11 Best Island-Hopping Tours in Rarotonga & the Cook Islands

Want to island-hop between Rarotonga and Aitutaki in just one day? Air Rarotonga's popular "Aitutaki Day Tour" is your ticket to paradise! Departing at 8 am daily (except Sundays), this complete package includes return flights, hotel transfers, and a six-hour lagoon cruise.

You'll start with a scenic flight to Aitutaki, followed by a guided island bus tour. Then, hop aboard the 27 m (29.5 yards) Vaka Tereiki Moana for The Vaka Cruise (See point #2 below), where you'll enjoy island hopping, snorkelling, swimming, and beach-combing in the stunning lagoon. Lunch is a mouthwatering barbecue of freshly caught fish and island-style side dishes.

With beach towels and snorkelling gear provided, all you need to bring is your sense of adventure! The tour returns to Rarotonga around 5:30 pm, making it the perfect day trip. For more Aitutaki experiences, check out the 10 Best Tours of Aitutaki.

Location: Tours depart from Rarotonga Airport, Rarotonga, and include all transfers.

Speaking of visiting Aitutaki, the huge lagoon scattered with some 15 islets, locally known as motu, is another way to do some "island-hopping" in the Cook Islands - this time on the water! For instance, The Vaka Cruise is a tour on a Polynesian-inspired double-hulled vessel offering plenty of snorkelling with giant trevally, giant clams and all sorts of tropical fish.

You’ll also set foot on One Foot Island, as well as a few other uninhabited motu, and enjoy an island-style lunch on the boat. See how the cruise compares to the 10 Best Lagoon Cruises on Aitutaki.

Location: Tours depart from Ootu Beach, Aitutaki, and transfers are included.

Explore the lesser-visited islands of the Southern Cook Islands on the "Southern Group Adventure Package" with Island Hopper Vacations. Departing from Rarotonga, this island-hopping trip takes you to Mangaia, Mauke, Mitiaro and Atiu, including round-trip flights, two nights on each island, all meals, a tour guide and more.

The tour takes place on fixed dates around five times a year, so get in there early for one of the 11 spots available on each of these highly sought-after tours.

Location: Tours depart from Rarotonga Airport, Rarotonga, and include all transfers.

If you thought the islands listed in the tour above were remote, wait until you reach the rarely-visited Northern Group islands on the "Trailblazers of the Northern Atolls" tour, also with Island Hopper Vacations. You'll be taken on a journey from Rarotonga to Pukapuka, Manihiki and then Penrhyn over five days.

The flights are in a jet exclusively for your tour group, which includes round-trip flights, all accommodations, all meals, a tour guide, airport transfers, and more. Trips take place on fixed dates, approximately four times a year, accommodating up to a maximum of six people per trip.

Location: Tours depart from Rarotonga Airport, Rarotonga, and include all transfers.

Kia Orana Cruise offers an intimate lagoon experience on their small, spacious boat, accommodating four to ten guests. Join "Captain Fantastic" Andrew or his son "Captain Useless" for an adventure visiting iconic spots like Moturakau, the famous Aitutaki sandbank, One Foot Island, and more.

They'll take you to exclusive snorkelling spots larger boats can't access and adjust plans for those uncomfortable in deeper waters. The tour includes planting coconuts on Maina sandbank and operates even on Sundays. Please note that tours may be cancelled if winds exceed 40 knots.

Location: Tours depart from the Arutanga Harbour, Aitutaki, and transfers are included.

Silent One Lagoon Charters offers a straightforward, no-fuss water taxi service to two of Aitutaki's most iconic motus, perfect if you'd rather explore at your own pace than follow a guided tour.

This family-run operation runs seven days a week, dropping you off at either Honeymoon Island or One Foot Island and returning to collect you at a pre-arranged time.

Choose a morning slot (9 am to 12 pm) or an afternoon slot (1 pm to 4 pm), with a minimum of two people required to book. The service can be shared with other travellers heading to the same motu, which keeps things relaxed and sociable. Silent One is known for being flexible, so if you lose track of time beachcombing or snorkelling, they've got you covered.

It's a simple, honest way to experience the lagoon on your own terms, without the itinerary of a larger tour.

For a private island-hopping tour of the Aitutaki Lagoon, join Kutekute Tours & Transfers for their “Sunset Lagoon Cruise”. Visit a mix of exciting snorkelling spots with giant trevally, giant clams and/or the Purple Wall.

You have the optional extras of twilight snorkelling and a unique water hammock float down the channel between One Foot Island and Tekopua. You’ll then enjoy a stunningly presented beach picnic platter on the uninhabited Moturakau as you watch the sunset.

See more tours like this in The Best Sunset Cruises in Rarotonga & the Cook Islands.

Location: Tours depart from Ootu Beach, Aitutaki, and transfers are included.

Another top island-hopping tour in Aitutaki and the Cook Islands, Teking Lagoon Cruises offers a boutique, small-group premium experience on the Aitutaki Lagoon that feels genuinely different from the cruise-style tours out there.

Their most popular tour, the "Small Group Snorkelling Tour", keeps things intentionally intimate, with their largest boat carrying no more than 24 guests, allowing them to reach corners of the lagoon that bigger boats simply can't access.

The day is built around the lagoon itself; think exploring, snorkelling, fish feeding and learning about the marine life, history and conservation of Aitutaki.

Their snorkelling spots are specific to them, and the tour visits four of the lagoon's motu, including Maina Island, Honeymoon Island and the infamous One Foot Island and its sandbank, with a fresh barbecue lunch on a private island stop along the way.

Tours are approximately five hours, families are welcome, and child and infant rates are available.

Location: Tours depart from Ootu Beach, Aitutaki, and transfers are included.

Bishop's Cruises is one of Aitutaki's premier lagoon cruise operators and the only double-decker vessel on the lagoon, making it one of the most comfortable and spacious ways to explore the famous turquoise waters.

Their fleet includes a cosy 16-passenger boat with a minibar and a spacious 45-passenger catamaran equipped with a minibar, changing area, and toilets.

The flagship "Day Cruise" departs at 10 am from Ootu Beach and runs for approximately six hours, stopping at four key spots: Akaiami Island (the historic site of the Cook Islands' first international airport, where TEAL passenger seaplanes once landed), Moturakau Island (known for its reality TV filming locations and a nature walk through local flora and fauna), a marine reserve snorkel site near One Foot Island (where giant trevally, giant clams and bonefish are regulars), and One Foot Island itself for a barbecue lunch prepared using Bishop's own permanent on-island facilities.

Snorkel gear, towels and transport to and from your accommodation are all included.

The crew are mostly local-born Aitutakians who grew up on the water, many with over 30 years of experience with the company. Private charters are also available for half or full days, using a smaller boat that can reach spots the main vessel cannot, with a fully flexible itinerary that's entirely up to you.

If you want to go all out on your island-hopping experience, private jet packages are also available from Rarotonga to Mitiaro with Island Hopper Vacations. The package includes return flights in a private jet, a guide to accompany you throughout your experience on Mitiaro, airport transfers, one night at the Divine Retreat, a private guided island tour, all meals and a crafting demonstration.

Get a taste of Mitiaro from The Complete Travel Guide to Mitiaro and the 15 Best Things to Do on Mitiaro.

Location: Tours depart from Rarotonga Airport, Rarotonga, and include all transfers.

Finally, another way to island-hop in the Cook Islands is by sailing on a cruise ship in the South Pacific. While most cruises only visit one of the islands in the Cook Islands, the "Cook Islands & Society Islands" cruise with Paul Gauguin Cruises stops off at both Rarotonga and Aitutaki for a day each.

There are typically five round trips from Papeete, Tahiti, per year. Learn more about how to island-hop via cruise ship with the 5 Best Cruises that Go to Rarotonga & the Cook Islands.

Location: Cruises depart from Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia.