Oahu Uncovered: Full Island Tour With A Local Guide

December 2024. The tour was excellent! We did a private family island tour. We were picked up at our hotel in a clean suburban suv. Perfect size vehicle for my family of 5. Our tour guide was excellent! We spent the day stopping at local sites and learning the history of Hawaii. Most notable was the Dole Pineapple Plantation, China man’s hat, lunch at the food trucks in Haleiwa Town, and a stop for Malasadas. I can’t say enough good things about this experience!

Our full tour of O'ahu with Mat was definitely one of the best experiences we have ever had. We would recommend this to everyone. Our guide Mat is knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating to every need and question. We learned so much about the island and its residents and saw so much of the island in one day. An incredible day and so much fun with Mat at the wheel!

We enjoyed the beautiful island of Oahu and the spirit of Aloha with a local guide and learned the past and present history of Hawaii. We enjoyed delicious local food, entertainment, many laughs and a very fun day. Matt, our guide was wonderful, we were fortunate to be the only two on the trip with him, we learned a great deal about his culture and were able to ask many questions and topics. After our day touring with Matt we were sorry to say goodbye to our new brother.

Matt was absolutely amazing. Knowledgeable, fun and catered to your needs. Beautiful scenic drive as well as great food stops. Definitely recommend this tour and ask for Matt!

Wonderful Island Round Trip in a small group of 4 people with the very skilled guide Justin who had a high level knowledge of the Island the history and the culture. Very exiting to learn about this beautiful island Oahu and to see the many awesome spots.

I 100% recommend Secret Hawai’i tours for your visit to Oahu. My husband and I did the Full Circle Tour with Justin and it felt more like being shown the island with a local friend more than a touristy van tour through the island. First, schedule, pick up and all logistics were handled so professionally and smoothly. We were picked up from our hotel on time, and the van was spacious, clean, comfortable and air conditioned. Justin gave us a welcoming introduction to himself and the tour, and he asked us about what we wanted to see. Second, the tour was a wonderful mix of hitting up famously beautiful spots and local places we never would have thought to go without Justin. Justin was an absolute pleasure and joy with whom to spend the day. He has such a fun personality and is also a treasure trove of both historical knowledge and local fun facts. We were both educated and entertained constantly. He also graciously took pictures of us at every stop! He went out of his way to share a slice of his home with us, and it will stick with us forever. In addition to spending a memorable day exploring the island, Justin also brought us to so many DELICIOUS food spots that locals go to, and gave us so many recommendations for the rest of our trip! I cannot emphasize enough how grateful I am that I booked this tour and not another big bus tour or large company. Choose this company!

Our guide Jason was exceptional. We had another couple with us - total 4 - and he was able to adapt the tour to everyone’s taste. We saw and learned so much it was amazing.

Our tour guide Ben Elliot picked us up promptly at 9 AM. He is a native Hawaiian and was friends with just about every other ranger and tour guide that we encountered throughout the day. Ben is a really nice guy who has a large community of friends on the island and definitely knew some insider tips of places to visit and special foods to try (be sure to try the cream-filled malasadas from Leonards). We got to know a lot more about the island of Oahu and the Hawaiian way of life by spending the day with him. All in all it was a wonderful way to spend the day on Oahu.

We did NOT have the excursion we booked. The driver was a fill in. He was trying his best however there were 9 in the group. Seems that there were at least 3 different itineraries combined for one tour. We did not see the majority of what was on our printed tour. The driver even stated that it was not legal or permitted to stop at a couple of them that was on our itinerary. Very disappointed as we have had this planned awhile. I sent messages about the experience and of course no response. I would NOT recommend this to anyone

My husband & I thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Aaron. We were pleasantly surprised that it was just the two of us & the vehicle was very comfortable for the 6 hour tour. Aaron was extremely pleasant, personable & knowledgable. He was flexible & open to any suggestions of sights we might like to see. Since it was our 1st tour of the Island, we let him choose the highlights. Aaron made the trip memorable & we'd highly recommend this tour. The 6 hours flew by & we could have easily gone for longer. A huge thanks to Aaron.

It was a very good road trip, although rather long; understandable given the distance we had to travel. Our driver/guide, Sean, was excellent.

Sharing our trip with great friends to Hawaii and having a great Tour guide. Thanks Sean you’re very knowledgeable about the island and the history here on the island. Our friends just loved their first visit here on the island.

We wanted to see the island beyond Waikiki, and this is such a great way to do it. It was just me, my husband, and our wonderful guide, Travis. He showed us some highlights of Honolulu, then a stop at the Dole Plantation for a Dole Whip. We worked our way up to the North Shore, stopping at several spots to check out the scenery and even a few turtles popping up! He got us to a great spot for some macadamia nuts and then to the food trucks. He made sure we had a taste of what we considered the big 3 to try- poke, garlic shrimp, and huli huli chicken. Ty’s Poke Shack is life changing! We had seen a lot of coastline so Travis got us up to a mountain park overlooking Honolulu for some amazing views. We enjoyed hearing about the history of Oahu and the various areas, as well as about life for a local. That is how we like to experience a place. Sure, the touristy stuff can be fun, but peeling back a few layers of a place always makes it even better.

The tour guide very professional and down to earth. Very knowledgeable and made our experience one to remember. I highly recommend this tour

Sean was absolutely amazing. He was so nice, entertaining and informative. My mom had to use a walker and he was so attentive to her. We all walked away with an amazing new appreciation of the island. I would definitely recommend taking this trip within the first couple of days of arriving to Honolulu. Sean shared great info and tips that helped with the rest of our trip.

Loved everything about the tour. Our guide, Travis was kind, knowledgeable and courteous. Thanks!!!!

We truly enjoyed this trip with Travis! He stopped at the most memorable places and allowed us to spend ample enough time in each spot! Loved the dole pineapples, macadamia nut house, seeing turtles in the beach, watching people ride the waves, learning some history about the island and the food trucks! Everything was awesome and worth the money…thank you so much!

Shawn was a superb guide. Great overview of Hawaiian history’s and culture. Tailored the itinerary to portions of Oahu we were unfamiliar with. Visited roadside fruit stand, lunch spot, and malasada bakery. A great day! I would highly recommend him and the tour.

Sean, our guide, was great in all respects: experienced, personable, extremely knowledgeable about Ohau, Hawaii in general, history, language, and culture. He drove us to relatively unknown scenic locations, exposed us to food (great donuts from a food truck in a parking lot, lunch from a local shrimp truck) that we would never known about, avoided "tourist traps," asked us what we wanted to do and how long we wanted to stay, and overall gave us an extremely positive day in conclusion to our trip to Hawaii. Couldn't have been more pleased. Picked us up near the cruise on time and dropped us off at the airport.

This was a first class tour of the island with a local guide Sean who was amazing. I didnt realize this was a private tour and it was just our guide and me and my wife in an SUV. We managed to hit all of the attractions off the beaten path including many hidden food gems along the way. We were able to go everywhere at our own pace and it was a full seven hour day. Well worth the price and definitely one to consider instead of the big tour bus groups.

Fantastic private tour in Oahu! My husband and I were coming from a cruise and it was easy to meet our guide. Sean was awesome- personable and knowledgeable! We drove all over the island and saw amazing sights. Went to a food truck stop for lunch which was delicious and authentic. Definitely recommend!

Our tour guide was Jake and “Uncle Neal” was our driver. Jake was extremely informative during our tour. He was very engaging with our tour group and informed us of Hawaiin culture. He gave us a historical perspective as we toured the island. He was very charismatic and made sure we all felt at ease and comfortable. He asked if we needed anything during the tour and was helpful throughout. “Uncle Neal” was an excellent driver and drove us to our destinations without any issues at all. I would highly recommend the tour.

Emelija was a great and entertaining tour guide while Wayne was a great bus driver. I learned a lot and would highly recommend them if you are in Waikiki Beach. The snorkeling experience was not what I expected because the water was murky and not clear like in the pictures. So, you can’t see any marine life unless a turtle unexpectedly swims by you (like in my case) and the salt water gets in the rental goggles.

Travis was great. Showed us all the beaches and sights and a few local spots. Highly recommended this one versus a tour with a bus load of people.

Travis was an amazing tour guide! This tour was part of our vacation package to Oahu and we were not disappointed! Before we were scheduled to be picked up, Travis communicated with us where and when he would pick us up and was very prompt. He took us all around the island and showed us a lot of local places that were not inundated with a bunch of tourists. He explained the history of all of the places that we visited and brought us to some amazing sites that we would never have found on our own! He was very personable, knowledgeable and friendly, and we had a fantastic time! He ended up being our tour guide on two different days, so we were fortunate enough to really learn a lot about Hawaii. If you want to really want to learn a lot about Hawaii and have a really good time, Travis is your guy! (And Travis, if you read this, don't forget that you are always welcome to look us up if you visit Nashville!)

Sean was AMAZING! Native Hawaiian - knew EVERYTHING there was to know about Oahu and Hawaiian history. Many perks of having someone who knew all the private spots that only locals know - casual experience over what turned out to be a full day(7 hours) - great food - amazing views - rich history and VERY personable. I would highly recommend to those who appreciate culture and learning when In a new place - great alternative experience after a few days sitting on the beach.

We took this tour on a rainy Easter Sunday. Our guide (Sean) picked us up at our hotel in an Escalade and it was just us two 😃. He had so much history of the Hawaiian islands that he shared with us, from this building to that beach and don't forget the beautiful scenery! Oh and the pronunciation of that one word! 😂 (Thank you Sean!) It quit raining long enough for us to have some world famous shrimp from Giovannis and a flavorful (a must) malasada from Leonard's. We enjoyed our conversations with Sean as our day sped by. Thank You! Hey Sean, Say hi to Hau 'oli for us😄.

Excellent tour of the island. Our tour guide, Travis, a native Hawaiian, was very professional and shared much about the history and culture of the island. He was awesome. We highly recommend this tour.

Our family of 6 had the best time. Our travel guy, Travis, was the absolute best! He took us to all of the amazing spots around the island. He showed us spots only a local would know. He was also so patient and fun with our 4 young kids. We are so thankful for this great experience because for the rest of our trip we now know where to go to enjoy all the beauty of Oahu. 10/10 recommend doing this at the beginning of your trip! Worth every dollar.

We LOVED this private tour!! We saw whales breaching, sea turtles, people surfing a river outlet (I'd only seen something like that online!), saw a couple of surfers on hydrofoils and had a fabulous lunch stop where you could choose from all sorts of local foods from least 10 different food trucks. There was so much more!! (I don't want to give it all away. Go experience it for yourself!!) We also really appreciated learning about the history of the areas we went through and he taught us a little about the language. Our guide, Travis, gave us so much insight to what it's like to be a Hawaiian and was so open, warm and charming. We did several tours and this was by far the best!!

Chris was outstanding. He took us to some little known beautiful spots which captured the true Hawaiian spirit and culture. He was extremely Knowledgeable and very personable. Spent the entire day viewing the island and enjoying his stories and explanations

This was really disappointing. I have to echo Carmen's recent review. We expected a Jeep and got a minivan. Travis said this is a false advertisement by the company that hasn't been fixed for months/years. I would describe Travis as "going through the motions" - he wasn't particularly enthused about anything. He would make comments such as "you should go check that out" as we drove past an interesting building or a food truck. Hello, we are on a tour in which you can take us to that spot! The tour is not structured but he seemed to have certain places in mind he takes people and that's it. We went to an outstanding food truck with the best poke ever for lunch. Aside from that, it was really just a bland time inside a minivan with not much notable at all. It was a beautiful day and the scenery was amazing, but the tour guide did his best to bring the vibes down. Do yourself a favor, spend the money to rent a car, do a little bit of research and do your own tour.

Our tour guide Sean a local, very knowledgeable, very entertaining, and most of all very accommodating to all of our needs. If you’re looking to get the full Hawaiian experience, Be sure to book with Sean.

I was so disappointed with this tour. It did not meet the expectations of what we thought it would be. We did not get a jeep, the driver didn't take us to all of the places that was on our itinerary (which is why we choose this tour). We drove so fast that it was hard to get any pictures. Of the 7 hour tour, we were out the vehicle maybe a total of one hour. Our tour guide was quite unprofessional and at times very condescending. My friend and I were so disappointed as we wasted an entire day of our Hawaii trip sitting in a van.

Chris was an awesome guide. Tailored our tour around the island based on our interests and pointed out great stops, history and culture. It was comfortable, easy and relaxing! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is visiting for the first time.

Wow, just Wow. We booked this as a private tour, which I recommend if you can swing it. Sean was amazing as our guide, the tour was fascinating and we loved every minute. I cannot recommend this tour enough, my husband and I thought it was great. And my husband learned Hawaiian pronunciations, which was very educational. We saw all our personal requests as well as Sean’s suggestions. This was our first trip to Oahu and I will book another tour with this group on our next trip. Thanks for a great tour!

My husband and I were traveling to Oahu for the first time in 30 years and this tour is exactly what we were looking for! I can't say enough good things about our guide Travis. He knew all things Oahu and it was great to see things that only locals would know about. If you do one thing while visiting the island this is the tour to go on.

The trip was awesome. Travis our guide was very knowledgeable of all the great places to stop at for sight seeing and food! We enjoyed it very much! Definitely helped us figure the plans for the rest of the week. Would definitely recommend!

Hopefully you will get Travis. My husband and I are here from Florida and when I tell you, if we could give him 10 stars we would!

The whole experience was great, I’m glad we were able to do it at the beginning of our trip, we went back to some of this places we saw Big thanks to Travis (our guide) we were lucky to get him great guy!!!

Took this tour last week with Sean as our guide. Can’t say enough good about the tour and Sean. He was so informative about the island and so friendly that it was like being on a tour with a friend. He told us what places we were going to stop at and if we didn’t want to see something(Dole Plantation for instance we didn’t stop). He took great pics of us and gave us pointers von iPhone photography . Would highly recommend this tour and Sean.

We completely agree with other reviewers. Travis was fabulous in every regard. He checked in with me by text several times in advance of our tour beginning. He was professional while being warm and friendly through our 6 hours. He tailored the tour to the questions we were asking during the tour, and he modified the itinerary to show us things that we were talking about. It was in no way a pre-packaged, stick-to-the-route-and-script tour. In other words, it was our perfect tour (including the stop for an authentic Hawaiian lunch at a small local place). If we could give Travis (and this tour) more stars, we would. I would give it our highest recommendation to anyone who's looking for a good overall view of Oahu.

If we could give Travis 10 stars we would. He was extremely knowledgeable, very accommodating, and had a great sense of humor. He took us where we wanted to go and gave us as much time as needed. The best tour we have ever had. Ten stars to Travis.

We could not say enough nice things about Travis. This tour was amazing. Travis made it easy and so very relaxing to be so filled with things to see. He made sure we saw what we wanted, ate what we wanted and never felt hurried. Would definitely recommend this tour.

Travis was absolutely the best! He was so friendly and informative. He made us feel completely comfortable right off the bat. We loved listening to him tell about the history of the islands and about each special place he drove us to. He knew all the best spots and how to get there. It was 100 times better than trying to rent a car and navigating ourselves. Ask for Travis! He was by far the best tour guide of our entire trip!

We are so thankful we did this private tour, and when I say Sean is the best, I mean the BEST! From the moment we got in the car, which was roomy and comfortable, we felt like we had our best friend showing us around. Not only did we learn a ton, but we definitely skipped major tourist hotspots and rather found ourselves in the wonderful gems, enjoying nature and the beauty. His knowledge of the area was profound, and we learned about all of the areas around Oahu, but from a locals perspective and without being with others in a bus. I manage a tour company, and this one is by far the best if you want to have a curated experience that gives you the history, the scenic views and the right food. What a day! Mahalo!!!

This tour was the favorite part of our stay! Travis is fantastic!! Such great local knowledge and he customized the tour to show us what our family was invested in seeing. All the kids, 17, 15, 12 really enjoyed his history and stories of the island. It was like our friend picked us up for the day and took us around the island. Well worth it to take the day and see the island with Travis!!

Travis is awesome! From the moment he said hello to the moment we said goodbye, Travis was incredible. We felt like we’ve known him forever. He was so kind and understanding to my husband’s unexpected disability that day. His love for and knowledge of the history of the area was superb. It was a fun day. Highly recommend!

Sean was very knowledgeable about the Hawaiian culture and the island. He made sure we comfortable from beginning to end, showing us the real meaning of Aloha. Ho’omaluhia Gardens and whale watching by Makapu’u we’re only 2 of the many beautiful sites we got to enjoy. Highly recommend Secret Hawaii Tours