Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Hawaii: Oahu, the Big Island and Maui
9 days from Honolulu to Maui: Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head on Oahu, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Maunakea from Hilo, and sunrise on Haleakala, with two inter-island flights.
9 days · Honolulu to Kahului · up to 12 guests
Maunakea at sunset from Hilo, the Big Island Photo: Maplemoths, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Image_of_Mauna_Kea_from_the_Hilo_suburbs.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Honolulu to Kahului
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 4 h on day 3No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Moderate
Walks of 1 to 5 km most days on paved paths and uneven lava, with two climbs: Diamond Head (about 1.3 km each way and 170 m up, with stairs) and the optional Kilauea Iki crater trail (about 5 km, 120 m down and back up). One evening and one dawn at altitude: Maunakea at about 2,800 m and Haleakala at 3,055 m, both near freezing. Every climb has an easier alternative, and you can sit any walk out.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,495 (estimated price)
- Season
- All year; December to April for humpback whales off Maui and big surf on the North Shore
Highlights
Why this trip
- One of the first USS Arizona Memorial programs of the morning at Pearl Harbor, before the crowds
- Diamond Head at the 6 am opening, then the long way round Oahu to the North Shore and Haleiwa
- A full day in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, with a walk across the floor of Kilauea Iki crater
- Sunset above the clouds at about 2,800 m on Maunakea, then the stars
- Sunrise from the summit of Haleakala at 3,055 m, over a crater of red and grey cinder cones
- Iolani Palace, Akaka Falls and Iao Valley, with every entry and reservation included
- Three nights in Waikiki, three in Hilo and two on Maui's south shore, so you unpack three times
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,495 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 4 h, on day 3.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Honolulu
Honolulu airport (HNL) to Waikiki
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Honolulu
- Drive about 30 min
Fly into Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu, ideally landing by about 3 pm.
Morning
Many approaches pass low over the mouth of Pearl Harbor, where you will be tomorrow morning, so take a window seat if you can. Our driver meets you at arrivals and takes you to your hotel in central Waikiki, about 30 to 40 minutes away depending on traffic. If you land early, leave your bags and walk the beach along Kalakaua Avenue towards the outline of Diamond Head, or swim inside the Kuhio Beach breakwater, where the water is calm.
Evening
At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group in the hotel lobby to talk through the week, the two inter-island flights and the two very early starts, then we walk to a welcome dinner nearby. Most guests from Canada and the mainland wake early on their first morning in Hawaii, which suits tomorrow's start.
Included
- Arrival transfer from Honolulu airport (HNL) to your Waikiki hotel
- Welcome meeting with your guide
- Welcome dinner in Waikiki
Free time: Afternoon free before the welcome meeting
Activity: Landing after 6 pm? Your guide catches you up at breakfast.
Pearl Harbor and royal Honolulu
Waikiki to Pearl Harbor National Memorial, then Punchbowl and downtown Honolulu
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Honolulu
- Drive about 1.5 h
We leave Waikiki at about 6:45 am to be at Pearl Harbor National Memorial for one of the first USS Arizona Memorial programs of the day, before the coach tours build up. A short documentary sets the scene for the attack of 7 December 1941, then a Navy shuttle boat takes you out to the white memorial built across the sunken battleship, where 1,177 of her crew died; small drops of oil still rise from the hull. Back on shore there is time for the museums on the harbour front.
Afternoon
Then up to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Punchbowl Crater for the view across the city, and a sit-down lunch downtown. In the afternoon a guided tour of Iolani Palace, home of Hawaii's last two monarchs, King Kalakaua and Queen Liliuokalani, then a short walk past the Kamehameha statue and the State Capitol.
Evening
You are back in Waikiki by about 3:30 pm, with the evening free.
Included
- Pearl Harbor National Memorial with the documentary and the boat to the USS Arizona Memorial
- National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Punchbowl Crater
- Iolani Palace guided tour
- Downtown Honolulu walk: the Kamehameha statue and the State Capitol
- Sit-down lunch downtown
Optional experiences
- Luau or Hawaiian cultural evening in Waikiki. Booked on request; the price is shown when you book
Free time: Evening free in Waikiki
Activity: Bags are not allowed at the USS Arizona Memorial. Iolani Palace tours run Tuesday to Saturday, so departures are set for day 2 to fall on one of those days.
Diamond Head and around Oahu
Diamond Head, the southeast shore and windward coast, the North Shore and Haleiwa, back through central Oahu
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Honolulu
- Drive about 4 h
An early start for the one climb on Oahu. We are at Diamond Head State Monument when it opens at 6 am, with our entry slot booked, to walk up the crater trail before the heat: about 1.3 km each way and 170 m of climbing on a paved, then rocky path with stairs and a short tunnel, ending at an old summit bunker that looks straight down on Waikiki.
Evening
Then the long loop around the island, about four hours of driving in the day, broken by a stop every half hour or so: the Halona Blowhole and the Makapuu lookout on the southeast shore, the fluted green cliffs of the Koolau range along the windward coast, and the North Shore, where winter swells bring big waves to Sunset Beach, the Banzai Pipeline and Waimea Bay. Lunch is in Haleiwa, the old plantation town, with time for shave ice. We return through the farmland of central Oahu to Waikiki by about 5 pm.
Included
- Diamond Head State Monument crater trail at the 6 am opening
- Halona Blowhole and Makapuu lookout
- The windward coast below the Koolau cliffs
- North Shore surf beaches: Sunset Beach, the Banzai Pipeline and Waimea Bay
- Lunch in Haleiwa
Easier option: Stay on the crater floor while the group climbs Diamond Head, about 1.5 hours, then join the island loop.
Free time: Evening free in Waikiki
Activity: Total driving today is about 4 hours over about 190 km, in stretches of 30 to 45 minutes between stops. Diamond Head entry for visitors is by advance reservation, which we make. The North Shore surf is biggest from about November to March; swim only where lifeguards say it is safe.
Fly to Hilo on the Big Island
Honolulu airport to Hilo (ITO), then Imiloa, Rainbow Falls and Liliuokalani Gardens
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Hilo
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
After breakfast we fly from Honolulu to Hilo, about 50 minutes nonstop, on the wet, green, windward side of the Big Island. Hilo is the island's old working town, on a bay struck by tsunamis in 1946 and 1960, which is why much of the waterfront is park rather than a street of shops.
Afternoon
Lunch is in town, then the afternoon starts at the Imiloa Astronomy Center, which tells the story of Polynesian navigation by the stars alongside the work of the observatories on Maunakea, where we go on day 6. At Rainbow Falls the Wailuku River drops about 24 m into a deep pool, and on sunny mornings a rainbow often forms in the spray.
Evening
To finish, an easy walk through the Japanese-style Liliuokalani Gardens and across the footbridge to Coconut Island, with Maunakea above the town on a clear evening. Hilo is your base for three nights, so you unpack once.
Included
- Transfer to Honolulu airport
- Flight from Honolulu (HNL) to Hilo (ITO) with one checked bag
- Imiloa Astronomy Center
- Rainbow Falls
- Liliuokalani Gardens and Coconut Island
- Lunch in Hilo
Free time: Evening free in Hilo
Activity: Imiloa is closed on Mondays; on those departures we visit it on the afternoon of day 6.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hilo to the summit of Kilauea, Kilauea Iki or the Crater Rim Trail, Nahuku and the Chain of Craters Road, back to Hilo
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Hilo
- Drive about 3.5 h
A full day in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 45 minutes' drive from Hilo. We leave at 7:30 am to reach the summit of Kilauea before most day tours arrive from the Kona side. At the Kilauea Visitor Center the rangers post what the volcano is doing that day; Kilauea has erupted in episodes at its summit since December 2024, so you may see a plume or a glow, but nobody can promise lava. Then a choice of walks: the Kilauea Iki trail, about 5 km down through a forest of tree ferns and across the floor of a crater that was a lake of lava in 1959, or an easier stretch of the Crater Rim Trail past steam vents and sulphur banks.
Afternoon
After lunch in Volcano village we walk through Nahuku, a lit lava tube, and drive the Chain of Craters Road, which drops about 1,100 m in 30 km to the coast at the Holei Sea Arch. Back in Hilo by about 6 pm.
Included
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park entry
- Kilauea Visitor Center and the summit caldera overlooks
- Kilauea Iki trail or the Crater Rim Trail and steam vents
- Nahuku lava tube
- Chain of Craters Road to the Holei Sea Arch
- Lunch in Volcano village
Easier option: The Crater Rim Trail past the steam vents, mostly level, about 2 km.
More active option: The Kilauea Iki trail, about 5 km, 120 m down to the crater floor and back up.
Free time: Evening free in Hilo
Activity: Walks are on uneven lava and can be wet; wear closed shoes and bring a rain layer. The summit area is about 1,200 m and cooler than Hilo.
Akaka Falls and sunset on Maunakea
Hilo to Akaka Falls on the Hamakua Coast, a free afternoon, then the Saddle Road to the Maunakea Visitor Information Station
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Hilo
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
A slow morning, then a 30-minute drive up the Hamakua Coast to Akaka Falls State Park, where a paved loop of about 650 m with steps leads through rainforest to the falls, dropping about 135 m into a gorge.
Evening
Back in Hilo by lunchtime, the afternoon is free: the farmers market, the Pacific Tsunami Museum or a rest before a late evening. At about 4 pm we drive the Saddle Road between Maunakea and Mauna Loa and turn up the mountain to the Maunakea Visitor Information Station at about 2,800 m, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes from Hilo. We stop there to adjust to the altitude, watch the sun set above the clouds and eat a packed supper, then your guide shows you the night sky once it is dark, with a telescope session where the visitor station or a local partner runs one. We do not go on to the 4,207 m summit, which needs a four-wheel-drive vehicle and is not advised for everyone. Back in Hilo by about 9 pm.
Included
- Akaka Falls State Park entry and loop walk
- Sunset at the Maunakea Visitor Information Station, about 2,800 m
- Stargazing with your guide, with a telescope where one runs
- Packed supper and hot drinks on the mountain
Easier option: Stay in Hilo for the evening instead of going up the mountain.
Free time: Afternoon free in Hilo
Activity: It is often near freezing after sunset at 2,800 m; bring a warm jacket, hat and gloves. Not advised in pregnancy or with heart or breathing conditions.
Fly to Maui and Iao Valley
Hilo airport (ITO) to Kahului (OGG), Iao Valley and Wailuku, then Kihei
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kihei
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
We fly from Hilo to Kahului on Maui this morning, about 40 minutes on the nonstop flight, which we confirm for your date when you book. From the airport it is a short drive up into the West Maui Mountains to Iao Valley State Monument, where a paved path and steps lead to a view of the Iao Needle, a green spire rising about 370 m from the valley floor. In 1790 the valley saw the battle of Kepaniwai, part of Kamehameha's campaign to bring the islands under one rule. Entry for visitors is by advance reservation, which we make.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Wailuku, Maui's old county town, then we drive south across the isthmus to Kihei on the sunny, dry south shore, your base for two nights, a short walk from the beach and restaurants. The rest of the day is free to swim, and your guide briefs the group on tomorrow's very early start.
Included
- Transfer to Hilo airport
- Flight from Hilo (ITO) to Kahului (OGG) with one checked bag
- Iao Valley State Monument entry and walk
- Lunch in Wailuku
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Kihei
Activity: An early night helps: tomorrow's pickup is at about 3 am.
Sunrise on Haleakala
Kihei to the summit of Haleakala for sunrise, then Upcountry Maui and back to Kihei
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Kihei
- Drive about 3.5 h
The early start of the trip, and the reason for it.
Morning
We leave Kihei at about 3 am, the exact time set by the season's sunrise, and climb the switchbacks into Haleakala National Park in the dark, about 1 hour 45 minutes, to the summit area at 3,055 m. Sunrise needs a park reservation or a licensed operator's permit, and we hold one. The sun comes up over a sea of cloud and lights the crater below, a basin of red and grey cinder cones about 11 km long. It is often near freezing at dawn; we bring blankets and hot drinks. After sunrise there is a short walk to a viewpoint and a look for the silverswords, a plant that grows almost nowhere else. Breakfast is in Upcountry Maui among the farms and ranches of Kula, and you are back in Kihei by late morning to sleep or swim.
Afternoon
In winter a whale watch leaves from Maalaea, 20 minutes away, in the afternoon.
Evening
Farewell dinner tonight.
Included
- Haleakala National Park entry and sunrise reservation
- Sunrise at the summit area, 3,055 m, with blankets and hot drinks
- Breakfast in Upcountry Maui
- Farewell dinner
Optional experiences
- Whale watch from Maalaea, December to April. About 2 hours in the afternoon; the price is shown when you book
Easier option: Stay in the warm vehicle while the group walks to the viewpoints.
More active option: Walk a short way down the Keoneheehee (Sliding Sands) trail into the crater and climb back slowly at altitude.
Free time: Late morning and afternoon free in Kihei
Activity: Bring every warm layer you have. Not advised in pregnancy or with heart or breathing conditions.
A last swim and depart from Maui
A morning snorkel off Kihei, then Kahului airport (OGG)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
A last morning on the south shore.
Afternoon
At about 8 am your guide takes anyone who wants to snorkel to a calm reef along the Kihei and Wailea coast, when the water is usually at its flattest before the afternoon trade winds. Masks and fins are provided, and green sea turtles are often grazing on the reef: give them at least 3 m, as touching or chasing them is against the law in Hawaii. Others can take a slow breakfast or walk the beach path. We check out late in the morning and drive about 30 minutes to Kahului airport (OGG), arriving by about 12:30 pm, where our service ends. Kahului has nonstop flights to the US West Coast, and we confirm your flight options home when you book. Book a flight leaving after about 2:30 pm, or stay on: we can add nights on Maui at the group hotel.
Included
- Guided morning snorkel with masks and fins
- Transfer to Kahului airport (OGG)
Easier option: Skip the snorkel; breakfast and the beach path instead.
Activity: Book your flight home to leave Kahului after about 2:30 pm.
- Honolulu3 nights
- Hilo3 nights
- Kihei2 nights
- Kahuluiend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Hawaii is warm all year: about 27 to 31 C by day on the coast in summer and 25 to 28 C in winter. Hilo is one of the wettest towns in the United States, so expect showers on the Big Island days in any month; Waikiki and Kihei are much drier. From about December to April humpback whales winter around Maui, and from about November to March big swells reach Oahu's North Shore, which closes some beaches to swimmers. On Maunakea and Haleakala it can be near freezing at night and dawn in every season.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want Oahu, the Big Island and Maui in nine days without planning the flights, permits and timed entries
- Anyone who wants the volcanoes, Haleakala at sunrise and the Maunakea sky with a guide who explains them
- Solo travellers and couples who like a small group and free afternoons
- First-time visitors who prefer three-night bases to packing every day
Not for you if you want
- A beach resort holiday with long lazy days
- Travellers who want Kauai, the Road to Hana or manta rays: see our four-island Hawaii trip
- Anyone who cannot manage altitude near 3,000 m, two very early starts or walks on uneven lava
- Travellers who would rather drive themselves
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Honolulu3 nights
- Hilo3 nights
- Kihei2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: 3 in Waikiki (Honolulu), 3 in Hilo on the Big Island and 2 in Kihei on Maui
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard, close to the beach or the town centre; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Hotel taxes and mandatory resort fees
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Arrival transfer from Honolulu airport (HNL) and departure transfer to Kahului airport (OGG)
- Two inter-island flights, Honolulu to Hilo and Hilo to Kahului (or via Honolulu), each with one checked bag
- A vehicle and driver for the group on each island, from a local partner
- The Navy shuttle boat to the USS Arizona Memorial
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from the welcome meeting on day 1 to the airport on day 9, including on the flights
- Park rangers, palace docents and licensed local partner guides where sites require them
Activities
- Oahu: Pearl Harbor National Memorial and the USS Arizona Memorial, Punchbowl, Iolani Palace guided tour, downtown Honolulu walk, Diamond Head State Monument, and the island loop to the North Shore and Haleiwa
- Big Island: Imiloa Astronomy Center, Rainbow Falls, Liliuokalani Gardens, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park with the Kilauea Iki or Crater Rim walk, Nahuku lava tube and the Chain of Craters Road, Akaka Falls State Park, and sunset and stargazing at the Maunakea Visitor Information Station
- Maui: Iao Valley State Monument, sunrise at the summit of Haleakala National Park with breakfast in Upcountry Maui, and a guided morning snorkel with gear
- All park, monument and state park entry fees and reservations for the visits above
Meals
- 8 breakfasts
- 5 lunches
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Waikiki, a packed supper on Maunakea and a farewell dinner on Maui
Not included
- International flights to Honolulu and home from Kahului
- US entry documents: an ESTA or visa where needed
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed above
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide, drivers and local guides
- Optional activities, such as a luau on Oahu or a whale watch on Maui
- Extra checked bags on the inter-island flights
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,495 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the Hawaii three-island trip include?
Eight nights in central hotels with taxes and resort fees, 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 3 dinners, both inter-island flights with a checked bag, a vehicle and driver on each island, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the day plan with its entry fee and reservation, including Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Maunakea at sunset and Haleakala at sunrise.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, so the group fits in one small vehicle and around one table at lunch. Coach tours of the islands can carry 40 or more. If you want fewer people, the private version is for your party only.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the welcome dinner in Waikiki to the Maui airport, including on the flights. Local partners provide the vehicle and driver on each island and the permits for Haleakala at sunrise and the national parks, and rangers or docents lead the palace tour and park talks.
How fit do I need to be for this Hawaii tour?
Moderately fit. Most days have 1 to 5 km of walking on paths and uneven lava. The Diamond Head climb and the Kilauea Iki crater trail are the hardest parts, and both have an easier alternative. Maunakea's visitor station at about 2,800 m and Haleakala at 3,055 m are cold and thin-aired; ask your doctor if you have heart or breathing conditions.
I am travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?
A room of your own is CAD 1,495 on top of the small-group price, shown before you book. If you would rather share, we can try to pair you with another solo traveller of the same gender; tell us when you request to book. Solo guests take part in everything on the same terms as couples.
When is the best time to visit Hawaii on this trip?
The trip runs all year and the coast is warm in every month. From about December to April humpback whales winter off Maui and the North Shore has its biggest surf; summer is drier and the sea calmer for snorkelling. Hilo is wet in any season, and the two summits are cold at night all year.
Will we see lava at Kilauea?
Maybe. Kilauea has erupted in episodes at its summit since December 2024, and when it is active you can see a plume or a glow from the caldera overlooks. Eruptions start and stop without notice, so we cannot promise lava, but the caldera, the steam vents, the Kilauea Iki crater floor and the lava tube make the day on their own.
How early is the Haleakala sunrise start?
Pickup is at about 3 am from Kihei, set by the season's sunrise, for a drive of about 1 hour 45 minutes to the summit area at 3,055 m. We hold the park's sunrise reservation, bring blankets and hot drinks, and have breakfast in Upcountry Maui on the way down. You are back by late morning with the afternoon free.
How is this different from your four-island Hawaii trip?
This is the shorter cut: 9 days on Oahu, the Big Island and Maui with a See Sight Tours guide throughout, a Hilo base for the volcano and both summits included. The 12-day four-island trip adds Kauai, the Road to Hana, manta rays and a whale watch, and uses local small-group tours without a tour leader.
How does booking work?
Choose the small-group or private style and your start date, then send a request to book. We check hotels, flights and the timed entries for that date and confirm your trip within 24 hours. No payment is taken until we confirm.
Can we travel on our own dates?
Yes. The private version runs for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle on every island. If you would rather travel independently without a guide, ask us from the dates section for a separate quote for the same hotels, flights and entries.
Do I need a visa or ESTA for Hawaii?
Hawaii is part of the United States. Canadian citizens need a valid passport and no visa for a visit of this length. Many other visitors need an ESTA under the Visa Waiver Program or a US visa, arranged before you fly. Check the rules for your passport when you book.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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