Hawaii Turtle Tours · Waikiki
A full-day minibus loop by Hawaii Turtle Tours, with snorkel gear and a guide in the water at a North Shore beach where green sea turtles feed. Book it if an hour in the sea matters more to you than a temple or a waterfall.
Hawaii Turtle Tours builds the day around one long swim. After pickup the minibus gives the Diamond Head lookout 10 minutes and the Halona Blowhole 15, rolls past Sandy Beach and Makapu'u, then works up the windward side: 25 minutes cracking macadamias at Tropical Farms and 15 facing Mokoli'i. Lunch is a 45-minute stop at the Kahuku food stands (56-777 Kamehameha Hwy). Sunset Beach and the North Shore get 10 minutes each before the main event, a guided 60-minute snorkel. Dole Plantation, 30 minutes, closes the loop.
The caveats are printed on the listing. Turtles are not guaranteed; the company says so itself. Storms in August and September 2026 left the water murky, and guests report one day when the guide swapped the snorkel for an extra beach stop to see turtles on the sand, and another when they swam in cloudy water and still saw many. Food and drinks are extra. Green sea turtles are protected by state and federal law, and NOAA Fisheries asks everyone to stay at least 10 feet away and never touch them.
Groups top out at 28, and one July 2026 guest reports only ten on board. The company asks that guests have no heart problems or serious medical conditions, and the minibus is not wheelchair accessible. Season matters too: from roughly November to April big surf hits the North Shore, and rough days close snorkel spots there.
The company emails your pickup point and time once it knows your hotel. Points are spread to cover most of Waikiki.
Ten minutes at the Diamond Head lookout and 15 at the blowhole. Sandy Beach and Makapu'u go by the window.
Twenty-five minutes at Tropical Farms, then 15 at Kualoa with the islet offshore.
Forty-five minutes at the stands on Kamehameha Hwy: garlic shrimp, plate lunches, shave ice. You pay.
Quick stops at Sunset Beach and the North Shore, then 60 minutes in the water with the guide. Showers at the beach park.
Thirty minutes at Dole Plantation, then the drive back to Waikiki.
★★★★★Was an amazing day! Only 10 people on the tour so it truly is a small group which made it even better! [...] He helped make this day perfect!
★★★★★Nevin was a great tour guide and he was extremely knowledgeable. Water at the snorkeling area was a little murky but we saw many sea turtles.
★★★★★Unfortunately due to the recent storms the water was too cloudy to snorkel with the turtles but we did take an extra stop to get to see some on a very nice beach. Excellent tour guide and the lunch was delicious!
★★★★★What a great tour! We saw so many places and Raul the guide made the day lots of fun whilst sharing lots of facts and history.
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No. Hawaii Turtle Tours says it cannot guarantee sightings, and after the 2026 storms guests report murky water. The guide picks the beach the turtles use most; weather and surf decide the rest.
Yes. Bring your own swimsuit, towel and a change of dry clothes.
No. The bus stops 45 minutes at the food stands on Kamehameha Highway in Kahuku, where shrimp plates and shave ice are sold.
Up to 28 in an air-conditioned minibus. Guests report smaller groups on quiet days, down to ten.
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A small minibus loop with an hour of snorkeling at a North Shore turtle beach, gear included.
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