25 Tours to Take in Hawaii

You're going to Hawaii... now what? There will be plenty of beach time, but Hawaii is rich in opportunity, with tours that combine adventure, culture, history, and scenic beauty. Here are 25 tours to consider on your next trip.

When trip planning for Hawaii, we tend to narrow our focus to one island at a time. But don't lose sight of the fact that Hawaii is a big island chain, and a wonderful way to explore it is through an adventure-based cruise. UnCruise's Hawaii itineraries include stops on the Big Island, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai with programming that keeps the focus on active, engaging travel - snorkeling with manta rays, meet-and-greet performances by local musicians, off-shore kayaking and snorkeling, and local cultural experiences.

Hawaii Forest and Trail recently brought its award-winning reputation to Oahu with three new tours that aim to provide a different perspective on the state's most-populated island. The shining star is the Farm to Forest tour that peels back the curtain on the lesser-visited west coast. Outside of Koolina, a small resort area, the majority of the west coast remains undeveloped and local. The point of Farm to Forest, as described in the name, is to showcase the area's small farms and upcountry, mountaintop forests.

Looking to get out on the water on Kauai? Holo Holo Charters offers the chance to cruise out to the forbidden island of Niihau. With a focus on ecotourism and environmentally friendly practices, Holo Holo's Niihau + Napali Super Tour takes you out to Lehua Crater for some of the State's best snorkeling and provides an educational overview of the island of Niihau.

If a boat tour sounds a little too laid back, consider seeing the Napali coast from the comfy confines of a kayak. Napali Kayak's flagship tour takes you on an unbelievably scenic 17-mile paddle along the cliffs of the Napali coast and can include options for overnight camping.

Over on Maui, Hawaiian Paddle Sports offers a lot of non-motorized tour options, including whale watching from kayaks (during the winter season). Another unique option are the outrigger canoe tours that pair scenic adventure with cultural history - outrigger canoes were the preferred vessel of Ancient Hawaiians. Learn more about how the outrigger canoe-shaped history and continues to thrive in today's Hawaii.

Ever dreamed of being aboard a submarine? You can visit an out-of-commission sub at Pearl Harbor (the Bowfin), but did you know you can actually ride aboard one offshore? Atlantis Submarines offers underwater tours of Waikiki, Kona, and Lahaina, visiting different dive sites and going down to depths of 100 feet. The tours are in partnership with Atlantis' efforts to protect and regenerate reef life, which add an educational component to the experience.

Stargazing from the Visitor Center at Mauna Kea is one of the most extraordinary activities you can do in Hawaii. It's easy to do it yourself - you can drive up to the Visitor Center and take part in a free ranger program most nights. But if you prefer something more turnkey, with a hot meal and a personal guide, try out a tour from Mauna Kea Summit Adventures.

Kualoa Ranch is a 4000-acre private nature reserve on Oahu's Windward Side, just north of Kaneohe. It offers all kinds of activities, including movie set tours and atv rides. Our favorite? Seeing the land and its ocean vistas via horseback.

It might be one of the more "touristy" things you can do in Waikiki - a sunset dinner cruise - but that shouldn't stop you from experiencing it. Perfect for families, the cruise provides great views of the Waikiki skyline and a front row seat for the sunset over the water. The food and entertainment on board are solid, too; but it's the moments on the top deck, out on the water during the quiet evening, that you'll remember.

If you fancy something less formal and laid back, a little secret about the boating industry on Oahu is that there are many cruises that allow you to bring your own booze (BYOB). Generally speaking, these cruises tend to be significantly cheaper and draw a mix of locals and visitors, typically young. Check out these options for getting out on the water.

Interested in checking out life on an old-school cattle ranch? Kipu Ranch on Kauai is a 3,000 acre privately owned preserve with generations of history. Visitors can cruise through the open terrain on an ATV tour and hear stories about the past, present, and future of cattle ranching in Hawaii.

Kauai can be a hiker's paradise for those that know where to go. Local hiker Jeremiah Felson started Kauai Hiking Tours to help visitors explore lesser-known parts of the island's beautiful terrain. Jump on one of his pre-packaged hikes or create one of your own.

There are only a handful of valleys in Hawaii that maintain that traditional, old-world feel and Waipio Valley on the Big Island is one of the best examples. Surrounded by huge cliffs, the valley comes alive on the Waipio Valley Shuttle Tour, which takes you past a 1,200-foot waterfall, wild horses, and residential dwellings.

No island's food scene has improved more in the last five years than Kauai's. Thanks to an influx of international chefs and a local farm to food movement, Kauai's restaurant scene has diversified beyond the plantation days and now offers visitors a wide range of options, from craft beer and burger joints to sushi bars to gourmet hot dog carts. If you're looking to get a feel for the local scene, check out one of the tours from Tasting Kauai that focus on new and local proprietors.

Kakaako has stolen the show with its massive revamp in recent years, but another Honolulu neighborhood, Chinatown, is also seeing improvements, with new restaurants, breweries, and shops opening along its streets. But don't be fooled by the new digs - Chinatown has a wild history that dates back to its heyday as a playground for soldiers during WWII. The WWII Red Light Tour from Honolulu Exposed takes a closer look at the tattoo parlors, "boogie houses," and legends that once defined Chinatown.

Managed by the caretaking organization Paepae o Heeia, the Heeia Fishpond in Kaneohe Bay has made drastic strides the past few years, eliminating invasive mangrove that once covered the walls. Extremely scenic on Oahu's Windwardside, tours of the fishpond take you for a stroll along the perimeter wall, where you are given an explanation of how a fishpond functions and the plans to get it back to a place where it can provide food for the community.

Like Waipio Valley, Halawa is one of Hawaii's most preserved and historic valleys. While most of it is private property, there is a daily cultural hike that winds its way through Halawa's residential area to a waterfall. The tour also includes a cultural demonstration, such as poi making or traditional protocol.

Catching the sunset atop Heleakala has become a tougher thing in recent years due to the introduction of a permit system, but an easy way around those regulations is to hop on a sunrise bike tour with a local operator. There are several companies that offer biking tours down the face of Haleakala - some are go at your own pace, some are group pace - but all offer the unique chance to watch the sunset above the clouds before coasting down the volcanic slopes. Start your adventure at 10,000 feet in winter clothes, and end up back down below in shorts and a t-shirt.

Bikers have known about the great riding on the Big Island for a long time, but what about Lanai? The lesser-explored, sparsely-populated island offers an off-beat road biking experience. Hop on a tour with Lanai Cycles.

The Lanai Expedition Trekker Tour includes roundtrip transport on the Maui-Lanai ferry as well as a guided 4x4 Jeep tour of Lanai, including Lanai City and Garden of the Gods, among other attractions. We like this tour because it offers the chance to explore another island on a simple day trip.

Beer lovers will be impressed by Oahu's growing brewery scene, most of it concentrated in the budding Kakaako neighborhood. Visit them all if you have time; otherwise, hop on the locally-led Brews Cruise to get a taste of what's out there.

No matter what island you find yourself on, there is sure to be a helicopter tour waiting to show you a bird's eye view. Hawaii's drastic, volcanic terrain and expansive ocean make it one of the best places in the world for a helicopter ride, so if riding in a chopper is on your bucket list, move forward with confidence.

Kona's coastline is famous for its deep water and beautiful blue colors, as well as its lava coast and historic sites, like Kealakeua Bay (where Captain Cook was killed). Captain Zodiac's zippy speed boat is a highly adventurous way to explore the area, offering a great combination of education and excitement. You can read more about the tour here.

The Kalaupapa Peninsula is the site of Hawaii's leper colony, where more than 8,000 people died and a handful of patients still live today. You can hike down to the peninsula, or you can jump on a mule tour to make the descent easier (you can also fly down onto the peninsula). The Historical Park Tour is a reflective, educational experience meant to induce reverence and compassion, while at the same time showcasing the beauty of the peninsula itself.

Similar to the Lanai Trekker Tour, the Molokai Day Tour invites you to take the small ferry from Maui (Lahaina) to spend the day on Molokai. It's a great way to get an overview of the island, including stops at the Kalaupapa Lookout, Halawa Valley, and an ancient fishpond.