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Oahu Circle Island Tour: Byodo-In Temple & North Shore with Lunch

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/15

Duration9h

GroupUp to 40

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

One Day Around Oahu: Temple, Turtles & the North Shore's Famous Waves

You get picked up from your Waikiki hotel at 7am and spend the day circling Oahu in an air-conditioned van with a local guide, hitting Byodo-In Temple (entry included), Halona Blowhole, Hanauma Bay, the North Shore's Sunset Beach and Banzai Pipeline, and Laniakea Beach where green sea turtles rest on the sand. Lunch at a local restaurant and tastings of macadamia nuts and Kona coffee are part of the route. You're back at your hotel by late afternoon without having to arrange transport, book separate attractions, or navigate timing yourself.

Step-by-step itinerary

Pick up from Waikiki at 7am
Drive by Kapiʻolani Park and Waikiki Aquarium
Stop at Diamond Head lookout
Drive by Koko Head and Hanauma Bay
Stop at Halona Blowhole and view Eternity Beach
Drive by Sandy Beach and Waimanalo Beach
Drive by Makapuu Lighthouse and Koʻolau Mountains
Visit Byodo-In Temple grounds
Taste Kona coffee and macadamia nuts at Tropical Farms
Drive by Chinaman’s Hat and Kualoa Ranch
Drive by Kahana Bay and Lāʻie Hawaiʻi Temple
Lunch with North Shore Garlic Shrimp option
Stop at North Shore fruit stand for tropical treats
Visit Sunset Beach
Drive by Pipeline Beach and Sharks Cove
Stop to see Hawaiian green sea turtles at Laniakea Beach
Visit beach to spot green sea turtles (Honu)
End day at Dole Pineapple Plantation

The Experience

The shuttle pulls up at 7am and you realize you've booked something that actually covers the whole island—not just the postcard beaches near your hotel. A local guide boards with you, and as the air-conditioned van heads out of Waikiki, you pass Kapiʻolani Park with Diamond Head rising behind it, then the Waikīkī Aquarium, then a lookout called Amelia Earhart where the view stretches all the way to Maui on clear days. You're already seeing things most visitors miss, and it's not even 8am. The Oahu circle island tour moves east along the coast, stopping at Hanauma Bay (the crescent-shaped marine sanctuary you've seen in photos), then Halona Blowhole, where seawater pressure builds inside a lava tube and shoots up through a narrow opening like a geyser. Eternity Beach sits just below it—the cove where they filmed that famous kiss scene from the old movie. Sandy Beach, with its powerful shore break, comes next, and then the road curves north toward the windward side.

The landscape shifts once you reach Waimanalo Beach and the Koʻolau Mountains come into view—steep, green cliffs that look almost impossible to climb. This is where the Byodo-In Temple sits, tucked into a valley with wild peacocks roaming the grounds and Japanese koi carp in a reflecting pond. Admission is included, so you walk through the temple grounds at your own pace, and the quiet hits different after hours in a moving van. After that, the tour stops at Tropical Farms, a shop under old banyan trees where you taste macadamia nuts and Kona coffee—the kind of place locals know about. Then comes the North Shore: Kualoa Ranch (the "Jurassic Valley" where they filmed Jurassic Park), Kahana Bay with its taro terraces and Hawaiian history, and the fruit stand where you can grab an ice-cold coconut to drink from. Lunch happens at a local spot where the famous North Shore Garlic Shrimp is the main draw, though vegetarian and non-shellfish options exist. Bring cash for that meal.

After lunch, the tour swings past Sunset Beach (calm in summer, 30-to-40-foot swells in winter), then Banzai Pipeline, where the world's best surfers compete when the waves are right. Sharks Cove comes next, then Laniakea Beach—also called Turtle Beach because Hawaiian green sea turtles (honu) often bask on the sand there. The guide knows where to look, and spotting one is the kind of moment that sticks with you. The day ends at Dole Plantation, where you can grab Dole Whip (pineapple ice cream) and pick up souvenirs before heading back to Waikiki. The whole thing runs from 7am pickup to late afternoon drop-off, and you've gone almost all the way around the island without renting a car or figuring out timing yourself. The van is air-conditioned, the guide handles the stops, and the only thing you need to remember is cash for lunch.

What’s included

Your day includes Waikiki hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle with a professional local guide.
Admission to Byodo-In Temple is covered.
You'll taste macadamia nuts and Kona coffee at Tropical Farms and stop at a North Shore fruit stand for fresh tropical treats.
Lunch at a local North Shore restaurant is on your own (bring cash), where you can order the famous Garlic Shrimp plate or choose from vegetarian and non-shellfish options.
The tour covers multiple beaches, viewpoints, and landmarks around the island, including Hanauma Bay, Halona Blowhole, Sunset Beach, Banzai Pipeline, and Laniakea Beach, ending at Dole Plantation before returning to your hotel.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Go Tours Hawaii

Is this one for you?This works well if you want to see the whole island in one day without renting a car or planning your own route—the fixed schedule and included transport mean you just show up at your hotel at 7am and the rest is handled.