A Hawaii cruise presents a handy strategy to island-hop as you expertise Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the island of Hawaii from each sea and land — however what precisely do you have to do whereas ashore? Selecting a cruise shore tour in Hawaii may be robust for the reason that fiftieth State presents a variety of actions, together with snorkeling and whale watching, visits to historic landmarks and sacred Hawaiian websites, and scenic excursions to breathtaking canyons and volcanoes. Foodies, followers of Hollywood blockbusters and thrill-seekers can simply get their repair, too.
With a mean of eight to 10 hours on every island — though some cruises do keep in a single day in choose ports — it’s doable to get pleasure from experiences that not solely discover Hawaii’s best-known pure, cultural and historic websites but in addition fulfill your individual private pursuits.
Whereas shore tour choices, itineraries and costs differ by cruise line, listed here are our general picks for the perfect Hawaii cruise shore excursions and what you may anticipate to pay.
Join our day by day e-newsletter
For extra TPG information delivered every morning to your inbox, join our daily newsletter.
Costs might differ amongst third-party sellers, and from cruise line to cruise line. To account for that, we’re utilizing the next worth key that can assist you get an concept of the prices to anticipate for every tour.
- $ = beneath $70.
- $$ = $70-$140.
- $$$ = $140-$200.
- $$$$ = over $200.
Honolulu, Oahu
Pearl Harbor
Worth: $$-$$$
Pearl Harbor, considered one of Oahu’s best-known sights, may be tough to go to by yourself as a result of the historic World Warfare II memorials commemorating the Dec. 7, 1941 bombing by the Japanese are positioned on an lively navy base with stringent safety protocols. (No luggage of any measurement are allowed and telephones and wallets have to be carried in a transparent plastic bag or in a pocket.) A guided tour will get you into Pearl Harbor in a hassle-free method and make it simple to go to the a number of websites — the united statesArizona Memorial, the united statesMissouri battleship, USS Bowfin submarine and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum — with the required reservations already organized.
Some cruise traces provide a number of Pearl Harbor excursions with variations within the websites visited, so remember to learn tour descriptions fastidiously. In case your cruise begins or ends in Honolulu, Pearl Harbor visits are sometimes provided on embarkation or disembarkation day packaged with a resort or airport switch. Different Pearl Harbor shore excursions embody a Honolulu metropolis tour that visits Diamond Head Crater and the Nationwide Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Necessary to know: Most Pearl Harbor shore excursions final 5 to seven hours and are applicable for all ages. There may be fairly a little bit of strolling concerned and a few stair climbing is required to go to the united statesMissouri, the place the formal give up ceremony by the Japanese came about on Sept. 2, 1945, ending WWII. The somber USS Arizona Memorial, the place 1,177 sailors and civilians died (lots of them entombed within the sunken wreck) is reached by a brief boat journey.
Associated: Shore excursions: What new cruisers need to know
Diamond Head Crater hike
Worth: $$
Diamond Head Crater, the photogenic volcanic landmark seen in lots of photos of Waikiki Seaside, isn’t simply wonderful to take a look at — it’s additionally unimaginable to climb. Energetic cruisers can tackle the problem throughout a guided Diamond Head journey hike to its 763-foot summit. The payoff? Gorgeous 360-degree views of Waikiki, downtown Honolulu and the Pacific Ocean.
This tour requires you to ascend a sequence of average however typically uneven switchback trails adopted by a stroll via a slender 200-foot tunnel. You’ll then climb up two units of steep stairs (76 steps and 99 steps, respectively). Those that select the tougher path to the summit might want to climb the 99 steps and an inside spiral staircase to achieve the historic lookout bunkers. Should you select the simpler path to the summit up the scenic Loop Path, you’ll then descend into the bunker and down the spiral staircase and 99 steps. You too can retrace your steps and descend on the Loop Path.
Necessary to know: Guide an early morning tour if it’s provided, since temperatures escalate rapidly by midmorning; put on sneakers and a hat and convey sunscreen and water. The hike is about 1.6 miles roundtrip and takes 60 to 90 minutes relying on the group and the variety of individuals on the path; whole tour time is three to 3 and a half hours.
Oahu’s North Shore tour
Worth: $$-$$$
Should you’ve visited Honolulu earlier than or just want scenic locales to cities, a great choice is a tour that whisks you away from the bustle of downtown Honolulu and Waikiki and thru the Ko’oalu Mountains to the immersive fantastic thing about Oahu’s North Shore. This lush and dramatic shoreline is understood for the large waves that pound its seashores from October to March and for its waterfalls, sugarcane fields and historic fish ponds. The area is visually beautiful and its small cities provide an opportunity to pattern Hawaiian delicacies, particularly garlic shrimp, and store for domestically grown merchandise resembling macadamia nuts and pineapples.
Highlights embody big-wave surfers using the famed Banzai Pipeline (throughout winter months); the Byodo Temple, a Buddhist shrine constructed amid towering inexperienced peaks in 1968 to commemorate the a hundredth anniversary of the primary Japanese immigrants to Hawaii; the waterfalls of Waimea Valley; and historic Haleiwa City.
Necessary to know: North Shore excursions are sometimes 5 to seven hours in size with no less than half the time spent on the tour bus. On sailings that finish in Honolulu, some cruise traces provide panoramic North Shore excursions mixed with an airport drop-off (accessible for these with flights departing after 5:00 p.m.).
Iolani Palace and Hawaiian Monarchs tour
Worth: $$
If Hawaii’s royal historical past intrigues you, some cruise traces provide excursions that go to Iolani Palace, the ultimate residence of the islands’ kings and queens, and different websites of royal significance. Constructed in 1882, Iolani is the one royal palace in america; it was residence to King Kalakaua, who constructed it, and his sister and successor, Queen Liliuokalani, who was imprisoned there after the U.S. annexed Hawaii. A circa-1883 statue of King Kamehameha I, who unified the Hawaiian Islands in 1810, and Kawaiahao Church, accomplished in 1842, are additionally close by in downtown Honolulu.
Different royal websites that is likely to be visited on a extra in depth tour embody the Pali Lookout, the place Kamehameha I conquered the island of Oahu in 1795, and Mauna Ala, the royal mausoleum the place six of the final eight Hawaiian monarchs are entombed.
Necessary to know: Most Iolani Palace and royal-focused shore excursions final about 4 hours and mix a bus tour with a self-guided audio tour of the palace.
Associated: 10 cruise ship excursions to avoid
Kahului, Maui
Haleakala Crater
Worth: $$$-$$$$
Experiencing Haleakala Crater is on many Maui guests’ must-do lists and there are a number of methods to go to the slumbering 10,023-foot-tall volcanic peak that dominates the island’s panorama. (Don’t fear – it final erupted in 1790.) A couple of shore tour choices require that your cruise ship overnights in Kahului, the principle port, or Lahaina, or has a late sail-away time.
Haleakala means “Home of the Solar” and maybe probably the most surreal experiences are excursions at dawn or sundown (accessible on sailings that in a single day in Maui). To expertise dawn excessive above the clouds you’ll must depart the ship earlier than 3:00 a.m. and wind your approach up Haleakala’s curving roadway in whole darkness earlier than watching the solar brighten the horizon and illuminate the huge 3,000-feet-deep crater with its dramatic orange-hued cinder cones. In distinction, a sundown tour permits you to survey the crater after which watch because the solar disappears under the clouds and the night time sky fills with twinkling stars. Should you simply wish to expertise Haleakala’s scenic slopes and crater in daylight, panoramic sightseeing excursions are additionally accessible.
Should you’re extra adventurous, there are additionally Haleakala downhill biking excursions, which transport you by minibus to an elevation of 6,500 ft and allow you to journey 14 miles down the switchback highway on Haleakala’s slopes amid the farms of Upcountry. Most bike excursions don’t provide entry to the summit and crater.
Necessary to know: Haleakala excursions sometimes final 4 to seven hours. Due to Haleakala’s excessive altitude and volcanic nature, they aren’t really useful for anybody with respiratory or coronary heart issues. Temperatures are a lot cooler (45 to 65 levels) on the summit, so deliver a sweater or jacket.
Street to Hana
Worth: $$$-$$$$
Driving Maui’s legendary Street to Hana, a slender, twisting, 52-mile route with greater than 600 hairpin curves and 59 one-lane bridges, takes appreciable focus — however a Street to Hana tour on a professionally pushed minibus frees everybody in your journey group to chill out and benefit from the epic surroundings alongside the best way. Most cruise traces provide full-day excursions to Hana, a low-key hamlet positioned on the island’s east coast amid jagged volcanic rocks and black-sand seashores.
Apart from the fun of this one-of-a-kind drive, which takes two to 3 hours to navigate, a Street to Hana tour presents an opportunity to expertise Maui’s splendid bays and plush panorama of lava pinnacles, tropical fruit timber, big ferns and speeding waterfalls. Highlights embody the black-sand seaside at Wai’anapanapa State Park, Pua’a Ka’a State Park and the Seven Sacred Swimming pools of Ohe’o Gulch with its a number of cascades and soothing pure swimming pools.
Necessary to know: Street to Hana excursions sometimes take 9 to 10 hours, embody lunch and aren’t really useful for anybody liable to movement illness. Websites visited differ by cruise line and a few excursions permit time for swimming.
Molokini Crater snorkel
Worth: $$$
Maui is residence to one of many premier snorkel spots in Hawaii: Molokini, a largely submerged crescent-shaped volcanic islet positioned about 2.5 miles off Maui’s southern coast. This protected marine conservation website is reached through a scenic catamaran sail, throughout which guides will outfit you with snorkel gear and supply directions for exploring these crystal-clear reef waters teeming with colourful sea life. Some excursions additionally go to Turtle Arches, lava formations identified for frequent sea turtle sightings, and through humpback season (December to April), it’s additionally doable to identify whales within the space.
Necessary to know: Molokini Crater snorkel excursions are typically 4 hours lengthy and all gear, in addition to breakfast, lunch or snacks and drinks, are offered. Water circumstances can differ, so if seasickness is an issue, take that into consideration earlier than reserving.
Associated: Ship-sponsored vs. independent shore excursions on cruises: Which should you book?
Whale watching
Worth: $$
Should you’re cruising Hawaii between December and April and also you’re fascinated by whales, Maui presents a terrific alternative to see pods of humpbacks of their winter playground. Greater than 10,000 of those charismatic giants migrate right here yearly to mate and provides delivery. Their actions — tail slaps, breaches and calves swimming alongside their moms — are all on show as you enterprise out in a whale-watching boat, or maybe a extra adventurous Zodiac. Most excursions are led by naturalist guides, and in some instances a portion of the fee is earmarked for conservation via the Pacific Whale Basis.
Necessary to know: Count on to spend about three hours at sea as guides seek for whales; sightings, whereas probably, aren’t at all times assured. Water circumstances may differ and seasickness is a chance.
Nawiliwili, Kauai
Waimea Canyon tour
Worth: $-$$
Nicknamed the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” Waimea Canyon is a 10-mile-long gorge identified for the dramatic purple and inexperienced hues of craggy cliffs that reach as much as 3,000 ft under its rim. Situated inside Waimea Canyon State Park, which now requires reservations for particular person visits, this scenic treasure may be considered from lookout factors.
A shore tour that enables for about half-hour of viewing and film taking is actually the best strategy to see the canyon from a cruise ship. These excursions embody a number of scenic touring throughout the 90-minute drive every approach between the cruise terminal and the canyon; many cease on the Spouting Horn blowhole or small cities in Kauai’s Koloa district.
However there are caveats, specifically that wet circumstances on Kauai, which is Hawaii’s wettest island, can fog within the gorge and make for a disappointing outing. Kauai’s driest months are April to September.
Necessary to know: Most Waimea Canyon excursions take 4 to 5 hours; some longer Better of Kauai excursions mix a go to to the canyon with a Wailua River cruise to the Fern Grotto.
Associated: Best time to cruise Hawaii
Hollywood in Hawaii tour
Worth: $$$
Followers of “Jurassic Park” most likely know that a lot of the 1993 Steven Spielberg film was filmed on Kauai — however plenty of different big-screen and TV classics have been, too. Film-set excursions are well-liked excursions, particularly for movie buffs. These excursions happen on minibuses or motor coaches outfitted with TV screens, so you may watch snippets of Hollywood films the place they have been filmed and, in some locations, get out and snap photographs your self.
Apart from “Jurassic Park,” different films and TV reveals filmed on the island embody “Tropic Thunder,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Six Days and Seven Nights,” “Blue Hawaii,” “South Pacific,” “Donovan’s Reef,” “Gilligan’s Island,” “Fantasy Island” and “The Superb Race.”
Necessary to know: Most movie-set excursions take about 5 to 6 hours and primarily contain scenic touring — so even in case you haven’t seen the films, it’s an entertaining and cozy strategy to sightsee Kauai.
Wailua River cruise and Fern Grotto
Worth: $$ – $$$
Kauai is residence to Hawaii’s solely navigable river, the Wailua River, which presents entry to considered one of its lushest hidden spots: the Fern Grotto. This tour combines a soothing cruise with insights into Hawaiian tradition and leisure within the type of Hawaiian music and dance. The vacationer boats that navigate this peaceable river via Wailua River State Park are run by a neighborhood household with members offering commentary.
Entry to the Fern Grotto, a pure lava-rock cave coated with lush tropical vines, requires a 10-minute stroll alongside a largely flat, paved and shaded path. Upon arrival on the Fern Grotto, photograph ops and extra leisure await. Wailua River cruise excursions additionally typically cease for picture-taking at Opaeka’a Falls, a 151-foot cascade that plunges right into a secluded pool.
Necessary to know: Most Wailua River and Fern Grotto excursions are three to 4 hours lengthy. Excursions that mix these sights with a tour of Waimea Canyon final about seven hours and embody lunch.
Hilo, Hawaii
Hawaii Volcanoes Nationwide Park
Worth: $-$$
Whereas Hawaii Volcanoes Nationwide Park, considered one of Hawaii’s hottest vacationer sights, is accessible from each cruise ports on the island of Hawaii, it’s a faster journey (about 30 to 35 minutes’ drive every approach) from Hilo. Most cruise traces provide excursions, however virtually all of them are only a primary introduction that solely touches on what this 505-square-mile nationwide park has to supply.
The principle exercise entails visiting a number of viewpoints and steam vents on the rim of Kilauea Crater with a information who presents commentary on this lively volcano’s historical past, geology and present standing. It’s unlikely you’ll see molten lava, and most excursions don’t drive out alongside the well-known Chain of Craters Street. Some excursions, nevertheless, do embody a stroll via the 500-year-old Thurston Lava Tube.
Different longer and extra pricey excursions of as much as seven hours mix a go to to the nationwide park with a helicopter flight-seeing tour and/or stops at numerous waterfalls or gardens close to Hilo.
Necessary to know: Normal Hawaii Volcanoes Nationwide Park excursions are about 4 hours lengthy, and plenty of additionally make a cease on the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Customer Heart for tastings and procuring. The stroll to the rim of the Kilauea crater is totally on gravel or filth pathways, however some areas overlooking the crater have potential journey hazards. Additionally, as a result of the crater emits volcanic gases, these excursions aren’t suggested for individuals with respiratory points.
Hilo waterfalls and gardens
Worth: $-$$
Hilo’s location on the island of Hawaii’s lush leeward facet makes it a mecca for cascading waterfalls and verdant gardens. Cruise ship excursions that go to a number of falls or mix a go to to a single waterfall with a cease at a botanical backyard, tropical zoo or orchid farm are well-liked.
The 2 main falls close to Hilo are the 100-foot Rainbow Falls, which earned its identify from the prismatic impact that takes place on sunny mornings, and the highly effective Akaka Falls, which is reached through a stroll via a tropical forest and tumbles a panoramic 442 ft. Different tour stops might embody Hilo’s Liliuokalani Gardens (the biggest Japanese backyard outdoors of Japan), the Nani Mau Gardens or the Pana’ewa Rainforest Gardens and Zoo.
Necessary to know: Waterfalls and gardens shore excursions differ in size from 4 to seven hours, and members ought to anticipate to be on their ft for a great portion of the tour. Rainbow Falls is definitely accessible from the car parking zone. To see Akaka Falls, you have to navigate fairly a number of steps and stroll a half-mile round path.
Associated: Avoid these 10 mistakes when booking cruise shore excursions
Volcano Vineyard
Worth: $$-$$$
The island of Hawaii is residence to Volcano Vineyard, the southernmost vineyard within the U.S. If sipping vino is a favourite pastime — and you’ve got a curious palate — an tour right here could possibly be a soothing strategy to spend a number of hours. Volcano Vineyard, which is family-owned and positioned at an elevation of 4,000 ft, makes a speciality of tropical blends by mixing distinctive native fruits resembling yellow guava and even tea and honey with grape varietals that embody Pinot Noir and Cayuga to provide uniquely flavored wines. It additionally produces some 100% grape wines.
Necessary to know: Excursions to Volcano Vineyard are typically three hours lengthy and embody a tour of the vineyard and a tasting.
Kona, Hawaii
Kona Coast snorkel
Worth: $$$-$$$$
For passengers who didn’t get an opportunity to snorkel in Maui, the waters simply off Kona’s rugged lava coast provide one other glorious alternative to spy on Mom Nature’s underwater handiwork. Most cruise traces provide a snorkel tour by catamaran that may permit even novices to don a masks and fins and behold the intricate coral and dazzling reef fish that decision the world’s tranquil bays and coves residence. Dolphin recognizing can be doable.
A extra adventurous choice is a snorkel tour by Zodiac, which mixes the fun of zipping round in a 24-foot motorized raft with having fun with up-close views of coastal caves and lava tubes — and a few snorkel time, in fact.
Necessary to know: Most catamaran snorkel excursions are applicable for all ages, final about 4 hours and embody both breakfast or lunch; all gear, together with flotation aids, is offered and a few catamarans are outfitted with a diving board and waterslide for added enjoyable. Zodiac excursions are extra bodily demanding and are usually not really useful if in case you have again or neck issues; you additionally want to have the ability to climb again into the raft through a small four-rung ladder.
Atlantis Submarine
Worth: $$-$$$$
Should you’ve by no means been in a submarine, Kona presents an opportunity to see the world’s ample sea life as you enterprise 100 ft under the floor of the Kona coast’s crystal-clear waters. The Atlantis Submarine (additionally working on Maui and Oahu) is U.S. Coast Guard-certified, absolutely air-conditioned and presents particular person viewing portholes.
Necessary to know: Atlantis Submarine excursions final about one and a half hours and are usually not really useful for anybody liable to claustrophobia or movement illness; you have to be no less than 3 ft tall and in a position to climb a vertical 12-step ladder into and out of the submarine. Tour prices differ extensively from cruise line to cruise line.
Kona espresso tour
Worth: $$-$$$$
Kona is known for the espresso that grows in its wealthy volcanic soil, so if you wish to style a cup of Joe proper on the supply, this port is the place to do it. Cruise traces provide a wide range of coffee-themed excursions; some are geared to schooling concerning the farming and manufacturing course of whereas others focus extra on sampling the products and shopping for souvenirs to take residence.
Some foodie-focused excursions mix espresso sipping with domestically grown chocolate tastings and visits to Kona-based breweries, whereas different full-day excursions pair a go to to a espresso farm with a cloud forest tour or a tour of Kona’s high historic sights and a snorkel in Kealakekua Bay.
Necessary data: Kona espresso excursions are largely three to 4 hours lengthy. Nonetheless, prices differ extensively relying on the kind of tour, from a easy tasting room go to to a farm-based roasting expertise.
Place of Refuge and Painted Church
Worth: $-$$
Historical past buffs will discover lots to like on this guided bus tour, which visits cultural and spiritual websites alongside the Kona Coast. Three key places are on the itinerary, the primary being Kealakekua Bay, the place legendary Captain Prepare dinner met his demise by the hands of native Hawaiians in 1778 and is memorialized in a monument.
Close by is the second cease: St. Benedict’s Painted Church. Whereas the skin of this small Catholic church inbuilt 1899 seems to be conventional, the within dazzles with the art work of Father John Velghe, a Belgian priest who drew the murals in an effort to show native Hawaiians find out how to learn.
The third is Pu’uhonua O Honaunau, which suggests “Place of Refuge at Honaunau.” In-built 1650 and thoroughly restored, this cultural website is an historical Hawaiian non secular sanctuary the place the bones of Hawaiian chiefs have been as soon as saved. It later turned a spot of refuge for defeated warriors.
Necessary to know: Place of Refuge and Painted Church excursions are sometimes three to 4 hours lengthy and contain a minimal quantity of strolling.
Planning a cruise? Begin with these tales:
