Booking choice: The 2-hour Molokini raft, from $144 per person. Check dates Tour details
Ma'alaea sits on the narrow neck of central Maui, between Kihei and Lahaina, and holds most of the Molokini fleet. The Kihei Boat Ramp is at the south end of Kihei, much closer to the crater, and only small boats launch there.
The choice is less about the harbor than about the boat you will spend the morning on. Here is how they compare.
The quick answer
Pick Kihei for speed and small groups: rafts reach Molokini in about 15 minutes, take 19 to 24 guests and are back in 2 to 3 hours, but they are bumpy, have no real shade and set age and health limits. Pick Ma'alaea for comfort: 45 minutes to an hour each way on a catamaran with meals, restrooms, shade and slides, up to 149 guests. Kihei parking is free; Ma'alaea parking is paid.
Should you leave for Molokini from Ma'alaea or Kihei?
Kihei if you want the shortest ride and the most time in the water; Ma'alaea if you want shade, food, restrooms and a smoother ride.
The two departure points side by side:
| Ma'alaea Harbor | Kihei Boat Ramp | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Central Maui, between Kihei and Lahaina | 2800 S Kihei Rd, south Kihei |
| Boats | Catamarans, a sailing cat, a yacht, a small power boat | Rafts of 19 to 24 guests |
| Ride to Molokini | About 45 minutes to 1 hour | About 15 minutes |
| Trip length | 4 to 5.5 hours | 2 to 3 hours |
| On board | Meals, restrooms, shade, showers, slides | Snacks at most, no restroom on short trips |
| Ages | Infants welcome on the big cats | 5+ (Makena Coast) or 8+ (Redline) |
| Parking | Paid, QR code and card, towing enforced | Free lots above the ramp |
| Trips here | Calypso, Pride of Maui, Four Winds, Ali'i Nui, Maui Reef Adventures, Malolo, Elua | Redline raft, Makena Coast raft |
The fastest way to the crater: a 35-foot raft from Kihei, about 15 minutes each way, 24 guests at most.
Check dates for the 2-hour Molokini raftHow long is the boat ride to Molokini from each harbor?
About 15 minutes from the Kihei Boat Ramp and 45 minutes to an hour from Ma'alaea.
Redline says on its FAQ that the ride from Kihei takes roughly 15 minutes. From Ma'alaea the boats run down the coast past Kihei and Wailea, which takes most of an hour on a catamaran. On a 5-hour trip that is close to two hours of cruising in total, with breakfast on the way out and lunch on the way back.
The long ride is not dead time: the big boats run commentary, whale season brings sightings in the channel, and many guests enjoy the deck as much as the water. A Malolo guest called the long day "no rush, chill snorkeling with more than enough time to see the areas." If you get seasick, though, an hour of chop each way is the part to think about.
What is a Molokini raft trip like?
Fast, wet and bouncy, with a vertical ladder to climb out of the water. Rafts set ages of 5 or 8 to 65 and turn away anyone with back or neck problems or pregnancy.
The Redline raft is 35 feet long, takes up to 24 guests and goes to Molokini only. The Makena Coast raft takes 19, adds Turtle Town and a light sandwich, and has a 300 lb weight limit. Both ask you to climb a vertical ladder back on board and list back problems, pregnancy and heart conditions as reasons not to go. Redline also lists seasickness.
Guests love the speed and warn about the bumps. "It is a bumpy ride as they get you to the crater in 15 min so I don't recommend if you're prone to motion/ sea sickness or prepare ahead of time," wrote one. Another, more bluntly: "Do not eat right before this trip lol we learned the hard way with all the bumpy waves." Redline lists no water among its inclusions, so bring a bottle.
What do the big Ma'alaea catamarans offer instead?
Comfort: breakfast and lunch, shade, restrooms and freshwater showers, slides, glass-bottom rooms on some, and flotation for weak swimmers. The price is crowds.
The Calypso is a triple-decker with two slides and a glass-bottom room, and the only snorkel boat here listed as wheelchair accessible (manual chairs up to 28 inches wide). Four Winds has a glass-bottom room and clear-bottom sea boards. Pride of Maui sells SNUBA on board. All three take babies and toddlers, which no raft does.
The downside is numbers: the Calypso carries up to 149 guests, Four Winds 100, Pride of Maui 90. Critical reviewers mention buffet lines and the last on board hunting for a seat. If you want Ma'alaea comfort with a smaller group, Maui Reef Adventures takes 35 and the Elua yacht takes 40.
Ma'alaea comfort for the whole family: two slides, a glass-bottom room, breakfast and lunch, and Molokini plus a second stop.
Explore the Calypso Molokini trip Tour detailsWhere do you park for a Molokini tour?
At Ma'alaea, in paid harbor lots (QR code and card, about $1 to $3 an hour) with towing enforced. At Kihei, in the free lots above the boat ramp.
Ma'alaea: each boat names its own lot and slip, and they are spread around the harbor. Pride of Maui warns in capitals that it has two boats on opposite sides of the harbor and that it is a long walk between them. Its listing quotes $3 an hour for the lot across from Carl's Jr.; Ali'i Nui quotes about $1 an hour at its pier. Pay for the whole trip plus check-in: a 5-hour trip with 45 minutes of check-in runs to about six hours. A Sail Maui guest's car was towed for not paying.
Kihei: the Kihei Boat Ramp has two free visitor lots on the upper level, with restrooms between them; the lower lot is for trucks and trailers. Use the restroom before you board. Arrive 30 minutes early either way.
Which harbor is closer to your hotel?
From Kihei and Wailea, the Kihei Boat Ramp is about 10 minutes away. From Lahaina and Ka'anapali, Ma'alaea is the closer of the two.
Redline puts the drive from Kihei and Wailea at about 10 minutes. Ma'alaea is a short drive up the coast from north Kihei and the natural choice from West Maui, Kahului or upcountry. A sunset cruise guest staying in Lahaina wrote that "The drive was about 30 minutes from Lahaina".
Plan for the dark. Malolo checks in at 5:45 AM and the Makena Coast raft at 6:30, before sunrise for much of the year. No Molokini trip on this site includes hotel pickup, so whoever drives also deals with parking.
Staying in Kihei or Wailea? The Makena Coast raft visits Molokini and Turtle Town in three hours with 19 guests at most.
Check dates for the Makena Coast raftWhich gives you more snorkel time?
Per hour of your day, the Kihei rafts. Per trip, the long Ma'alaea catamarans, which usually add a second stop at Turtle Town.
On the 2-hour raft, most of the time is in the water at Molokini. On a 5-hour catamaran you usually get two stops of about an hour each. One Maui Reef Adventures guest said they had "close to an hour to snorkel" at the crater after a turtle stop on the coast.
Small boats also reach places big ones can't. A Makena Coast guest wrote: "We got to make 3 stops and saw multiple sea turtles, sharks and a beautiful side of the Molikini crater where we were the only boat." Rafts start early, too, so they are often first into the crescent.
Which should you book: raft or catamaran?
A raft for fit adults and older kids who want the crater fast. A catamaran for families with small children, anyone prone to seasickness and anyone who wants breakfast on the water.
- Book the Redline raft if everyone is 8 to 65, healthy, and wants maximum Molokini in two hours.
- Book the Makena Coast raft for a small group, two stops and a sandwich in three hours, ages 5 to 65.
- Book a Ma'alaea catamaran if you have under-5s, a bad back, a pregnancy, or a weak stomach. For families, Four Winds is the pick, with the Calypso close behind.
- Book Maui Reef Adventures for a small Ma'alaea boat with 35 guests and lunch, ages 4 to 80.
Kids' rules are covered in Molokini with kids.
Small and quick from Kihei: Molokini and Turtle Town in three hours, 19 guests at most, snacks and a light sandwich.
Explore the Makena Coast raft Tour detailsFrequently asked questions
How far is Molokini from Kihei?
About 15 minutes by raft from the Kihei Boat Ramp, according to Redline. Molokini lies about 2.5 miles off the Makena coast.
Is parking free at the Kihei Boat Ramp?
Yes, there are two free visitor lots above the ramp. Ma'alaea Harbor parking is paid by QR code and card, and towing is enforced.
Are raft tours to Molokini safe?
They are run by licensed crews with flotation on board, but they are rough rides. Rafts exclude pregnant guests and people with back or neck problems, and ask you to climb a vertical ladder.
Which harbor has more Molokini tours?
Ma'alaea, by far. It holds the big catamarans, the sailing cats and the yacht; only small rafts launch from Kihei.
Ready to book
Choose your boat
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
2-Hour Molokini Raft Snorkel from Kihei
- Molokini only, the one planned stop
- Raft ride of about 15 minutes each way
- Snorkel gear (bring water, towel and sunscreen)
Molokini & Turtle Town Raft from Kihei
A small raft from Kihei with two stops and snacks on board
Molokini & Turtle Town on the Calypso
- Molokini, then a second stop chosen by the captain
- Breakfast pastries and fruit, deli lunch
- Snorkel gear and flotation
