Expeditions – 4×4 Trekker Tour
Maui-to-Lanai ferry adventure with a guided half-day 4x4 trekker tour on Lanai.
View Tour →Expeditions operates the passenger ferry between Maui and Lanai, with daily service across the Auau Channel between Maalaea Harbor and Manele Harbor.
Expeditions is Hawaii's only daily passenger ferry service, carrying travelers between Maui and Lanai in about 45 minutes. The company has operated out of Lahaina Harbor since 1990 and sails five times most days, matching sunrise, mid-morning, early afternoon and sunset travel windows. Check-in happens steps from the pier, and once lines are untied the captain points the bow across the Auau Channel, a stretch of cobalt water famous for humpback sightings every winter.
The fleet's twin-deck catamarans—Expeditions V and Expeditions VI—seat roughly 150 guests in an air-conditioned main cabin with panoramic windows. An open top deck rings the rail with cushioned benches for fresh-air views of Haleakala, the rugged West Maui Mountains and the red-lava sea cliffs of Lanai. Onboard restrooms, dry storage racks for beach gear and complimentary reef-safe sunscreen make it easy to roll a cooler aboard and jump straight into island time. Motion is generally gentle in summer, while winter swells add a bit of adventure without sacrificing comfort.
Many passengers treat the ferry as an ocean-front row seat: spinner dolphins ride the bow wake year-round, and from December through April humpbacks breach and tail-slap so close you can hear the splash. Early departures often reveal a rainbow over Lanai City's green slopes; late-afternoon returns paint the West Maui peaks gold as the sun drops behind Molokai.
Expeditions offers more than a ticket across the channel. Day-trip bundles pair the crossing with Jeep or UTV rentals, guided island van tours, beach-picnic setups or snorkel equipment, letting you explore Shipwreck Beach, the Garden of the Gods or Hulopoe Bay without juggling multiple reservations. Multi-day passes give hikers and golf travelers the freedom to linger, and kamaaina discounts keep the service affordable for local commuters.
Whether you're island-hopping for a single day or planning a longer stay, this ferry turns the channel into part of the adventure. Combine a morning sailing with whale watching or reef dives among our other Maui activities, then browse Lanai activities to build an itinerary that flows smoothly on both sides of the water.
Maui-to-Lanai ferry adventure with a guided half-day 4x4 trekker tour on Lanai.
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One-way ferry ticket between Maui's Lahaina Harbor and Lanai's Manele Harbor.
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Round-trip ferry ticket between Maui's Lahaina Harbor and Lanai's Manele Harbor.
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