"What a truly fantastic day, from the incredible snorkel spots (with amazing fish, coral, giant clams, swim-throughs, and a plane wreck) to bbq lunch on the beach and cultural walk and talks through the bush and village, this was truly my favourite day in Vanuatu. Supporting locals matters, and this tour is owned and run by Lelepa island locals. Would highly, highly recommend!"
Illustration.
Day Trip · 8:30 AM · 8 Hours · Closed Saturdays
Lelepa Island Tour
Lelepa Island Day Tours Limited picks you up at your Port Vila resort, drives you to Havannah Harbour and takes you by boat to Lelepa Island: snorkelling in a marine sanctuary, giant clams, a sunken plane wreck, a beach BBQ lunch, a bush walk and a village visit.
From
A$165
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.8 / 5 132+ Reviews
- 8:30 AM Tour start, every day except Saturday; pickup up to 60 minutes before
- 15-20 min The boat from Havannah Harbour to Lelepa Island, after a 35-40 minute drive
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Lelepa Island Day Trip Includes
Pickup and drop-off at Port Vila resorts, the boat, snorkel gear, kayaks, the BBQ lunch and afternoon tea in the village.
Lelepa Island Day Tours Limited's own highlights, inclusions and notes, as listed on GetYourGuide in November 2026.
Highlights
- Immerse yourself in the local culture and meet the island's residents
- Enjoy a delicious beach BBQ lunch with local beef, chicken, and fish
- Relax on a beautiful beach and take a short bush walk through the rainforest
- Snorkel in a marine sanctuary with vibrant fish, giant clams, and a plane wreck
What's Included
- Pick-up and drop-off from Port Vila resorts
- Boat ride to Lelepa Island
- Snorkeling equipment
- Kayaking
- Beach BBQ lunch
- Snorkel at the sunken plane wreck ✈️
- See giant clams while snorkeling
- Afternoon tea and refreshments in the village
- Local handicraft display
- Learn about Chief Roimata domain. Vanuatu's sole UNESCO World Heritage site was inscribed in 2008, featuring three 17th-century AD sites on Efate, Lelepa, and Artok islands linked to the legendary paramount chief, including his residence, death site, and mass burial site, all preserved through strong oral traditions and cultural taboos (tapu)
- Bush walk and learn about natural bush medicine
Good to know: Tour operates every day except Saturday · Special timing for cruise ship passengers if needed · Support local villagers by purchasing handicrafts · Not suitable for: People with mobility impairments, Non-swimmers, People prone to seasickness · Not Included: Personal expenses, Travel insurance
The Lelepa Day, Step by Step
From the 8:30 AM start in Port Vila to the village and the ride back, about eight hours.
Pickup at Your Port Vila Resort
The tour starts at 8:30 AM and the pickup comes up to 60 minutes before. Wait in your hotel foyer or at the main entrance five minutes early and ask the driver whether it is the Lelepa Island bus.
Van to Havannah Harbour, Boat to Lelepa
About 35 to 40 minutes by road to Havannah Harbour on Efate's north-west coast, then 15 to 20 minutes by boat to Lelepa Island, where a tropical drink is waiting.
Snorkel, Kayak, BBQ Lunch
Snorkel and kayak off the beach, snorkel off the boat in the marine protected area, see giant clams and a sunken plane wreck, then a BBQ lunch of local beef and chicken with bread and salad.
Bush Walk and the Village
A short trail into the rainforest to learn about useful plants, then tea and coffee in the village, handicrafts and carvings, and songs from the children before the ride back to Port Vila.
Photo Gallery
Lelepa Island, Vanuatu
The boat across Havannah Harbour, the reef off Lelepa, the beach and the village.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Lelepa Island Day Tours Limited, 8:30 AM from Port Vila, every day except Saturday. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Before You Book Lelepa
The Lelepa Island Tour, One Question per Page
What the day includes, getting from Port Vila to the boat, the snorkelling, a cruise-ship day, Royal Caribbean's beach club and where to stay.
Item by item
What the Day Includes
Pickup, boat, snorkel gear, kayaks, the BBQ lunch and the village, what is not included, what to bring and who should not book.
From A$165 per person
Pickup, van and boat
Port Vila to Lelepa
Where the bus collects you, the drive to Havannah Harbour, the boat across to Lelepa, and the map.
From A$165 per person
Three kinds of stop
Lelepa Island Snorkelling
The marine sanctuary, the giant clams and the plane wreck, the gear, and what reviewers found in the water.
From A$165 per person
Ship times against the tour
From a Cruise Ship
The tour's special timing for cruise passengers, what it does not promise, and the questions to ask before a port day.
From A$165 per person
Cruise news, dated
Royal Beach Club Lelepa
Royal Caribbean's Lelepa beach club, opening with sailings from late October 2027: what has been announced, and what has not.
From A$165 per person
Which base suits you
Where to Stay
Port Vila town, Erakor Lagoon or Havannah Harbour: who each suits for a Lelepa day, inside or outside the pickup area, and the catch.
From A$165 per person
Prices are each page's featured tour: GetYourGuide checked November 2026. GetYourGuide prices are per person in Australian dollars (A$).
Three Days Out from Port Vila on One Table
The Lelepa Island day trip, a shorter turtle and snorkel morning and a sail-and-snorkel day: start times, length, what you do and who each suits. Prices with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE Lelepa Island day trip, Lelepa Island Day Tours Limited | Most reviewed of these Turtle and snorkel morning, Roawia Turtle and snorkeling tours | Sail and snorkel day, Sailing Vanuatu |
|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From A$165 per person (checked November 2026) | From A$105 per person (checked November 2026); at least two people book: A$210 for two | From A$236 per person (checked November 2026) |
| Starts | 8:30 AM; not on Saturdays | 9:00 AM | 9:45 AM |
| Length of the Day | 8 hours | 4.5 hours | 5 hours |
| Pickup | Port Vila resorts | Port Vila, including any resort in town | Within the Port Vila area; outside the zone costs extra |
| What You Do | Boat to Lelepa Island, snorkelling, kayaks, beach BBQ, bush walk, village | Snorkelling with a chance of turtles in the wild, a coral planting garden, a giant clam garden, lunch | Sailing in Havannah Harbour, two snorkel stops, a buffet lunch cooked on board |
| Who It Suits | A full day with Lelepa's reef, beach and village | A half day in the water, for two or more | A day on deck, with drinks to buy on board |
| Check dates | See the snorkel morning | See the sailing day |
Other Days on the Water
A Shorter Snorkel Morning, or a Day on a Sailing Boat
Two other days out from Port Vila, for anyone who wants a half day or a day on deck instead.
HALF DAY, FOR TWO OR MOREVanuatu: Turtle and Snorkeling Tour with Lunch
Roawia Turtle and snorkeling tours' 4.5-hour morning from Port Vila at 9:00 AM: snorkelling with a chance of turtles in the wild, a coral planting garden, a giant clam garden and lunch, with pickup in town. One person alone cannot book: two pay A$210 together (A$105 each).
A DAY UNDER SAILVanuatu - Day Tour: Sail, Snorkel, Lunch, Island Adventure
Sailing Vanuatu's 5-hour day from 9:45 AM on a sailing boat in Havannah Harbour: two snorkel stops, kayaks and paddleboards, an island visit and a buffet lunch cooked on board. Drinks other than water are bought on board.
Lelepa Island, Vanuatu
The Lelepa Island Day Trip, Before You Book
How the day runs, what reviewers found and did not find, who it suits, the price, and the Royal Caribbean news.
A Lelepa Island tour is a day out from Port Vila to Lelepa, a small island off Efate’s north-west coast, across Havannah Harbour. On GetYourGuide one operator sells Lelepa Island tours: Lelepa Island Day Tours Limited, whose Port Vila: Lelepa Island Day Trip with Snorkeling & BBQ costs A$165 per adult (checked November 2026) and has 132 reviews. It is a full day: pickup at your resort, a van and a boat, snorkelling, a beach BBQ lunch, a bush walk and the village.
The Lelepa Island day trip in short
If you want one day in Vanuatu that mixes a reef, a beach and village life, this is the day built for it. It starts at 8:30 AM, runs about eight hours, and does not run on Saturdays. One option, one price: A$165 per adult whether one, two or three of you book, taxes and fees included, on dates from late November 2026 to March 2027.
How the day runs
The bus comes to your resort in Port Vila up to an hour before the 8:30 AM start; you wait in the foyer and ask the driver whether it is the Lelepa Island bus. From town it is about 35 to 40 minutes by road to Havannah Harbour, then 15 to 20 minutes by boat to Lelepa. Port Vila to Lelepa Island has the map and the pickup area.
On the island the day is snorkelling first. You snorkel and kayak off the beach, then snorkel off the boat in the island’s marine protected area, where the giant clams and a sunken plane wreck are. Reviewers describe it as three stops: coral and fish at one, giant clams at the next, the plane at the last (a reviewer on 9 February 2026; another on 3 June 2026 also saw turtles). Lunch is a BBQ of local beef and chicken with bread and salad, and then there is time on the beach or in a hammock. The afternoon is on land: a short trail into the rainforest to learn about plants the village uses, then tea and coffee in the village, handicrafts and carvings, and songs from the children before the ride back. What the Lelepa day includes goes through it item by item, and Lelepa Island snorkelling covers the reef.
What reviewers found, and what some did not
Most of the reviews are five-star, and the same things come up: the snorkelling, the lunch, and a guide reviewers call Billy, who tells the island’s history. A reviewer on 31 October 2026 adds that the tour is owned and run by Lelepa islanders.
The low reviews are about two things. The first is the pickup: one reviewer waited an hour and a half (28 March 2026) and another’s driver was an hour late (5 August 2026), though others were collected on time. The second is the gap between what the day promises and what some people got. A reviewer from New Caledonia wrote on 21 June 2026 that several announced items were not there, naming caves, the giant clams, Second World War remains, Chief Roi Mata’s domain and the bush medicine; other reviewers that year describe the clams, the plane wreck and the talk on plants. A three-star review of 6 November 2026 found the van driver was only a driver, met the guide at the boat, and thought the snorkelling average after the boat ride, though the giant clams were worth seeing.
One item is out of everyone’s hands. Fels Cave, a place of Chief Roi Mata’s Domain, has had visits suspended: the World Heritage Committee’s 2026 decision on the domain records that landslides and fractures made worse by the December 2024 earthquake have made access unsafe. The day trip’s summary mentions “a historical cave” without naming it; do not book the day for Fels Cave.
Lelepa Island, Vanuatu, and Chief Roi Mata
Lelepa is part of Chief Roi Mata’s Domain, Vanuatu’s first World Heritage site, inscribed in 2008: UNESCO describes it as three early 17th-century sites on Efate, Lelepa and Artok tied to the life and death of Roi Mata, the last paramount chief of what is now central Vanuatu. The day trip’s program includes learning about the domain from the guides. It is not a visit to each of the three sites.
Who it suits, and who it does not
The day suits swimmers who want time in the water and an afternoon with the people who live on the island. It is not for people with mobility impairments, non-swimmers or anyone prone to seasickness, and the November 2026 reviewer saw people struggle to climb off and back onto the boats. If a full day is too much, or only one of you swims, two other days out from Port Vila are worth a look.
Pick the day that fits you:
The full Lelepa day
Port Vila: Lelepa Island Day Trip with Snorkeling & BBQ
Lelepa Island Day Tours Limited: snorkelling in a marine sanctuary, giant clams and a plane wreck, a beach BBQ, a bush walk and the village, about eight hours from 8:30 AM. Not on Saturdays.
Check dates →A half day in the water, for two or more
Vanuatu: Turtle and Snorkeling Tour with Lunch
Roawia Turtle and snorkeling tours: 4.5 hours from 9:00 AM with a chance of turtles in the wild, a coral planting garden, a giant clam garden and lunch. One person alone cannot book: two pay A$210 together (A$105 each).
See the morning →A day under sail
Vanuatu - Day Tour: Sail, Snorkel, Lunch, Island Adventure
Sailing Vanuatu: five hours on a sailing boat in Havannah Harbour from 9:45 AM, two snorkel stops, an island visit and a buffet lunch cooked on board.
See the sailing day →Prices, ratings and review counts from the GetYourGuide listings (checked November 2026). Operators change prices by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
What it costs
The Lelepa day costs A$165 per adult (checked November 2026), the same for one, two or three adults on dates from late November 2026 to March 2027. You can reserve now and pay later, and cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before. The snorkel morning of Roawia Turtle and snorkeling tours cannot be booked by one person: two adults paid A$210 together. The sailing day of Sailing Vanuatu costs A$236 per adult, with drinks other than water to buy on board.
Lelepa and Royal Caribbean
Lelepa is in the cruise news. Royal Caribbean is building Royal Beach Club Lelepa for its own guests, and its page says the first sailings to call there depart at the end of October 2027. It is a separate thing from this day trip, which says nothing about it: Royal Beach Club Lelepa has what Royal Caribbean’s page states.
Where to stay for the day
The bus collects from anywhere in a pickup area around Port Vila, from Mele to Pango. The resorts on Havannah Harbour are close to the boat but outside it. Where to stay for a Lelepa day sets the areas side by side, with room searches for each.
Guest Reviews
What Lelepa Day-Trippers Say
4.8/5
from 132 reviews
"The minivan to and from Lelepa is basically a taxi and driver and the actual guide met us at the boat boarding point. So no communication from the taxi driver to or from collection points. The snorkeling was average and expected more after the long boat ride but the giant clams were worth seeing. Again the guide wasn't on the boats as we drove to snorkeling spots and very little info or communication from the skippers. The lunch was good with a delicious beef stew and fresh bread. The tour wouldn't suit anyone with physical limits as some on our trip struggled to get off and back on board the boats for snorkeling."
"Wonderful day Great variety of snorkeling sites Fantastic lunch cooked by Billy Interesting talk about local history and chief and medicine Nice to visit village and see locals Fun boat ride too! Small friendly group Fantastic day!"
"We would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Vanuatu- the day was amazing from start to finish, with pick up from our resort, friendly knowledgeable guides, beautiful snorkelling, a delicious lunch, and a warm welcome and tour in the village on the lovely island of Lelepa. Thank you so much to our guides, would 100% recommend and will do this tour again if we return to Vanuatu one day!"
"Lots of great snorkelling with plenty of fish and beautiful coral at one location, and then giant clams at the next place, and finally a plane buried at sea as the third location. Billie the coordinating guide was very attentive, and all arrangements including road transport pickups and boats were on time, with plenty of food for morning and afternoon tea and lunch. Some good cultural experiences including information about local food supplies, a village walk through and crafts for sale and singing. Well worth the trip even in the rain!"
"I absolutely loved the tour. We did three amazing snorkeling spots, followed by lunch and a tour of Lelepa island, including some local culture and history. Billy (Lelepa native) was so informative and told us some great stories about the history of Lelepa, and both Jakob and Peter were brilliant bus/boat drivers for our day tour."
Read all 132 verified reviews
See All ReviewsA Day on Lelepa Island
Lelepa Island Day Tours Limited's day from Port Vila: snorkelling in a marine sanctuary, giant clams and a plane wreck, a beach BBQ lunch, a bush walk and the village. Pickup at Port Vila resorts. Starting from A$165 per person.
See datesLelepa Island Tour: Questions
What the Lelepa Island day trip costs, when it runs, how you get there, Fels Cave, cruise-ship days, Royal Beach Club Lelepa and where to stay.
A$165 per adult (checked November 2026). Lelepa Island Day Tours Limited sells one option, and one, two or three adults each pay the same A$165, taxes and fees included, on dates from late November 2026 to March 2027. The price covers the pickup, the boat, snorkel gear, kayaks, the BBQ lunch and afternoon tea. See what the day includes.
By van to Havannah Harbour, then by boat. On the day trip you are picked up at your Port Vila resort, driven about 35 to 40 minutes to Havannah Harbour on Efate's north-west coast, and taken 15 to 20 minutes by boat to Lelepa Island. See Port Vila to Lelepa Island.
The day trip's own boat is the crossing. It leaves from Havannah Harbour and the ride takes 15 to 20 minutes; the van and the boat both come with the tour, so there is nothing separate to book.
Every day except Saturday, at 8:30 AM. Saturdays are closed on the booking calendar. The day lasts about eight hours, and you can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before.
No: visits were suspended in UNESCO's 2026 record. At its 2026 session the UNESCO World Heritage Committee recorded that landslides, fractures and structural fragility at Fels Cave, made worse by the December 2024 earthquake, have made access unsafe and required the temporary suspension of visits (decision 48 COM 7B.24). The Lelepa day trip's summary mentions a historical cave without naming it, so book it for the reef, the island and the village, not for Fels Cave.
Sometimes, if your ship's hours allow a full day. The tour offers special timing for cruise ship passengers if needed, but it names no meeting point at the wharf and no fixed return time, and an independent tour does not guarantee your return to the ship the way a cruise line's own excursion does. See Lelepa from a cruise ship.
No. Royal Beach Club Lelepa is Royal Caribbean's planned destination for its own cruise guests: its page says sailings departing at the end of October 2027 will be the first to visit, with entry included in the cruise fare and guests taken to the island by tender. The Lelepa day trip says nothing about it. See Royal Beach Club Lelepa.
People with mobility impairments, non-swimmers and anyone prone to seasickness. One reviewer in November 2026 added that some people on their trip struggled to get off and back on the boats for snorkelling.
Swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, a hat and water. Also comfortable shoes, a camera and snacks. Bring some money if you want to buy handicrafts in the village.
Inside the tour's pickup area around Port Vila. The 8:30 AM bus collects from any address in an area that runs from Mele to Pango around the town. The Havannah Harbour resorts sit near the boat but outside that area. See where to stay for a Lelepa day.
Still have questions? Email us at info@lelepaislandtour.com