10 Best Tours & Excursions on Oʻahu
From private hiking guides to movie tours and so much more, I realize that it can be difficult deciding what you might want to do on Oʻahu, which is exactly why I created this post.
That being said, there are a number of Oʻahu experiences that either require a tour, make the activity more hassle-free, or simply make things safer by booking a local guide.
Therefore, while I love recommending things to do in Hawaiʻi that can be explored on your own, I strongly suggest booking tours for these activities at the very least.
Why am I Recommending these Oʻahu Tours?
One of my favorite things about booking through Viator is the reserve-now-and-pay-later option. As long as you’re booking more than three days in advance, you have the option to book ahead and cancel in the future if you change your mind.
10 Best Tours on Oʻahu
The following list is written in no particular order of best or worst, as I personally believe that there are amazing tours and activities on all sides of Oʻahu!
1. Oʻahu Helicopter Tour
There’s truly nothing better than touring Oʻahu by helicopter!
That being said, I recommend that you don’t book a helicopter tour out of Turtle Bay. Turtle Bay helicopter tours are only 20 minutes long, but if you’re willing pay a little more, you can fly over Oʻahu for up to an hour out of Honolulu Airport.
2. Mokoliʻi (Chinaman’s Hat) - Kayak & Hike
Chinaman’s Hat, located right off of Kualoa Regional Park near the Kualoa Ranch, is one of the best east Oʻahu islands to kayak to.
To learn more about how to get to the island, as well as getting and transporting kayak rentals to Kualoa, I recommend reading my separate post below.
Read My Separate Post: Mokoliʻi (Chinaman's Hat)
3. Private Oʻahu Hiking Guide
I provide a lot of Hawaiʻi hiking information throughout my blog, but even then, many of these adventures could be more comfortably done with a local guide.
The reason I like these guided options below is because they can be tailored to different levels of experience. If you’d like a guide for an easier adventure near Waikīkī, the first few options would be the right choice for you. However, some of the others are really what you’re looking for when you want a true Hawaiʻi hiking experience, including one on private property that can only be experienced by booking below!
In any case, you should be able to communicate with your guide about what you are looking for, and if you have a specific suggestion, like something from this article, let them know! They should be able to accurately evaluate your level of experience to find the right fit for you!
4. Pearl Harbor National Memorial Tour
If you’re visiting Oʻahu, Pearl Harbor is a must-see!
The tours below are a great way to spend half of your day, which is exactly what I recommend. Give Pearl Harbor all of your morning, and plan on spending the rest of the day doing something else.
Note that Pearl Harbor tickets can be very hard to come by, so plan early and book ahead!
5. Private Surfing Lessons
If this is your first time learning how to surf, I highly recommend private surfing lessons.
Waikīkī is the best place on Oʻahu to learn how to surf, and it’s always where I take first-time visitors because the waves in Waikīkī are relatively harmless for beginners.
Generally speaking, 2-3 ft. waves are a perfect size to learn on, but if it’s your first time, I would not recommend going out on your own. Instead, I recommend learning from one of the full-time instructors in Waikīkī.
Book either of the first two options if you’d like to learn in Waikīkī, or consider the third option to learn at a much more local beginner surf break on the North Shore.
6. North Shore Shark Diving
Out of all the islands, Oʻahu has the best shark tours!
I have a good friend who works for the most popular Oʻahu shark tour company, and this is how he describes the difference between a cage and cageless experience.
In terms of safety, there is no difference between a cage and cageless tour. It’s purely about your comfort level. From what my friend has said, the sharks get a lot closer to you during a tour with the cage than without. Without the cage, they tend to circle at a deeper depth below your feet.
In any case, choose a time for the first boat of the morning. Compared to later in the day, the morning is typically when the water is the most glassy, and the winds are the calmest. This is to say that you have less of a chance at getting seasick if you go early.
I hope this helps with making your decision!
7. Kayaking to the Mokulua Islands
The Mokulua Islands are the two neighboring small islands that you can see from the beautiful Lanikai Pillbox hike, located just off of Lanikai Beach, and they are accessible to the public by kayak only!
If you’re interested, I recommend booking one of the options below, so you don’t have to worry about transporting a kayak from elsewhere to the beach!
8. Kualoa Ranch (Jungle & Movie Tour)
Kualoa Ranch is one of those places that simply can’t be seen without booking one of the tours below.
This is because everything that makes Kualoa Ranch so popular is located entirely on private property, meaning it’s not a place that you have the option of exploring on your own.
All said, the Kualoa Ranch movie and jungle tours are a great way to spend part of your day, but if you want the best of both worlds, including roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Waikīkī, the last option is the best choice!
9. Kāneʻohe Bay Sandbar Tour
Of all the tours on this list, the Kāneʻohe Bay Sandbar is easily one of the best, and surprisingly, very few visitors choose to make the journey!
I say this because the sandbar is such a beautiful place to swim around in the shallow water while looking back at the stunning mountain backdrop that spans across east Oʻahu.
Moreover, the easiest and most hassle-free way to visit the sandbar in Kāneʻohe Bay is by booking the tour below, as the Kāneʻohe Sandbar is not nearly as close to shore compared to Mokoliʻi or the Mokulua Islands.
10. Dolphin Snorkeling (North & West)
Since whales in Hawaiʻi are seasonal to the winter only, they are not always a guarantee when you may be visiting.
However, Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins can be seen at all times of the year!
Snorkeling with the Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins is best on the West Side of Oʻahu, and I say this largely because the beautiful mountain backdrop as you swim in the crystal-clear blue water is second to none!
However, if you’re staying on the North Shore, don’t overlook a tour out of Haleʻiwa. A tour out of the North Shore has just as good an opportunity to have an amazing experience with the dolphins as the West Side.
