Hawaii Four-Island Escape

1. Jour 1 : Arrive in Honolulu

   Honolulu airport (HNL) to Waikiki

   • Environ 30 min de route
   • Hébergement : Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach ou équivalent
   Détail du jour 1

   Fly into Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu at any time today. A prearranged transfer takes you to your hotel in central Waikiki, about 30 to 40 minutes away depending on traffic, and the rest of the day is yours. Waikiki makes an easy first evening: the beach runs along Kalakaua Avenue, and at Kuhio Beach stands the bronze statue of Duke Kahanamoku, the Olympic swimmer who carried surfing to the world. Walk the sand towards the outline of Diamond Head, swim inside the breakwater where the water is calm, or find a table for dinner close to the hotel. Most guests flying in from the mainland or from Canada wake early on their first morning in Hawaii, which suits tomorrow's start at Pearl Harbor.

   Compris

   • Transfer from Honolulu airport (HNL) to your Waikiki hotel

   Temps libre : Afternoon and evening free

2. Jour 2 : Pearl Harbor and Waikiki

   Pearl Harbor National Memorial, then a free afternoon

   • En bateau
   • Hébergement : Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach ou équivalent
   Détail du jour 2

   This morning a small-group tour collects you in Waikiki for Pearl Harbor National Memorial, the site of the attack of 7 December 1941 that brought the United States into the Second World War. A short film sets the scene, then a Navy boat carries you across the harbour to the USS Arizona Memorial, the white span built over the sunken battleship, where 1,177 of her crew died; drops of oil still rise from the hull. Back on shore there is time for the museums and the waterfront. Bags are not allowed at the memorial, so bring only what fits in your pockets. You are back in Waikiki around midday, with the afternoon and evening free for the beach, a surf lesson or a walk up Diamond Head. If you would like a luau or a Hawaiian cultural evening, we can book one for you; it is optional and not in the price.

   Compris

   • Small-group morning tour of Pearl Harbor National Memorial
   • Boat to the USS Arizona Memorial

   Activités en option

   • Luau or Hawaiian cultural evening

   Temps libre : Afternoon and evening free

   Activité : Bags are not allowed at Pearl Harbor National Memorial.

   

3. Jour 3 : Around Oahu to the North Shore

   Circle island tour: the southeast shore, the windward coast, the North Shore and Haleiwa

   • Hébergement : Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach ou équivalent
   Détail du jour 3

   Today is the big day on Oahu: a full-day small-group tour around the island. Leaving Waikiki, the road passes the slopes of Diamond Head and follows the rugged southeast shore, with stops such as the lookouts above Hanauma Bay and the Halona Blowhole. On the windward coast the fluted green cliffs of the Koolau range rise behind small towns and the offshore islet of Mokolii. Then comes the North Shore, which in winter takes the biggest swells in the Pacific: at Sunset Beach, the Banzai Pipeline and Waimea Bay the waves can reach 6 metres (20 feet) or more on the biggest days, and surfers come from around the world to ride them. There is time for lunch in Haleiwa, the old plantation town known for its shave ice, and a stop at the Dole Plantation on the way back through the middle of the island to Waikiki by early evening.

   Compris

   • Full-day small-group circle island tour
   • Diamond Head area and southeast shore viewpoints
   • Windward coast
   • North Shore surf beaches and Haleiwa
   • Dole Plantation

   Activité : Stops vary with traffic and the surf.

   

4. Jour 4 : Fly to the Big Island

   Waikiki to Honolulu airport, flight to Kona (KOA), transfer to your hotel

   • Environ 1 h de route
   • Hébergement : Courtyard King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel ou équivalent
   Détail du jour 4

   A lighter travel day. After breakfast your transfer takes you back to Honolulu airport for the nonstop flight to Kona on the Big Island, about 45 minutes in the air; there are many flights a day, so we pick a convenient time for your date. Kona airport sits on a lava flow from the volcano Hualalai, and the short drive to your hotel in Kailua-Kona or Keauhou, your base for three nights, crosses fields of black rock. The afternoon and evening are free. In Kailua-Kona, walk along Alii Drive past Hulihee Palace, built in 1838 as a royal summer home, and Mokuaikaua Church, whose lava-stone walls date from 1837. Beside the pier, the restored Ahuena Heiau marks the place where King Kamehameha the Great spent his last years. Sunsets on this dry west coast are usually clear, so find a seat facing the sea.

   Compris

   • Transfer to Honolulu airport
   • Flight from Honolulu (HNL) to Kona (KOA) with one checked bag
   • Transfer to your Kona or Keauhou hotel

   Temps libre : Afternoon and evening free

5. Jour 5 : The Big Island Grand Circle

   Around the island: coffee country, Punaluu, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hilo and Waimea

   • Hébergement : Courtyard King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel ou équivalent
   Détail du jour 5

   A full day of about 10 hours around the island, with pickup at your hotel. The road climbs into the Kona coffee belt, where small farms grow coffee on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa, then crosses the lava fields of the south to Punaluu, a beach of black sand made where lava met the sea. Green sea turtles often rest on the shore here; give them plenty of room. In Hawaii Volcanoes National Park you stand at the rim of Kilauea's summit caldera and walk among steam vents. Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth and has erupted often in recent years, so you may see a plume or a glow, but what it is doing on the day is up to Kilauea. In Hilo, on the wet and green side of the island, there is a waterfall stop such as Rainbow Falls, then the drive home crosses the north of the island through the cattle country of Waimea. Evening free.

   Compris

   • Full-day small-group Grand Circle tour from your hotel
   • Kona coffee country
   • Punaluu black sand beach
   • Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the Kilauea caldera
   • Hilo and a waterfall stop
   • Waimea

   Temps libre : Evening free

   Activité : About 10 hours, much of it seated in the vehicle.

   

6. Jour 6 : Free day, manta rays at night

   Kona at leisure, then the manta ray night snorkel

   • En bateau
   • Hébergement : Courtyard King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel ou équivalent
   Détail du jour 6

   A free day in Kona, with nothing booked until late afternoon. Swim or snorkel at Kahaluu Beach near Keauhou, where green sea turtles graze on the reef, visit a coffee farm, or take a taxi south to Puuhonua o Honaunau, a national historical park that was once a place of refuge for those who broke sacred law. Around sunset you board a boat in a harbour near Kona for the manta ray night snorkel, with all gear provided. Holding on to a floating light board at the surface, you watch reef manta rays, which can be wider than 3 metres, rise out of the dark to feed on the plankton the lights attract, often passing just below you. The snorkel is for confident open-ocean swimmers aged 10 and over. If it is not for you, choose the Maunakea sunset and stargazing tour instead, at extra cost, or keep the evening free.

   Compris

   • Manta ray night snorkel with gear

   Activités en option

   • Maunakea summit sunset and stargazing, instead of the manta snorkel. Age and health limits apply at the summit

   Option plus facile : Skip the snorkel and keep the evening free.

   Temps libre : Free until late afternoon

   Activité : Snorkellers must be 10 or over and confident in open water.

   

7. Jour 7 : Fly to Maui

   Kona to Kahului (OGG), transfer to Kaanapali

   • Environ 1.5 h de route
   • Hébergement : Outrigger Kaanapali Beach Resort ou équivalent
   Détail du jour 7

   Another lighter travel day. Your transfer takes you to Kona airport for the nonstop flight to Kahului on Maui, about 40 minutes; there are fewer flights on this route, mostly between morning and early afternoon, so we fix the time when we book. From Kahului the road crosses Maui's flat central isthmus and follows the coast past Maalaea and the West Maui Mountains to Kaanapali, about an hour away, your base for three nights. Kaanapali Beach runs for nearly 5 km of golden sand, with a paved beach walk in front of the hotels and Puu Kekaa, known as Black Rock, at its north end, a favourite place to snorkel. At sunset a cliff diver lights torches along the rock and leaps into the sea, recalling the 18th-century Maui chief Kahekili. Lahaina, a few minutes south, is rebuilding after the wildfire of August 2023; please respect closed areas.

   Compris

   • Transfer to Kona airport
   • Flight from Kona (KOA) to Kahului (OGG) with one checked bag
   • Transfer to your Kaanapali hotel

   Temps libre : Afternoon and evening free

   

8. Jour 8 : Choose your Maui day: the Road to Hana or Haleakala

   The Road to Hana, or Haleakala summit and Upcountry Maui

   • Hébergement : Outrigger Kaanapali Beach Resort ou équivalent
   Détail du jour 8

   Today you choose one of two full days, both included at the same price. The Road to Hana starts early, with pickup at Kaanapali at about 6:40 am, and follows the Hana Highway along Maui's wet northeast coast: hundreds of bends and dozens of narrow bridges past rainforest, waterfalls and views down to the Keanae peninsula. Stops include waterfalls and the black sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park, where entry is by advance reservation, before you reach the quiet town of Hana; you are back at about 5 to 6 pm. Or take the later-starting day on Haleakala, the volcano that forms most of east Maui, driving to the summit area at more than 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) to look across its crater of red and grey cinder cones, then down through Upcountry, the farming country of Kula and Makawao on its slopes. Bring a warm layer: the summit can be near freezing.

   Compris

   • Your choice of a full-day small-group Road to Hana tour or a daytime Haleakala summit and Upcountry tour

   Votre choix : Road to Hana, full day from Kaanapali / Haleakala summit and Upcountry Maui, daytime Compris dans le prix.

   Activité : Road to Hana pickup is at about 6:40 am; the Haleakala day starts later.

   

9. Jour 9 : Whale watching off Maui

   A small-boat whale watch, then a free afternoon

   • En bateau
   • Hébergement : Outrigger Kaanapali Beach Resort ou équivalent
   Détail du jour 9

   Every winter thousands of humpback whales travel about 4,800 km from their feeding grounds off Alaska to the warm, shallow water around Maui to mate, give birth and nurse their calves, and the channels between Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe are among the best places in the world to see them. This morning you head out on a premium whale watch of about two hours on a small boat that carries at most six guests, so everyone has a place at the rail and the crew can move quietly. Expect blows, tail slaps and, with luck, a full breach. Boats must stay at least 100 yards from the whales, and in peak season sightings are frequent but never guaranteed. These waters are protected as the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. The afternoon and evening are free for the beach, the pool or a sunset walk.

   Compris

   • Premium whale watch, about 2 hours, at most 6 guests

   Temps libre : Afternoon and evening free

   

10. Jour 10 : Fly to Kauai

    Kaanapali to Kahului airport, flight to Lihue (LIH)

    • Environ 1.5 h de route
    • Hébergement : Outrigger Kauai Beach Resort and Spa ou équivalent
    Détail du jour 10

    The last flight of the trip. After a slow morning at Kaanapali, your transfer drives back to Kahului airport, about an hour, for the nonstop flight to Lihue on Kauai, about 45 minutes; schedules on this route favour midday and afternoon departures. Kauai is the oldest of the main islands and the greenest, known as the Garden Isle, and a long-standing rule keeps its buildings no taller than about four storeys. Your hotel for the last two nights is in Lihue or on the East Shore, the Coconut Coast around Wailua and Kapaa, close to the airport and central for the whole island. The evening is free: walk the beach at Kalapaki Bay, watch the Wailua River meet the sea, or have dinner in Kapaa, a small town of old wooden storefronts.

    Compris

    • Transfer to Kahului airport
    • Flight from Kahului (OGG) to Lihue (LIH) with one checked bag
    • Transfer to your Lihue or East Shore hotel

    Temps libre : Evening free

11. Jour 11 : Waimea Canyon and the South Shore

    Small-group tour: the South Shore, Waimea town and Waimea Canyon

    • Hébergement : Outrigger Kauai Beach Resort and Spa ou équivalent
    Détail du jour 11

    Your small-group tour heads west along the South Shore. Near Koloa a tunnel of eucalyptus trees arches over the road, and at Poipu the Spouting Horn blowhole throws seawater into the air through an opening in the lava shelf. In Waimea town, Captain James Cook made the first recorded European landing in Hawaii in January 1778. Then the road climbs to Waimea Canyon, about 16 km long and up to about 1,100 metres deep, cut by rivers into walls of red, green and ochre rock; it is often called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. Several lookouts show the canyon from different angles, and after rain, waterfalls stream down its far side. If you would rather see Kauai from the sea, you can swap this tour for a catamaran trip along the Na Pali Coast, subject to winter sea conditions and availability. Tonight is your last evening in Hawaii.

    Compris

    • Small-group Waimea Canyon and South Shore tour
    • Spouting Horn at Poipu
    • Waimea town
    • Waimea Canyon lookouts

    Activités en option

    • Na Pali Coast catamaran trip, instead of the canyon tour. Subject to winter sea conditions and availability; any price difference is confirmed when you book

    Temps libre : Evening free

    

12. Jour 12 : Depart from Lihue

    Free time, then Lihue airport

    • Environ 15 min de route
    Détail du jour 12

    Your last morning is free and unhurried, with the time set by your own flight home. Have breakfast near the water, take a final swim, or visit somewhere close to Lihue: the Kilohana plantation estate, the Wailua River valley and Opaekaa Falls, or the shops of Kapaa. When it is time, your transfer takes you to Lihue airport (LIH), usually 10 to 20 minutes from the hotel, and our service ends there. Lihue has nonstop flights to several cities on the US mainland, and from Canada you will usually connect on the West Coast, so ask us before you book your flight home. Because the trip ends on Kauai, you never fly back to Honolulu to leave, and you finish on the island many visitors save for last, with the sound of the surf still in your ears.

    Compris

    • Transfer to Lihue airport (LIH)

    Temps libre : Free time until your transfer

Faune et météo : January to April is Hawaii's winter: about 26 to 28 C (high 70s to low 80s F) by day on the coast, cooler at night, with more showers on the north and east sides, which keeps Hilo, Hana and Kauai green. Big swells reach the north shores, so the North Shore surf is at its most dramatic and some boat trips, including the Na Pali Coast, can be cancelled. Humpback whales are in Hawaiian waters from about December to May, most numerous from January to March. The summits of Haleakala and Maunakea can be near freezing.

• 3 nuits · Jours 1, 2 et 3

  Hyatt Place Waikiki Beachou équivalent

  Honolulu (Waikiki) · Hôtel

  Central Waikiki, upper-midscale. Shortlist: Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach, Queen Kapiolani Hotel or Courtyard Waikiki Beach.

• 3 nuits · Jours 4, 5 et 6

  Courtyard King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotelou équivalent

  Kona · Hôtel

  Kailua-Kona or Keauhou, upper-midscale. Shortlist: Courtyard King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel, Royal Kona Resort or Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa.

• 3 nuits · Jours 7, 8 et 9

  Outrigger Kaanapali Beach Resortou équivalent

  Kaanapali · Hôtel

  Kaanapali, upper-midscale resort. Shortlist: Outrigger Kaanapali Beach Resort, Royal Lahaina Resort and Bungalows or Aston Kaanapali Shores.

• 2 nuits · Jours 10 et 11

  Outrigger Kauai Beach Resort and Spaou équivalent

  Lihue · Hôtel

  Lihue or the East Shore, near the airport. Shortlist: Outrigger Kauai Beach Resort and Spa, Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay or Kauai Shores Hotel.