Which Oahu tours are actually worth booking? — featuring The Hawaii Vacation Guide

0:00 Backed by popular demand, here are favorite tours on the island of Oahu. >> Bucket list tours, things you might want to consider. These are just our favorites from doing over 30 tours on the island of Oahu. >> Hi, I'm Jordan. >> And I'm Erica. >> And this is the Hawaii vacation guide.

0:20 [music] [music] Okay, a few disclaimers before we get started. We did this video for Maui and people in the comments said, "Hey, we like it. Can we do it for Oahu, too?" So, we're going to do it for that. We're going to share some of our favorites. Erica's going to quiz me on some of my

0:42 favorite tours, different experiences to have out here. Do you have to do a tour when you come to Oahu? >> No, you don't. But, we do recommend doing a tour because I feel like it adds something to your vacation. You get to learn a little something. You get to support a local guide, a local business,

0:58 and you get to take home a story, an experience. So, >> that's so true. And, uh, they're a lot of fun. It's we always say like get out on the water. Another thing, too, disclaimer, is some of these tours we are affiliates with. >> So, if you purchase using our links down below, we make a little money at no cost

1:14 to you. It's a commission, but not all these tours are affiliates that we're going to name off. We're just going to share our favorites. >> Yeah, >> that's what we do. And you can always check our website for more tours on all the islands. see what's right for you. >> I'm going to start with the big one.

1:27 [music] What is the best tour you have ever done on Oahu and why? >> Way to cut right to the chase on it. >> Yeah. You're welcome. >> So, this the first one that comes to mind is Kamoli. I hope I'm pronouncing that right. Oh, yeah. >> Is it's a Polynesian canoe, sailing canoe. It was really authentic. Our

1:43 whole family went out on it. It left right from like 15 minutes from Wik Kia, the harbor. And it was just such a cool tour. It pops in my head first cuz like we saw whales on the tour when during whale season. They they serenated us. They taught us history that I haven't heard about.

1:57 >> We made poi. >> We made poi. It's like a little cooking class on there. They do private tours or group tours. We did even hoola on it. I mean, it's like a tour that like had it all. Resi >> and I love it because we found out about this from a newsletter subscriber who emailed us saying, "I did this tour.

2:15 It's amazing. You need to do it, too." >> Yeah. >> And we did. So, thank you for that. >> Thank you. Yeah. So, that was my that's my favorite ano. >> Okay, cool. >> For right now. Piranina. >> Ooh. What luau do you recommend the most and [music] why? >> Luau. So A W A W A W A W A W A W A W A W

2:28 A W A Wahoo has a lot of luau. We've done quite a few. So I used to live in Coina for two years and I was right next to the Paradise Cove luau and I used to always take friends there and that's a good luau. It's a big theater luau, but it's not my favorites. No, >> it's it's like a two big one. The one

2:42 that's more intimate is the Toa Luau on Wayha Valley. And that's like everyone there, the performers were having so much fun. You could tell they're all buddies. Um, the fire knife show at the end was spectacular. [music] We spend the day in Wayha Valley cuz the ticket includes Wayha Valley. We did the the

2:58 day show, the 12:30 show. They also have one at 5:00 p.m. It was a total luau. It It was a lot of fun. >> And the food was great. >> Yeah, food is great, too. We're coming out with a video on like our best luau on Oahu cuz we've done quite a few of them. And of course, there's the PCC,

3:12 the Polynesian Cultural Center. That's usually everyone's favorite. And that's a great luau, too. That's like a big theater luau. Good food, big production. That's a fun one, too, to check out. So many activities. >> So many activities to do. That's also like an all day event. >> Yeah. All right. Best cultural tour.

3:27 >> Cultural tour. Cultural tour. All right. So, this is like a touristy place. It's at Kuoa Ranch. It's It's a popular place to go. They have lots of different tours, but we did one that rarely anybody does. It's never sold out. It's called I think it's called the Malama tour. They kind of change the name every

3:42 once in a while. Anyways though, a local Hawaiian took us out to one of their like Hawaiian villages. They have taro patches set up and we got to weed a taro patch. >> So a lowi field, a lowhi patch and and it was just a great experience. We got our feet in the mud. We learned about

3:58 Hawaiian history. Learned all about the taro which is their staple crop or was their staple crop. It still is. It was a very cool tour. And plus they drove us around cool little ranch too. >> It was scenic. So >> very scenic, beautiful trip. So yeah, most Yeah. Best local culture.

4:11 >> Best marine life tour. >> Okay. Yeah. All right. Best marine life tour. So I got I can think of two right now for that one. So, first is Turtle Canyon. And this one didn't exist when I lived here. It's kind of newish, but it's right offshore Wik Ki. It's a great place to go swimming with sea turtles

4:27 and to get out on the water, too. And it does get busy out there at Turtle Canyon. There's a lot of boats and you kind of feel for the turtles a little bit. But I got to admit, though, it's 30 ft deep water. So, the turtles are down below. Some come up to the surface. It's guaranteed turtle sightings. It's a

4:42 turtle cleaning station, so the turtles come there for the fish to clean their backs and clean them up. So, it's really cool and the local tour guys do a good job teaching you how to stay away from them, keep a safe distance, make sure you don't hurt them. They're federally protected. We want to keep them safe.

4:56 Uh, but that was a wonderful easy tour from Y Kid. >> So easy. >> Yeah. And we actually we've done it a couple times. So, we have our favorite tours down below in the description. Yeah. >> Small group tours to large group tours, but we like the small group tours. [music] >> You know what? I would say my favorite

5:08 though >> Yeah. >> is the one we did in Coalina. >> Yeah. That Yeah, I know. That was going to be my second one, too, >> because I liked if you're already out there on the west side, just going out. It's a great snorkel tour. It was like very relaxed, very familyfriendly. >> We saw dolphins on that one. Hawaiian

5:24 spinner dolphins. We >> sure did. We got to go snorkeling like right off Electric Beach, right? >> You're the only boat out there unlike Turtle Canyon. No one's out there at Coina. >> So, it was just like a very relaxing experience, I thought. And another good water boat tour, too, is like it's it's

5:40 beach loading boats that leave from Wik Ki Beach. We did it again on this trip cuz there's so to go. It's an easy 1-hour tour. You load right from the beach. I do recommend booking advance for the day and it's definitely the sunset tours. Yeah, one of them is a boost cruise. The one we go on is not,

5:54 but they serve drinks at good price. And the tickets start at $35. So, like right now it's the price. It's a great deal. >> Yeah. I just want to point out if you are like, "How do I book these tours?" We have a full tours and activities section on our website, the Hawaii vacation.com. So head there. [music]

6:09 You'll see all the tours for what we're talking about here and for >> all islands and other tours listed. >> Most adventurous tour. >> Most adventurous tour is one we brought and she kind of complained the whole way. I don't blame her. She was an athletic girl. But anyways, is kayaking

6:24 to the Moes. And this is from Kyua over on the windward side of the island. You can rent kayaks. You pull them to Kyua Beach and then you set out to the Moes. Two islands offshore their bird sanctuary. They're offshore Lanekai Beach and it's just a gorgeous I mean the views being out there. It is quite a

6:41 ride out. You can DIY it or go out to tour guide and but you can also like go to Lanekai Beach too and like park the kayak and go swimming and snorkeling. So it's it's it's a good adventure. Oh, she got stung by jellyfish on the way there. >> I mean I would complain too. >> Yeah.

6:57 >> So would you. >> She was great. favorite historical tour. >> Yes, it's history. A lot of good history here, I gotta say. Um, we did a Chinatown walking tour. I think it was free. It was by Hawaii Cultural Center. You just go in there and they'll give you a walking tour on certain days of

7:12 the week. We'll have the information down below. And it [music] was I like Chinatown. I love the food. And this was a food tour. They took us to all these amazing places to eat in Chinatown. Not just Chinese food either, like Vietnamese and the smoothie places and Korean. And just talk about the

7:26 neighborhood and the history. And it it was a really cool tour of like a hidden not hidden but like a gem of Honolulu that a lot of people don't go to or they only go at nighttime for like the the nightlife scene. >> Your favorite guided tour. >> Oh, that's easy one. All right. So, we

7:41 did a Circle Island tour and these like they sound touristy, but like we like we like to try stuff, right? So, we had Ryan from Aina, Hawaii take us out. He picked us up at our hotel and he more does adventure tours. He's not like a regular circle island tour. you can do anything with them, like stand up,

7:55 paddling, snorkeling, waterfalls. We're like, "Hey, you want to like take us around the island, see some sites, and show us something new?" And he definitely showed us something new. Found us a swimming pool that we've never been to before. So, we have his information down below. But if you're

8:08 looking for like a quick way to see all of Oahu, a Circle Island tour is a great way to do that. >> Yeah. And [music] I will say I liked Ryan, the private tour, because he customized it to us. Obviously, we have two little kids, so that posed some limitations. [music] We also had certain

8:24 things we wanted to do. We didn't want to see things we'd already seen. So, he'll customize it to whatever you're looking for, which I think is really cool. >> That's great. >> Yeah. Best farm tour. >> Farm tour. Oahu does not have a lot of farms, >> so that's a tough one. It's nothing like

8:37 Maui or the Big Island. We like farm tours. Um, but 21 Degrees Estate. It's over on the Windward side. It's a mom and pop operation. They do a great job. It's cacao farm, so chocolate. They grow chocolate plus a bunch of other like Polynesian canoe crops. They have their own honey farm there, too. Uh, that was

8:53 a lot of fun. Great tastings. The kids loved it. It was It was like a great sweet little trip. It was It was a cool thing to do on the Winward side. >> Okay. Wait, I have one more. What's left on your bucket list? On your tour bucket list. >> All right. So, since when we when I lived here, Eric and I got certified

9:08 scuba at Pearl Harbor, which is really cool. She didn't love it, but then I love going out scuba diving, and I haven't done it since we left when we when we stopped living here cuz the kids and stuff like that. So, I'd love to go scuba diving again. Okay. >> For all that stuff. >> All right. Our next trip.

9:24 >> Yeah. Yeah. It'll be fun to go out there. Yeah. Oh, I forgot to mention, too. Um, so we have discounts on two tours. Honolulu helicopter tours, 5% off. Helicopter tours are expensive. They have the best safety record on Oahu. And then also dolphin excursions. It's marine biologist taking you out

9:40 looking for dolphins. Offshore Y and I. So, you're staying in Kolina or you just want to go out in that direction. It's over on the west side. Uh, check that out. We have just 10% off with them, too. So, click down below for those two discounts. But, we hope you do a tour when you're on Oahu. Hopefully, this got

9:54 you excited about one. Show this to your group and maybe like what do you guys want to do out of this list and uh check it out. Right. Right now, we're on Aahu. We're at the Moana Surf Rider hanging out in their their front area. And uh anyways, we've um we're about to Yeah. do a nice little boat ride right now,

10:08 actually. Yeah, we're about to head out. >> Yeah, I got to get my mineral based sunscreen on and get the white face. >> All right. Thanks so much for watching. Have a great trip to Aahu and uh yeah, I think we're going to do this video for the Big Island next. Favorite tours. >> We do a lot of tours.

10:22 >> All right, thanks for watching. >> Thanks for watching. [music] [music]