a refund may be considered at our discretion — for example, we fully refunded all shore excursions during the 2020 COVID lockdown, and we truly hope we never see something like that again!

If the ship does not arrive and we are not given at least 48 hours' notice, all money paid is forfeited. We still pay our local ground operators and suppliers, many of whom rely on this income and have already prepared meals, staff and logistics. It's not fair on them when a ship cancels last-minute, and we won't leave them out of pocket.

🛡️

This is exactly the kind of situation where travel insurance is essential — please keep it in mind when booking. We love supporting our local communities, and part of that means standing by them if plans change unexpectedly.

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