5/5
Hawaii: Oahu, the Big Island and Maui for three generations
9 days from Honolulu to Maui for grandparents, parents and children 6 and up: Pearl Harbor and the North Shore on Oahu, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park from Hilo, and Haleakala, turtles and beach afternoons on Maui.
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
Easy
Walks of 0.5 to 3 km a day on paved paths, boardwalks and some uneven lava, with plenty of benches and the van close by. The one real climb is Diamond Head, about 1.3 km each way and 170 m up with stairs; the crater floor is the easy alternative. The Kilauea Iki crater trail (about 5 km) is an option only. Haleakala's summit is at 3,055 m by daylight, cold and windy, and anyone can stay lower. Snorkelling is optional, with float vests. Drives are in legs of 45 minutes or less except the 1 hour 45 minute climb up Haleakala, with a stop halfway.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,430 (estimated price)
- Season
- All year; school holidays in July, August and late December are the busiest, and December to April adds humpback whales off Maui
Highlights
Why this trip
- The boat out to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor on one of the first programs of the morning
- Shave ice in Haleiwa and green sea turtles resting on a North Shore beach
- A planetarium show at Imiloa in Hilo, then a swim off Coconut Island
- Junior Ranger badges at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, after walking through a lava tube
- The summit of Haleakala at 3,055 m by daylight, with the clouds below and silverswords at your feet
- Snorkelling a calm Maui reef with turtles, then sharks overhead in the Maui Ocean Center tunnel
- Three nights in Waikiki, two in Hilo and three on Maui's south shore, with pool or beach afternoons on five days
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 1,430 (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 at 5:30 pm
- Stay in Honolulu
- Drive about 30 min

Fly into Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu, ideally landing by about 2 pm. Our driver meets each family at arrivals, with booster seats ready for the children who need them, and takes you about 30 to 40 minutes to your hotel in central Waikiki, where we have asked for family or connecting rooms. If you arrive early, the calmest water for children is inside the Kuhio Beach breakwater, a shallow walled pool off the main beach with lifeguards nearby, and grandparents can sit in the shade of the banyan tree on Kalakaua Avenue. At about 4:30 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group in the hotel lobby: introductions for every generation, the plan for the week, the two inter-island flights and what to pack for a day at 3,000 m.
Evening
The welcome dinner starts at 5:30 pm, a short walk away, so the youngest are in bed early. Most guests from Canada and the mainland wake early on their first morning, which suits tomorrow.
Included
- Arrival transfer from Honolulu airport (HNL) to your Waikiki hotel
- Welcome meeting with your guide at 4:30 pm
- Welcome dinner in Waikiki at 5:30 pm
Free time: Afternoon free on Waikiki Beach before the welcome meeting
Activity: Landing after 5 pm? Your guide catches you up at breakfast.
Pearl Harbor and a beach afternoon
Waikiki to Pearl Harbor National Memorial, past Iolani Palace, and back to Waikiki
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Honolulu
- Drive about 1.5 h

We leave Waikiki at about 7 am for Pearl Harbor National Memorial and one of the first USS Arizona Memorial programs of the day, before the coach tours arrive and before the heat. A short documentary explains the attack of 7 December 1941 in a way older children follow, then a Navy shuttle boat takes everyone out to the white memorial across the sunken battleship, where 1,177 of her crew died; drops of oil still rise from the hull, and children often spot them first. Back on shore there is time for the harbour-front museums, with benches in the shade.
Afternoon
On the way back we drive past Iolani Palace, home of Hawaii's last monarchs, and the gold-cloaked Kamehameha statue, then sit down to lunch in Waikiki. The afternoon is for the beach or the hotel pool: no visits, no van. Grandparents who would like more history can take the optional Battleship Missouri tour in the morning instead of the museums.
Included
- Pearl Harbor National Memorial with the documentary and the boat to the USS Arizona Memorial
- Harbour-front museums at the memorial
- Drive past Iolani Palace and the Kamehameha statue
- Sit-down lunch in Waikiki
Optional experiences
- Battleship Missouri Memorial tour at Pearl Harbor. Booked on request; the price and the minimum age are shown when you book
Easier option: Watch the documentary and the memorial programme, then rest on the shaded benches by the water.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Waikiki, beach or pool
Activity: Bags are not allowed at the USS Arizona Memorial; bring only what fits in your pockets. Back in Waikiki by about 12:30 pm.
Diamond Head and the North Shore
Diamond Head, the southeast shore and windward coast, Haleiwa and the North Shore, back through central Oahu
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Honolulu
- Drive about 4 h
The one climb on Oahu, at a gentler hour. Our entry slot at Diamond Head State Monument is at about 7 am, before the heat: the crater trail is about 1.3 km each way and 170 m up, paved and then rocky, with stairs and a short tunnel that children like, ending at an old summit bunker above Waikiki. Grandparents who would rather not climb wait on the crater floor with the guide's flask of coffee. Then the drive round the island, in stretches of 30 to 45 minutes: the Halona Blowhole, the Makapuu lookout, the green cliffs of the windward coast and Kualoa, where many films were shot.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Haleiwa, the old plantation town, with shave ice for every generation. On the North Shore we stop at a beach where green sea turtles often rest on the sand, and at Waimea Bay. On the way back through central Oahu the children get the garden maze at the Dole Plantation. Back in Waikiki by about 4:30 pm.
Included
- Diamond Head State Monument crater trail, 7 am entry slot
- Halona Blowhole and Makapuu lookout
- The windward coast and Kualoa
- Lunch and shave ice in Haleiwa
- North Shore turtle beach and Waimea Bay
- Dole Plantation with the garden maze
Easier option: Stay on the crater floor while the group climbs Diamond Head, about 1.5 hours, then ride the whole island loop with a stop every half hour.
More active option: Climb Diamond Head with the guide, then a swim at Waimea Bay in summer when the lifeguards say it is calm.
Free time: Evening free in Waikiki
Activity: The longest driving day: about 4 hours over about 190 km, never more than 45 minutes between stops, with toilets at each. Turtles are seen from at least 3 m; touching them is against the law. North Shore swimming is summer only; winter waves are for watching.
Fly to Hilo, stars and waterfalls
Honolulu airport to Hilo (ITO), then Imiloa, Rainbow Falls and Liliuokalani Gardens
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Hilo
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
A slow breakfast, then the transfer to Honolulu airport and the flight to Hilo on the Big Island, about 50 minutes nonstop, with your guide on board. Hilo is the island's old working town on the wet, green windward side, and the base for two nights.
Afternoon
After lunch in town we go to the Imiloa Astronomy Center, where children sit through a planetarium show, a garden of native plants and the story of how Polynesian navigators crossed the Pacific by the stars, alongside the telescopes on Maunakea, which you can often see above the town. Then a short drive to Rainbow Falls, a few steps from the car park, where the Wailuku River drops about 24 m into a pool and a rainbow often forms in the spray on sunny mornings. To finish, an easy walk through the Japanese-style Liliuokalani Gardens and across the footbridge to Coconut Island, where children swim in the sheltered water.
Evening
Early dinner is free in Hilo.
Included
- Transfer to Honolulu airport
- Flight from Honolulu (HNL) to Hilo (ITO) with one checked bag
- Imiloa Astronomy Center with a planetarium show
- Rainbow Falls
- Liliuokalani Gardens and Coconut Island
- Lunch in Hilo
Easier option: Every stop today is a short level walk from the van; Imiloa has seating throughout.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Hilo
Activity: Imiloa is closed on Mondays; on those departures we visit it on the morning of day 6 before the flight. Hilo has showers in any month, so carry a light rain layer.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hilo to the summit of Kilauea, the steam vents, 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 from Hilo. We leave at 8 am and go first to the Kilauea Visitor Center, where every child collects a free Junior Ranger booklet and 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 from the caldera overlooks, but nobody can promise lava. Then the steam vents and sulphur banks, a level walk, and the Kilauea Iki overlook above a crater that was a lake of lava in 1959.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Volcano village. In the afternoon children lead the way through Nahuku, a lit lava tube about 180 m long, then we drive the Chain of Craters Road down the mountain past black lava fields to the coast at the Holei Sea Arch, with stops on the way. Junior Ranger badges are sworn in before we leave, and you are back in Hilo by about 5 pm.
Included
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park entry
- Junior Ranger booklets and badges for the children
- Kilauea Visitor Center and the summit caldera overlooks
- Steam vents, sulphur banks and the Kilauea Iki overlook
- Nahuku lava tube
- Chain of Craters Road to the Holei Sea Arch
- Lunch in Volcano village
Easier option: The overlooks, steam vents and the lava tube are all short walks; stay with the van at the Chain of Craters stops if you prefer.
More active option: The Kilauea Iki trail with the guide, about 5 km, 120 m down to the crater floor and back up, for children 9 and up with a parent.
Free time: Evening free in Hilo
Activity: The summit area is about 1,200 m and cooler and wetter than Hilo: bring a fleece and a rain layer, and closed shoes for lava. Drives are in legs of 45 minutes or less.
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 with some steps leads to a view of the Iao Needle, a green spire about 370 m above the valley floor, and a stream where children can paddle at the bottom. In 1790 the valley saw the battle of Kepaniwai, part of Kamehameha's campaign to unite the islands, and your guide tells the story where it happened. Entry for visitors is by advance reservation, which we make.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Wailuku, then we drive south to Kihei on the sunny, dry south shore, your base for three nights, close to the lifeguarded Kamaole beaches. By about 2:30 pm the afternoon is free for the pool, the beach or a nap for any generation.
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
Easier option: Take the lower path at Iao Valley and skip the steps to the upper lookout.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Kihei, beach or pool
Activity: If the nonstop is not flying on your date, we route via Honolulu and move Iao Valley to the morning of day 8.
Haleakala by daylight
Kihei to the summit of Haleakala, then Upcountry Maui and back to Kihei
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kihei
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
A day on Maui's great volcano, by daylight rather than at a 3 am sunrise, which keeps it a good day for a 9-year-old and a 70-year-old alike. We leave Kihei at about 8:30 am and climb the switchbacks into Haleakala National Park, about 1 hour 45 minutes with a stop halfway, to the summit area at 3,055 m. From the visitor centre the crater spreads below, a basin of red and grey cinder cones about 11 km long, and on most days the clouds sit underneath you. Children pick up the park's Junior Ranger booklet, and we look for silverswords, a spiky silver plant that grows almost nowhere else on earth. The short Pa Kaoao trail is about 0.6 km round trip for those who want it.
Afternoon
We come down slowly to Kula in Upcountry Maui for lunch among the farms and ranches, with views across the isthmus, and are back in Kihei by about 3 pm for the pool.
Included
- Haleakala National Park entry
- Summit area and visitor centre at 3,055 m
- Junior Ranger booklets for the children
- Silversword viewing and the Pa Kaoao trail
- Lunch in Kula, Upcountry Maui
Easier option: Stay at the visitor centre viewpoints, a few steps from the van, and rest inside if the wind is cold.
More active option: Walk a short way down the Keoneheehee (Sliding Sands) trail into the crater with the guide and climb back slowly.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Kihei
Activity: It can be near freezing and windy at the summit even at midday: bring a warm jacket, hat and long trousers for everyone. Ask your doctor before going to 3,000 m if you are pregnant or have heart or breathing conditions; anyone can stay lower in Kula instead.
Turtles, reef and the Maui Ocean Center
A morning snorkel off Kihei, then the Maui Ocean Center at Maalaea and back to Kihei
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Kihei
- Drive about 45 min
The sea day.
Afternoon
At about 8 am, when the water is usually flattest before the afternoon trade winds, your guide takes the group to a calm reef along the Kihei and Wailea shore. Masks, fins and float vests for every size are provided, children snorkel next to a parent or the guide, and non-swimmers can stand in the shallows or watch from the sand. Green sea turtles often graze on this reef: give them at least 3 m, as touching or chasing them is against the law in Hawaii. At about 10:30 am we drive 20 minutes to the Maui Ocean Center at Maalaea, an aquarium of Hawaiian reef life with a walk-through tunnel under the open ocean tank, where sharks and rays swim overhead, and it all makes sense of the morning's reef. Lunch is at Maalaea harbour. The afternoon is free; in winter an optional whale watch leaves from the same harbour.
Evening
Farewell dinner at 5:30 pm.
Included
- Guided morning snorkel with masks, fins and float vests in children's sizes
- Maui Ocean Center entry at Maalaea
- Lunch at Maalaea harbour
- Farewell dinner at 5:30 pm
Optional experiences
- Whale watch from Maalaea, December to April. About 2 hours in the afternoon; the price and the minimum age are shown when you book
Easier option: Skip the snorkel and walk the beach path or join the children in the shallows; the aquarium is level and indoors.
More active option: A longer snorkel along the reef edge with the guide, for confident swimmers.
Free time: Afternoon free in Kihei
Activity: Bring mineral reef-safe sunscreen; Hawaii bans sunscreens with oxybenzone and octinoxate. The guide decides on the morning if the water is calm enough.
A last swim and depart from Maui
Kihei to Kahului airport (OGG)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
A slow last morning with no alarm. After breakfast there is time for one more swim at the Kamaole beaches or in the hotel pool, and for the family photo the children have been planning all week. Your guide is at breakfast to help with packing and flight questions. We check out late in the morning and drive about 30 to 40 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 seasonal flights to Canada, and we confirm your flight options home when you book, including connections that suit children and grandparents. Book a flight leaving after about 2:30 pm. If the family would like to stay on, we can add nights on Maui at the group hotel, or arrange a transfer to the west coast resorts at Kaanapali for a few days of pure beach.
Included
- Transfer to Kahului airport (OGG)
Free time: Morning free in Kihei, beach or pool
Activity: Book your flight home to leave Kahului after about 2:30 pm.
- Honolulu3 nights
- Hilo2 nights
- Kihei3 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, with sea temperatures of about 24 to 27 C. Hilo is wet in every month, so expect showers on the Big Island days; Waikiki and Kihei are much drier. Green sea turtles are seen in all seasons. From about December to April humpback whales winter off Maui, and from about November to March big North Shore swells close beaches there to swimmers, so the stop becomes a wave-watching one. The Haleakala summit can be near freezing even at midday.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Grandparents, parents and children aged 6 and up travelling together
- Families who want three islands without planning the flights, timed entries and driving
- Grandparents who walk well on the flat but would rather skip long climbs
- Children who like volcanoes, turtles, aquariums and a pool at the end of the day
- A grandparent travelling with one grandchild who wants a fair room price
Not for you if you want
- Families with children under 6
- Travellers who want Haleakala at sunrise, Maunakea at night or Kauai: see our three-island and four-island Hawaii trips
- Keen hikers looking for long daily trails
- Families who want a luxury resort; our hotels are comfortable and central, not grand
- Anyone who cannot manage a few hours at 3,000 m on Haleakala, though you can stay lower
Minimum age: 6
Most guests are 6 to 80
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Honolulu3 nights
- Hilo2 nights
- Kihei3 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: 3 in Waikiki (Honolulu), 2 in Hilo on the Big Island and 3 in Kihei on Maui
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with a pool where the town has one, close to the beach or the town centre; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Family rooms or connecting rooms requested for each family
- Hotel taxes and mandatory resort fees
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, with booster seats for children who need them
- 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 and licensed local guides where sites require them
Activities
- Oahu: Pearl Harbor National Memorial and the USS Arizona Memorial, Diamond Head State Monument, the island loop with Kualoa, Haleiwa, a North Shore turtle beach and Waimea Bay, and the Dole Plantation garden maze
- Big Island: Imiloa Astronomy Center with a planetarium show, Rainbow Falls, Liliuokalani Gardens and Coconut Island, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park with the steam vents, Nahuku lava tube and the Chain of Craters Road
- Maui: Iao Valley State Monument, the summit of Haleakala National Park by daylight, a guided morning snorkel with gear and float vests, and the Maui Ocean Center at Maalaea
- Junior Ranger booklets in both national parks, and all park, monument and state park entry fees and reservations for the visits above
Meals
- 8 breakfasts
- 7 lunches, including shave ice in Haleiwa
- 2 dinners at 5:30 pm: a welcome dinner in Waikiki 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 the Battleship Missouri tour or a whale watch on Maui
- Extra checked bags on the inter-island flights
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,430 (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.
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Good to know
Questions
What does the Hawaii family trip include?
Eight nights in central hotels with taxes and resort fees, family or connecting rooms requested, 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 2 early 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, including Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Hawaii Volcanoes, Haleakala, a guided snorkel and the Maui Ocean Center.
What age do children need to be?
Children must be 6 or older on the first day of the trip. The day plan is set so that a 9-year-old and a 70-year-old both enjoy every day: short walks, an easy option at each stop, pool or beach afternoons and dinners at 5:30 pm. Children under 18 travel with a parent, grandparent or guardian.
Is there a price for children?
The published price is per person sharing, for adults and children alike. Where a child shares a room with two adults, the hotel and some entries may cost less, and we quote a child price when you request to book. Tell us the ages of every child and how your family would like to share rooms.
How big is the group, and will we be with other families?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, counting children, so it fits one small vehicle and one table at dinner. Departures are marketed to three-generation families, so you will usually travel with one or two other families. A family of seven or more can fill a departure, or book the private version.
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 two flights. Local partners provide the vehicle and driver on each island, and park rangers lead the Pearl Harbor and national park programs. Your guide also runs the snorkel and the Junior Ranger badges.
How much walking is there for grandparents?
Not much. Most days have 0.5 to 3 km on paved paths and boardwalks, with benches and the van close by. Diamond Head is the one climb, about 170 m up with stairs, and you can wait on the crater floor instead. The Haleakala summit at 3,055 m is reached by van, with viewpoints a few steps away.
I am a grandparent travelling with one grandchild. What is the single supplement?
A grandparent and grandchild sharing a room pay the normal per-person price and no supplement. A room of your own is CAD 1,430 on top of the small-group price, shown before you book. Solo adults take part in everything on the same terms as couples and families.
When is the best time to visit Hawaii with children?
The trip runs all year and the coast is warm in every month. Summer brings the calmest sea for snorkelling and North Shore swimming, and suits school holidays; December to April adds humpback whales off Maui and big surf to watch on Oahu. Hilo is showery in any season.
Why don't you go up Haleakala for sunrise?
Because a 3 am pickup and a freezing wait in the dark are hard on young children and grandparents. We go up by daylight, when the crater, the cinder cones and the silverswords are clearly visible and the cloud often still sits below you. Our three-island trip for adults includes the sunrise.
How does booking work?
Choose the small-group or private style and your start date, then send a request to book with the ages of your party. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request.
Can our family travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The private version runs for your family 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 children need passports or visas for Hawaii?
Hawaii is part of the United States, so Canadian children need their own valid passport and no visa for a visit of this length. Many other visitors need an ESTA or a US visa. A child travelling without both parents should carry a signed consent letter from the parent or parents not travelling.