All Reviews for Sightseeing / Guided Tours

Before horseback riding, I had an early lunch of garlic shrimp. BIG WAVE is far from the meeting point near Matsumoto Shave Ice, so I had to finish lunch within an hour while exploring Haleiwa Town, which made for a rather rushed meal. It was good that it wasn't crowded, but it took some time for the order to be ready, and I wished I could have taken a bit more time.

The horseback riding felt relaxed as I enjoyed the view of the ocean. I was able to see a sea turtle sleeping on the beach during the ride.

乗馬の前に早めのランチでガーリックシュリンプを食べました。BIG　WAVEは集合場所のマツモトシェイブアイス付近から遠いためハレイワタウン散策１時間でランチを済まして集合は時間的に厳しくかなりあわただしい食事になりました。空いていたからよかったけど、注文してできあがるまで時間もかかるしもう少し時間をとれればなあと思いました。
乗馬は海を眺めながらのんびりという感じでした。乗馬中に浜辺で寝ているウミガメ見れました。

My husband and I took our first trip to Hawai'i (O'ahu) and decided to take this Grand Circle Island tour so we could get a quick summary of some of the many sites to see and explore later on, when we have more time. Our tour guide, Lei-Hua, was definitely a local and she was able to share her vast personal knowledge and experiences of O'ahu with our group, which helped to make it even more special for us! Not just some regular tour guide that points out stuff and tells you what it is. Lei added her own personal touch to all the landmarks and then some!

I'm not sure if folks can specifically request their tour guide, but if you take this tour and it happens to be Lei-Hua, then you are in for a treat!

Sean was a wonderful guide. Being a native to Oahu, he was knowledgeable about anything we wanted to know. He was friendly and polite and made sure that we saw the things that were important to us. I would highly recommend this tour. Ask for Sean!

Everything about this adventure was so incredible! Kipu Ranch is an amazing ranch with an incredible amount of territory to explore! We saw some marvelous sights while covering some exciting terrain (such a perfect combo for a couple consisting of one who likes to hike and one who doesn't; but loves motorcycles/ off-road vehicles).
The employees at the ranch were all kind and helpful. Definitely want to give a huge shout out to our guides; Joshua and Marlin!! They really make this experience special! It was like exploring this new and gorgeous region with a couple of your close friends, They were so kind and considerate of each individual in the group. I especially enjoyed hearing some back-story of this incredible place and the people who made such an impact.
Safety was top notch. Treats were delicious. This adventure left both my husband and I overjoyed!! Thank you so much, Kipu Ranch, for a quality tour/adventure and true ~Aloha~ hospitality and kindness! It really made our trip special!

This was a last minute thing that we decided to do - and we're sure glad that we did.
Was a great night with good food and good entertainment to follow. Rose was our server and what a fantastic job she did, she had a number of tables to look after (as servers do over there) yet she gave intimate tables of two just as much as large group tables.
Overall a well run experience from pickup to drop off couldn't fault it at all

The tour guide was wonderful lots of stories funny and knew lots of history. I enjoyed the Polynesian Cultural Center as well all the different cultures was interesting and fun at the same time. Great time for the whole day of staying busy.

Entertainment was great. There was always something going on if you don't be careful you will miss the sunrise. I was beautiful.

My daughters and I had a great time The tour bus picked us up on time . The tour guide /driver provided us a lot of information and history about the island, restaurants and all important sites we drive by . He was was funny too . He answered every ones questions.He allowed us enough time for breaks and photos. We had an amazing time at the Waterfall, my youngest had a foot surgery last year and she can’t walk too fast , we where having a great time swimming in the waterfall pool that we lost track of time . We had 15 minutes to make back to the bus , knowing my youngest can’t walk too fast or run my oldest said “ I’ll have him wait mom “ and took off running ( she runs track and cross country) . We had to be back by 12pm , we ( my youngest and I) made by 12:05 , My oldest daughter was happy the driver waited for us , we all were :). Then we drove to the snorkeling site , the tide was low and it was too rocky, I have never snorkel and I’m not a great swimmer, so we walked up to do some shopping and had a fresh coconut. We made our last stop at Haleiwa, the driver recommended some restaurants . The girls and I had a wonderful time , we ate and did some shopping. He was on time to pick us up . On the way back to the hotel we were tired and feel asleep. Overall we had a great time, we visited a few places and I didn’t have to drive through all that traffic I feel bad I forgot the drivers name , He was knowledgeable and I felt safe with him behind the wheel while the girls and I enjoy the activities and sites . The only reason I didn’t rate outstanding is because the snorkeling was not fun , the waves were too strong and the tide was too low , too rocky, but no one can really control that :)

They lent me warm clothing, so I wasn't cold. It's great that I could go hands-free. The miso soup was really delicious. Next time, I'll check the lunar calendar and join!

防寒着を貸してくれたので寒かなかった。手ぶらで行けるのが良いですね。
お味噌汁がとっても美味しかった。次回は月歴を確認して参加しまーす！

Since Sunset was fully booked, I chose this option, and it was a great decision!
You can see a perfect starry sky because they start very early in the morning!
The sunrise was also very beautiful.
It was really cold, so I wore a down jacket, sweater, and denim, and even with Heattech underneath my denim, I was still cold.
Also, the guide and all the other guests were foreigners, so everything was in English.
The explanations were detailed and easy to understand, and the other tour participants were nice people too!

サンセットが満席だったため、こちらにしましたが、大正解でした！
朝とても早くから出版するので、満点の星空が見れます！
朝日もとても美しかったです。
とてもさむいので、ダウンジャケット、セーター、デニム、デニムの下にヒートテックでも寒かったです。
またガイドさんや他のお客さんも全員外国人なので英語です。
説明会も細かくしてくれてわかりやすかったですし、ほかのツアー客もいい人でした！

We went for my daughter's graduation, we had a great time. The food was ok, but the performances and audience involvement made up for it. My kids really enjoyed it! The sunset was amazing!!! This is a must do activity.

Josh and Justin are awesome! A lot of fun to be around. Very informative and made everybody feel save. Beautiful scenery and you can’t beat swimming under a waterfall.

This was my first trip to Hawaii for our honeymoon. We chose this tour because it seemed like a great fit for both my athletic partner and my less coordinated self. There was a little hiccup at the hotel that morning, but the tour company responded quickly, and we were able to join the tour without any issues. Our guide was a Japanese man who kept us entertained with explanations of the scenery and quizzes during the drive.

The North Shore sightseeing allowed us to visit the places we wanted, so we took photos at the popular Instagram spot with the wings and visited Matsumoto Shave Ice. Unfortunately, there were no sea turtles at Turtle Beach, but it had a different atmosphere from Waikiki, and we enjoyed the scenery.

The much-anticipated horseback riding was led by a staff member, and we rode in a line along the beach and through the forest for 45 minutes. It seemed like they chose horses based on the participants' types; the horse I rode was very smart, carefully going down steps and staying in line. My partner's horse, on the other hand, was a bit mischievous, immediately going for grass and not keeping a consistent distance from the others (laughs). The staff also took photos with their phones during the ride. It was an amazing experience to hold the reins while gazing at the ocean.

On the way back, we stopped at a macadamia nut souvenir shop where we could crack and eat macadamia nuts ourselves, and there were various flavored nuts that I bought as souvenirs. We arrived back at the hotel by 3:30 PM, allowing us to spend our evening meaningfully. This tour was very satisfying, offering not only horseback riding but also sightseeing!

ハネムーンで初ハワイ。スポーツ万能な彼と運動音痴な私がお互い楽しめそう、と選んだのがこのツアー。当日の朝ホテルでハプニングがありましたが、ツアー会社の方が俊敏に対応して下さり無事ツアーに参加することが出来ました。アテンドさんは日本人男性で、車中から見える景色の説明やクイズなどをして下さり道中も退屈せずに過ごせました。ノースショア 観光はそれぞれが行きたい場所へ行けるので、インスタ人気の羽の壁で写真を撮ったり、マツモトシェイブアイスへ行きました。ウミガメビーチでは残念ながらウミガメは居ませんでしたがワイキキとは又違った雰囲気のビーチで景色だけでも楽しめました。お待ちかねの乗馬ですが、係の方を先頭に一列になって浜辺や森の中を45分かけて回ります。参加者のタイプに合わせた馬を選んでくれるみたいで、私を乗せてくれた馬はとても賢く、段差をゆっくり降りてくれたり列からはみ出さない馬でした。彼の方はすぐに草を食べに行ったり、馬間距離がバラバラだったりと中々やんちゃそうでしたが(笑)途中係の方が携帯で写真も撮ってくれます。自分で手綱を握りながら海を眺めるという最高の体験が出来ました。帰りに寄ったマカデミアナッツのお土産屋さんでは自分でマカデミアナッツを割って食べることが出来たり、色々なフレーバーのナッツがありお土産に買って帰りました。15時半にはホテルに着いたので、夜も有意義に時間を使えます。乗馬だけではなく観光も楽しめるとても満足なツアーでした！

I've been to various luaus, and this was the best. Really. My three-generation family ranges in age from 3 y/o to 70, and everyone had a great time. The 7 y/o was truly amazed by everything, which was delightful. The event was well organized, informative, and vastly entertaining. The food and beverages we're very good, high quality, and plentiful. No dishes ran out, and the selection was excellent. The arrival of the King and his court was fun. We enjoyed the extra touches, like the Hawaiians tattoos, and hula lesson. The dancers were excellent and engaging; we especially enjoyed those involving fire! I would definitely recommend this luau. I don't think there were any bad seats, and the view was glorious.

This was a great family outing.
Nice equipment
Nice location
Great guides
The all had a wonderful time!

I went on three tours: a movie location tour, a jungle exploration tour, and a garden tour. All of them were rich in nature and enjoyable.

・映画ロケ地ツアー、ジャングル探検ツアー、ガーデンツアーの３つを回りました。どれも自然が豊かで楽しかったです。

I booked a tour for the next day while I was there. I received a confirmation email and waited at the pickup location on the day of the tour, but after waiting for over 20 minutes, no one showed up... I couldn't speak English, so I had to call, and with the help of the hotel staff, I managed to convey my issue. It seems the tour company said there was no reservation. In the end, I took a taxi to the boat and got a refund for the taxi fare, so I was able to participate in the tour after all. Since I didn't incur any financial loss, I asked Veltra to check the situation after returning home, and they responded sincerely. The tour itself was fine (I even saw a whale, albeit just a little), but it might be a bit risky to make last-minute reservations.

現地にいる時に翌日のツアーを予約しました。
予約完了メールも来て、当日迎えの場所で待っていましたが20分以上待っても来ず…英語が喋れないけど電話するしかない、とホテルの人に手伝ってもらいなんとか要件を伝えると、予約が入っていないとツアー催行会社から言われたようで…
結局タクシーで船のところまで行ってタクシー代を返金してもらえ、ツアーに参加することが出来たのでなんとかなりました。
金銭的に損をしたわけではなかったので、帰国後ベルトラさんに状況確認だけお願いしたところ誠実に対応してくださいました。
ツアー自体は問題ありませんでしたが（鯨もちょこっとだけ見れました）、直前の予約は少し注意が必要かもしれません。

I participated in a horseback riding and North Shore sightseeing tour. Since I had previously joined a seaside course, this time I chose the valley course. Riding a horse along the hilly mountain paths was a lot of fun. Also, I was lucky to have the weekend-only huli huli chicken for lunch in Haleiwa. The driver was very pleasant and accommodating. If I have the chance, I would love to participate again. Thank you!

乗馬とノースショア観光のコースに参加しました。
乗馬は、以前海辺コースに参加したことがあるので、今回は渓谷のコースにしました。
アップダウンのある山道を馬に乗って進むのは大変楽しい時間でした。
また、ハレイワでの昼食は週末限定のフリフリチキンを食べることが出来てラッキーでした。
ドライバーの方は大変気持ちのいい対応でした。
機会があればまた参加させて頂きます。
ありがとうございました！

I couldn't see any sea turtles. Due to the poor footing in the canyon, we switched to horseback riding along the coastal route. The one-hour horseback ride was easy to manage with well-trained horses.

ウミガメは見れませんでした。渓谷は足場が悪くなったことから、海岸ルートの乗馬に変更になりました。1時間程度の乗馬はしっかりと調教された馬で乗りやすかったです。

You can experience both summer and winter temperatures at the same time. At 2800m on Onizuka, from around 16:30 for about an hour, we will have a bento while acclimatizing to the altitude (you might not want to expect much in terms of taste... but if you don't eat, you'll be hungry on the way back. I managed to eat it). However, it gets suddenly cold as soon as you get out of the car. They will lend you down jackets, but you will need to put on your outerwear just before reaching the summit, so I recommend preparing some of your own gear. By the way, I wore a T-shirt, a hoodie, a certain company's ultra-light down jacket, a block tech parka, a knit cap, and gloves, and I was able to enjoy both the sunset and stargazing without freezing. We were blessed with clear weather and saw many shooting stars, which was great.

真夏の気温と真冬の気温を一度に体験出来ます。2800mのオニヅカで16:30過ぎから1時間程、高度順応兼ねてお弁当をいただきます(味は期待しない方が良いかも…でも食べておかないと帰りにお腹が空いてしまいます。頑張って食べました)が、車を降りたらいきなり寒いです。ダウン上下を貸していただけますが、上着着用は頂上に登る直前ですのである程度ご自身で用意して行く事をお勧めします。ちなみに自分はTシャツ、パーカー、某社ウルトラライトダウン、同ブロックテックパーカー、ニット帽、手袋を着用で最後まで凍えること事なく、サンセット、星空観測共に楽しめました。晴天に恵まれ、流れ星もたくさん見れて良かったです。

The driver who spoke Japanese considered a route that passed through areas not visited by participants, providing commentary on the scenery as we traveled, which made me feel like I was sightseeing twice as much beyond just the North Shore.

Even for someone like me who is not athletic, I was able to enjoy horseback riding with the guidance of the staff at the local resort.

The horse was larger than a pony but smaller than a racehorse, and it was properly trained to ensure there was no risk of it running away, so there was no danger of falling off.

Above all, the scenery along the beach as we rode with the horse was beautiful.

日本語が話せるドライバーさんが、

時間が可能な限り、参加者が訪れていないエリアを通るルートを考慮して、景色の解説を交えつつ、移動してくれたので、ノースショア以外も２倍観光できた気分になった。

運動音痴の自分でも、現地リゾートの係員さんの手解きをうけ、楽しく乗馬できました。

ポニーより大きい馬でしたが、
競走馬より小さい馬で、しかも、暴走することのないようキチンと調教されており、
落馬の危険もありませんでした。

なにより馬と一緒にすすむ海辺の景色が美しかった。

On June 7th, I participated in the Mauna Kea summit tour with a friend. Our guide was Matsuzaki-san (I'll refer to him as Mats-chan). Mats-chan is funny. He was a big hit. (Well, I don’t know any other guides, but still!) He started with his self-introduction, and the entire tour was filled with puns and jokes. Since we were climbing to a high altitude in a short time, it seems that if you sleep, your body can't keep up... To keep the guests awake (or maybe he just can't help but talk when he thinks of something? (laugh)), he kept chatting and making us laugh. At the photo spots, he used his experience to take amazing pictures for us. You could really feel his enthusiasm to entertain the guests; he is truly a passionate and great guide. Did Mats-chan's spirit reach the heavens? The sky, which looked a bit suspicious, cleared up enough for us to see the sunset, and we were able to enjoy the starry sky as well.

Since Kilauea volcano was active, we even got to see the lava in the darkness of the night. I believe that the improvement in the weather was Mats-chan's psychic power (laugh).

I was a bit worried about altitude sickness, but I only experienced some tingling in my hands while descending. I'm really glad I participated. The summit is seriously cold, so I highly recommend this tour, which provides warm clothing for both the top and bottom (they say this is the only tour that offers bottom wear as well... am I promoting them? (laugh)). I'm not promoting them, though.

Oh, and I would have been happier if the bento was a little more delicious (bitter laugh). I had a great experience. Mahalo.

６月７日、友人と二人でマウナケア山頂ツアーに参加させて貰いました。
ガイドは松崎さん（以下、松ちゃんとさせて頂きます＾＾）。
松ちゃん、面白いです。大当たりでした。（いや、他のガイドさんを知ってるわけでもなんでも無いのですが＾＾；）ご自分の自己紹介から始まって、沿道周辺ガイドの全てが駄洒落とギャグのオンパレードでして( ´∀｀ )。標高の高いところまで短時間で登るため、眠ると体が追い付かないらしく…ゲストを眠らせない為（いや。単に思いついたら言わずにいられないのかも？(笑)）にずぅっとしゃべり続け、笑わせてくれました。そして撮影スポットでは、これまでの経験を駆使して素晴らしい写真を撮ってくれるのです。私達ゲストを楽しませようという心意気がひしひしと伝わって来るような、ホントに熱い良いガイドさんです。そんな松ちゃんの心意気が天にも通じたのか？ちょっぴり怪しめの空だったのが、ちゃんと夕日を拝むことが出来、星空もきっちり見せて頂けました。
折しもキラウエア火山が活動中だったので、夜の暗闇で遠くその溶岩まで見る事まで出来てしまいました。きっとあの天気の回復は松ちゃんの念力だったのだと思います（笑）。

高山病とか少しビビッていたのですが、下って来る際の手先のしびれだけで済みました。参加してホントに良かったと思います。そして山頂はマジで寒いので、上下の防寒ウエアを貸し出して下さるこのツアー（ボトムまで貸し出してくれるのは、ここだけなんだそうです･･･って、回し者か？(笑)）とてもお勧めです。回し者じゃないです＾＾。
あ、あとはお弁当がもう少しだけ美味しいと嬉しかったかな（苦笑）いい経験をさせて頂きました。Mahalo

Shame that we couldn’t see the USS Arizona memorial - a real disappointment

The two guides were very friendly and informative. They helped us to understand what it takes to produce an entertaining television program that has spanned so many years.

My first trip to the Big Island of Hawaii was highly anticipated, especially since the tour of Kilauea Volcano was canceled due to the eruption. I was really looking forward to the starry sky from Mauna Kea.

Since we left the hotel before 4 PM, I was able to explore the town of Kona during the day. I'm glad I could make good use of my limited schedule.

Climbing to over 4,000 meters was thrilling, but we quickly reached the summit in a 4WD vehicle. The lunch we had at the Onizuka Visitor Center was just like a Japanese bento, which was comforting. (laughs)

We were blessed with good weather, and we were able to see both the sunset and the starry sky under great conditions! I think it was my first time seeing the Southern Cross.

Additionally, not only the starry sky but also the sight of Kilauea Volcano's eruption glowing red in the darkness was moving. It was lucky that we couldn't get close due to traffic restrictions around the volcano. This might be a unique landscape that can only be seen now.

The tour guide, Tyler, was attentive to the participants throughout the tour, which was nice. I definitely want to use this service again.

初のハワイ島旅行、楽しみにしていたキラウエア火山が噴火影響でツアー中止になった事もあり、マウナケアからの星空に思いっきり期待しての参加です。
ホテルを16時前に出発だったこともあり、日中はコナの街を観光。限られた
日程をうまく使えて嬉しいですね。
4000m超の山という事もありドキドキでしたが4WD車で一気に山頂へ到着。
途中立ち寄ったオニヅカ・ビジターセンターでのお弁当も、日本のお弁当その物で少しホッと出来ました。（笑）
天気にも恵まれ、サンセットも星空も良い条件で見ることが出来ました！
南十字星を見たのはたぶん初めてです。
また、星空だけでなく、キラウエア火山の噴火の様子が暗闇に赤く浮かび上がっていてこちらも感動。火山周辺は交通規制で近づけなかったのでラッキー
でした。今だからこその風景なのかもです。
ツアーガイド（タイラさん）も、ツアー参加者に常に気を配っていて感じが
良かったです。また是非ご利用したいと思います。

I was excited about the tour, being a keen Hawaii Five-0 fan & was very happy when I was accepted as a solo traveller. The tour was described as being 4 to 4 1/2 hr duration. I was picked up at 8.15 am & by 11.45 am we were heading back to our hotel. There were two vans with four people in each meeting up at stops along the tour route.

Our Guide was very knowledgeable but I felt she was bored & repeating everything by rote. I still don't know her name as she didn't bother to introduce herself. She could have made the whole morning a lot more interesting. I do appreciate all the locations we were shown & background information we were given.

I felt very rushed & would have appreciated more time to take photographs. Also, being allowed out of the van at the National Cemetery would have been better than trying to get photos out of the windows of the van. The same at the Studios. If the tour lasted another 1/2 hour it would not have been so rushed & maybe a couple more locations could have been included. eg .Aloha Tower or where the Shrimp Truck is located.

I hope I might get another chance to do this tour again. Keeping the tour group small is a great idea.

Our tour guide Alex was excellent. He is friendly and knowledgeable about the island, as well as, photography. I learned a lot about my camera and how to improve on my landscape compositions. I highly recommend Alex from Oahu Photography Tours to take you on your sunset photography excursion.

Frank was great! He totally took care of us. Suggestion to get the package with the food. It was good food and no hassel!

Our driver and tour guide, Lola, made this tour such a great experience. Her local knowledge, historic information and passion for Hawaii made the tour for us. Unfortunately the Arizona memorial was off limits for us due to issues but we were still able to drive by and pay our respects.

Preston was awesome! Best driver and very polite with people. Very fun and enjoyable trip! I highly recommend giving him a raise he deserves it!!