{"id":263224,"date":"2026-09-15T17:00:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T17:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/15\/how-to-earn-marriott-points-on-tours-and-activities-the-points-guy\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T17:00:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T17:00:58","slug":"how-to-earn-marriott-points-on-tours-and-activities-the-points-guy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/15\/how-to-earn-marriott-points-on-tours-and-activities-the-points-guy\/","title":{"rendered":"How to earn Marriott points on tours and activities &#8211; The Points Guy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>There are the big and mostly obvious ways to earn points and miles \u2014 such as through credit card bonuses and spending, and, of course, on actual travel. But there are plenty of other easy-to-miss ways to earn rewards, too.<\/p>\n<p>From <span><a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/loyalty-programs\/maximize-dining-rewards-programs\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">dining programs<\/a><\/span> to <span><a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/loyalty-programs\/maximizing-points-and-miles-lyft\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lyft rides<\/a><\/span>, <span><a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/loyalty-programs\/earn-points-miles-with-apps\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Starbucks reloads<\/a><\/span> and so much more, you can earn points and miles in places you might not expect.<\/p>\n<p>And recently, for me, one of those places was on a private boat excursion in the middle of a bioluminescent bay during a trip to Grand Cayman.<\/p>\n<p>Taking good photos of the bioluminescent bay in the dark turned out to be &#8230; impossible. But earning a few thousand Marriott Bonvoy points on the boat ride was shockingly easy.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-3874346954 tpg-figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-top:0\" class=\"jsx-2453190082 full-width-auto-height-image\"><\/div><figcaption class=\"jsx-3874346954 figcaption\">You can&#8217;t see the people well, but you can see how cool the bio bay was. SUMMER HULL\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Here&#8217;s how I did it: Marriott has what it calls a <span><a href=\"https:\/\/activities.marriott.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Marriott Tours and Activities<\/a><\/span> site where you can book excursions around the world and earn, or even use, Marriott points in the process.<\/p>\n<p>Marriott doesn&#8217;t operate these attractions and tours itself; instead, it serves as a third-party broker or aggregator. Some of the types of activities I&#8217;ve seen available to book through the site include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Snorkeling trips<\/li>\n<li>Walking tours<\/li>\n<li>Boat and fishing trips<\/li>\n<li>Food tours<\/li>\n<li>Historical tours<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you want to redeem Marriott points to cover one of these tours or activities, based on my test searches, you can currently do so at a rate of 0.4 cents per point.<\/p>\n<p>That means it would take 25,000 Marriott points to pay for a $100 activity. TPG values Marriott points at 0.75 cents each when used for travel (based on <span><a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/loyalty-programs\/monthly-valuations\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">September 2026 TPG valuations<\/a><\/span>), so that&#8217;s not mathematically the all-time best redemption value with your Marriott points, but it is an option.<\/p>\n<div class=\"EmailSignUp_container__YVxAW tw-border tw-border-gray-2\"><picture class=\"EmailSignUp_graphic__pcgxg tw-relative tw-overflow-hidden tw-opacity-0\"><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"\/images\/EmailSignUp\/daily-mob.svg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"md:tw-absolute md:tw-inset-0 md:tw-size-full md:tw-object-cover md:tw-object-center\" src=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/images\/EmailSignUp\/daily-dt.svg\"\/><\/picture>\n<div class=\"EmailSignUp_form__xvcP4\">\n<p>Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter<\/p>\n<p>Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG\u2019s experts<\/p>\n<form class=\"jsx-606422965 newsletter-form\">\n<div class=\"jsx-606422965 EmailCapture_confirmation__AJ4nI EmailCapture_noCheckbox__2BHzb   &#10;          \">\n<div class=\"tw-space-y-4\">\n<p class=\"tw-text-xs-regular !tw-text-gray-5 hover:!tw-text-gray-5 tw-max-w-lg\">By signing up, you will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our<!-- --> <a class=\"!tw-text-gray-5 hover:!tw-text-gray-5\" href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/terms-of-use\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Terms of Use<\/a> <!-- -->and acknowledge the data practices in our<!-- --> <a class=\"!tw-text-gray-5 hover:!tw-text-gray-5\" href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/privacy-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You may unsubscribe at any time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>But you can also earn Marriott points, like I did, at a rate of 5 points per dollar spent.<\/p>\n<p>Booking a private boat to see the <span><a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/cruise\/grand-cayman-cruise-port\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">bioluminescent bay in Grand Cayman<\/a><\/span> for my group of five didn&#8217;t cost any more per person than a group tour, so we booked that for $600, earning 3,000 bonus Marriott points we otherwise would have left on the table.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, booking directly with the company we used would have cost the same as booking via Marriott, so these were really just points waiting to be earned.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-3874346954 tpg-figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-top:0\" class=\"jsx-2453190082 full-width-auto-height-image\"><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;height:auto;width:100%\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 756px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Sunset.jpg?width=640 640w, https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Sunset.jpg?width=750 750w, https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Sunset.jpg?width=828 828w, https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Sunset.jpg?width=1080 1080w, https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Sunset.jpg?width=1200 1200w, https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Sunset.jpg?width=1920 1920w, https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Sunset.jpg?width=2048 2048w, https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Sunset.jpg?width=3840 3840w\" src=\"https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Sunset.jpg?width=3840\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"jsx-3874346954 figcaption\">SUMMER HULL\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Unfortunately, while the charge appeared on my statement as Marriott Bonvoy Hallandale Beach, Florida, it did not post as a Marriott purchase to earn bonus points on my <span><a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/credit-cards\/marriott-bonvoy-current-offers\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Marriott credit card<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-3874346954 tpg-figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-top:0\" class=\"jsx-2453190082 full-width-auto-height-image\"><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"606\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;height:auto;width:100%\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 756px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2026-09-14-at-4.00.43-PM.png?width=640 640w, https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2026-09-14-at-4.00.43-PM.png?width=750 750w, https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2026-09-14-at-4.00.43-PM.png?width=828 828w, https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2026-09-14-at-4.00.43-PM.png?width=1080 1080w, https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2026-09-14-at-4.00.43-PM.png?width=1200 1200w, https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2026-09-14-at-4.00.43-PM.png?width=1920 1920w, https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2026-09-14-at-4.00.43-PM.png?width=2048 2048w, https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2026-09-14-at-4.00.43-PM.png?width=3840 3840w\" src=\"https:\/\/runway-media-production.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2026-09-14-at-4.00.43-PM.png?width=3840\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"jsx-3874346954 figcaption\">AMEX<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Instead, on my transaction, it coded as entertainment &#8211; general attractions. So, you may want to pay with a card that offers a strong <span><a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/credit-cards\/everyday-spending\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">return on everyday spending<\/a><\/span> or one that earns <span><a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/credit-cards\/best-cards-entertainment-spending\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">bonus rewards on entertainment<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"jsx-2362441780\">Bottom line<\/h2>\n<p>Earning 5 bonus Marriott points per dollar on tours and activities isn&#8217;t going to change the trajectory of your points and miles earnings. But I&#8217;m of the mindset that every point counts, especially when it doesn&#8217;t cost anything extra to earn them and doesn&#8217;t add any real hassle to my life.<\/p>\n<p>Marriott Tours and Activities checked all of those boxes for me. I paid the same price I would have paid by booking directly and walked away with 3,000 extra Marriott points for a pretty memorable boat ride to see the bioluminescent bay that I was going to book anyway.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/loyalty-programs\/marriott-tours-and-activities-bonus-points\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are the big and mostly obvious ways to earn points and miles \u2014 such as through credit card bonuses and spending, and, of course, on actual travel. But there are plenty of other easy-to-miss ways to earn rewards, too. From dining programs to Lyft rides, Starbucks reloads and so much more, you can earn [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":263225,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-263224","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-travel"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=263224"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263224\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/263225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=263224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=263224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=263224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}