Oahu: Grand Circle Island Tour & Dole Plantation

Ocean spray shoots 30 feet high at Halona Blowhole, then you're back on the road toward pineapple fields

You ride a deluxe motorcoach around Oahu's coast and interior, stopping at five major landmarks (Halona Blowhole, Byodo-In Temple, Tropical Farms, North Shore, Dole Plantation) plus Haleiwa Town for lunch and shopping. The driver provides live narration, and the bus carries a restroom, water, and snacks. Choose the 6.5-hour half-day tour if you want just Haleiwa and Dole, or the full 9-hour circle if you want the coastal and mountain views. Either way, pickup and return are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Hanauma Baypass by
2. Halona Blowhole10m
3. Nu‘uanu Pali Lookout10m
4. Byodo-In Temple20m
5. Tropical Farms Macadamia Nut Farm20m
6. North Shorepass by
7. Dole Plantation30m

Oahu Grand Circle Island Tour

• View Honolulu historic center
• See Diamond Head Lookout
• View palatial coastal estates
• Pass Hanauma Bay marine sanctuary
• Stop at Halona Blowhole
• Stop at Nu‘uanu Pali Lookout
• Visit Byodo-In Temple
• Visit Tropical Farms Macadamia Nut Farm
• View North Shore surfing beaches
• Explore Haleiwa Town for lunch and shopping
• Visit Dole Plantation

The experience

The motorcoach pulls up to the Halona Blowhole on Oahu's windward side, and the spray hits the rocks in front of you. That's lava from thousands of years ago meeting the ocean. You're on the full-day Grand Circle Island Tour, which means you've already passed Diamond Head and Hanauma Bay from your window seat, and you've got the Byodo-In Temple and Tropical Farms still ahead. The driver-guide narrates the whole thing, pointing out the Koolau Mountains from the Nu'uanu Pali Lookout, where the wind picks up hard enough that you feel it even standing still.

If you picked the 6.5-hour half-day option instead, you skip the circle and head straight to Haleiwa Town and the Dole Plantation: two hours in the surf town for lunch and shopping, then 90 minutes at the plantation itself, where you can walk the gardens, try the Pineapple Garden Maze (though the train ride costs extra), and taste the Dole Whip. The full day hits all of it: the temple with the sacred bell you ring for luck, the macadamia nut farm where you sample local coffee, the North Shore beaches you see from the road, then Haleiwa and Dole before the tour loops back toward Honolulu's harbor. Either way, the motorcoach has a restroom on board, bottled water, snacks, and hand towels: details that matter when you're riding for six or nine hours.

The driver-guide does the talking, so you're not following a group on foot or keeping pace with anyone. You sit, you listen, you get out at the stops that matter. The Byodo-In Temple sits in the Valley of the Temples with koi ponds and tropical trees around it, and the Halona Blowhole is the kind of place where the ocean does something you don't see every day. Haleiwa has its own rhythm: old surf shops, shave ice, the kind of street where you can kill two hours without trying. The Dole Plantation is exactly what it sounds like: James Dole's original operation, now a place to walk around, buy souvenirs, and eat something with pineapple in it.

What’s included

• Your day includes hotel or meeting-point pickup, transportation aboard a deluxe motorcoach with onboard restroom, bottled water, snacks, hand towels, and an island map.
• Live narration from a driver-guide covers all stops.
• For the half-day tour: 2 hours in Haleiwa Town (lunch on your own) and 90 minutes at the Dole Plantation.
• For the full-day tour: window views of Diamond Head and the Windward Coast, stops at Hanauma Bay, Halona Blowhole, Nu'uanu Pali Lookout, Byodo-In Temple, Tropical Farms, and the North Shore, plus 2 hours in Haleiwa and time at Dole Plantation.
• Return transportation is included.

Options for this experience

8 options

Half-day tour departing at 7:55 AM from HokulaniGuide in English · 07:55Starts at Hokulani Waikiki on Lewers St., across from PF Chang's. Two stops: 90 minutes at the iconic Dole Plantation, then 2 hours at Historic Haleiwa Town to shop and eat. Pickup is included.

Half-day tour departing at 7:40 AM from HiltonGuide in English · 07:40Starts at the Grand Islander Bus Depot at Hilton Hawaiian Village. Two stops: 90 minutes at the iconic Dole Plantation, then 2 hours at Historic Haleiwa Town to shop and eat. Pickup is included.

Half-day tour departing at 8:05 AM from HyattGuide in English · 08:05Starts at the Hyatt Regency's back entrance on Koa Avenue, under the green awning. Two stops: 90 minutes at the iconic Dole Plantation, then 2 hours at Historic Haleiwa Town to shop and eat. Pickup is included.

See 5 more options

Half-day tour departing at 8:10 AM from MarriottGuide in English · 08:10Starts at the Paoakalani Avenue Bus Depot at Waikiki Beach Marriott. Two stops: 90 minutes at the iconic Dole Plantation, then 2 hours at Historic Haleiwa Town to shop and eat. Pickup is included.

Full-day tour departing at 7:05 AM from HyattGuide in English · 07:05Starts at the Hyatt Regency's back entrance on Koa Avenue, under the green awning. Duration: 9 hours. Full-day tour with highlights including Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, Halona Blowhole, Nuuanu Pali Lookout, Topical Farms and the Byodo-In Temple. Pickup is included.

Full-day tour departing at 6:40 AM from HiltonGuide in English · 06:40Starts at the Grand Islander Bus Depot at Hilton Hawaiian Village. Duration: 9 hours. Full-day tour with highlights including Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, Halona Blowhole, Nuuanu Pali Lookout, Topical Farms and the Byodo-In Temple. Pickup is included.

Full-day tour departing at 7:10 AM from MarriottGuide in English · 07:10Starts at the Paoakalani Avenue Bus Depot at Waikiki Beach Marriott. Duration: 9 hours. Full-day tour with highlights including Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, Halona Blowhole, Nuuanu Pali Lookout, Topical Farms and the Byodo-In Temple. Pickup is included.

Full-day tour departing at 6:55 AM from HokulaniGuide in English · 06:55Starts at Hokulani Waikiki on Lewers St., across from PF Chang's. Duration: 9 hours. Full-day tour with highlights including Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, Halona Blowhole, Nuuanu Pali Lookout, Topical Farms and the Byodo-In Temple. Pickup is included.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day8 departure times: the first at 06:40, the last at 08:10

Book up to18h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 50

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 5 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Star of Honolulu Cruises and Events

Is this one for you?Pick this tour if you want to see Oahu's main sights without renting a car or planning stops yourself: the motorcoach and driver-guide handle the route, timing, and narration, leaving you to sit and look.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's the difference between the half-day and full-day tour?

The half-day (6.5 hours) goes to Haleiwa Town and Dole Plantation only. The full day (9 hours) adds Halona Blowhole, Hanauma Bay, Nu'uanu Pali Lookout, Byodo-In Temple, Tropical Farms, and a window view of the North Shore.

Is the Dole Plantation train ride included?

No. The Pineapple Express Train and Pineapple Garden Maze are not included. You can purchase them separately at the plantation.

Does the tour include lunch?

No. Lunch is on your own in Haleiwa Town (2 hours on the half-day tour, included as part of the full day). Snacks and bottled water are provided on the motorcoach.

Is there a restroom on the bus?

Yes, the motorcoach has an onboard restroom.

Can I bring a stroller or car seat?

Infants and small children can ride in a stroller or pram. Infants must sit on an adult's lap during the ride.

What's included in the tour price?

Transportation, live narration, a taste of Hawaii snack, bottled water, hand towels, island map, and all taxes and fees.

Is this tour suitable for people with mobility issues?

The tour is listed as suitable for all physical fitness levels, though you will be getting on and off the motorcoach at each stop.