Explore Hawaii: Oahu & Big Island

Itinerary in brief:

• 3 nights Honolulu
• 3 nights Hawaii 'Big Island'

Day 1: Arrival in Honolulu

Aloha and welcome to Hawaii! On arrival onto Oahu you’ll enjoy a flower lei greeting at the airport before being transferred to your hotel in Waikiki Beach. Spend the evening at leisure with a walk along the beach with a cocktail in hand.

Days 2: Honolulu

This morning you’ll take a tour of Pearl Harbour, the famous and tragic site of the Japanese attack in 1941 that triggered the United States’ entry into World War II. You’ll be able to pay your respects at the Arizona Memorial before exploring the visitor centre where you can learn and the events and lead up of that fateful day. You’ll also visit the Punchbowl National Cemetery and tour through the city of Honolulu enjoying visits to the Kawaiahao Church, the Iolani Palace and the statue of King Kamehameha who founded the Kingdom of Hawaii.              

Day 3: Honolulu

Today you have a free day to enjoy Oahu - why not try a surfing lesson – the waves in Waikiki are perfect for beginners and watching the locals heading out to sea with their colourful boards will easily tempt you into trying it. We can book you a two-hour lesson that will show you how to ride the waves.

Day 4: Honolulu to the Big Island

In the morning, you’ll be transferred to the airport for your flight from Honolulu to the Big Island. On arrival on the Big Island, you’ll pick up your car hire from the airport and drive to your hotel in Kona. The rest of the day is at leisure so why not settle into the hotel and have dinner on one of the fabulous beaches on the western shore.

Day 5: Island of Hawaii ‘Big Island’

Today is yours to explore the island. Why not drive over to Volcanoes National Park, known to native Hawaiians as the home of the fire goddess Pele.  The Jaggar Museum will show you the incredible volcanic activity going on beneath you and the Crater Rim Drive has beautiful views of the caldera. Drive down from the summit towards the ocean and check with Volcano Observatory where the best area to see the glowing lava as it bubbles out of the earth.

In the afternoon, you could head to the Kapoho Tide Pools. Not too far from the volcanoes, you can snorkel in calm waters as tropical fish swim right up to you in these spring-fed pools that are gently warmed by the volcano. After an afternoon enjoying the water, you can drive back towards Kona, stopping in at an observatory at the summit of Mauna Kea, where clear skies and a height of nearly 14,000 feet will give you one of the most mesmerising views of the universe twinkling above you.

Day 6: Island of Hawaii ‘Big Island’

With another free day in paradise, why not head to the beach. The Big Island’s beaches are regularly voted as some of the best in the world – driving north will take you to Hapuna Beach, where turquoise waves lap the white sand beach that is fringed with the lush vegetation Hawaii is famous for. Go south and you’ll come across Kealakekua Bay, where turtles relax in the beautiful water and the snorkelling is arguably the best on the island.

Day 7: Depart Honolulu

Sadly, your time in Hawaii has come to an end and today you’ll return your car to the airport before catching your flight back to Honolulu.