Home > Philipsburg > St-Martin and St Maarten: Sightseeing Tour of the French and Dutch Sides of the Island
USD $44.00
St-Martin and St Maarten: Sightseeing Tour of the French and Dutch Sides of the Island
St Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
Explore both sides of the island of St Martin – Dutch (St Maarten) and French (St-Martin) – on a scenic 4.5-hour sightseeing tour! Bask in the sun on Orient Beach or Grand Case Beach; soak up the foodie atmosphere in Grand Case; explore the village of Marigot; and enjoy the breathtaking views of the Caribbean and its surroundings. Plus, learn about the cultural history of the Lesser Antilles island from your guide. With pristine tropical beaches and picturesque natural landscapes at every turn, you can't help but fall in love this piece of paradise!
No matter which sightseeing option you choose, you’ll experience a blend of St Martin's colonial past with its modern present as you visit both sides of the Caribbean island, settled by the Dutch and the French in the 1600s. As you tour the island with your guide, learn how the two sides joined forces against the Spanish, dividing the 37-square-mile (60-square-km) island almost equally between them into Dutch St Maarten and French St-Martin.
After pickup from your Philipsburg hotel, venture first to Grand Case Beach, one of the most tranquil and beautiful of St Martin's coastline. Here, on the north end of the French side, walk along the crystal-white sand and admire the pristine, clear blue water that mirrors the sky. Sunbathe, swim or stroll at your leisure, basking in the tropical sun.
The visit the village of Grand Case, where you can try guavaberry rum punch or simply enjoy a soda or beer. If you choose, dine on a local dish, such as chicken legs or Johnny Cake – a fried cornmeal pancake – for lunch (own expense).
Next, head to the quaint village of Marigot. Delight in the European ambiance of the town, where colonial streets lined with shops and the open-air bazaar offer plenty of duty-free shopping opportunities if you’re interested.
Then, visit Maho Beach and hold your breath as you watch airplanes fly close above as they approach the runway at nearby Princess Juliana International Airport. Your tour ends with a drive through Simpson Bay on your return to your hotel.
Great staff and very knowledgeable Claudiahost,greeter and Wellingtontour guide were amazing people.._br/_ Thanks for having such wonderful staff and very friendly..
Review by: Helen F, April 2018
Great tour..gives a good overview of the island both on the Dutch and French sides. Plenty of ice cold drinks on tap. Maho Beach is not to be missed. We visited in April 2018 and the island is still trying to recover from hurricane Urma...guide was very informative on this subject. The devastation is immense.
Review by: kwyld, April 2018
Had a good time!
Review by: Jennifer C, March 2018
I really enjoyed this tour! Although, I went a couple weeks ago and seen a lot of damage from the hurricane but looks like they are rebuilding the island. I had Bert as my tour guide and was the only one on this Sunday tour. Bert was an excellent tour guide. He was very knowlegeable about the island and provided interesting facts. He took pictures for me at various stops. He offered refreshing drinks soda, water on the tour which was a nice treat! I highly recommend this tour with Bert as you will learn all about the island and it's history.
Review by: ksadlowsky, February 2018
This island is a mess from the hurricane and it was an education to see it first hand. This tour bus with Amigo tours was lead by Burt and Claudia. They were very nice to us and really helped us to enjoy the island as there were a good variety of stops.
Review by: mark.johnson2, February 2018
We had a great tour with Wellington! He was very helpful, catering the tour as he could to our interests and giving us lots of history of both sides of the island. It also helped that he spoke French and Spanish in addition to English. It was nice to have stops at beaches on both sides of the island too, and we had nice shopping in Marigot. We'd highly recommend this tour!!
Review by: maria d, December 2017
Very good tour, it gives you an overall insight of the island visiting pristine beaches and ample of time to explore, pick up and drop off to the hotel is included
Review by: MICHELLE C, September 2017
This tour was wonderful! Our tour guide No Stress was very informative, fun, respectful, and made our tour extremely unforgettable! We are already planning our next cruise... I would only change the bus, if it was an open bus, the views would be a lot more enjoyable. This is our 3rd tour through Trip Advisor and we will definitely continue booking through here, because it has been unforgettable experiences. Very organized, fun and extroverted guides, and right on point locations with useful information.
Review by: Justin D, August 2017
Wellington our tour guide was Awesome!! My favorite part was feeding iguanas. We learned alot about the island in a very cool van. Highly recommended !!
Review by: Anne D, August 2017
Our tour guide was David, he was great and lots of laughs. We heard more info from him than we had on any other tour. All the stops gave us lots of time to explore and shop. I would highly recommend David and this tour.
Review by: Edward B, August 2017
Had a great day, our guide brought some rum punch and was knowledgeable and had a great sense of humour. The only thing I would suggest is to make it about an hour longer so that the time at the beach and lunch are not so rushed. A very nice way to get your bearings and decide where you would spend a little more time during your vacation.
Review by: Jamie B, August 2017
Wellington was amazing! Fun and knowledgeable about the island and any questions we had! Made several stops for photo opportunities and chance to stretch our legs! Stopped for lunch and were given an excellent recommendation for lunch! Great day!
Review by: Kimberly B, July 2017
One of the first tours we took in order to orient ourselves to the Island. It was very informative and our guide was awesome.
Review by: joantoben3, July 2017
We started our first trip to the island with this tour to get familiar with places. Our guide was very friendly and informative and we drove around the whole island. We stopped at Orient Beach, Marigot, Maho Beach and Phillipsburg amount others. Great tour!
Review by: Bernita S, June 2017
This sight seeing tour was very good. We got to see both sides of the island. We even stopped on the French side for lunch. The food was very good. The tour guide as Wellington. He was excellent.
Review by: Randall B, June 2017
Wellington made this tour so much fun! Great way to get an overall feel for the island. We did the tour early in week of our stay and it was helpful to see where we wanted to go back to visit later in t h e week. The rum punch was excellent as well! Be sure to ask for Wellington!
Review by: DMH, June 2017
This is a great tour! The island has a wealth of history and Wellington our driver also known as Mr. No Stress is extremely knowledgeable and provided a safe, relaxed, comical but informational and historical view of both sides of the island. His suggestion for lunch was excellent! The tour company called to confirm the pick-up time the night prior and Wellington was punctual. You will not be disappointed.
Review by: Amy T, May 2017
This tour was GREAT! Our guide, Bert, was fun, friendly, and knowledgeable. The tour was a good length, though I wished we'd had a little more time in Marigot. We saw lots of places we probably wouldn't have seen on our own, and with free rum punch and beer added in, this was a great value for the money. Bert even dropped us off in Philipsburg rather than taking us back to our resort per our request, giving us a chance to explore the town. Overall, I would highly recommend this tour as a way to gain a lot of knowledge, see a lot of places, and have a lot of fun on a tour that leaves some free time in your day as well.
Review by: Davedeeo, May 2017
Initial pick up from our hotel was on time and we were taken in to Philipsburg to meet up with the rest of our group and Wellington, our guide. We then had around 45 mins. to wander around Front Street etc. and get the lay of the land, and for some to commence buying. We then started the trip around the island, receiving plenty of information from our driver/guide. However you needed to remain alert to the odd piece of humorous misinformation. We got to see a number of locations and to get out of the minibus for photo opportunities and experiences feeding the iguanas was an unexpected treat. The lunch stop was in Grand Case, so that was useful. As we were travelling on a bank holiday Monday we did not get to see much of Marigot. The Maho beach experience was very worthwhile. All in all a well designed tour to get a feel of the island in quite a short period of time.
Review by: Lisa H, May 2017
Great guide....would book again!
Review by: Martin D, April 2017
Wellington is hugely knowledgeable and entertaining - St Martins answer to Eddie Murphy! Or Mr No Stress!_br/_ This was a fantastic day excursion which we did while in port on our cruise ship. Welllington made sure that he imparted all the local knowledge and that saw both sides if the island with plenty of photo stops, all the while making sure we were back in time for our early cruise departure. The pick up arrangements and drop off were clear and easily accessible from the cruise port. The rum punch was also very drinkable We highly recommend selecting a day trip with Wellington. You will not be disappointed.
Review by: Bill S, March 2017
The trip was a little too long and we almost missed our return time to the ship. Phillpsburg is too crowded for all of the cruise ships that enter.
Review by: jemw2, February 2017
An excellent trip around the island, although there were slight variations in the route. I only encountered problems with an email confirmation with Amigo Tours, but Viator sorted it for me.
Review by: Cheryl L, February 2017
The tour company sent a car to pick us up and returned us to our resort after the tour ended. That extra service was greatly appreciated! The tour itself was fantastic! What a great way to see all of the highlights the island has to offer! Our guide, Bert, was awesome! Highly recommend this tour!!
Review by: PeterB, February 2017
It was okay. We saw most of the entire island, but it was pretty depressed compared to Bonaire, Aruba and Curacao. Others on the bus seemed to enjoy our guides corny jokes, but I would have preferred more accurate information from a knowledgeable guide.
Review by: Sharon G, January 2017
We booked the Full day Soufriere excursion for our one day on St. Lucia during our cruise. It was a fantastic day with Vitus as our guide. From the banana plantation to the 2 botanical gardens, and every stop in between, we awed at the beauty of this island. Our only complaint: the day was not long enough! Thank you, Vitus, for sharing the love of your home with us. We will not soon forget our walk up the Stairway to Heaven!
Review by: Val, January 2017
I read a lot about this tour and great reports about our guide Wellington. It is true! The tour included just eight people and we had a fantastic time! Took other cruise ship tours after this day but they were not even close to being as engaging as Wellington! He made our day and remember this day above all others! Highly recommend it and would go again just to enjoy his company!
Review by: David T, January 2017
Got an amazing overview of the island - both sides. Never felt rushed at all - which is really important. Each stop was long enough to enjoy the area and get a real feel for what's there. We were so glad to book this tour - it got highly rated and really deserves it!
Review by: Joshua M, December 2016
Very good tour overall. The price was reasonable and stops were plentiful and varied. The tour guide was very personable and knowledgeable. I would change two things: 1 allow more time for the Marigot stop so we have enough time to eat lunch tableside service is very slow there and 2 shorten the stop at sunset/airport beach. 10-15 minutes would have been fine and most were ready to go by then, but we were given 45 minutes.
Review by: Ed D, December 2016
I have been on many tours around the world. Wellington the guide is simply the BEST EVER! He is so knowledgeble and funny! It is like a party bus with him !
Review by: Cynthia A, December 2016
We were picked up on time at our rental in Simpson Bay. Mr Wellington was our tour guide/driver .He drove very well on those narrow and steep roads. He gave an interesting history of the island. The scenery and beaches were lovely. We enjoyed our lunch at Grand Case.
Review by: Elizabeth V, October 2016
Enjoyed this tour and the guide that did it. The guide was on time getting us at our hotel, had great knowledge and told of the history between the Dutch and French sides of the island. Nice complementary beverages including the rum punch gotta to try it. Stopped for photo taking and shopping in Marigot as well as grabbed a nice lunch at one of the many French restaurants. The tour takes about 3-4 hours. Loved it.
Review by: Ernest L, October 2016
We took this trip on the first day of our vacation to learn the layout of the island and perhaps find some interesting sights to go back and visit later in our trip.It worked out perfectly. It was very comprehensive and toured all the major sights on both sides of the island. The tour guide was excellent. Very outgoing and knowledgeable. We learned so much about the history of St. Martin and had a wonderful time.
Review by: Christopher K, October 2016
Awesome tour would recommend it to everyone. Wellington was fantastic , informative and funny.
Review by: Wanda B, October 2016
Wellington was the best!! I had a wonderful tour with my daughter and myself enjoy the tour. It was so much fun and interesting. This is the my second time in St Martin and this is the best tour because of Mr Wellington.
Review by: Suzana C, September 2016
What a great way to find out about St. Marteen! We loved this tour that took us all over Dutch side and French side. Wellington was fun, wealth of information and made sure we all were paying attention. I would highly recommend this tour with Wellington and the guavaberry rum punch!
Review by: Roselle Monica D, September 2016
I highly recommend this tour. When on the tour with 5 of my girl friends for a bachelorette party and we all enjoyed this tour. The highlight was seeing the plane land and take off at Maho. Also shout out to our tour guide Wellington AKA Chico for being the best tour guide, very knowledgable and fun.
Review by: Chrisy B, September 2016
We loved this tour. The driver was informative and friendly. We enjoyed the stops we made. We had enough time at each stop and did not feel rushed. He did run out of water as our group was not into the rum or sodas, I'm sure that was unusual. We were a very happy and satisfied group.
Review by: Stephen W, September 2016
Tour guide, Wellington 'Chico' Richardson, was entertaining and very knowledgeable. However, I feel the tour could have included more historic sites, i.e. French/Dutch castles, forts, etc.
Review by: Annmarie A, August 2016
This tour was well worth the money. Our guide was the humorous and entertaining Wellington, who taught us a great deal about the history of the island and the conflict between the French and Dutch settlers. We were traveling as a family of 5 and my three adult children enjoyed the frequent offerings of local beer and rum punch. Highlights were swimming in the crystal clear waters at Maho Bay while huge planes took off/landed directly overhead. We also got to feed iguanas and handle live sea urchins. Overall, a very fun day and next time, Wellington, we hope to actually enjoy more of ---SIMPSON BAY!!!
Review by: akhlystun, August 2016
Great tour for money! I would highly recommend for someone who needs a quick introduction to the island.
Review by: Johann H, August 2016
Excellent tour, I would recommend to everyone. The rum punch was the bomb. So too was Wellington aka Chico. He was an excellent host for the day. Great job!
Review by: Sandra D, August 2016
The tour of the French and Dutch sides were absolutely marvelous. The tour guide, Wellington was very knowledgeable about both sides of the island and its history. We could not have asked for a better tour not to mention the beautiful weather.
Review by: Michelle L, July 2016
Wellington was awesome gave us the history of the island was funny, the island rum punch was the best along with the beer and water. Took us to all of the best places on both sides of the island and we had a great time!!!
Review by: Lee M, July 2016
This your was awesome. From the moment they picked us up, to the moment they dropped us off, they took great care of us! Everything was planned out perfect, with time to stop and see some of the great things St. Maarten has to offer. Drinks were offered and encouraged throughout the trip as we traveled around the island. The friendly staff was knowledgeable and prepared for a day of fun. We sat on the beach as a 747 went over us timing was perfect thanks to our guide, spent time on the number 1 beach on the island, had time to explore Marigot, had iguana's eat around our legs, and took in some amazing sights. Now we know where we want to go back for the rest of our stay in the island. Highly recommended to everyone coming! Fantastic day!!!!
Review by: Barbara E, June 2016
Guide great. We saw lots of interesting things. Enjoyed lunch, and had fun at the beach. We also learned lots about the French/Dutch countries.
Review by: Jozef H, June 2016
Trip was great, and driver very friendly and helpful. Do not want to share photos. By the way I already gave you a review along time ago. Thanks, Ivanka!!!
Review by: Robert B, March 2016
Great orientation tour of the main highlights of this beautiful island. We are happy that we booked this excursion of both the Dutch and the French sides of the island. _br/_ Our guide was fabulous, had a great sense of humor, and was very knowledgeable. We learned a lot about the history of the island as well as the flora and the fauna. Feeding the Iguanas was quite a sight! Marigot the French capital reminded us of being on the French Riviera. Very charming._br/_ We would have liked to have spent some time in Grand Case but due to rain and heavy traffic we were unable to do so. However the extra time at Mayo watching the planes land over the beach was well worth it. _br/_ This excusion is well worth the money and is highly recommended !
Review by: Maryann M, January 2016
Excellent tour for the money and time spent. Etienne was a very pleasant guide and open to suggestions. Pick up and drop off at the hotel was convenient. We got a complete overview of the island in 4 and a half hours which was our goal. Would definitely recommend this one and booking through Viator was easy and reliable.
Review by: WILLIAM B, December 2015
I arrange this tour very far in advance of actual day...so I was very apprehensive about the entire thing. We were picked up at our hotel and the driver was exceedingly nice. The vehicle was clean, the driver was cordial to each person, and we were offered something to drink. He spoke excellent English and shared much information with us. We enjoyed the tour and would book through the same service again.
RSS Feed