All Reviews for Sightseeing / Guided Tours

This was our first trip to Oahu therefore our first opportunity to visit the USS Arizona, Pearl Harbor and the USS Missouri. We were staying in Ko O'lina on the west side of the island and found very few tours that originated from the leeward side. We are so pleased this tour was offered with hotel pick up.

Our guide, a doppelgänger for Santa Claus, was funny an quite informative. The amount of time provided at each site was exactly enough for us. We feel like we got to cross a few things off our bucket list thanks to this tour.

We certainly recommend this tour.

Great trip, lots of beautiful places, Polynesia C.C. is something you must see

This was a must do activity and was made excellent by our host "Cousin Bo" who was informative and entertaining. The event itself was fantastic, the show was very professional and the story of the Pacific islands well executed. The fire dance at the end was visually stunning and well worth it. Location was beautiful and the trip there was pretty too. The activities and food were probably not my ideal, but we would absolutely recommend going for the actual performance. We booked the royal experience. The chief is a real comedian and the evening was good fun all round.

We enjoyed the cruise. The staff was very attentive to us. Dinner was first. Unfortunately the dinner lasted through the sunset and we were seated on the opposite side of the boat. So didn't really see the sunset. We did the crab legs dinner. It was nice. Make sure you get seconds when they offer. They come around a 1 time. The entertainment was fun. The dancers performed in the middle of the deck. That is why dinner is quick. The Honolulu lights at night are a pretty sight. The night was breezy so bring a sweater to through on in case.

I loved it very very much it was a wonderful tour. Thanks you for putting on such wonderful performances. Hope to see you again

I signed up for the movie location tour and the Secret Island tour. The morning movie location tour had unfortunate weather with occasional rain, but we were able to see beautiful scenery during the sunny intervals, and the guide's explanations were interesting, so I was very satisfied. By the afternoon, the rain had stopped, and I was excited for the 3-hour sunbathing session on Secret Island, but I encountered disappointing service. First, we were taken by bus from the visitor center to the Secret Island, and when we arrived at the dock, the driver left without saying anything, leaving us and about a dozen others to wait for 30 minutes until the boat from the opposite shore returned. When the boat finally arrived and we reached Secret Island, we were told that the return boat would leave at 2:00 PM. Since it was 12:00 PM when we got off the boat, we only had 2 hours. A white customer who was on the same boat also complained to the staff after waiting for 30 minutes and having only 2 hours of free time, but they told him to speak to the guide and did not take it seriously. In the end, the guide did not take the return bus either, and we had no chance to express our dissatisfaction. What could have been a fun trip turned out to be very disappointing due to this service.

映画ロケ地ツアーとシークレットアイランドツアーを申し込みました。午前中のロケ地ツアーは、時々雨の降るあいにくの天気でしたが、晴れ間には綺麗な景色も見る事ができ、ガイドの説明も面白く、とても満足でした。午後になると雨も止み、いよいよ3時間のシークレットアイランドでの日光浴に向けて期待が高まってきたところで、残念な対応をされてしまいました。先ず、ビジターセンターからシークレットアイランド行きのバスで送ってもらい、船着場に着いたのですが、ドライバーは何も言わず行ってしまい、残された私達十数人はそこで対岸の船が戻って来るまで30分も待ちぼうけ。ようやく迎えの船が来てシークレットアイランドに着くと、14:00に帰りの船が出るとの事。船を降りた時点で12:00だったので、2時間しか有りません。同じ船に乗った白人のお客も30分待たされた挙句、2時間しか自由時間が無いと係員にクレームしていましたが、ガイドに言ってくれと言って取り合いません。結局ガイドさんも帰りのバスには乗らず、不満を伝えるチャンスも有りませんでした。せっかくの楽しい旅行が、この対応で非常に不満の残る残念なものとなってしまいました。

I was really looking forward to the main horseback riding during this trip. I was worried because it rained in the first half of the day, but it was great that it cleared up for the horseback riding. The horses were very cute, and I was anxious about whether I could ride them properly, but there was nothing to worry about. I would love to go horseback riding again when I come to Hawaii.

今回の旅行のメインの乗馬、とても楽しみにしていました。当日は雨が前半降っていて心配しましたが、乗馬の時には晴れて本当に良かったです。お馬さんはとても可愛くて ちゃんと乗れるのか不安でしたが何も心配いりませんでした。また、ハワイに来たら乗馬したいです。

Our guide was a funny and informative guide. Henry made our morning and drive back in the evening enjoyable!!!

My wife has been attending a hula dance class for several years, and to experience authentic hula dancing, we decided to return to Hawaii, where we had our honeymoon, to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary with a vow renewal. A year ago, during our stay in Hawaii, we utilized Velta's services, which made it convenient to change reservations on-site, so I booked this tour with a three-star rating domestically.

Thanks to the tour sticker on my chest at the meeting point, several crew members congratulated us as we boarded. We had a window-side table for two on the second floor (below the upper level of the five-star) with a great view, and the food was good.

During the meal, we were called and escorted to the third floor (the top floor) via the elevator, where the front of the ship served as the venue. (When we took photos with the captain during our honeymoon, it was on the outer deck, but it might have been this location due to the strong winds and occasional rain that day.) It felt a bit cramped, but the captain came to our table, which was decorated with beautiful flowers, and we made our vow renewal promises while signing a certificate in the captain's presence. I couldn't fully understand the captain's comments since they were all in English, but I managed to respond with "Yes" whenever he looked my way. However, the floor manager, who spoke broken Japanese, explained the flow of the ceremony, and we were able to take videos and photos with our own camera during the ceremony. After that, the champagne included with the tour was served, and we toasted with the captain (who mentioned that his glass contained apple juice while on board).

After the ceremony, when I mentioned that we had also boarded the Star of Honolulu for our honeymoon 20 years ago, the three people present (the captain, the floor manager, and a black-clad attendant) exclaimed "Amazing." The captain was particularly delighted, saying, "I've been the captain of this ship for 30 years, so I probably was on board 20 years ago." The black-clad attendant kept repeating "Amazing" as we returned to our table, which made our happy moment feel even more special.

We returned to our table, continued our meal while drinking champagne, and enjoyed another highlight: the beautiful Friday fireworks, which made for an unforgettable time.

After 20 years of marriage, life has been different from our newlywed days, often moving away from words like "love," but I feel that this vow renewal allowed us to remember our "beginning" as a couple. We are considering participating in this tour for our 25th and 30th anniversaries as well.

Thank you for a wonderful time.

　妻がフラダンス教室に数年通い本場でフラダンスを体験するため、また、結婚20周年を迎え、バウリニューアルのために新婚旅行で訪れた同じハワイに行いきました。１年前、ハワイ滞在時にVeltaさんを活用させていただき、予約変更等も現地で行えて便利だったので、国内で本ツアーの３スターを予約しました。
　集合場所でツアーを示すシールを胸に貼ったおかげで、乗船時に『Congratulations』と数名のクルーから声をかけていただきました。席は２F？（５スターの上層階の下）の窓際の二人席でとても景色が良く、料理もGoodでした。
　料理の途中で呼ばれてエスコートされてエレベーターで３F（最上階）に向かい、エレベーターを降りた船の最前面の場所が会場となります。（新婚旅行の時の船長さんとの記念撮影は、外の船主の甲板デッキでしたが、この日は風が強く、時折雨も降ったので、この場所だっだのかもしれません。）少し狭い感じはしますが、きれいな花等で飾られたテーブルの前に船長さんが来ていただき、バウリニューアルの誓いや船長さん立ち合いの証明書サインをして頂きました。船長さんのコメントは全て英語のために十分に理解はできませんでしたが、船長さんが視線を向けるたびに『Yes』と言ってごまかしました。ただ、サポートいただいたフロアーマネージャー？？の方が片言の日本語で流れを説明していただき、加えて式の間は私たち持参のカメラでビデオ＆写真を撮っていただけました。その後このツアーに付いているシャンペンがここで登場し、船長と一緒に乾杯しました。（船長さんのグラスは乗船中のためアップルジュースと言っていました。）
　式の後、２０年前の新婚旅行でもスターオブホノルルに乗船した事を伝えると、立ち会っていただいた３名（船長さん、フロアーマネージャー？黒服のアテンダー）から『Amazing』と言われ、特に船長さんは『３０年前から本船のキャプテンをしているので、２０年前も多分私が乗船したいた』ととても喜んでくれ、加えてテーブルに戻る間も黒服のアテンダーの方も『Amazing』を連発され、私たちの幸せな時間が更に倍増した感覚でした。
　テーブルに戻ってシャンペンを飲みながら食事を続け、もう一つの楽しみも『金曜日の花火』もとてもきれいで、忘れられない時間をいただけた感じです。
　結婚２０年もたてば新婚生活と違って『愛』のような言葉から離れた生活でしたが、今回のバウリニューアルで夫婦お互いに少なからず『初心』を思い出す事が出来たと感じています。
２５、３０周年記念も、このツアーに参加させていただきたいと考えています。
素晴らしい時間をありがとうございます。

Our kids enjoyed all you can ear crabs then loved sunset view.

Our tour bus guide was very friendly and knowledgeable about many aspects of Hawaii's history. He got us to all the tour destinations with just the right amount of time at each location. Thanks for the Hawaiian language lesson as well.

It was a bit raining in the morning but the Monoa Falls was very very nice.
Our guide explained us very kind and neatly so we understood well.
You must need a shoe to go with.( Some people went there by Beach sandals and slipping over the mud)

It was the rainy season in Honolulu, but we were blessed with good weather and spent a fun few days there. On the last day, we participated in this tour. Unfortunately, we didn't encounter any wildlife, but as everyone has mentioned, it's nature, so there's nothing we can do about it (^^;

However, at the end, we received a compensation slip. Since it was the last day, I thought it would be nice to offer a small refund or even a commemorative postcard for those who missed out. It would change the feeling of disappointment and make us more excited to come back and see them next time!

But all the staff members were great♪ Thank you very much!

雨季のホノルルでしたが、天候に恵まれ
楽しい数日間を過ごし、最終日にこのツアーに参加しました。
あいにく遭遇できませんでしたが、皆さん書かれているように、自然の生き物ですから仕方ないですね(^^;

ただ最後に、補償の紙をいただきましたが
最終日でしたし
そういう人のためには少しでも返金
もしくは記念のポストカード１枚でもあると
残念感が違うし、今度は見るぞ！という気分にさせるのでは？と思いました。

でも、staffの方はみんな良かったです♪
ありがとうございました

I love this star of hononlulu sunset cruises... their had a very good services... next time I still gonna go more

Even though it was my first time horseback riding, I really enjoyed it and fell in love with horses. On the way back, we took a scenic route around the North Shore and had a great time sampling at the macadamia nut farm, which was very satisfying. The shrimp for lunch was also good.

乗馬も初めてでも、楽しく馬が好きになったよ。帰りはノースショアをぐるっと回って、マカデミアナッツファームで試食、試飲で大満足です。昼ごはんのシュリンプもグッドでした。

The movie tour was a lot of fun. The staff who spoke Japanese took many photos for us!

映画ツアーがとても楽しかったです。
日本語のできるスタッフさんが写真もたくさん撮ってくださいました！

I participated because I wanted to go horseback riding by the beach. The morning pickup was at a reasonable time.

First, we received explanations about the flowers and trees along the way to H1 from Waikiki, as well as the school that President Obama attended. We arrived at the Dole Plantation, where we enjoyed pineapple soft serve, the farmers' market, souvenirs, and learned about the pineapple ecosystem. Next, we headed to Ali'i Beach Park.

There, we encountered a honu (sea turtle) basking on the sand. Then, we explored the town of Haleiwa. Here, we could enjoy Matsumoto Shave Ice and garlic shrimp food stalls, and we also spotted Patagonia's Hawaii limited edition goods.

After that, we went horseback riding along the beach at Turtle Bay Riding Club. We rode from a pine tree-lined path to the coast, feeling the sea breeze and splashes of waves as we headed toward the adjacent bay. From horseback, we were able to see luxurious and precious views, including locations used for movie filming as lakes, paths used in survival scenes in the forest, and a 200-year-old banyan tree.

Having a local guide made everything clearer, and the driver was well-informed about traffic conditions, allowing us to enjoy the experience with peace of mind.

海辺乗馬をしたかったので参加しました。朝はピックアップも早すぎない時間でした。
まず、ワイキキからH1にでるまでに通り道にある花や木、オバマ大統領の通った学校などを車窓から説明を受け、ドールプランテーションに到着、パイナップルソフトやファーマーズマーケット、お土産、パイナップル生態系の見たりし、次はALI'I　BEACH PARKです。
ここではHONU（ウミガメ）が砂浜に上がって甲羅干ししているのに遭遇。
そしてハレイワの街を散策します。
ここではマツモトシェイブやガーリックシュリンプ屋台などが食べられ、パタゴニアのHAWAII限定グッズ等も見かけます。
そしてタートルベイの乗馬クラブで海辺散策の乗馬をしました。
松の木の並木道から海岸に出て潮風と波の飛沫を感じながらの隣りのベイに向かって進むと映画の撮影で湖として使われた場所や、森をサバイバルしているシーンで使われた道や、200年の樹齢のバニアンツリーなど贅沢で貴重な景色を馬上から見ることが出来ました。

やはり現地ガイドをしていただけると判り易いですし、ドライバーさんは渋滞の情報などをしっかりご存じなので安心して堪能することができました。

I was amazed by the vastness that is unimaginable in Japan during the location tour. The jungle tour allowed me to experience the rugged jungle.

ロケ地めぐりは日本では考えられない広大さに驚きました。ジャングルツアーでは険しいジャングルを体験できました。

We have been to Hawaii a couple of times and have been to most if the luaus, but we think the Chiefs Luau has been the best one by far. The food and drinks were very good and the location is very beautiful. The Chief was very funny and the whole show was very entertaining- great hula dancers and exeptional fire dancers. If you are staying on Oahu, do yourselves a favour and go see the Chiefs Luau - you won't be disappointed.

My overall experience aboard the Star of Honolulu dinner cruise ship was fantastic! I went with my 7-year old son and he had a blast as well. His favorite part of the evening was going up and down the stairs from one deck to another exploring. And my favorite part was... the view of the Hawaiian sun disappearing behind the endless horizon. :)

We chose the all-you-can-eat crab dinner, and it was literally “all-you-can-eat!” The spirit-of-aloha-filled staff member was cruising along the dining area asking who else would like some more crab legs until the guests could not say a "yes" any more. The quality of food and entertainment were superb.

It was my first cruise dinner, so I did not know what to expect. A funny jokes-filled driver picked us up in a luxury motorcoach bus and upon arrival to Aloha Tower, an elegant staff representative escorted us to the ship. The tables were set beautifully with an orchid in the middle of the dinner plate.

I would definitely recommend this experience both to tourists and to those who live in Hawaii!

This tour made us reflect on the significance of this sacred memorial for all
armed forces and what they do to keep us safe. We could reflect on the fact that people forget themselves and do whatever it takes in a time of need and unite toward a common goal. This site is not just about the US but about all nations of the world coming together to strive for peace.

Thanks Jason for making our day a memorable one. The places we visited, the spots we stopped at and the information imparted by you was great.
The Polynesian Cultural Centre was worth this visit and more as we couldn't fit everything into 1/2 day. The students from the university were very grateful to their visitors but we were grateful to them for sharing their various cultures with us.
Dinner was great and the Breath of life show was superb.

Excellent guided tour. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, friendly and went out of her way to make sure we had a great day.
The use of a dashboard ipad made each location come to life accompanied by the episode clip. Her knowledge of the Series and actors was unbelievable.
Thank you!

Even though I am not a tourist and have lived in Honolulu for almost three years, the circle island tour with Polynesian Adventure Tours was amazing to say the least. I had already been to most of the places we visited on the tour, but on that day I saw the island in a different light. Nothing like learning about Hawaii from a native Hawaiian guide! He was a human encyclopedia of information and facts. Culture, history, flora, fauna, movie set locations—he knew it all.

What specifically impressed me is when our guide talked about Captain Cook’s death. Many sources say that this European sailor might have been eaten by the natives. Our guide shared, however, that Hawaiian people never practices cannibalism. After Cook’s death his body was treated the same way a body of a local chief would be treated—the flesh was burnt but the bones remained intact for further burial. So, upon requesting their captain’s body, Cook’s team was issued a bag of bones, which made them automatically assume he had been eaten.

I would highly recommend the circle island tour to anyone wanting to see Oahu’s beautiful nature and also learn more about its history and culture. This tour will definitely broaden your horizons. I am thankful I had the opportunity to go!

This was a great experience starting from the pick up at our hotel. Larry our driver was very welcoming and he made the bus ride fun and was full of information. We have been to Honolulu before but really enjoyed the information and the opportunity to hear about Hawaii history. The Punch Bowl was made interesting by our driver Larry who provided lots of details that were new to us. When we arrived at Pearl Harbor he made sure that we knew where to go and when to be there. We were the only ones doing the Mighty Mo tour so again he made sure we knew what to do and when. His estimations of the times for the activities were spot on. The towel service was much appreciated after climbing the ladders of the Missouri. Thanks for the great experience.

I'm glad I choose to celebrate birth on the island 30 years ago with Star of Honolulu. Best birthday ever!!

Overall experience was fantastic. Felt like a condensed cruise trip. Need to make sure you don't eat the trip away because they keep bringing food and before you know it you are back to the dock. Good entertainment staff.

We were picked up on time by a friendly driver who explained everything we needed to know regarding our hike. He was right on with his explanation. We walked along with several others up the trails which we easy then got to some of the curves and switchbacks where the footing was a little difficult. Be sure to wear good tennis shoes or hiking boots not sandals or heels for this hike. We came to a series of steps that were steep then into a tunnel that was a few minutes long. Outside the tunnel there were 2 routes to the top. One set of steps much steeper than the other but can stop and rest along the way if needed. Once on the top the views were spectacular and well worth the climb. I'm 65 years old and have 3 stents in my hear and made this "moderate " hike with only a few stops. There are some rough areas in this hike so people with walkers, wheel chairs and buggies will not make it. We will definitely do this event next time we're in Hawaii. We did the hike up to the top, looked around for 15-20 minutes and hiked back down in 1 - 1/2 hours.

I participated with a friend! The bus guide was a friendly local who shared delicious restaurant recommendations and little tips, making it a really meaningful experience!

友達と2人で参加しました！
バスガイドさんも地元のフレンドリーな人で、美味しいお店やプチ情報を教えてくれて凄く有意義な時間が過ごせました！！

I participated with a group of five women. Three of the women were on the Haleiwa sightseeing plan.

We had chosen to go horseback riding in the canyon, but unfortunately, it rained on the course beforehand, making it muddy, so it was canceled. The driver was concerned about the weather and called the horseback riding location, but since we didn't receive any notification from them, we went all the way to the riding spot. If we had known in advance, we could have avoided the car ride, which felt a bit wasteful. There was a possibility to switch to a coastal horseback riding plan if there had been availability, but unfortunately, it was fully booked that day, so we ended up with a refund.

At the Dole Plantation, we didn't have time to enter the maze. For the Haleiwa sightseeing, we were dropped off at the places we wanted to go. So, we got dropped off at the garlic shrimp place "Giovanni," which we wanted to try, and then walked to get some Huli Huli chicken. Both were quite delicious, so I recommend them to anyone going to Haleiwa, but if there is a regular horseback riding plan, time is limited, so it might be difficult to do both.

Additionally, although it wasn't part of the itinerary, perhaps because we couldn't go horseback riding due to the rain, we were taken to a soap factory. I apologize for writing about it even though they said, "This is a place we normally don't stop at, so keep it a secret!!" There were a lot of other tour guests, so we couldn't look around too slowly, but it was a place I wanted to visit, so I was glad we went. Next to it, there is also the Waialua Coffee Factory.

The driver was Japanese and shared various information while driving, which made the experience very enjoyable. Since he was speaking through a microphone, it might be tough for those who are not good at conversation... On the way back, he kindly suggested we rest since it was early in the morning and we must be tired, and he drove us close to the meeting point without talking, so everyone slept soundly on the way back.

Overall, I was satisfied, but since I was really looking forward to horseback riding, I lowered my rating a bit. I definitely want to go horseback riding next time!!!

女性5人グループで参加しました。
ハレイワ観光プランの方3名の女性と混載。

乗馬は渓谷を選択していたのですが、事前にコースに雨が降ってしまい、ぬかるんでいるので中止となりました。
ドライバーさんが天気を心配して乗馬の場所へ電話してくれていたのですが、先方から連絡がなかったため、乗馬の場所まで行ったので、事前にわかったら車移動しなくて済んだわけで、その分少しもったいなかったかなと。
海岸乗馬のプランに空きがあれば振り替えもあったそうですが、その日はあいにくいっぱいだったようで、返金という流れになりました。

ドールプランテーションは、迷路に入る時間はありません。
ハレイワ観光は、行きたい場所で下してくれました。
なので、食べたかったガーリックシュリンプのお店「ジョバンニ」でおろしてもらって、歩いて移動してフリフリチキンも食べました。
どちらもかなり美味しかったので、ハレイワ観光に行く方はおすすめですが、通常の乗馬プランがある場合は、時間が限られるため、どちらかに絞らないと難しいかなと思います。

その他、コース行程にはありませんでしたが、雨で乗馬ができなかったからか、ソープファクトリーにも立ち寄ってくださいました。
「本来寄らないところなのでナイショですよ！！」って言われたのに書いてごめんなさい(笑)
他のツアー客でごったがえしていて、あまりゆっくり見れなかったけど、行ってみたかったところなので、よかったです♪
隣にはワイアルアコーヒー ファクトリーもあります。

ドライバーさんは日本人の方で、運転しながら色々教えてくれたりして、とても楽しく過ごせました。
マイクを通してお話されていることもあり、お話が苦手な方にはつらいかな・・・
帰りは朝早かったから疲れているだろうからと、休んでください。と何もお話ししないで集合場所近くまで送っていただいたので、みんなぐっすり眠って帰りました。

トータルは満足ですが、乗馬をとっても楽しみにしていたので、その分★が下がりました。
次は絶対乗馬したいです！！！