Oahu Circle Island Tour & Turtle Beach Snorkel North Shore

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/22

Duration8h

GroupUp to 28

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Sea Turtles Sunbathing on Sand: A Full Loop Around Oahu

You get picked up from your Waikiki hotel at 7:20am and spend the day looping around Oahu's coastline, stopping at Diamond Head's lookout, the Halona Blowhole, Mokolii Island, a local farm for lunch with taro patch walk-through, Dole Plantation, and 90 minutes of snorkeling at Waimanalo Beach with snorkel gear included and a lifeguard on duty. The route also passes Sandy Beach and ends at Sunset Beach on the North Shore. Small groups, air-conditioned minibus transport, and hotel drop-off at the end mean you don't arrange logistics yourself.

Step-by-step itinerary

Oahu North Shore Circle Island Tour

Shuttle pick up in Waikiki
Visit Amelia Earhart Lookout
See Halona Blowhole
View Waimanalo sea cliffs
Stop at Tropical Farms Macadamia Nut Farm
Visit Chinaman’s Hat (Mokolii Island)
Tour local taro patch farm
Enjoy North Shore shrimp lunch
Shop at North Shore tropical fruit stands
Pass pineapple and coffee fields
Visit Dole Plantation for souvenirs
Drive by Sandy Beach Park
Pass Waimanalo Beach Park
Snorkel with green sea turtles
Relax at Sunset Beach

The Experience

The shuttle pulls up at 7:20am and you realize the day is actually happening—you're about to circle an entire island and spend 90 minutes in the water hoping to swim near a Hawaiian green sea turtle. The Oahu circle island tour starts in Waikiki and moves fast. First stop is the Amelia Earhart Lookout, an elevated vantage on Diamond Head's eastern flank where the view stretches across the southeastern coastline; on clear days you can see all the way to Maui. Your guide points out Hanauma Bay below, then the shuttle keeps moving. The Halona Blowhole comes next—a natural lava tube from Koko Head's old eruptions that shoots seawater up through a narrow opening when the surf builds pressure inside. It's the kind of thing that looks small in photos and then you're standing there and the ocean just fires water into the air.

By mid-morning you're on the windward side, driving past Waimanalo's dramatic sea cliffs and spotting Manana Island—also called Rabbit Island because of its shape—sitting in the azure water offshore. The tour stops at Tropical Farms Macadamia Nut Farm, a local shop tucked under aged banyan trees where you taste macadamia nuts and Kona coffee, then browse Hawaiian chocolate and other treats. After that comes Mokolii Island, also known as Chinaman's Hat, which sits next to the Kualoa Valley Mountain range and has been filmed in Jurassic Park and other Hollywood movies. The landscape is dramatic enough that you understand why filmmakers chose it. Then lunch happens at a local farm at the base of the Koʻolau Mountain Range—your guide walks you through a taro patch and explains how ancient Hawaiian agriculture practices still feed local families. The farm's restaurant serves garlic shrimp, coconut shrimp, and kalua pork; vegetarian options are available. Bring cash. After eating, you stop at North Shore tropical fruit stands for ice-cold coconuts and fresh mangos, pass through pineapple and coffee fields on the outskirts of Haleiwa, and finish at Dole Plantation, where Dole Whip ice cream and pineapple-themed souvenirs wait.

The real draw, though, is the snorkeling at Waimanalo Beach. You spend 90 minutes in the water with snorkel gear included, looking for honu—the Hawaiian name for green sea turtles. They like to bask on the sand in the sun, and if conditions cooperate, you might see them on the beach or alongside you while snorkeling. A lifeguard is present, and the beach has restrooms and showers before the tour continues. The guide is trained as an HMAR Steward, meaning they know how to help guests enjoy Hawaii's marine wildlife safely and respectfully. The company is honest about this: turtles are unpredictable, and weather or sea conditions can affect sightings, so they can't guarantee you'll see them. But the beaches they visit are the ones most frequented by these creatures. After snorkeling, you loop back through Sandy Beach on the south shore—famous for bodyboarding and bodysurfing—and finish at Sunset Beach on the North Shore, which offers a quieter vibe than Waikiki's crowded stretches.

The tour operates in all weather and runs with small groups of up to 22 people, which means you're not packed into a tour bus with 50 strangers. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included for select hotels in Waikiki. Bring a swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, bottled water, and a change of dry clothes in a small day bag. Some stops may be skipped depending on availability or restrictions, so the itinerary is flexible—but the snorkeling and the circle route are the core of the day.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off from select Waikiki hotels, transport by air-conditioned minibus, a professional guide trained in marine wildlife safety, snorkeling at Waimanalo Beach with snorkel gear provided, a lifeguard on duty during the snorkel session, and stops at Diamond Head's Amelia Earhart Lookout, Halona Blowhole, Mokolii Island, Tropical Farms Macadamia Nut Farm for tasting, a local farm with taro patch walk-through, North Shore tropical fruit stands, Dole Plantation, Sandy Beach, and Sunset Beach. Lunch at the farm is not included in the price; bring cash to pay separately.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Hawaii Turtle Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Oahu's main coastline, snorkel with sea turtles, and eat at a working farm without renting a car or planning six separate stops—the fixed schedule and included transport handle all of that, and the small group size means you're not herded through a crowded bus.