ULTIMATE CIRCLE ISLAND TOUR OPERATES:  Weekdays

Pickups in Waikiki: starting at 7:00 AM (your pickup time will depend on your pickup location)
Drop-off time: 6:00-6:30 PM

The timing of the tour always depends on many factors and is at the discretion of your driver/tour guide on location who will take into consideration the speed of the group, the traffic conditions around the island, the potential road closures, weather warnings from the state and many other factors. But generally speaking, the photo stops will take about 10-15 minutes, other stops are 20-25 minutes, the lunch is usually about 40-45 minutes at Fumi’s  and the Waimea Arboretum/ Waterfall walk/visit is about two hours.  We have marked all the actual STOPS for you with red color.

TOUR DESCRIPTION:

Join us on this exciting journey of discovery that will satisfy your senses and provide exceptional photo opportunities.

Begin your day driving through the Amelia Earhart Point on the ocean-facing outer slopes of Diamond Head Crater, Hawaii’s icon and most recognizable landmark, where you can marvel at the 100,000 year-old volcanic peak perched above the Pacific.

Traveling along Oahu’s spectacular southeast coastline we arrive at the famous Halona Blowhole and  From Here to Eternity” beach where Green Sea Turtles can often be spotted in the emerald-green waters of the cove made famous by the only Oscar-winning movie made in Hawaii.

We continue to visit Sandy Beach, a beautiful sandy-bottom beach that looks peaceful and serene but is known for its notoriously powerful shore-breaks, pounding waves and body-surfing opportunities.

Driving by Makapu’u Lookout you will see the island’s most recent lava flows and enjoy incredible panoramic views of offshore islands, turquoise and azure ocean water and breathtaking lava cliffs above.

We continue to the world-renowned Pali Lookout, that Mark Twain called the most beautiful views on the planet.

Driving north we arrive at the Valley of the Temples and visit the colorful Byodo-in temple, a photographer’s dream.  This Hawaii State Landmark is home to wild peacocks and hundreds of koi carp with a large reflecting pond and meditation niches.

Continuing on the relaxing windward coast we also visit scenic Chinaman’s Hat, a picturesque islet located in the warm, tropical waters of Kaneohe Bay.

Continuing north to Kahukuhome of the North Shore’ famous shrimp farms you will observe endangered wetland birds, including Black-neck stilts, Hawaiian coots and Moorhens. Stopping at one of the locals’ favorite shrimp trucks, try some delicious locally-farmed garlic shrimp, fish or a chicken plate and refreshing drinks. You will be served your choice of nine different sautéed shrimp plates, fresh lemon and steaming rice while your nature guide provides information about Hawaii’s aquaculture efforts. (*Chicken Katsu and Veggie Chow Mein options are also available!)

Next you can marvel at the world-famous Sunset Beach as we drive by this legendary big-wave surfing location where towering, giant waves arrive between November-April.

Then we visit Waimea Valley Arboretum and Waterfall. This enchanting and relaxing location showcases over 5,000 species of tropical flowering plants, ancient archaeological sites, and one of the most scenic waterfalls on the island.

Our last stop is the historic Dole Plantation where you will find many varieties of pineapple species from all over the world. Here, you can buy a souvenir to take home and share with your family and friends and always remember your exciting adventure around the Island of Oahu and Waimea Waterfall.

Throughout your journey of discovery around the island of Oahu your nature guide will provide a fascinating narration about Hawaii’s bird and plant species, geology, history and culture.

*Age limit: Children must be at least 3 years old and require their own reserved seat on the bus.

* This Adventure is an exciting journey of discovery around the spectacular island of Oahu, Driving through the beautiful Amelia Earhart Point on the ocean-facing slopes of Diamond Head Crater to the famous Kaiwi coastline, Halona Blowhole, From Here to Eternity beach, Sandy Beach, Makapuu Point, Pali Lookout, Valley of the Temples, colorful Byodo-in Temple, scenic Mokoli’i, Waimea Valley Arboretum, Waterfall, Dole Pineapple Plantation and many other sites along our route.

Your expert nature guide will provide a fascinating narration about Hawaii’s bird and plant species, geology, history and culture. Includes a delicious lunch at the famous Fumi’s Shrimp Stand on the North Shore where you’ll be served your choice of various sautéed shrimp plates. *Chicken and Veggie options are also available. Each party also receives a 152-page Gift Book “Guide to Nature on Oahu” as a souvenir.

* We provide roundtrip transportation in air-conditioned, luxury, panorama touring buses with the highest-quality air filters, a professional guide who narrates your entire tour AND a SEPARATE, professional CDL DRIVER for a safer ride, ADMISSION FEE to ALL sites, a souvenir guide book and a DELICIOUS LUNCH, all of which represents a $60.00 added value that WE pay on your behalf. Unlike many other companies, we do not play word games. When we say a stop or lunch is included on the tour, we mean the associated cost and entry fees also, not just the locations itself. So, no “surprises” with us, we will never ask you to pay for anything out of pocket on site and we will take you to the paid sites as well.

As the original and still the best eco-tour and Ultimate Circle Island tour company on Oahu, we have been operating for 28 years with consistently excellent, 5-star ratings, year after year. Feel free to compare us with other vendors’ tour content and to check out our social media reviews (“Oahu Nature Tours – All-inclusive Ultimate Circle Island Adventure”), and you’ll see that our current online special with the 10% discount is a truly amazing offer not just for the superior guide, vehicle and food quality provided compared to other similar activities but for the sheer number of covered stops, visited locations, tour length and all inclusions as well.

*This tour has a walking portion in the Arboretum to visit the waterfall and is not suitable for people with mobility issues.

HOTEL PICKUPS:

We can provide free transportation to and from selected Waikiki hotels, the ones that have assigned safe and permitted pickup areas. These pickup locations were carefully selected to make sure you never have to walk too far from your own hotel.
You can select from the following eight CENTRALLY LOCATED AND CONVENIENT MEETING POINTS in Waikiki:

–  Ala Moana hotel – Mahukona street hotel entrance

–  Hilton Hawaiian Village  – Grand  Islander Tower bus depot

–  Trump International hotel – curbside

–  Ambassador hotel – Namahana street entrance

–  Ross Store at 333 Seaside Avenue

–  Hyatt Regency hotel – Koa Avenue entrance

–  Marriott Waikiki Beach hotel – Tour Lobby on Paoakalani street side

–  Lotus hotel

Just tell us on your booking form what hotel you are staying in and our reservationists will always help you by automatically assigning your pickup location to the one that is the closest to your hotel and we always send a confirmation email and/or a text message specifying that location with photos, maps and instructions.

If you have not selected your Hawaiian accommodation yet that is not a problem either. 🙂 Until we hear from you otherwise, we just assign the default Ala Moana meeting point for you to meet our driver, then you can change it later, up to 24 hours prior your departure time.   *To learn more about pickups you can also visit our FAQ page on this website.

MAP AND DIRECTIONS

TOUR LENGTH: 10 HOURS

APPROXIMATE WALKING LENGTH: 1.5 MILES

TERRAIN DETAILS: Waimea Valley is the home of more than 5,000 documented kinds of tropical an subtropical plants including native and endangered Hawaiian plants.  The trail is a paved road with slight inclines up to the waterfall

Included with this Tour

Round trip transportation: We provide transportation from eight designated pick up locations throughout Waikiki.

152 Page Book “Pocket Guide to Nature On Oahu” (1 per party)

Lunch Options: Fumi’s Shrimp Truck has many different options from several types of shrimp plates, chicken katsu or vegetarian chow mein.  Many drink options are also available.

Delicious Menu Options

You can make your selections when you are on board the vehicle during your tour. 1 entree, 1 drink, per guest.

Entree  Butter Garlic Shrimp, Lemon Pepper Shrimp, Hot & Spicy Shrimp, Tempura Shrimp, Spicy Garlic Shrimp, Salt & Pepper Shrimp, Chicken Katsu or Vegetarian Chow Mein (*Menu options can be seasonal)
Drinks  Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Sprite, Green Tea, Passion-Fruit Orange, or Water
Dole Whip Available on site for an additional cost
Ultimate Circle Tour with Waimea Valley Waterfall
Waimea Waterfall
Chinaman's Hat
Sightseeing tour in Hawaii
Ultimate Circle Island Tour
Turtle Beach - Haleiwa, Oahu
North Shore
Fumi's Shrimp Ponds - Oahu Nature Tours lunch
Waimea Waterfall
Malaekahana Beach
Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach
Waimanalo Beach
Waimea Valley
Fumi's Shrimp Ponds - Oahu Nature Tours lunch
Fumi's Shrimp Ponds - Oahu Nature Tours lunch
Fumi's Shrimp Ponds
Chinaman's Hat
Pali Lookout
Sandy Beach
Kaaawa Valley
Pineapple Fields
Diamond Head Crater
Pali Lookout
Makapuu Point
East Shores of Oahu
Turtle Beach - Haleiwa, Oahu
Hanauma Bay
Byodo-In-Temple
Makapuu Point
Kaaawa Valley
Koko Crater
Dole Pineapple Plantation
Green Sea Turtles
Dole Plantation
Coastal Hawaiian Gallinule
Koko Crater
Chinaman's Hat
Blowhole - From Here to Eternity Beach
Bydo-In-Temple
Diamond Head Crater
Koko Crater
Dole Pineapple Plantation
Chinaman's Hat
Green Sea Turtles
Waimea Arboretum
Malaekahana Beach
Sandy Beach
Pali Lookout
Makapuu Point
Chinaman's Hat

Tour Instructions

Pickup time:
Please note that the pickups commence before the actual departure time from Waikiki so the exact pickup time for your particular meeting point will be clearly marked in your confirmation email.
Please make sure you arrive to your meeting point on time and be ready to board your vehicle at
the stated pick-up time but allow 2-3 minutes for our driver to arrive due to occasional traffic delays
outside of our control. Please standby during this short window period if necessary and
do not leave your assigned pickup location.
Please keep your cellphone on during the pickup process so we can assist you connecting with your driver if needed.


Additional Instructions for the Ultimate Circle Island Adventure with Waimea Waterfall:
– *Age limit is minimum 3 years old for this tour!
– Please bring a rain poncho or rain gear, in case of precipitation.
– Please remember to bring bottled water
– Please remember to have breakfast before your tour as eating and food items are not allowed on the
buses when boarding and/or during the tour.
– Wear comfortable walking shoes, you’ll walk 1.5 miles round-trip on a paved path in the arboretum.
– Due to the length of this circle island tour please make sure you allow for a comfortable return time to Waikiki.
– Drop-off in Waikiki is also included. You will be dropped off at the same location where we picked you up.
– *Drop-offs might be a half an hour later than scheduled, due to traffic delays or other unforeseeable circumstances.

Out of the eight pickup locations we offer in Waikiki, the meeting point we assign for you
is the closest to the hotel or residence that you indicate in your reservation as your place of stay
but if you have any questions about your pickup time or location, you are welcome to email us at
reservations@oahunaturetours.com *Please note that our offices are closed on weekends but you can
contact us Monday-Friday anytime between 6:45am- 5:00pm.

Age limit: Children must be at least 3 years old and require their own reserved seat on the bus. All persons between 3 and 18 years old must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian over age 21.

Our vehicle’s description: Look for a vehicle with our name (“Oahu Nature Tours”) displayed on the digital display on its windshield. **Currently, because of the constantly changing covid recommendations for tour vehicles in Hawaii, tour vehicle size and capacity can vary, including full-size, panorama touring buses, but always in accordance and compliance with the latest Government regulations and laws for tour vehicles on the island of O’ahu.

Waimea Valley: This tour has a walking portion in the arboretum so it is not suitable for guests with walking difficulties.
*Oahu Nature Tours strongly advises against swimming in the waterfalls due to leptospirosis bacteria present in Hawaii’s freshwaters.

Cancellation Policy:
For parties of 1-6 guests: a minimum of 24 hour notice is required prior to departure time for changing, rescheduling or cancelling your activity. Tours cancelled or rescheduled within the last 24 hours are non-refundable.

For parties of 7 or more guests: a minimum of seven days notice is required prior to departure time for changing, rescheduling or cancelling your activity. Tours cancelled or rescheduled within seven days prior to your departure time are non-refundable.

Because our guests sometimes experience travel emergencies and sickness, please consider buying travel insurance before your trip that covers airfare, hotels and activities. In the event you might have to cancel a tour with us that is inside of our no-refund period, you could still seek reimbursement from your travel insurance policy.

Oahu is a tropical island that receives up to 200 inches of rainfall in the mountains. Most storms are fast moving and usually we have periods of rain and sunshine on many days especially between November and April which is Hawaii’s rainy season. Our tours operate rain or shine and because we are not responsible for the weather conditions, we will not authorize any refunds due to weather. Guests have the ability to cancel a tour 24 hours or more if they observe weather reports that might indicate rainy conditions on the date of their tour. We will visit every scheduled stop on our tours regardless if its raining.

Fumi's Shrimp Lunch

Green Sea Turtles
Green Sea Turtles

Hanauma Bay

White Tern feeding chick
As the island’s original eco-tour company, we specialize in Hawaii’s natural history…

PLEASE SEE MORE IMAGES IN OUR PHOTOGALLERY by clicking on the “PHOTOS” tab above! 🙂

Tour Reviews

January 16, 2022

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