Tours

Guided Tours

One way to manage several Hawaiian Islands on the same trip is to take a guided tour that includes all your travel arrangements in the Islands, including hotels, interisland transfers, and some sightseeing.

Globus has four Hawaii itineraries that include Oahu, two of which are escorted cruises on Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America that include four days on the island. Tauck and Trafalgar offer several land-based Hawaii itineraries that include nights on Oahu. Both companies offer similar itineraries with visits to the USS Arizona Memorial National Park and plenty of free time to explore the island. Tauck offers a 12-night Best of Hawaii itinerary. Highlights of the Oahu portion of the trip include a Waikiki outrigger canoe trip and a private dinner at Iolani Palace. Trafalgar has 8- to 13-night multi-island tours.

Atlas Cruises & Tours sells a couple dozen Hawaii trips running 7 to 13 days, operated by various guided tour companies including Globus, Tauck, and Trafalgar.

Contacts

Atlas Cruises & Tours. 800/942–3301; www.atlastravelweb.com.

Globus. 866/755--8581; www.globusjourneys.com.

Tauck. 800/788–7885; www.tauck.com.

Trafalgar. 866/809--8426; www.trafalgar.com.

Special-Interest Tours

Bird-Watching

More than 150 species of birds live in the Hawaiian Islands. For $5,450 per person double-occupancy, Field Guides has a three-island (Oahu, Kauai, and the Big Island), 10-day, guided bird-watching trip that includes accommodations, meals, ground transportation, and interisland air.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours, the largest company in the world specializing in birding tours, has two 10-day Fall Hawaii and Spring Hawaii trips to Oahu, Kauai, and the Big Island that cost $4,895 (fall), including double-occupancy accommodations, meals, interisland air, ground transportation, and guided excursions.

Contacts

Field Guides. 800/728–4953; www.fieldguides.com.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours. 800/328–8368; www.ventbird.com.

Culture

Road Scholar (originally called Elderhostel) is a nonprofit educational travel organization offering several guided Hawaii tours targeted at adults 50 and over (with grandparent/grandchild and family trips, too), with in-depth looks into the culture, history, and beauty of the Islands.

Contacts

Road Scholar. 800/454–5768; www.roadscholar.org.

Hiking

Sierra Club Hawaii offers regular guided hiking tours, outings, botanical gardens visits, and cleanup and community service efforts on Oahu that you can join in on during your visit.

Contacts

Sierra Club Hawaii. 808/538–6616; sierraclubhawaii.org.