Tours

Globus has seven Hawaii itineraries ranging from 7 to 13 days, including an escorted cruise on Norwegian Cruise Lines' Pride of America. Perillo Tours offers a 7-day two-islander tour to Oahu and Maui and a 10-day three-islander tour to Oahu, Maui and Kauai. Tauck Travel and Trafalgar offer several land-based Hawaii itineraries with plenty of free time to explore the Islands. If you want to stay longer, YMT Vacations has a 15-day, four-island tour.

Atlas Cruises & Tours sells more than a dozen Hawaii trips ranging from 7 to 12 nights, operated by various guided-tour companies including Globus, Tauck, and Trafalgar.

Recommended Companies

Atlas Cruises & Tours (800/942-3301. www.escortedhawaiitours.com.)

Globus (866/755-8581. www.globusjourneys.com.)

Perillo Tours (800/431-1515. www.perillotours.com.)

Tauck Travel (800/788-7885. www.tauck.com.)

Trafalgar (866/544-4434. www.trafalgar.com.)

YMT Vacations (800/922-9000. www.ymtvacations.com.)

Special-Interest Tours

Bird-Watching

There are more than 150 species of birds that live in the Hawaiian Islands. Field Guides has a three-island (Oahu, Kauai, and the Big Island), 11-day guided bird-watching trip that focuses on endemic land birds and specialty seabirds. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours offers two eight-night birding trips to the Islands: "Kauai and Hawaii in March" and "Fall Hawaii" to Oahu, Kauai, and the Big Island. The guide for both tours is Bob Sundstrom, who has been leading birding tours in Hawaii and other destinations since 1989.

Contacts

Field Guides (800/728-4953. 512/263-0117. www.fieldguides.com.)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (800/328-8368. 512/328-2919. www.ventbird.com.)

Culture

Road Scholar—formerly Elderhostel—offers several guided Hawaii tours for older adults that provide fascinating in-depth looks into the culture, history, and beauty of the Islands. "Tall Ship Sail Training: Sailing the Hawaiian Islands" is a six-night sailing adventure aboard a 96-foot, three-mast schooner; the 11-night "Paradise Adventure from Mountains to Sea" tour includes everything from river kayaking and hiking to surfing; and the nine-night "Snorkeling Hawaii's Spectacular Marine Environments" tour lets you immerse yourself in Hawaii's fascinating marine life.

Contact

Road Scholar (800/454-5768. www.roadscholar.org.)

Hiking

"Hawaii Three Island Hiker" is a seven-night hiking tour to Kauai, the Big Island, and Maui offered by The World Outdoors, which has been organizing and leading adventure trips around the world for more than 20 years.

Contacts

The World Outdoors (800/488-8483. www.theworldoutdoors.com.)