The Ultimate Ways to Tour Around Oahu, Hawaii

Hawaii’s beauty begs to be explored.

Sure, you could never leave the resort when you visit the islands and have a good time, but that would be a disservice to yourself and the wonderful people of Hawaii.

On Oahu specifically, there are a number of great tours that allow you to fully experience all the island has to offer.

Blue Sky Tours and Amstar DMC have you covered with plenty of options to help navigate your or your clients around Hawaii.

Having the transportation taken care of and not having to worry about driving helped ease our minds to truly enter vacation mode to relax and unwind in paradise. Sitting in comfortable, spacious vehicles too helped provide an even better experience.

It’s imperative to start a trip off right, and to make sure all the things you want to do and see are set up in the smoothest way possible.

Here are the top ways travelers can have the ultimate tour experience across Oahu.

Pearl Harbor

No trip to Oahu is complete without paying your respects to the fallen soldiers at Pearl Harbor National Memorial.

The best way to visit it is through a tour as well, giving travelers a seamless way to experience this important piece of American history.

E Noa Tours offers multiple excursions, whether you want to just see the memorial or package it with more, like walking onboard the USS Missouri battleship or driving through the city of Honolulu.

They will pick you up in Waikiki or Ko Olina and the tour bus driver also serves as a guide, sharing the history of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the key details to look out for at the memorial site.

Pearl Harbor National Memorial (Photo Credit: Eric Bowman)

Oahu Island Tour

Packaging Pearl Harbor with more is of course the path to go for those travelers seeking a tour of Oahu’s ultimate hits.

E Noa Tours’ offers the Ultimate Pearl Harbor and Circle Island Tour and the Majestic Island Tour, giving guests an all-day pass of seeing the true diversity that Oahu offers.

These full-day journeys will take you all over the island to see the stunning lookouts, historic landmarks, and dramatic coastlines that captivates all who visit Oahu.

In addition to seeing Pearl Harbor, you can soak in panoramic views from the cliffs of the Nu‘uanu Pali Lookout, find peace at the serene Byodo-In Temple, explore Oahu’s beautiful countryside at tropical farms, dive into some pineapples at the Dole Plantation, and marvel at the beauty in the Waimea Valley.

Yes, lunch is included on the tour, and they’re going to make sure you’re fed well on some delicious local flavor. Monday through Saturday features a stop at the Polynesian Cultural Center to eat at Pounders, and on Sunday the lunch is provided by Tanaka’s Kahuku Shrimp, which is “a legendary North Shore staple.”

And having a knowledgeable local guide navigate the winding roads allows you to simply lean back, take photos, and absorb the rich culture and storytelling of the islands.

Snorkeling, Dolphin Watching and Sunset Cruise

Dolphins, sea turtles, colorful fish and so much more marine life await travelers ready to explore the waters of Oahu’s shores. Add in experiencing all of this at golden hour on the water and, is there anything better?

Hawaii is without a doubt one of the best places in the world to watch the sunset, and our time with Ocean Joy Cruises did not disappoint.

They offer morning, afternoon and sunset cruises, with the latter featuring a Hawaiian buffet dinner of kalua pork and teriyaki chicken, salad, rice, fruit and cake for dessert. The crew can also prepare vegetarian and gluten free dishes with advance notice, and yes, alcohol is available but only after the snorkeling is completed.

The cruise departs from Ko Olina off the Waianae Coastline, which is the ideal spot for a breathtaking sunset.

We sailed on and watched a pod of over 20 dolphins swim and splash through the water before anchoring down to snorkel for an hour. I was giddy like a child when our guides announced they had prescription goggles too, something that I haven’t been offered before on previous catamaran excursions.

The captain let our kids steer the boat too, which is a moment my wife and I will never forget. And there is also a photographer onboard throughout the trip (both on the boat and in the water during snorkel time) capturing the memory-making experience where the chances are high for a frame worthy picture.

Views of Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa from catamaran cruise (Photo Credit: Eric Bowman)

Entertainment Tours

Movie lovers can round out their full tour of Oahu with a visit to Kualoa Ranch, which is located in the famous Ka’a’awa Valley – also known as Hollywood’s “Hawaii Backlot.”

There are tours dedicated to just Jurassic Park and Jurassic World filming locations, along with a Movie Sites and Ranch tour where you can see the boneyard from Kong Skull Island, Godzilla’s footprints, and various props and memorabilia.

And for the thrill seekers who want to see it all from above, schedule a helicopter tour from Blue Hawaiian Helicopter. A 65-minute tour over the whole island will make for one epic adventure to complete the ultimate ways to tour Oahu.

You will be entertained no matter how you decide to tour Oahu though, because Hawaii is pure paradise.

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