10 Best Tours on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
From private hiking guides to Hollywood movie tours to the best shark tours across all of Hawaiʻi, there are truly countless incredible excursions to consider when visiting Oʻahu, which can make it difficult to decide which tours to prioritize.
That said, I have been fortunate to experience firsthand a number of the best and most popular excursions on the island, which has helped me narrow down all the options to what I see as the best of the best, with a focus on guided tours that visitors generally have the most positive experiences with!
Considering all this, 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 making reservations for these activities at the very least, as all these options either require or are better experienced with a professional guide.
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
From its rugged and remote interior to its beautiful beaches that wrap around all sides of the island, there’s truly nothing better than seeing Oʻahu from the air!
That said, I highly recommend booking a helicopter tour that’s close to or longer than one hour to give yourself the opportunity to see the best that Oʻahu has to offer!
I say this because shorter tours typically only stay within a short distance of where they took off, but the most scenic places from the air are truly spread across all sides of the island—including Koko Crater on the southeast side, Sacred Falls in the northern Koʻolau Mountains, and Kaʻena Point to the far west!
This is why I like to say, the longer the tour, the more enjoyable the experience will be!
2. Mokoliʻi (Chinaman’s Hat) - Kayak & Hike
Mokoliʻi, more commonly known as Chinaman’s Hat, is a small islet located just offshore from Kualoa Regional Park near the tours on Kualoa Ranch.
Mokoliʻi is one of the best islands off the east side of Oʻahu to kayak to, but there is a lot to know about the adventure itself, as well as how to rent a kayak, which is why I highly recommend reading my separate article to learn all the need-to-know details—especially for those visiting the island!
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.
That said, 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 other options are really what you’re looking for if you want a true Hawaiʻi hiking experience, including one on private property that can only be experienced by booking below!
This is all to say that 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 my blog, 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 (USS Arizona)
The Pearl Harbor National Memorial, along with the USS Arizona Boat Tour, is without a doubt one of the best things to do on Oʻahu—especially if you’re a first-time visitor!
That said, Pearl Harbor is, for obvious reasons, the single most sought-after tour on the island, meaning reservations can be hard to come by. This is even more true around specific times of the year, like the anniversary on December 7th, holidays, and summer travel, when Hawaiʻi receives the most visitors. This is why I highly recommend booking your seat on the USS Arizona shuttle boat as soon as you know your dates.
In any case, Pearl Harbor is so much more than the small, publicly accessible side of the National Memorial, which is exactly why I wrote a separate post about visiting. Here, you can learn about little-known secrets, hidden gems, and, most importantly, how to access Ford Island—the active U.S. military installation where the 1941 attack took place. It is on Ford Island where more than half of all the best things to see and do at Pearl Harbor are located, which is why I highly recommend reading my separate article if you’re interested in making the most of your visit to Pearl Harbor!
Read My Separate Post: Best Things to Do at Pearl Harbor
5. Private Surfing Lessons
If this is your first time learning how to surf, I highly recommend booking a private surfing lesson, as one-on-one lessons are the best and easiest way to learn the insider tricks when it comes to catching your first wave!
That said, 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.
I say this because, generally, 2-3 ft. (1 m) waves are the perfect size to learn on, but if it is your first time, I do not recommend going out on your own, as learning from a full-time instructor is the best and safest way to have a good time when you’re truly just getting started!
With all this in mind, book either of the first two options if you’d like to learn in Waikīkī, or check out the third option if you’re interested in learning at a much more local beginner surf break on Oʻahu’s North Shore.
6. North Shore Shark Diving
Out of all the islands in Hawaiʻi, Oʻahu has the best shark tours, which can be booked as either a cage or cageless experience, and I recommend considering my friend’s side-by-side comparison if you’re trying to decide between the two.
How to Decide Between a Cage or Cageless Shark Tour?
I have an old 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 a cageless tour; it’s purely about your comfort level. However, my friend has said that the sharks get a lot closer to you during a tour with the cage than without it, and without a cage they tend to circle at a deeper depth below your feet.
In either case, I recommend booking a tour that leaves first thing in the morning because, 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 all to say that you have less of a chance of getting seasick if you go early.
I hope this helps when making your decision!
7. Kayaking to the Mokulua Islands
The Mokulua Islands, also called the Moks for short, are the two neighboring small islands that can be seen from the beautiful Lanikai Pillbox hike, located just off Lanikai Beach.
That said, I listed the Mokulua Islands immediately after the Kaʻiwa Ridge Trail because combining the two into one longer adventure is a great way to spend a full day on Oʻahu’s east side!
Before arriving, know that the Mokulua Islands are accessible to the public by kayak only, and if you’re interested in visiting, I recommend booking one of the tours below so that you don’t need to figure out how to transport a kayak to and from Kailua/ Lanikai Beach.
8. Kualoa Ranch
Kualoa Ranch is a large, undeveloped ranch that spans three separate valleys on the east side of Oʻahu and is renowned for its stunning mountain backdrops, endless landscapes that stretch far beyond the property itself, and one-of-a-kind tours, all of which have contributed to making Kualoa one of the most popular filming locations for Hawaiʻi-based movies!
It’s for all these reasons that visiting Kualoa Ranch can be many different experiences in one, depending on what you’re most interested in seeing.
There are tours that focus on movies and filming locations, horseback riding, ziplining, and so much more, but of all there is to know above anything else, Kualoa Ranch cannot be visited without making a reservation.
All that to say, I personally think the Kualoa Ranch movie and jungle tours are some of the best choices, but if you want the best of both worlds, including roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Waikīkī, the last option is the best choice for you.
Read My Separate Post: What are the Best Kualoa Ranch Tours?
9. Kāneʻohe Bay Sandbar Tour
The Kāneʻohe Bay Sandbar is a long 1.3-mile (2.1 km) stretch of sand on the east side of Oʻahu that makes for an incredible place to swim and float around in the shallow, turquoise-blue water while looking back at the stunning mountain backdrop that spans the island from north to south!
That said, getting to the sandbar is only practical in one of two ways.
First, there is the option to paddle roughly 1.2 miles (1.9 km) from one of several points in Kahaluʻu, but this is certainly the more difficult and intimidating option.
Alternatively, the easiest, hassle-free way to visit the sandbar in Kāneʻohe Bay is to take a boat by booking the tour below, and I say this because the Kāneʻohe Sandbar is not nearly as close to shore as Mokoliʻi or the Mokulua Islands mentioned above.
10. Swimming with Dolphins (North & West)
Since whales in Hawaiʻi are seasonal to the winter months, they are not always a guarantee when you may be visiting.
However, dolphins in Hawaiʻi can be seen at all times throughout the year, which in my opinion, are best enjoyed on the West Side of Oʻahu!
I say this largely because the beautiful mountain backdrop as you swim with the dolphins in the crystal-clear blue water is truly second to none!
As you consider which tour might be best for your group, I highly encourage you to read my separate article about the time I went out with Aloha Ocean, as I think it quickly becomes apparent why they have the best tour operating out of West Oʻahu, the last of the three tours linked below.
Read My Separate Post: Aloha Ocean Tour
