Oahu in Depth - Honolulu, Waikiki and Oahu - page 92

Guided Tours
If your time is limited, you might want to consider a guided island tour. These tours are in-
formative, can give you a good overview of Honolulu or Oahu in a limited amount of time,
and are surprisingly entertaining.
E Noa Tours, 1141 Waimanu St., Ste. 105, Honolulu ( & 800/824-8804 or 808/591-2561;
www.enoa.com ), offers a range of tours, from island loops to explorations of historic
Honolulu. These narrated tours are on air-conditioned, 27-passenger minibuses. The Majestic
Grand Circle Island tour ($80 for adults, $67 for children 6-11, $59 for children under 6), stops
at Diamond Head Crater, Hanauma Bay, Byodo-In Temple, Sunset Beach, Waimea Valley (ad-
mission included), and various beach sites along the way. Other tours go to the Pearl Harbor/
USS Arizona Memorial and the Polynesian Cultural Center.
WaikikiTrolleyTours ★, 1141 Waimanu St., Ste. 105, Honolulu ( & 800/824-8804 or 808/
596-2199; www.waikikitrolley.com ), offers three fun tours of sightseeing, entertainment, din-
ing, and shopping. These tours are a great way to get the lay of the land. You can get on and of
the trolley as needed (trolleys come along every 2-20 min.). An all-day pass (8:30am-11:35pm)
is $30 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $14 for children (4-11); a 4-day pass is $52 for adults, $31
for seniors, and $20 for children. For the same price, you can experience the 2-hour narrated
Ocean Coastline tour of the southeast side of Oahu, an easy way to see the stunning views.
Polynesian Adventure Tours, 1049 Kikowaena Place, Honolulu ( & 800/622-3011 or 808/
833-3000; www.polyad.com ) , offers several excursions. The all-day island tour starts at $71 for
adults, $42 for children under 12; the half-day scenic shore tour is $30 for adults, $23 for chil-
dren 3 to 11; the half-day USS Arizona Memorial Excursion is $32 for adults and $22 for chil-
dren 3 to 11.
For those who'd prefer a self-guided driving tour, TourTalk-Oahu ( & 877/585-7499;
www.tourtalkhawaii.com ) offers a complete package of 78-minute narrated compact discs,
driving instructions, and a 72-page booklet containing color maps, photos, cultural and his-
torical information, and Hawaii facts for $25.
WALKING TOURS
The Mission Houses Museum, 553 S. King St., at Kawaiahao Street ( & 808/531-0481;
www.missionhouses.org ; TheBus no. 2), offers a guided tour of the Visitors' Center, frame
House and Printing Office, Tuesday to Saturday at 11am, 1pm, and 2:45pm. Admission is $10
adults, $8 seniors, and $6 children age 6 and up, age 5 and under free.
The Hawaii Geographic Society ( & 800/538-3950; [e-mail])
presents numerous interesting and unusual tours, such as “A Temple Tour,” which includes
Chinese, Japanese, Christian, and Jewish houses of worship; an archaeology tour in and
around downtown Honolulu; and others. Each is guided by an expert from the Hawaii Geo-
graphic Society and must have a minimum of three people; the cost is $15 per person. The
society's brochure, Historic Downtown Honolulu Walking Tour, is a fascinating self-guided
tour of the 200-year-old city center. If you'd like a copy, contact Hawaii Geographic Maps
andBooks, 49 S. Hotel St. (P.O. Box 1698), Honolulu, HI 96808, or at hawaiigeographicsoci-
[e-mail].