Touring Oahu

What is the best option for touring around Oahu? We're mainly wanting to visit the Polynesian Culture Center, Pearl Harbor, and the Dole pineapple factory. We'd like the least stressful and most cost efficient way to tour? TIA

Given your stated goals, rental car seems to be the choice.

Depends. How much time do you have ? It would be very difficult to do Pearl Habour/Arizona Memorial/Missouri plus Polynesian Cultural Center on the same day. PCC is on the other side (north-west) of Oahu and a fairly long drive, and for a decent visit, including the evening show and luau, and return trip will take up pretty much of one whole day. There are commercial tours readily available for both Pearl Harbour and the PCC.

...VTX-Al

like was said PCC is north west end of island

Dole factory in north east (inland from coast)

we normally rent a car and drive around the island stopping at Dole for ice cream and lunch at place next door Helemano Plantation run by disabled adults

but we are normally staying on the island and have all day

being on a cruise you will have to factor in time to get and return the car (lots of fun with ship full of people doing the same thing)

there is the Waikiki trolley which is a hop on hop off line (check out their website) but again it will be very busy with ship in port.

all in all though nice problem to have

Thanks for your help. This is for pre-cruise so we will have two full days to tour. Sounds like a rental car is the best option.

Rental car is a great idea, but be prepared to pay dearly for parking. And you might also want to really check out a map and possibly pay extra for a GPS. So many of the streets have similar sounding/looking names, it's easy to go in circles or get totally lost.

We are doing the tours you mentioned pre-cruise in July. Check out Roberts Hawaii's web site. They have wonderful reviews, an extensive list of tours, and will pick up/drop off at most hotels.

Rental car is a great idea, but be prepared to pay dearly for parking. And you might also want to really check out a map and possibly pay extra for a GPS. So many of the streets have similar sounding/looking names, it's easy to go in circles or get totally lost.

Parking is expensive including at many hotels & also the rail line construction in Honolulu has resulted in some street closures. Rush hour traffic can be very bad & a recent USA Today survey listed Honolulu as one of the worst cities in the US for traffic. :(

The Bus is the least expensive way to get around on Oahu but would require researching their website to see if that's a viable option. We easily used The Bus to go from the ship at Aloha Tower pier to Pearl Harbor for $5 roundtrip. I've never tried it but have read that for the same price you can go anywhere on Oahu. I'm not saying that it's the best option for the OP but maybe something to consider.

I enjoy the Dole Whip (soft serve pineapple ice cream) which the Hilo Hattie's in Lahaina Maui now has available...Ono-licious...but not aware if it's available on Oahu. HH is in bankruptcy for the 2nd time & on their website it shows only 2 stores in Honolulu plus Lahaina Maui & Lihue Kauai.

They have Dole Whip at the Dole plantation and at the ABC store at Ko Olina (possible the other ABC stores as well.)

The traffic can be frustrating during rush hour but if you avoid driving in honolulu, aiea, pearl city during the 3:30-5:30PM hours it's not too bad. It's quite easy to leave in the morning (traffic is clear before 9 AM typically) head to, say, the north shore. Spend some time in Haleiwa, visit the shrimp trucks for lunch, see Waimea Bay (and go swimming if the surf is low enough) and go across the street to Waimea Valley, walk through the botanical garden to the waterfall. Once you're done with that traffic in Honolulu will have died down, and even if not you're going the opposite direction of rush hour traffic heading back to town as everyone else is leaving.

~Katy

So we will be on Oahu 5/4 (a Monday-arriving @ 7am) and have a rental car...our plan is to grab a taxi & head straight to the National car rental @ the airport and then on to Diamond Head (via H1 - making a stop first @ Leonard's Bakery;)) and hiking to the summit.

From there we planning on taking 72 (Kalanianaole Hwy) around to 83 (Kamehameha Hwy) up to North Shore area and then back down to the Dole Plantation on our way back to drop off car (obviously making site-seeing stops along the way) ...wondering how traffic will be going in this direction...especially in the morning heading to Diamond Head ? or any other tips are welcome.

Thanks in advance ! :D

So we will be on Oahu 5/4 (a Monday-arriving @ 7am) and have a rental car...our plan is to grab a taxi & head straight to the National car rental @ the airport and then on to Diamond Head (via H1 - making a stop first @ Leonard's Bakery;)) and hiking to the summit.

 

From there we planning on taking 72 (Kalanianaole Hwy) around to 83 (Kamehameha Hwy) up to North Shore area and then back down to the Dole Plantation on our way back to drop off car (obviously making site-seeing stops along the way) ...wondering how traffic will be going in this direction...especially in the morning heading to Diamond Head ? or any other tips are welcome.

 

Thanks in advance ! :D

Traffic is worst going into Honolulu in the morning & outbound at night. Here's a link to a TV station's traffic map which you could view to get an idea of what to expect at the times you're driving.

http://khon2.com/live-traffic/

Your EST zone is currently 5 hours ahead of HST zone and when daylight savings time begins on Sunday you'll be 6 hours ahead of HST (Hawaii does not use daylight savings time).

Traffic is worst going into Honolulu in the morning & outbound at night. Here's a link to a TV station's traffic map which you could view to get an idea of what to expect at the times you're driving.

 

http://khon2.com/live-traffic/

 

Your EST zone is currently 5 hours ahead of HST zone and when daylight savings time begins on Sunday you'll be 6 hours ahead of HST (Hawaii does not use daylight savings time).

Thanks for the link....above in red...in which direction ? :confused:

Thanks for the link....above in red...in which direction ? :confused:

That would be coming into Honolulu from the north & south ends of Oahu. From the north traffic from many new housing developments funnel into the city & have read about it taking an hour to drive 20 miles. From the south (Hawaii Kai area) there is a multilane highway that turns into a freeway. Like any city road construction projects result in even worse traffic & construction of their rail system adds more traffic.

Even in Maui there can be traffic delays but nothing like on Oahu where I've read about 80% of the state's population resides.

My guess would be that you'll run into traffic going to Diamond Head but not on the remainder of your drive. If I was doing such a drive I'd consider going the reverse direction heading out of town & returning when many are outbound. Although that would result in going to Diamond Head later in the day and it would be hotter. I could share more specific information about traffic on Maui but most of my knowledge about Oahu traffic comes from watching the local TV news.

Traffic heading east into Oahu in typically the worst. Highway wise, H1 eastbound can be messy early in the morning and H1 westbound as well as H201 westbound get messy for the afternoon/evening rush. The closer to those highways the worst the traffic on the side roads.

~Katy

Thanks for all info :D

Katy - any "guesstimation" of the time it will take to get from the airport area to Diamond Head @ around 7:30 - 8 am ?

Our plan is to grab a cab as soon as we dock, pick up car & hit the road to Diamond Head.... just trying to get an idea of timeframe so we can decide/plan some of our other stops for the day....and have a better idea of traffic to be more "mentally" prepared :eek:;)

Thanks for all info :D

 

Katy - any "guesstimation" of the time it will take to get from the airport area to Diamond Head @ around 7:30 - 8 am ?

 

Our plan is to grab a cab as soon as we dock, pick up car & hit the road to Diamond Head.... just trying to get an idea of timeframe so we can decide/plan some of our other stops for the day....and have a better idea of traffic to be more "mentally" prepared :eek:;)

You could go to a navigation app or website such as Google Maps (Honolulu Airport to Diamond Head State Park) to see current conditions. Currently taking H-1 E it's 11 miles & 18 minutes (17 minutes with no traffic) and driving HI-92 to H-1 E it's also 11 miles but takes 29 minutes (25 w/o traffic).

However that's at 2:00 PM HST & you'd get a better idea by checking at 12:30-1:00 EST (an hour later when EDT) to find out how long it may take at 7:30-8:00 HST.

Sorry my personal experience with traffic is primarily from leeward (west) oahu to before and not much past the airport. Not quite sure what the morning rush is like during those hours between those two points.

~Katy

Funny you "say" that Astro Flyer...DH & I we just saying that is what we would do tomorrow afternoon...great minds :p;)

Funny you "say" that Astro Flyer...DH & I we just saying that is what we would do tomorrow afternoon...great minds :p;)

"Great minds"...that works for me! :p

Whatever you decide is best for you have a great couple of days on Oahu. I'd suggest saving some time to also relax & to Shaka...or "hang loose"! :D

As I previously posted I could better help you with things on Maui. :)

Sorry my personal experience with traffic is primarily from leeward (west) oahu to before and not much past the airport. Not quite sure what the morning rush is like during those hours between those two points.

 

~Katy

No problem :)

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"Great minds"...that works for me! :p

 

Whatever you decide is best for you have a great couple of days on Oahu. I'd suggest saving some time to also relax & to Shaka...or "hang loose"! :D

 

As I previously posted I could better help you with things on Maui. :)

Actually only one day there as we are sailing Princess, but luckily we have been before & done Pearl Harbor / downtown and Waikiki so this trip our main priority is hiking Diamond Head, circling part of the island site-seeing & finding a good Tiki Bar ;)

We have Maui covered...doing a helicopter & RTH excursion...but Mahalo !!!

as far as the Shaka part...we have plenty of sea days to & from SF to take care of that :D:D

I HAVE been to 39 different beaches on Oahu though so if you need any help choosing the right beach, I'm your girl LOL

~Katy

I HAVE been to 39 different beaches on Oahu though so if you need any help choosing the right beach, I'm your girl LOL

 

~Katy

What is the latest on parking @ Laniakea Beach...I'd love to make a stop there, dip my toes in the water & "hopefully" see some turtles ;)

Actually only one day there as we are sailing Princess, but luckily we have been before & done Pearl Harbor / downtown and Waikiki so this trip our main priority is hiking Diamond Head, circling part of the island site-seeing & finding a good Tiki Bar ;)

 

 

 

We have Maui covered...doing a helicopter & RTH excursion...but Mahalo !!!

 

 

 

as far as the Shaka part...we have plenty of sea days to & from SF to take care of that :D:D

Sounds like a great plan! :D

I had a career flying helicopters but have never taken a helicopter "tour"...even old pilots still prefer to have their hands on the controls & I only have a helicopter tour DVD that I bought. :p

Sounds like a great plan! :D

 

I had a career flying helicopters but have never taken a helicopter "tour"...even old pilots still prefer to have their hands on the controls & I only have a helicopter tour DVD that I bought. :p

Now that's funny :D