St John Island Sightseeing Tour
Description
Depart St. Thomas or meet up at St. John for a visit to the smallest of the US Virgin Islands. Take in the history of the island as well as its majestic natural beauty on this half-day tour. See an old Danish sugar plantation, a national park, and various lookouts along the way. Start by boarding a ferry that takes you across the short 4 miles (6.4 km) of water between St. Thomas and St. John, where your tour bus awaits you. With your local guide, stop first at the Virgin Islands National Park to take in beautiful mountain vistas, impossibly blue water, and verdant coastal greenery. Enjoy the panoramic displays of white-sand beaches meeting mountain forests at your next 2 stops, Caneel Bay and Trunk Bay. At Annaberg, see the remnants of a 1780s sugar mill plantation. Wonder at the ruins of the factory, windmill, and slave quarters as you learn about the island's Danish settlers. Finish with a drive back to the ferry terminal for your cruise back to St. Thomas.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This is just an overlooking stop.
This is an overlooking stop.
The Annaberg Plantation is a partially restored sugarcane factory.
The center has two passport stamps. The Virgin Island National Park and the Virgin Island Reef National Monument, which surrounds the island through various areas in the water. The center also offers souvenirs.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
* Selected Hotels/Resorts - Pick-up will be at the front lobby. Please indicate your hotel if it's not on the list for us to confirm 24 to 48 hours from your tour date if we can pick you up from there or provide a meet-up location. *The meeting place for visitors coming in at Crown Bay Cruise Ship Terminal is at the Windmill located in front of your ship in the shopping mall. Walking distance from the ship is about 3 to 5 minutes. There is a free shuttle from your ship if you would rather not walk. *The meeting place for visitors coming in at West Indian Company Cruise Ship Terminal at Haven Site Shopping Mall will be at Gate # 4 next to the Virgin Bar & Restaurant. * Meet up in St. John - will meet the guide at Cruz Bay port and nearby Cruz Bay hotels.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Ferry tickets to and from St. John are not included in this tour's cost and are available for purchase at the dock. Roundtrip tickets costs $16.30 per person.
- Please note: Tour schedules are subject to change based on local traffic conditions and cruise ship arrival/departure times.
- Please provide the following info at time of booking: hotel name or ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- A minimum of 2-3 people per booking is required depending on days. This tour operates with a minimum of four guest cancellation notice will be given 24 hours in advance
- Follow the island time as US Virgin Island doesn't follow Daylight Saving Time.
- Possible cancellation after confirmation, if there are not enough passengers to meet tour guests requirement. In the event of this occurring, an alternative or a full refund will be offered.
- Please confirm cruise ship dock upon booking for those coming from a cruise.
Reviews(91)
Kenneth was very knowledgeable and friendly. I enjoyed our sightseeing tour, especially the plantation. This was a good tour to get a brief history and see the beauty of St John.
Thank you, Emily, for your thoughtful review! We're so glad you enjoyed your sightseeing tour of St. John with Kenneth. His passion for sharing the island's rich history and natural beauty is what makes each tour so special, and we're delighted to hear you found him both knowledgeable and friendly. The plantation is a fascinating part of St. John's history, and we're happy it was one of the highlights of your experience. Thank you for choosing Great Exploration Tours. We hope to welcome you back to the Virgin Islands for another unforgettable island adventure!
This was a great tour! The driver/tour guide, Kenneth, was knowledgeable about the island and its rich history and shared it so well. He was engaging, funny and kind. The drive through the national park was beautiful and surreal. I definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting St. John. Amazing experience.
Thank you so much, Quincer, for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear that you had an amazing experience exploring St. John with Kenneth. His passion for sharing the island's rich history, culture, and natural beauty truly makes every tour special, and we're thrilled that his knowledge, humor, and kindness helped make your day memorable. The scenic drive through the National Park is one of our favorite parts of the island as well, and we're glad you enjoyed its breathtaking beauty. Thank you for your recommendation and for choosing Great Exploration Tours. We hope to welcome you back for another island adventure in the Virgin Islands soon!
Good but tour was too short. The advertising says 2-3 hours, at most 1.5 hours. The expectation on time period is over rated.
This is basically an open air taxi ride around St. John national park. It is a VERY rough ride and you will get thrown around a lot as the roads are very steep and winding. We did get to see some good views. The sugar plantation ruins you got to walk around was the best part. Probably wouldn’t do this tour again.
First, very good instructions to an easy meet up. Second, it’s quick and stays on schedule. It’s really two tours on the same open air bus, the only difference is a $9 cost covers entry fee if you want to stay on Trunk beach a couple of hours. Third, you only really get out one time to walk and explore which is at the sugar plantation. The other stops you get out and Kenneth shares his vast local knowledge. Fourth, highlights include the island overview, beautiful views and foliage. Fifth the downside is you can not get off and walk onto the beach even for a picture. Finally, a great tour ends in town where you started and you can plan the rest of your visit. Kenneth is a five star, his bus is a four and not stopping for a few minutes at each beach is a three.
Hi Jean, Thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed review! We’re glad to hear the meet-up process was smooth and that you enjoyed the overall island overview, scenic views, and Kenneth’s knowledge—he’ll be happy to know he made a great impression! We also appreciate your honest feedback regarding the stops. Our sightseeing tour is designed to stay on schedule while providing a broad overview of St. John, which is why extended beach stops aren’t included. For guests who’d like more beach time, we do offer the option to stay longer at Trunk Bay with the applicable entry fee. Your comments are very helpful, and we’ll certainly take them into consideration as we continue improving the experience. We’re happy you were still able to enjoy the tour and wrap it up in town to explore more on your own. We hope to welcome you again for another island adventure! 🌴
Tour was canceled due to not enough people signed up. Unable to fit in a day that worked for us. ——-
Hi Barbara, Thank you for your feedback, and we’re sorry for the inconvenience this caused. For this tour, there is a minimum booking requirement of 4 guests, which is clearly stated at the time of booking. We also notify guests in advance about the possibility of cancellation if the minimum is not met. In your case, you were informed ahead of time prior to your scheduled tour date, and alternative dates were offered. We understand how disappointing this can be and truly appreciate your understanding. We hope to have the chance to provide you with a great experience in the future.
I booked over one month in advance and received numerous confirmations . My credit card was charged two days before this activity and I received an email hours before the start time informing me of cancellation due to the drivers illness. Communication is rated as unacceptable and I caution others about using this site.
Pick up and return to hotel went well. Easy to get ferry tickets and to meet the driver in St. John's. Driver gave a great narrative.
Hi, thank you so much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that your pickup and return to the hotel went smoothly and that everything—from getting your ferry tickets to meeting your driver in St. John—was easy and seamless. It’s wonderful to know you enjoyed the driver’s narrative as well. We take pride in making sure our guests not only travel comfortably but also learn and experience the best of the islands along the way. We truly appreciate you choosing us and hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!
We booked a 2.5 hours sightseeing tour to go around St. John. The Guide Kenneth had 11 passengers. Instead of a tour, he took us through 3 of the planned stops, left us without much information in Hull Bay Beach for 1 hr. We assumed that some of the passengers wanted to go to the beach, so instead of the tour, we were dropped there. He picked us up and drove us back to Cruz Bay without any other stop or information. The non-tour took ~ 2hrs. Mediocre tour, mediocre guiding.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re truly sorry to hear that your St. John sightseeing tour did not meet your expectations. Our goal is always to provide a well-paced, informative, and enjoyable experience, so we regret that you felt the tour lacked both depth and structure. The extended stop at Hull Bay Beach should have been clearly communicated, including the purpose and timing, and it’s disappointing to hear that you felt left without sufficient information throughout the tour. Your comments regarding the number of stops, the shortened duration, and the level of narration are being taken seriously. We will be reviewing this experience with Kenneth to ensure our tours consistently deliver the engaging and comprehensive experience our guests expect. We sincerely appreciate your honest feedback, as it helps us improve. We hope you’ll consider giving us another opportunity in the future to provide the high-quality tour experience we are known for.
Very well planned from hotel pickup to hotel drop off it was a really good tour! Mr Kenneth did a good job explaining things to us amd took time for us. We did not feel rushed and welcomed questions even from our kids.Mr H was on time for pickup.Ms Shelby took time to explain things about the island on the way to dropping us back at the hotel.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience, Crystal_G! We’re thrilled to hear that your tour was well planned from pickup to drop off and that you felt relaxed and well taken care of throughout the day. It’s wonderful to know that Mr. Kenneth, Mr. H, and Ms. Shelley each made your experience special with their professionalism, patience, and knowledge, especially by welcoming questions from your kids. We’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to the team. We truly appreciate you choosing us and hope to welcome you back again soon!
