Oahu's Ultimate Grand Circle Island Tour With Snorkeling And More

Overall, great tour - for a busload of folks. It didn't feel rushed. Great lunch spot, and a good variety of stops.

Five stars!!! Jay Hundo and Kapuono were amazing! Very knowledgeable about all of our stops and were very friendly and funny. Highly recommend.

The tour guide talked incessantly. Seriously....the ENTIRE TIME. It would have been great if he spent the time telling us about the areas and attractions, but he used the opportunity to stress his personal beliefs about socio-political affairs. He also spent a great deal of time sharing his story of loss and imploring us to value our relationships. I honestly felt that he had very poor situational awareness. It was inappropriate and made me feel like I was trapped. Very tiring! The Island is so beautiful and so is the culture. I wish he could have focused the tour comments solely on that and allowed us some quiet time to soak it all in.

Tour guide was very knowledgeable about the island, the people, and important facts. The different activities was very inclusive for young and old.

Aka was amazing! He knew everything we wanted to know about Hawaii and more. Amazing experience for adults and kids

Kathleen & King were very informative tour guides as well as being entertaining. I would recommend visitors take this tour when they first arrive.

Lots of delicious food! Better get in line quick for the shave ice. If you want to feed the coy, ring the bell and pray/givr thanks at Byodo Temple, please do it asap and dont dilly dally. Time flies at that one.. we wish we had more time there.

Hands down, one of the BEST tours we have ever done! Kathleen and Uncle Joe (I believe that was our wonderful driver’s name—so sorry if I got it wrong!) were truly the perfect duo. Kathleen put so much heart into every single detail of the experience. She was incredibly knowledgeable, smart, witty, funny, and genuinely made the entire day so much fun. You could tell how much she truly cares about Hawaii, its history, culture, and making sure everyone on the tour has an unforgettable experience. She went above and beyond in every possible way. The two of them worked so perfectly together and made us feel welcomed and taken care of from beginning to end. We saw so much, learned so much, laughed constantly, and honestly did not want the day to end. We were genuinely heartbroken when the tour was over! This was easily the best tour we have ever taken, and a huge part of that was because of Kathleen and Uncle Joe. We will 100000% be visiting Hawaii again, and this experience will always be one of our favorite memories from the trip. If you’re considering the Grand Circle Island Tour, BOOK IT—and if you’re lucky enough to get Kathleen and Uncle Joe, you’re in for an incredible day! 🌺🤙🏼

This tour could and should have been so much better. However, it started badly and just went downhill from there. Despite getting an email confirmation, and me sending an email and calling two days before they still managed to get my pickup address wrong. Once the tour started there was no introduction from the driver, and no handout explaining what to expect from the tour. Despite having a large screen TV at the front of the bus, which could have been used to highlight where we would be going, it reminded off. The driver’s explanation of each stop was a cross between someone who had done this many times before, and let me tell you some jokes. This made the tour and the experience difficult to follow, as well as being a missed opportunity to give some real insights about the different destinations and their significance. Sadly for me and my wife this will go down as the worst tour we’ve ever experienced. The promise was of an exciting island tour, but what we got was complacency, and missed opportunity to showcase what the island had to offer. The driver should appreciate he is an ambassador for the island while we are with him, and to ensure he makes every opportunity to educate and inform us. One last thing, the transportation was an old bus that must be over 20 years old, and certainly not the air conditioning coach I was expecting. Overall, a very poor experience.

Aka was a great tour guide! Shared tons of info about the culture and provided ample time for us to explore each stop.

This tour is full of breathtaking views around the island. It also included a full of history of the islands key contributors while we enjoyed delicious food along the way!

I did not like the service provided by one of the crew member lucy. Other crew was amazing specially daze. Lucy gave my family least priority ( may be i had kids who don't know much swimming or because of ethinic background) . She also changed for free drinks . Overall experience of first time snorkeling was owesome.

Our tour guide, Aka, is 100% Hawaiian; he spoke and translated traditional Hawaiian sayings and songs (great voice)! Very entertaining and knowledgeable. Driver did great and drove very safely and comfortably. From a constructive criticism standpoint prices given by tour guide and/or shown on the Viator website are largely inaccurate (ex: Temple was $10 not $7)- suggest a link. Also, the snorkeling in January on the North Shore was not enjoyable due to winter turbulence.

Safe and friendly , tour guide was excellent. Must do when in Hawaii it's a great tour around the island

Highly recommended. Aka and Victor were wonderful. We felt part of a new inclusive family. Do not miss this opportunity. A great day out

Aka made a wonderful day for us. So incredibly interesting and informative. Fabulously teamed with Victor as the driver. Well worth while.

Excellent tour guide was Dylan and did an amazing tour for us. Keep us informed and great knowledge of the island, gave everyone a drone video of a stop that was amazing and downloaded to everyone.

Tour guide and driver shared alot of knowledge about the island and were funny. At times it was less entertaining. The tour was a bit misleading eg: a coffee farm was just a place to buy coffee, food farm was a place to buy fruit, macadamia farm was a place to buy nuts, visiting the Dole was a quick stop only time for an ice cream, not getting much time at places. We thought we would be guided on what they do on the farms see the farms etc. Too many stops were waisted at gift shops. Would have preferred to have more time at other places to see the scenery more. Once off the bus we were on our own not really guided. The temple, blow hole and Chinaman's hat was great to see. Lunch place was limited for choice, if you have dietary requirements bring your own food. Snorkelling was disappointing the water wasn't clear enough. Lucky we saw some turtles. There was no effort made for the kids really. Snacks were chips and water that was provided. We were disappointed and expected more. Felt like we were just stopping to spend money. Probably wouldn't recommend this tour unless on a budget.

This tour was a great way to see all of the major spots on Oahu. Our tour had 43 people so we weren’t able to get out at Diamond Head but we did stop at the Blow hole, fruit stand, a shrimp truck for lunch, Chinaman’s Hat, macadamia nut place to try the different nuts they sell, Dole pineapple plantation and a coffee farm. We did get to snorkel and see a green sea turtle on the beach. Our tour guide, Jack, was very knowledgeable and engaging.

Aka and his driver were the best! He really made you feel like Ohana. He ingaged with the hole bus and you can really feel his passion for sharing his knowledge and culture. My sister took his tour a few years ago and said we had to take this tour just for Aka. We are so glad we did. Kahuka farms was good, the fruit was perfect. The watermelon, kiwi and dragon fruit were very tasty. Haleiwa Beach Park was so beautiful. I snorkeled with my son we had a blast and saw some fish and turtles. They were like an arms length away. It was amazing. When we come back we will do his tour again. Mahalo

1. Tour guide DILLON TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF to decide we didn’t need to stop at turtle Island, bus just whizzed by and he glanced out the window and decided there were not any turtles to be seen! 2. DILLON decided that people on the bus needed to be schooled BY HIM about how important diversity is as if we were children. 3. DILLON decided that we all needed to hear HIS personal politics! 4. DILLON dissed other vendors at the stops we made ( albeit dumpy, trashy, roadside 7 eleven) and TOLD the passengers not to buy from other vendors/ buy from vendors that were his BROTHER AND PERSONAL FRIENDS … what about DIVERSITY DILLON? 5. Someone at this tour guide company NEEDS TO TELL DILLON TO SHOWER AND USE DEODORANT and button up his shirt so his gut isn’t hanging out, sat behind his seat and HE STUNK TO HIGH HEAVENS… lack of consideration towards the passengers. 6. Dole and Macadamia plantation was just a quickly stop to buy stuff…. NO ACTUAL TOUR TO SEE THEIR OPERATIONS OR facility! Waste of time! ### I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS TOUR SERVICE… SAVE YOUR MONEY!! 😡### and ( take a shower DILLON)

Do not waste your money! We did the Oahu’s Ultimate Grand Circle Island Tour and were very disappointed that this tour did not meet our expectations, nor did it fulfill the published itinerary. Despite being listed as actual stops on the itinerary, we did not stop at Diamond Head Lighthouse, Sandy Beach Park, Makapu’u Beach, or Sunset Beach. The 20 minute stop at the Dole plantation was not enough time to take the tour and learn about the process, only limited time to shop. Several of the other stops we did make were similar, in that they were just tourist traps for shopping. At the North Shore Macademia Nut Company, we learned nothing about the process/packaging as advertised in the itinerary, just another stop to get us to buy their product. We should have just put our money towards renting a car and doing the tour ourselves where we could’ve actually stopped at all of the places that we expected this tour to stop. I do want to say that our tour guide, Mr. King was very pleasant, funny and informative

Our guide was Aka and our driver was Victor! Hands down the best tour, we not only saw beautiful areas but learned rich culture and history

The tour was a great way to sample the highlights of Oahu. There was timely pickup and clear communication as we hopped on and off the bus to see 10+ sites. Snorkeling with the turtles was a family favorite - one in our group saw 9 turtles!

Be ready for history of the island, local traditions, local food. The weather is always perfect. Safe transportation. A lot of fun that you would like to return and do it again.

A MUST Experience Tour! They take you around the Island and show you interesting places. And wow the tour leader educates you about Hawaiian culture. Prince was my tour leader and he is a one of a kind Hawaiian Hero!

Moa our tour guide was awesome, full of information and so many stops. Full all day outing. Got foods and drinks along the way. Get Bob pineapple Hawaiian style, you will not get better. History, movies, movie star info, beaches unbelievable, and shopping. Great way to see whole island. We'll worth money

Really great value, it’s really worth getting out of Honolulu and exploring more of what Oahu is all about. The snorkelling with turtles was a huge highlight for my family.

Great tour to get a grasp of the island and hats of to Jeremy and Kapono both were fun and a wealth of knowledge. Made the day very enjoyable and educational. One thing to note is Jeremy was very interactive bringing many items with him for show and tell style educational experiences.

We found this tour a great way to explore the island. Friendly and professional guide with great knowledge. Also great/safe bus driver

Aka was an amazing tour guide. We learned so much from him. All places were fun. The only thing I would recommend is a different beach.

Crew, Shannon, Nick and Captain Crash were awesome 5 star tour, would hire them again. Saw a few turtles and lots of very colorful fish.

It was a great way to see the whole island. We got to see a lot of places we probably wouldn't have if we hadn't taken this tour. Our guide and bus driver were terrific. They were funny and informative. They made the tour.

I brought my mom and cousin on the tour. Aka and Rob did a phenomenal job explaining the culture and history of the island. The tour itself gave us a picturesque scenery to capture the islands natural beauty to bring home and share with friends and family.

The guides knew a ton about the area and they were funny. I got to swim with a sea turtle and try cool new foods. Its a good way to get a quick view of everything the island has to offer.

Aka was just awesome. Neal our driver was great as well. Overall a good island tour. Only complaint is lack of respect for sticking to the schedule. We were 1.45 hours behind. Supposed to end at 5pm, we got back at 6:45 making us late for our next event which started at 6pm. Had to be at pickup point at 6:55am, this a 12 hour tour is just too long.

I think this would good for older people ( we are late 20s). Appreciate our guide was called into work, however, they proceeded to drink alcoholic drinks while taking the tour (bear in mind they were already in a state as it was). There were kids on the bus, and felt like a rip off since we’d paid money for this. You see a lot of the island from the bus windows but that’s it. Feels like a whirlwind and felt as though you just get taken to tourist spots where they want you to spend money. Some great stories and information at times, but most of the time we’re half stories. The guide also fell asleep on our way back and the bus driver had to wake him up. A bit gutted we spent our money on this, and got a drunk guide and a tour that felt quick and not super meaningful. Would have rather gone elsewhere else.

Great to look around the island. We were taken to the worst place for snorkeling, could hardly see 1 mtr. Had to wait for the guide to get back to bus from spear fishing.

Our guide, Aka and driver were absolutely excellent, funny, knowledgeable and made the tour of the island great, stopping at some beautiful sites around the island and the snorkelling was a good break halfway through the tour and we did see green turtles. Recommend to anyone going top Hawaii to get on to one of these tours.

Very happy with the tour, Aka our guide and our driver. It was great to see all the farms and circle Oahu.

Really good value for money, as we saw so many sights and had just right amount of time for each stop. Guide was fun, very talkative, informative and tried his best to get us to stops before the other buses, meaning we didn't have to queue for bathrooms etc. Was provided with drinks and crisps throughout the day. Only improvements which could have been made was if the bathroom on the bus was working and don't have high expectations for the snorkeling aspect, like I did. You are given the mask and then left to snorkel, which because I'm not a confident snorkeler felt dissapointed. The water was extremely murky, so didn't see 1 fish unfortunately. It seems there are so many other better places to snorkel around the island, so don't book based on the snorkeling aspect. Overall extremely good day though, would recommend it.

Great to see all the beautiful sites and fantastic to see all the turtles up close. Our guide and driver did an amazing job.

This was a great way to see the highlights of Oahu while hearing stories and perspectives of local guides. I joined the tour solo while my husband was working and ended the day with new friends and an appreciation for the food, culture, nature and economy of Hawaii. Snorkeling with sea turtles was the highlight of the day!

Excellent service and I highly recommend scheduling your excursions with VIP Tours. The tour was wonderful and entertaining. The driver was extremely safe.

The tour was perfect. The driver was safe and the tour guide was entertaining. If you decide to take this tour request Jake as your guide.

The tour was a great experience. We got to see a number of amazing points of interest on Oahu and the tour guide Jack was great and made things fun. The only downfalls were the food for lunch wasn't great and there wasn't much of a selection and you have to understand you are going on a tour with 50 other people and thus things will be a bit rushed at times. Highly recommend though!

Great overview of Oahu with an outstanding tour guide. Jack was very knowledgeable about the island and its history, as well as being highly entertaining. It was fun making all of the “touristy” stops and the temple was breathtaking. Snorkeling and seeing the turtles was the best! Would highly recommend this tour.

Tour is nice if you’re visiting for the first time. Lunch stop was rushed, wait staff asked for payment 3 times while we were still eating. For snorkeling, the company needs to provide fins. Big Mike was a GREAT guide!!!

False advertising. They over promised with all the stops & visits. Problematic from the beginning. They were 45 minutes late picking us up. It was an older charter bus which had NO restroom. The entire bus was full & i thought it was a smaller shuttle bus. We skipped half of the advertised stops. Our guide was not a native Hawaiian but a young student from Arizona & got a lot of the Hawaiian historical facts incorrect…I guess he’s still learning? We’ve done a circle island tour before & the guide “Uncle Ted” was excellent. He was knowledgeable about Hawaii history & culture. I also felt we were rushed at every stop. Crazy! Crazy! Thank goodness my children were older & could understand the concept of time. I felt bad for the families with younger children who had to rush on/rush off. Some parents decided that the time allotted for the stop was too short & didn’t bother to leave the bus! Although it was reasonably priced $99 per person; I recommend you avoid it.