11 Best Tours in the Cook Islands

Jamie's Aitutaki Tours is the kind of experience that turns a holiday into a true connection with locals, offering a down-to-earth tour of Aitutaki that's fully personalised.

Whether you're after a full-day walk along hidden beaches and bush tracks, a breezy scooter ride around the island or a relaxed car-based cruise that includes popping into locals' homes for a cup of tea, Jamie shapes every tour entirely around you.

He'll introduce you to gardens and plantations where you can taste fresh local fruit and vegetables, share island legends and mysteries, and take you to the kinds of places you'd never stumble upon on your own.

With deep family roots in Aitutaki stretching back to when the airport first opened, Jamie's connection to this island is about as authentic as it gets. You can book directly via Jamie's Aitutaki Tours.

For those interested in culinary experiences and organic cultivation, consider Arataki Organic Garden Tours. This intimate tour, led by Mirella and Katoa in their own backyard, offers a delightful journey through tropical flavours.

You'll be greeted with a fresh local seasonal drink before embarking on a hands-on adventure with various fruits and vegetables. As you explore, you'll gain insights into local traditions and medicinal plant uses. Try your hand at coconut husking and savour the marshmallow-like uto (young coconut).

Multiple tasting stations showcase garden-grown delights, culminating in a refreshing sample of sugar cane. The tour wraps up with light refreshments, including photo-worthy fruit platters and coconut drinks – so come with an appetite!

Ready to tantalise your taste buds? Book your spot on the Arataki Organic Garden Tours for a flavourful journey through Rarotonga's organic bounty.

A guided tour of Maire Nui Gardens is one of the most intimate and genuinely enriching experiences on Rarotonga, taking you through seven acres of 100% organic gardens with a knowledgeable guide and no more than 11 other guests for company.

Over the course of an hour, the guided tour takes you past lily ponds, footbridges, native and introduced plant species, local fruit trees and food gardens, all on easy, mostly flat terrain. As you go, your guide shares the living history of this remarkable piece of land, title land passed down through generations from the ariki (chief) to her daughter, and now lovingly maintained by the mother who owns and runs the gardens today.

You'll taste fresh herbs, medicinal plants and seasonal fruits along the way, and see the composting systems that keep the whole property running without a single spray, chemical or pesticide.

The tour finishes at the Maire Nui Gardens Café, where a fresh organic tea is included. If you're in no hurry (and why would you be?), stay on for lunch: the menu features the "Tropical Salad", "Garden Tacos" and the legendary "Famous Lemon Meringue Cheesecake".

Self-guided visits are also available for a small entry fee, open from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Sunday. Note that the cafe is only open on weekdays.

The locally owned and operated Cook Islands Tours offers a few popular tours of Rarotonga, more famously their “Progressive Dinner Tour“, but if you want to see more of the island, do their “Orientation & Sightseeing Tour“.

Their 2 hrs 30 mins tour is a must for first-time visitors, pointing out some excellent places to eat on the island, interesting activities to do, as well as stopping by some cultural attractions that you can tick off the list, such as Black Rock and the Rarotonga Brewery.

Alternatively, Cook Islands Tours offers a sightseeing "Avarua Historical Walking Tour", which you can find out more about in the 10 Best Guided Walks in Rarotonga & the Cook Islands.

Silent One Lagoon Charters is a family-run operation offering private snorkelling charters, whale watching, lagoon fishing and water taxi runs across the stunning waters of Aitutaki's lagoon, seven days a week.

Run by husband-and-wife team Ki and Lovey, every charter is kept strictly private, so you'll never be grouped with strangers. Your guide always enters the water first to assess conditions before signalling guests in, which says a lot about how seriously they take safety and comfort.

The full-day snorkelling charter covers the entire lagoon and includes a freshly caught barbecue lunch prepared on the day, right in front of you. Whale watching (with an impressive 80% success rate) lets you swim alongside humpback whales with your guide. Tours are fully customisable, and the team can even accommodate guests with limited mobility.

Immerse yourself in Cook Islands culture with the family-owned Aitutaki Cultural Tour. Join Lucy or her characterful father, Ngaaekaitai, as they share their deep passion for Aitutaki traditions.

You'll be whisked away in an unmissable bright yellow truck to a stunning cultural centre overlooking the Aitutaki Lagoon. Here, you'll get hands-on experience preparing an umu (traditional underground oven) - perfect for travellers who love to get involved!

While your umu cooks, take a tour of the property to explore its herbal and medicinal offerings before visiting a sacred marae to discover Aitutaki's rich history. Back at the centre, you'll unearth your umu and enjoy a fresh lunch with a spectacular view.

The tour operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for shared groups (minimum four people), with private tours available on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

When it comes to lagoon cruises, nothing compares to those on the Aitutaki Lagoon. One of the top choices for touring the lagoon and its motu, Teking Lagoon Cruises offers a boutique small-group experience that is genuinely different from other lagoon tours on the island.

Their "Small Group Snorkelling Tour" is intentionally more active and lagoon-focused, with boats carrying a maximum of 24 guests; small enough to reach parts of the lagoon that larger cruise-style boats simply cannot access.

The snorkelling spots are unique to Teking, with an emphasis on marine life, conservation and even a famous fish feeding stop that is hard to forget.

Tours are approximately five hours and include a fresh barbecue lunch on a private island. Families are very welcome, with child and infant rates available.

Private charters (small, medium and large) and two-hour sunset cruises with Champagne are also on offer.

Compare this lagoon cruise with others in the 10 Best Lagoon Cruises in Rarotonga & the Cook Islands.

Koka Lagoon Cruises offers one of the most well-rounded half-day experiences on Rarotonga, combining glass-bottom boat views, guided snorkelling and a barbecue lunch on a private island, all with a live ukulele band setting the mood from the moment you step aboard.

Departing at 10 am from Muri Beach, the four-hour "Rarotonga Glass Bottom Lagoon Cruise" takes you to the Tikioki Marine Reserve, where you'll snorkel among colourful fish and giant clams (gear provided) before heading ashore on Motu Koromiri for a barbecue feast prepared by on-site chefs.

Back on the water, the fun continues with a coconut demonstration and pareu tying, with the crew keeping the energy high throughout. Resort transfers are included, with pick-up and drop-off from all resorts island-wide via Cook Island Transport. Cruises run Sunday through Friday, and children five and under go free.

Storytellers Eco Cycle Tours offers a fantastic range of ways to explore Rarotonga, from guided cycling tours and leisurely walks to a foodie truck adventure.

Their cycling tours begin with a briefing, letting guests choose their focus: food, history, art and culture, or a bit of everything. Pedal past charming villages, learn about the island's rich history along the ancient Ara Metua coral road, and enjoy tastings of local fruits en route. The "Discover" tour suits beginner cyclists, while the "Explore" tour is ideal for more experienced riders. Both finish with a delicious local lunch.

Prefer to go on foot? The "Afternoon Stroll" walking tour offers a relaxed way to take in the island's beauty and culture.

Foodies should also look out for the "Market Farm to Fork" truck tour, departing Punanganui Market on Saturday mornings at 9:30 am. It winds through back roads, stops at a local garden and finishes at the beach on the south side of the island, with tastings of local produce throughout.

Hop aboard a characterful safari Jeep with Raro Safari Tours for an unforgettable three-hour adventure around Rarotonga. Operating Monday to Friday, this tour takes you along the coast road, back roads, and dirt tracks, delving into the island's rich history and culture.

Traverse the inland road to discover historical sites and visit local plantations. The highlight? Racing up dirt tracks to a spectacular viewpoint of Te Rua Manga, also known as The Needle. You'll also stop at Papua Waterfall (or Wigmore's Waterfall).

With plenty of humour thrown in, this tour offers a thrilling way to explore Rarotonga's diverse landscapes.

See more tours like this in the 10 Best Sightseeing Tours in Rarotonga & the Cook Islands.

Ariki Turtle Tours & Sea Scooters is one of Rarotonga's longest-established snorkelling tour operators, and for good reason: few outfits do it with this much polish.

Based at the stunning Avaavaroa Passage, their flagship "Premium Sea Scooter Turtle Adventure" is a two-hour tour with a guaranteed turtle interaction, using lightweight 'Le Feet' sea scooters that make gliding through the passage feel almost effortless (and fun).

In our experience, they were great for easier access to the eagle rays but turtles don't like to hang around the "buzz" for long.

Confident swimmers can opt for the "Onu Free Swim Adventure", while the "Premium Sea Scooter Ocean Adventures" tour takes you over the RMS Maitai shipwreck, now absorbed into the reef just below the surf zone.

Large groups are split into smaller groups, typically with one to three guides per four guests, and all tours include premium snorkel gear, a safety boat/guides, and tour photography. There's even an on-site café with WiFi if you want to arrive early and settle in.