This is the perfect tour for wildlife lovers. Save time searching for marine life and go on a tour to a place where you are guaranteed to swim with turtles. A photographer accompanies you throughout the experience to take photos of you and the turtles. After the tour, get online access to the photographs through a digital photo album.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
A Cook Islands Turtle Tour - small groups, premium experience lasts about 1h 30min.
Prices start at $112 per person for this Rarotonga experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
The meeting point is South Coast close to Avaavaroa Passage. We are located on the main road bus route. We have parking on the beach side where our team will be waiting. Upon booking you will be sent detailed instructions. There are no addresses, please email for images of where to go and our meeting point. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 8 participants.
Wheelchair accessible All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Hands down the best tour on the island!! Experience was top notch from the meeting point. Staff were so welcoming and friendly the whole way through. It’s not like other tours where there’s 30 people beside you snorkelling, we went as a group of 4 and it was only us with the 2 tour guides out on the water! They also took professional photography from the beginning to end! It was so amazing and I would highly recommend booking with this provider!!!!
Nick and his wife were exceptional hosts. They ensured we were kitted up with well fitting mask snorkel and flippers and offered us wetsuits as well which wore. We were so happy to find many sea turtles m, a ray, an eek, and many variety of colourful fish. Nick had great knowledge of where the turtles hide and swim and ensured we were safe at all times.
Very knowledgeable of the reefs, currents and local sea life. We were taken as two groups of four maximum. So we had results guarantees, and had photos taken swimming amongst turtles and rays. Even if you are not a good swimmer, you are well supervised and assisted if need be.
Legend, love hearing this! 🤙🐢 Stoked you had a ripper time out there mate. Small groups, epic local knowledge, and cruising alongside turtles and rays, doesn’t get much better than that hey, how greats our office! 🌊✨ And too right, even if you’re not the strongest swimmer, we’ve got you covered the whole way. Easy, relaxed, no stress… just good vibes and unreal moments in the water. Thanks heaps for jumping in with us, hoppe to see you back out there again for another splash soon! 🍻🌞 Cheers, Sam
I booked this tour for April through Tripadvisor which advises customers to contact Experience Cook Islands. I promptly did that by emailing, ringing(leaving messages), msn and also posted on their Facebook page. I did not get any response. Certainly a time waster and money waster with toll calls overseas. So, we have had no choice but to cancel the booking.
Mate, that doesn’t sound like our operation, we don't even have msn, BUT, if that was your experience, then that's on us and definitely not how we roll. Really sorry you had to chase us, that’s frustrating as hell, especially when you’re overseas racking up toll calls, no one’s got time (or money) for that. We genuinely apologise for the hassle. Thanks for flagging it and letting us know, as it helps us tighten things up behind the scenes so it doesn’t happen again. If you ever find yourself back on the Rock and feel like giving us another crack, flick us a message experiencecookislands@gmail.com and we’ll take your whole crew out for free, but we gotta get an honest review of if you loved it. 😉 Cheers, Sam
Do not book with Papa Turtle - Hopess & unreliable. Many other great little companies. They also have a poor reputation in Raro
Hi Ronald Graham, thanks for your feedback. We're sorry your experience wasn't up to par. Our tours are 100% weather-dependent for your safety. High swells and bad conditions sometimes mean cancellations—we won't compromise on safety. As pioneers of the turtle industry on Rarotonga, we strive to be the best. Island gossip? Take it with a grain of salt. We don't badmouth other operators; we focus on offering the best experience for our guests. We've been creating 5 star experiences since 2011 - Give us another shot, let us show you how great our tour is!
Absolute fantastic turtle tour. We seen so many turtles in our 1 hour tour. Could have stayed out there for hours. Papa Turtle was very professional, caring and made sure we were enjoying our experience. Highly recommend
We wanted to take a moment to express our heartfelt thanks for the incredible experience we had on your tour. From start to finish, it felt like so much more than just a typical outing—it was personal, intimate, and truly authentic. The small group setting allowed us to really connect with both the environment and the beauty of the turtles, making the whole experience feel special and unique. Your passion for what you do shone through every moment, and we were so grateful to be a part of it. It’s clear that you care deeply about the ocean and that care truly enhanced the experience for us. We left with not only wonderful memories but also a deeper appreciation for the beautiful marine life. Thank you again for such a memorable day. We’ll be recommending Papa Turtle Tour to everyone we know and hope to join you again someday!
Ahh wow… this one hit us right in the feels 💙🌊 Thank you for taking the time to write something so thoughtful. That’s exactly what we hope people feel out there , soaking up the moment with the turtles and the ocean doing her thing. The small group vibe is a big part of why we do it this way, and hearing that it helped you connect with the environment and the experience means everything. The ocean gives us a lot, and we’ve got a huge amount of respect for her, stoked that came through on the day. Absolute honour having you along, and cheers heaps for spreading the word. You’re always welcome back for another paddle out and we'll give you our "Second Round" discount 🤙🐢 Cheers, Sam
I 100% recommend Papa Turtle for anyone interested in swimming with turtles. Not only do you get to swim with them, but Papa Turtle is also very knowledgeable of turtles and will teach you all about turtle life. He also takes smaller groups than other turtle tours which makes the whole experience so much more personal and special! I have a fear of deep water, but not once did I feel unsafe with Papa Turtle watching over us.
This is such a ripper review, thanks heaps for sharing it 🤍🐢 So good to hear you felt looked after the whole time, especially with a fear of deep water, that’s massive. Making sure everyone feels calm, safe and supported is always top priority, and we love that you could just relax and enjoy the turtles doing their thing. Small groups, real knowledge, no rush, that’s how we keep it personal and special. Cheers for the big recommendation too, it honestly means the world. You’re welcome back anytime for another splash and we'll fix you up with a discount for your second time too 🤙🌊 Cheeers, Sam
Papa Turtle Tour from Experience Cook Islands was an amazing experience. Safety first with a small group. I hope I'm putting this review with the correct group. We saw turtles sitting on the bottom and swimming beside us, as well as some coral and colourful fish. However there was a strong current so I recommend going with an experienced guide like Papa. We paid $70 which didn't include photos, but took our own. My friend is not a strong swimmer so he had her sit on a board and only snorkel in a calm place. He helped myself and another person when we got tired. Initially he pulled us all out on boards as he explained about the turtles. Then we went snorkelling, and it was great. There were a lot of other groups in the water at the same time and some groups were quite large.
Thanks heaps for the awesome, no nonsense review, love how you’ve laid it all out 👌🐢 Stoked you got those unreal moments with the turtles cruising around and chilling on the bottom, plus a bit of reef action thrown in for good measure. The lagoon can definitely have a mind of its own some days, so it’s great to hear you felt looked after and supported when the current picked up. Really glad your mate was sorted too,, we’re all about keeping things comfortable and stress free. No rush, no pressure, just taking it as it comes. Cheers for the honest feedback and for choosing to get out there with us. Hope we see you back in the water again sometime for a second go at it!🐢🌊
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Cook Islands Turtle Tour - small groups, premium experience | 1h 30min | 4.1 (9) | $112 | |
 Ariki Adventures: Premium Sea Scooter Turtle Adventure | 2 hours | 4.9 (560) | $110 | View |
 Cook Islands Family or Couple Photo Session | 1 hour | 5.0 (9) | $313 | View |
 A Turtle Tour on Rarotonga - small groups, premium experience | 1h 30min | 4.3 (8) | $112 | View |
 Eco Friendly Sea Scooter Turtle Tour in Rarotonga | 1h 30min | 5.0 (667) | $104 | View |
 Swim With The Turtles Rarotonga | 2 hours | 4.8 (621) | $52 | View |
 Private Rarotonga Turtle Tour | 2 hours | 4.8 (196) | $359 | View |