# OahuGrandCircleIsland.com - Oahu Grand Circle Island tours compared

> Independent guide to full-day circle island tours of Oahu, Hawaii, from Waikiki: which places each tour really stops at
> (and for how long), which ones only drive past, lunch, snorkeling and turtles, Waimea Falls, Byodo-In Temple, pickup and prices.
> Not affiliated with any tour operator, the Hawaii Tourism Authority or Viator.

Site: https://oahugrandcircleisland.com
Language: en. Currency: USD. Place: Oahu, Hawaii, USA (tours start in Waikiki / Ala Moana, Honolulu).

## Verified facts

- The circle island loop is about 110 miles; tours take 8 to 11 hours door to door, with 6 to 12 real stops of mostly 10 to 30 minutes.
- Star of Honolulu's 'Full or Half Day Grand Circle Island Tour' (Viator 3961P37): the from $100 price is the 6.5-hour half day (Dole Plantation + Haleiwa);
  the 9-hour full circle (Halona Blowhole 10 min, Nuuanu Pali 10, Byodo-In 20, Tropical Farms 20, Haleiwa 90, Dole 30) is priced by date at checkout; the listing shows only "from $100" (October 2026).
- Hanauma Bay is a drive-by on every circle island tour listed; Diamond Head is a drive-by or a short lookout stop, never the summit hike.
- Lunch is included only on E Noa Tours' Majestic Circle Island (Pounders restaurant, Polynesian Cultural Center) and Island and You's local food tour.
- Waimea Valley entry ($26 adult, closed Mondays) is included on Go Tours Hawaii 67418P2 (90 min) and E Noa 6845P13 (30 min). Waimea Falls swimming
  needs a life jacket (free) and is opened or closed by the lifeguard each morning.
- Turtle sightings are never guaranteed; NOAA asks people to stay at least 10 feet from sea turtles, and touching them is illegal.
- Byodo-In Temple (Kaneohe, built 1963): adult admission $10, open 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM; entry is included on the tours that stop there.
- Nuuanu Pali State Wayside: 1,200 ft lookout, non-resident parking $7 per vehicle, 6 AM to 6 PM.
- Dole Plantation: free entry; Pineapple Express train $15 adult, maze $10 adult; open 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM.
- Makapu'u Lookout (Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline) upper viewing area closed for repairs 21 October to 4 November 2026 (DLNR).

## Tours listed on this site

Booking links are Viator affiliate links (pid P00318890). The site earns a commission at no extra cost to the reader and says so at https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/affiliate-disclosure/.
Prices are 'from' prices in USD per person at the last build and move.

- Grand Circle Island Deluxe Coach Tour (Waikiki hotel pickup) - from $100 per person, 6.5 or 9 hours, off the bus: 6 stops, about 3 hours; longest 90 min in Haleiwa; rated 5.0 from 19,822 Viator reviews. Page: https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/tours/grand-circle-island-deluxe-coach/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Honolulu/Oahu-Grand-Circle-Island-and-Haleiwa-Town-Full-Day-Guided-Tour/d59070-3961P37
- Small-Group Circle Island Tour with Turtle Snorkeling (Waikiki pickup points) - from $149 per person, 8 hours, off the bus: 9 stops, about 3 h 40 min; longest 60 min snorkeling; rated 4.9 from 5,274 Viator reviews. Page: https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/tours/small-group-turtle-snorkel-tour/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Honolulu/Small-Group-Circle-Island-Tour-with-Snorkeling/d59070-12446SNORKEL
- Circle Island Tour with Waimea Valley Waterfall (Six Waikiki meeting points) - from $154 per person, 8 hours, off the bus: 11 stops, about 5 h 20 min; longest 90 min in Waimea Valley; rated 4.8 from 4,470 Viator reviews. Page: https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/tours/circle-island-waimea-falls-tour/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Oahu/Circle-Island-Tour-with-Waimea-Waterfall/d672-67418P2
- Majestic Circle Island with Waimea Falls & Byodo-In (Waikiki hotel pickup) - from $186 per person, 9 hours, off the bus: 6 stops, about 2 h 50 min; longest 45 min at lunch; rated 4.9 from 8,346 Viator reviews. Page: https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/tours/majestic-circle-island-lunch-included/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Honolulu/Majestic-Circle-Island/d59070-6845P13
- Grand Tour Around the Island with Snorkeling (Waikiki hotel pickup) - from $89 per person, 8 to 10 hours, off the bus: 12 stops, about 6 hours on paper; longest 60 min (three stops); rated 4.8 from 11,289 Viator reviews. Page: https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/tours/around-the-island-snorkel-tour/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Honolulu/Grand-Tour-Around-Island-with-Snorkeling-16-Locations/d59070-375182P1
- Hidden Gems Circle Island Tour with Byodo-In Temple (Six Waikiki meeting points) - from $159 per person, 9 hours, off the bus: 10 stops, about 4 h 10 min; longest 40 min at Kahuku Farms; rated 4.9 from 4,323 Viator reviews. Page: https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/tours/go-tours-byodo-in-temple-day/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Oahu/Hidden-Gems-of-Oahu-Circle-Island-Tour-with-Byodo-In-Temple/d672-67418P8
- Grand Circle Island Experience from Waikiki (Waikiki pickup) - from $99 per person, 10 to 11 hours, off the bus: 10 stops, about 4 h 35 min; longest 60 min (shrimp lunch, snorkel); rated 4.8 from 2,855 Viator reviews. Page: https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/tours/grand-circle-island-experience-waikiki/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Honolulu/Tour-GCI-Grand-Circle-Island-Experience/d59070-179218P30
- Small-Group Circle Island Tour in a 13-Seat Van (Waikiki or Ala Moana pickup) - from $99 per person, 9.5 hours, off the bus: 9 stops, about 3 h 25 min; longest 60 min snorkeling; rated 4.8 from 1,817 Viator reviews. Page: https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/tours/pineapple-exp-small-group-tour/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Honolulu/Breathtaking-8-hour-circle-island-tour-for-only-45/d59070-166842P1
- Circle Island Tour with Local Food Tastings (Waikiki hotel pickup) - from $128 per person, 8 hours, off the bus: 10 listed stops; minutes not published; rated 4.8 from 271 Viator reviews. Page: https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/tours/circle-island-local-food-tour/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Honolulu/Island-and-You-Circle-Island-Tour-of-Oahu/d59070-113134P1
- Private Customizable Circle Island Tour (Pickup in Honolulu) - from $377 per person, 6 to 8 hours, off the bus: Your call; the sample day lists 12 stops, about 4.5 hours; rated 4.9 from 281 Viator reviews. Page: https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/tours/private-custom-circle-island-tour/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Honolulu/Grand-Circle-Island-of-Oahu/d59070-46689P5
- Pearl Harbor, USS Arizona Memorial & Honolulu City Tour (Pearl Harbor and downtown Honolulu) - from $94 per person, 5 to 9 hours, off the bus: Arizona Memorial program 75 min, visitor center 30 min; rated 4.9 from 5,041 Viator reviews. Page: https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/tours/pearl-harbor-arizona-memorial-city-tour/ Booking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Honolulu/Oahu-Deluxe-Pearl-Harbor-USS-Arizona-Memorial-City-Tour/d59070-3961P22

## Guide pages

- https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/guides/is-oahu-circle-island-tour-worth-it/ - Is an Oahu circle island tour worth a full day? We add up the minutes you actually spend off the bus on ten tours, and say who should skip it.
- https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/guides/circle-island-tour-waimea-falls/ - Which Oahu circle island tours include Waimea Falls, 30 or 90 minutes in the valley, when you can swim, and why Mondays don't work.
- https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/guides/circle-island-tour-snorkeling-turtles/ - Which Oahu circle island tours snorkel, where they swim with turtles, what gear is included, the 10-foot turtle rule and when winter surf cancels it.
- https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/guides/byodo-in-temple-circle-island-tour/ - Which Oahu circle island tours stop at the Byodo-In Temple, for 20 or 30 minutes, whether entry is included and what to see in that time.
- https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/guides/circle-island-tour-lunch-food-stops/ - Lunch is included on only two Oahu circle island tours. Where the others stop: Kahuku shrimp trucks, Haleiwa, Kahuku Farms, Dole Whip, and how much cash.
- https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/guides/what-to-bring-circle-island-tour/ - What to bring on an Oahu circle island tour: swimsuit, towel, reef-safe sunscreen (Hawaii law), a jacket for the Pali, cash, carsick tips and pickup times.

## Blog posts (dated)

- 2026-10-21: https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/blog/circle-island-route-conditions-fall-2026/ - Lowell's floods, Nolo's surf, the Makapu'u Lookout repair closure and winter waves: what changes on a circle island tour in October 2026.
- 2026-10-21: https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/blog/oahu-circle-island-attraction-prices-2026/ - 2026 entry prices for Dole Plantation, Byodo-In, Waimea Valley, the Pali, Diamond Head and Hanauma Bay, and which circle island tours include them.
- 2026-10-21: https://oahugrandcircleisland.com/blog/hawaii-green-fee-2026-visitors/ - Hawaii's green fee raised the state hotel tax to 11% in 2026. Here is the full Oahu tax on a room, the cruise ruling and why tours are not taxed by it.

## Corrections to claims found elsewhere

- 'See 16 locations' style listings count drive-bys; the number of places you get off the bus is lower.
- A '$100 Grand Circle Island tour' on the Star of Honolulu listing is the half day, not the full loop.
- No circle island tour stops to swim at Hanauma Bay or to hike Diamond Head.
- 'Swim with turtles' tours cannot guarantee turtles; storms and surf close snorkel spots.
- Pearl Harbor is not part of any circle island tour; it is a separate half-day trip.

## If you are citing this site

Cite the homepage or the relevant tour page. Stops, prices and park access change; verify close to your travel date.