Antigua

Antigua trip ideas

Private Snorkeling and Sightseeing Tour of Antigua

Badge of ExcellenceAntigua, Antigua and Barbuda

4 hours 30 minutes
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Take in the sights and sounds of Antigua by land and sea with this guided tour led by a local spearfisherman. Get the chance to snorkel with sea turtles and explore shipwrecks at Galleon Beach. This tour can accommodate all travelers, even those who do not want to snorkel. Other stops include Shirley Heights and Nelson's Dockyard.

The combination tour offers both land and sea experiences
Enjoy the personalized attention of a private tour
Admission to Shirley Heights and Nelson's Dockyard is not included

What's Included

Use of Snorkeling equipment
Air-conditioned vehicle

$15.00US admission covers both Shirley's Heights, and Nelson's Dockyard

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

We can pick you up wherever you may be on the island. Cruise ship travelers will meet right in front of Cheers restaurant which is a very short walk after you exit the ship. I will be waiting wearing a bright yellow shirt and blue shorts, I have a large beard and bald head and I am pretty hard to miss. I contact all guests a day or two before your tour to get room numbers and give additional pickup information. Last minute bookings will receive a phone call or text message from me as well for pickup information. So make sure your phone number is correct when booking!

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers

No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
If you have mobility issues do not book this tour
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Jody_S

Jonny was fantastic and I highly recommend this tour to learn from and support a local. He was quick to respond and on-time. He suggested meeting a little earlier to beat the peak time of tourists and he was right!! He took pictures for us, sent us videos of us snorkeling, and he knows exactly where the turtles are plus two octopus homes. We had a 13 and 11 year-old with us. We highly recommend him!

Reviews

5.0

122 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 122 reviews

Johnny is a top tier tour guide!

Hannah_C, May 2024

We had a terrific experience with Johnny. We are two Canadians visiting the island for the first time, and he provided a fun, beautiful excursion. He was accommodating of what we wanted to do (even found us a fruit stand to buy fresh fruit at) and answered all of our questions (life in Antigua, history of the island, what each fish’s name were). The snorkeling was fantastic! Really enjoyed spending time with and getting to know Johnny, and we highly recommend this tour.

Best Private Tour on the Island!

Amanda_R, May 2024

Johnny was a wealth of knowledge not only on the marine life but also on the country. The snorkeling was incredible! We saw turtles, octopus, and even spotted eagle ray's. I highly recommend the private tour especially if you don't like large crowds.

Thanks Johnny

Kelly_B, May 2024

Johnny was great. He had excellent communications with us before the tour to put us at ease. He was early for our departure when we got off our cruise ship. He took fantastic videos of the sea turtles, octopus, lionfish, stingray etc. This tour was everything that we had expected and more.

Response from Host, May 2024

Thanks so much for the review! I never get tired of hearing from satisfied guests! Happy it was more than you expected. I am very good at finding underwater life, because I used to spearfish ALOT! I still sometimes find it hard not to hand catch the octopus or lobster we may come across lol! All the best and hope you had a safe journey home!

My Mistake

Noah_B, Apr 2024

Booked this excursion before taking a cruise and then forgot I had booked it, so I booked a Scuba diving excursion with another couple on board the ship. Tour operator did a great job texted me on where he would be and what he looked like. Only thing was, I thought he was associated with the Dive Shop. After catching a cab to the Dive Shop, the dutiful Operator sent a couple more text asking about my whereabouts and finally one stating he could no longer wait for us. I didn't read those texts until I returned to the ship. I think the operator acted professionally and went beyond the call of duty waiting for us to show up. For those reasons, I rate his services as excellent!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thanks for the review, I waited over an hour for you guys, never had this issue before, as I always try my best to have good correspondence with my guests. If I could change the circumstances I would have.

Great land and snorkeling tour.

Joanne_L, Apr 2024

Great tour and snorkeling- saw three turtles which was awesome! Very good information and snorkeling gear- would recommend.

Perfect Day!

Jody_S, Mar 2024

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thanks so much for the review Jody, it was a pleasure meeting you and spending time with your family. All the best from my little rock! -Johnny!

Amazing experience, don't book with another guide!

Ryan_K, Mar 2024

You can't miss with Johnny! We had an incredible tour and snorkeling experience. Johnny has a ton of inside knowledge about the island, knows just about everyone you will run into, and will go above and beyond to make sure you have a great trip. He took great care of us during the snorkeling portion and found 7 sea turtles for us to swim with and watch. That was the one thing we really wanted to see and he absolutely delivered. I'd give this 100 stars if I could!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thanks so much for the review! And thanks for booking with me over the larger tour companies out there! It was a pleasure spending the day with you guys. Hope all is well back home, and that your time in Antigua and with me is one you will cherish forever! -Johnny!

Swam with the turtles!

JeffersonTodd_M, Mar 2024

Johnny was amazing. Made sure we saw it all! Swam with turtles! Johnny communicated thoroughly in advance so we knew what to expect.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thanks Todd, it was a pleasure to take you and Julie around and show you my beautiful island. Hope you guys can cherish the memories you made on my tour forever. -Johnny!

Best Antigua Excursion

Taylor_H, Mar 2024

Our group has never visited Antigua and this excursion was the perfect little overview of Antiguan history and its environment. Johnny was a wonderful tour guide and brought us to Nelson’s Dockyard and Shirley Heights before the cruise crowds settled in. The snorkel at Galleon Beach was incredible as we saw lots of marine life including turtles. Johnny also video taped our snorkel and provided videos which was an added bonus! The private tour he provides is the way to go! Pro tip-check out his website for available rates. We definitely will use Johnny if we return to Antigua!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you so much for the review Taylor, it was my pleasure spending time with you and your family. I definitely enjoyed your company, you guys were great swimmers too! Hope you had a safe hassle free journey home!

Excellent Trip

Dave_W, Mar 2024

This was an excellent half day trip. A quick tour of Nelsons Dockyard and the surrounding area then off to a great spot to snorkel. Johnny was a great guide and a brilliant snorkeller. We saw turtles, ray, octopus and plenty of other fish. He knew exactly where to find them and seemed to have x-ray vision spotting them on the bottom! He kept diving down to take vids and pictures, what we didn't know was these were to send to us after the trip! Highly recommended

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thanks so much for the amazing review! I am very good at spotting life underwater, and I never EVER get tired of it. I love showing people the beautiful life our waters in Antigua have to offer, and I actually enjoy my guests company! Wish you all the best from my little rock in the ocean! - Johnny

A superb day out!

James_M, Mar 2024

Excellent trip. thoroughly recommend going on it! Johnny was great, the car had good A/C, bottles of water and water to wash the sand off your feet when you get back into the car! It was a great mix of some historic points on land, a lovely viewpoint and finished with the excellent snorkelling where we saw turtles in the wild (without needing to feed them to get them over) and the beach was empty so it was very relaxing. A highlight of our trip.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Im so glad my tour was the highlight of your trip! I hope you made some lasting memories that you can cherish for life! All the best! -Johnny

Private Tours are the Best

Howard_B, Mar 2024

Private tours provide the activities as advertised. In addition the guide discusses history, flora and fona, local politics and many other topics that are value added. Great day with Johnny! Thanks

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thanks for choosing me over a large crowded tour company Howard. You and you wife were great company. I hope you enjoyed your time with me and your time in Antigua! -Johnny

Johnny's Island Tour and Snorkling Trip is great!

Kris_M, Mar 2024

Johnny is a native of Antigua and has a wealth of information about the island and its history. We had never been to Antigua before so it was a great experience to learn the history of the island. Our snorkeling trip was great! Since it was a private tour we had a lot more time in the water. We saw turtles, octopi, a ship wreck not too far from shore, and a lot of fish. We have been on snorkeling cruises before and we're frustrated by all the people and not much time in the water. We snorked in a quiet spot of English Harbor that had few tourists. We would definitely recommend Johnny's tour!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thanks so much for the review, I did receive a message from you that you meant to put 5 stars and noticed you did leave a 5 star review above! Thanks so much for the review and for booking with me over the larger tour companies out there!

A great combined sight-seeing and snorkelling private tour in Antigua

Peter_D, Feb 2024

Our time in Antigua was limited, but we really wanted to fit in some sightseeing and snorkelling in a short period of time. After looking at the reviews we booked this Snorkelling and Sightseeing Tour of Antigua. and were not disappointed. Shortly after making our booking, we received confirmation from Johnny, confirming the details and collection time from our hotel at the Jolly Beach Resort. Johnny collected us on time at 8.30am in his comfortable tour van and we drove for about an hour, taking in some of the sights and pot-holes(!) of Antigua, before arriving at Nelson’s Dockyard, followed by Shirley Heights, and then snorkelling from Galleon Beach. Johnny is incredibly knowledgeable about the island and managed to answer our many questions about island life. He managed to avoid the queues (some cruise ships had arrived at the island) and he knew all the best places for us to stand to enable us to take some great photos at each location. A real highlight for us was the snorkelling from Galleon Beach. The weather conditions were not great, but we still managed to see 4 sea turtles, the ship wrecks, fish, and a shy octopus hiding under a rock! Johnny took a video of us snorkelling and emailed us the links later that afternoon. Life jackets and snorkelling equipment were provided. We returned to our hotel about 1pm after a thoroughly enjoyable morning. If time is short, and you want to combine some sight-seeing and snorkelling, this tour – with a highly knowledgeable and friendly guide – is the one to book.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thank you so much for the kind words and amazing review! Also thank you for booking with my small business over the larger tour groups! I always try my best to show the most underwater life as possible. I love making new friends while visiting my turtl/octopus friends at the same time! All the best from Antigua! -Johnny

Highly recommended!

Esther_B, Feb 2024

Great way to experience Antigua! We were picked up at our condo even though it wasn’t on the official list of pickup places. Great to have a private tour that included snorkeling, culture and history.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thank you Esther, it was a pleasure spending the day with you and Trudy, I won't forget the lady who brought a pink floaty along anytime soon lol! Hope you had a safe hassle free journey home after making some lasting memories with me on my tour! -Johnny

Perfect day in Antigua!

Holly_H, Feb 2024

we thoroughly enjoyed our day with Johnny. He communicated with us before our trip, it was easy to meet him at the port, and it was the perfect amount of sightseeing, fun facts about the island, and, of course, spectacular snorkeling. We saw turtles, stingrays, an octopus, several types of beautiful, colorful fish, two ship racks, and a 300-year-old anchor. If you only have one day to see the sites in Antigua, I highly recommend a tour with Johnny!

Response from Host, Feb 2024

thank you so much for the review! Reading these always makes me smile! I just wish I could be as busy as the bigger tour companies on the island. Thank you for booking with me over them. Having a private small tour deifnitely has its benefits! Hope you made some lasting memories and crossed some stuff off your bucket list! All the best from Antigua! -Johnny

Best tour on the island

ElizabethA_F, Feb 2024

Greatest tour in Antigua. Johnny is a fantastic guide. He knows his history and lots of info about the island. He snorkels with you and shows you the recks and finds the turtles. He drives smoothly and safely too.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thanks so much Elizabeth! Had a great time with you guys! I always try my best to find turtles/other life in the sea! Thanks for complimenting my driving as well! lol Hope you made some memories on my tour that will last a lifetime! All the best for the future! -Johnny

Great Fun!!

Karen_E, Jan 2024

This was a great way to spend half the day! Loved the places we stopped, loved the snorkeling even more. We had a great time, and would absolutely book this again if we ever go back to Antigua!!

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thanks so much Karen! You guys were a pleasure to take around. I enjoyed your company and would very much love it if you booked with me again!

I would do this again!

Kenneth_S, Jan 2024

We had a great time with Johnny. He is a very knowledgeable about the Island of Antigua. He was fun to snorkel with and drive around the town. I would highly recommend his tour. Although it is not a boat tour it didn't really matter. We snorkeled around two shipwrecks which were really cool.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

I would love it if you did this again! lol Thanks so much for the great review, and I hope I could make your vacation that much better! -Johnny

10/10 Tour with Johnny! Highly Recommend!

Eve_S, Jan 2024

Johnny was AMAZING! He picked us up right on time and met us at the cruise port. He was very knowledgeable and shared such interesting facts about the island and life as a local. He was always checking to make sure we were comfortable which was a plus with the snorkeling. Loved the private tour. Definitely recommend Johnny’s tour over the bigger tour companies!

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Thank you for the review and for choosing me over the larger tour companies out there! It was my pleasure to meet and spend the day with your family. You guys were great company. I hope you have a safe voyage home on that crazy cool cruise ship you guys came in on! Keep on keepin on!