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Kahana Bay on Oʻahu’s windward coast along Kamehameha Highway

From Waikīkī

Oʻahu Circle Island Tours, Compared

See the windward cliffs, the North Shore, and Haleʻiwa in a day without paying Waikīkī hotel parking for a rental car.

See our picks Compare all 7
  • 7 tours compared
  • 6 with free cancellation
  • Live prices from Viator

Waikīkī is walkable, and hotel parking there can run $45 to $72 a night, so plenty of visitors skip the car and take a tour for the day they leave town. A circle-island tour loops past the southeast coast lookouts, the windward side, and the North Shore, with lunch at a shrimp truck or in Haleʻiwa.

The trade-off is group size. Big coaches carry up to 50 and make short stops; minibuses and vans carry 10 to 24 and stop longer. Some days add a Diamond Head hike or a swim with turtles, and Kualoa Ranch runs its own movie-site tours on the windward side.

In winter (November to April), big swells hit the North Shore; you’ll see the surf from shore, and traffic can slow on high-surf days.

Our picks

The right tour for how you travel

We compared every listing on itinerary, group size, reviews, and price. These are the ones we’d book.

Small-Group Circle Island Tour with Turtle Snorkeling (tour photo) Our pick 8 hours

Hawaii Turtle Tours

Small-Group Circle Island Tour with Turtle Snorkeling

4.86(5,274 reviews)

Waikīkī hotel-area pickup

Free cancellation

From$149
Check availability

Booked securely on Viator

Why: A minibus of about two dozen with around a dozen stops — Diamond Head, Makapuʻu, Hālona Blowhole, the North Shore — plus time to swim with turtles (sightings not guaranteed).

Diamond Head Hike & Circle Island Tour with the North Shore (tour photo) Smallest group 11 hours

Fun Group Hawaii

Diamond Head Hike & Circle Island Tour with the North Shore

4.82(333 reviews)

Waikīkī and Kāhala hotel pickup

Free cancellation

From$112.50
Check availability

Booked securely on Viator

Why: Capped at 10 guests, starting with a sunrise-hour Diamond Head hike before the loop and a lunch stop at the Kahuku food trucks.

North Shore Beach Bus with Waimea Valley Waterfall (tour photo) Best for the North Shore 8 hours

NORTH SHORE BEACH BUS

North Shore Beach Bus with Waimea Valley Waterfall

4.92(3,690 reviews)

Waikīkī hotel pickup (or Ross Dress for Less, Seaside Ave.)

Free cancellation

From$154
Check availability

Booked securely on Viator

Why: A small beach bus (up to 23) that spends its time on the North Shore and includes the walk to Waimea Valley’s waterfall.

Side by side

Circle Island & North Shore Tours: every option side by side

  • Our pick

    Small-Group Circle Island Tour with Turtle Snorkeling

    Hawaii Turtle Tours

    Length
    8 hours
    Rating
    ★ 4.86
    From
    $149

    Travelers who want a circle-island day with a swim built in

    Check dates
  • Smallest group

    Diamond Head Hike & Circle Island Tour with the North Shore

    Fun Group Hawaii

    Length
    11 hours
    Rating
    ★ 4.82
    From
    $112.50

    Active travelers who want Diamond Head and the North Shore in one day

    Check dates
  • Best for the North Shore

    North Shore Beach Bus with Waimea Valley Waterfall

    NORTH SHORE BEACH BUS

    Length
    8 hours
    Rating
    ★ 4.92
    From
    $154

    Beach lovers who want North Shore time plus an easy waterfall walk

    Check dates

  • Grand Circle Island Tour (Full or Half Day)

    Star of Honolulu Cruises and Events

    Length
    6.5 to 9 hours
    Rating
    ★ 4.96
    From
    $100

    First-timers who want the whole island on a comfortable big bus

    Check dates

  • Grand Circle Island Experience from Waikīkī

    Aloha Sunshine Tours

    Length
    10 to 11 hours
    Rating
    ★ 4.80
    From
    $99

    Value seekers who want a long, full-loop day with beach time

    Check dates

  • Kualoa Ranch Movie Sites & Ranch Tour

    Kualoa Ranch

    Length
    1.5 hours
    Rating
    ★ 4.55
    From
    $62.77

    Movie fans and families who want Kualoa’s valleys without driving an off-road vehicle

    Check dates

  • Diamond Head Hike with Entry and Shuttle

    Kaimana Tours

    Length
    3 hours
    Rating
    ★ 4.78
    From
    $35

    Budget hikers who want Diamond Head without booking parking

    Check dates

Ratings, review counts, and from-prices are live from Viator and refresh daily. Prices are per person unless the listing says otherwise and change with the date you pick. Booking links go to Viator, where availability and cancellation terms are shown before you pay. We may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Affiliate disclosure.

Ratings across review sites

How each tour rates on Viator and Tripadvisor

Viator lists reviews from its own travelers and from Tripadvisor. Here they are separately, so one site can’t hide a weak score on the other.

Tour ratings by review site
TourViatorTripadvisorAll reviews
Small-Group Circle Island Tour with Turtle SnorkelingHawaii Turtle Tours4.63888 reviews4.914,386 reviews4.865,274 reviews
Diamond Head Hike & Circle Island Tour with the North ShoreFun Group Hawaii4.78184 reviews4.87149 reviews4.82333 reviews
North Shore Beach Bus with Waimea Valley WaterfallNORTH SHORE BEACH BUS4.69379 reviews4.953,311 reviews4.923,690 reviews
Grand Circle Island Tour (Full or Half Day)Star of Honolulu Cruises and Events4.77866 reviews4.9718,956 reviews4.9619,822 reviews
Grand Circle Island Experience from WaikīkīAloha Sunshine Tours3.90282 reviews4.902,573 reviews4.802,855 reviews
Kualoa Ranch Movie Sites & Ranch TourKualoa Ranch4.591,087 reviews4.50768 reviews4.551,855 reviews
Diamond Head Hike with Entry and ShuttleKaimana Tours4.76699 reviews4.82321 reviews4.781,020 reviews

Figures from Viator’s partner API, refreshed daily. Google reviews aren’t included.

More options

Also worth a look

Grand Circle Island Tour (Full or Half Day) (tour photo) 6.5 to 9 hours

Star of Honolulu Cruises and Events

Grand Circle Island Tour (Full or Half Day)

4.96(19,822 reviews)

Waikīkī hotel pickup (Hilton Hawaiian Village, Hokulani, Hyatt Regency, Waikīkī Beach Marriott)

Free cancellation

From$100
Check availability

Booked securely on Viator

Grand Circle Island Experience from Waikīkī (tour photo) 10 to 11 hours

Aloha Sunshine Tours

Grand Circle Island Experience from Waikīkī

4.80(2,855 reviews)

Waikīkī hotel pickup

Free cancellation

From$99
Check availability

Booked securely on Viator

Kualoa Ranch Movie Sites & Ranch Tour (tour photo) 1.5 hours

Kualoa Ranch

Kualoa Ranch Movie Sites & Ranch Tour

4.55(1,855 reviews)

Kualoa Ranch ticket office, 49-560 Kamehameha Hwy., Kaʻaʻawa

From$62.77
Check availability

Booked securely on Viator

Diamond Head Hike with Entry and Shuttle (tour photo) 3 hours

Kaimana Tours

Diamond Head Hike with Entry and Shuttle

4.78(1,020 reviews)

Waikīkī hotel pickup (or Queen Kapiʻolani Hotel)

Free cancellation

From$35
Check availability

Booked securely on Viator

Which kind of day?

  • Big coach (Star of Honolulu’s Grand Circle Island, Aloha Sunshine) — the most stops for the money, up to 50 guests, lunch on your own.
  • Small group (Hawaii Turtle Tours, Fun Group Hawaii, North Shore Beach Bus) — fewer people, longer stops, and a swim or a hike.
  • Kualoa Ranch — a private windward ranch where the ranch says more than 250 films and TV shows have been shot. Its movie-site tour is all sales final; check in 45 minutes early with photo ID. No hotel pickup.
  • Diamond Head shuttle — a ride and entry for the hike, if you just want the crater. Non-residents otherwise need a reservation ($5 entry, $10 parking).

Know before you go

Waimea Valley is closed on Mondays in October and November 2026, so check a North Shore tour’s day. The Makapuʻu Lookout’s upper viewing area is closed for repairs Oct. 21–Nov. 4, 2026. Bring a towel and cash for food trucks.

Hotels in North Shore

Big winter waves, summer snorkeling, shrimp trucks

Search on Booking.com

FAQ

Questions people ask before booking

Do I need a car on Oʻahu?

Not if you’re staying in Waikīkī. It’s walkable, buses and Skyline cover the airport and beyond, and hotel parking is expensive. Many visitors rent a car only for the days they head to Kailua or the North Shore, or take a tour instead.

What is the best circle island tour on Oʻahu?

For most people, a small-group tour like Hawaii Turtle Tours’ circle island with turtle snorkeling. If you want the North Shore and a waterfall walk, the North Shore Beach Bus; for the most stops, a big-coach Grand Circle Island tour.

Can you swim at Waimea Falls?

Sometimes. Waimea Valley’s lifeguards decide each morning at 9 a.m. whether the falls are open for swimming, and life jackets are required.

More on Oʻahu

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Photo: Hakilon via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Small-Group Circle Island Tour with Turtle Snorkeling

From $149

Check availability