Compare America's Historic East by Tours4Fun vs Hawaii: Ocean and Islands Adventure by Discover Corps

Day 1 ARRIVE IN WASHINGTON DC

Welcome to Washington DC! At 6 pm, meet with your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome drink.

Day 2 WASHINGTON DC. EXCURSION TO MOUNT VERNON

WASHINGTON DC Sightseeing with a Local Guide includes the Lincoln, Vietnam, and Korean War Veterans Memorials, and photo stops at the White House and Capitol Hill. Free time this evening.
MOUNT VERNON Guided tour of George Washington's estate and gardens. (B)

ENHANCE YOUR FREE TIME in Washington DC with dinner at a popular local restaurant and illumination tour of the monuments. This and more options throughout your tour are available for purchase with MyGlobus. Get local maps and tips for free time on your GlobusGO mobile app.

Day 3 WASHINGTON DC - FREDERICKSBURG - YORKTOWN - WILLIAMSBURG

FREDERICKSBURG Orientation tour and free time to explore.
YORKTOWN Visit Yorktown Battlefield Park.
WILLIAMSBURG Free time this evening. (B)

Day 4 WILLIAMSBURG. EXCURSION TO JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT

WILLIAMSBURG [LF] Private performance by historian Sylvia Tabb-Lee. Tour Jamestown Settlement with a Local Guide. Return to Colonial Williamsburg Historic Park for an orientation walk followed by free time this afternoon. Colonial-style dinner at a historic tavern this evening. (B,D)

Day 5 WILLIAMSBURG - RICHMOND - MONTICELLO - STAUNTON

RICHMOND Tour St. John's Church with a Local Guide.
MONTICELLO Guided tour of Thomas Jefferson's estate.
STAUNTON Free time this evening. (B)

Day 6 STAUNTON - SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK

STAUNTON Visit the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library. Scenic drive to Shenandoah National Park.
SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK Photo stops on Skyline Drive. (B,D)

Day 7 SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK - HARPERS FERRY - GETTYSBURG

HARPERS FERRY Visit Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.
GETTYSBURG History tour with a Local Guide at Gettysburg National Military Park. See the iconic Cyclorama, film, and the museum at the Visitor Center. Colonial-style candlelit dinner at [LF] Dobbin House Tavern, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the oldest building in Gettysburg. (B,D)

Day 8 GETTYSBURG - VALLEY FORGE NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK - PHILADELPHIA

GETTYSBURG [LF] Private Ulysses S. Grant presentation. Scenic drive through Lancaster County en route to Valley Forge.
VALLEY FORGE NATIONAL PARK Tour Washington's campsite.
PHILADELPHIA Farewell dinner on the Moshulu tall ship. (B,D)

Day 9 PHILADELPHIA

PHILADELPHIA Guided sightseeing to see the "City of Brotherly Love" famed historic treasures, including the Liberty Bell. Your vacation ends with a motorcoach drop at the Philadelphia International Airport or Washington DC tour hotel for those with post-nights. Schedule departing flights from Philadelphia International Airport after 1:30 pm. (B)

Day 1: Arrive in Honolulu and Meet the Group

Meals: Dinner

Upon arrival in Hawaii’s capital, Honolulu, you’ll be be met at the airport and taken to your hotel just steps from the world famous Waikiki beaches. After a relaxing welcome dinner together, we’ll get to know one another and discuss the schedule for the week ahead.

Day 2: Journey to Oahu’s North Shore & Experience the Aloha Spirit

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast, we’ll set out for Hawaii’s iconic North Shore, famous for its big waves and stunning landscapes. Spend the morning in the historic Waimea Valley with a local organization helping to preserve the valley’s cultural heritage and rainforests. Assist with a reforestation initiative, swim in waterfalls, and see why the ancient Hawaiians deemed the valley sacred centuries ago. In the afternoon, we’ll continue to Na Mea Kupono, an eco-farm that is home to Hawaii’s staple crop, taro. We’ll be hosted by this local family for a Hawaiin-style paina, or gathering, for our dinner as we learn more about their role in farming on the island.

Day 3: Climb Diamond Head & Sail out to Sea on a Catamaran

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Hawaii’s South Shore is crowned by the now extinct Diamond Head volcano. We’ll take a hike this morning to the top of the rim to get a panoramic view of Waikiki from above. For those who opt not to hike, we’ll have the option to visit the Bishop Museum, home of the royal Kamehameha family and now housing an array of artifacts covering Hawaii’s vast Polynesian heritage. After lunch in Waikiki, we’ll hit the sea on a catamaran ride over the turquoise Pacific waters.

Day 4: Fly to Maui & Explore the Tropical‘Iao Valley State Park

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Enjoy a free morning to explore Waikiki. Head to the beach for a surf lesson with the Waikiki beach boys, check out the area’s cafes and shops or simply relax on white sand beaches only steps from your hotel. We’ll take a short mid-day flight across the Hawaiian archipelago to the Valley Isle of Maui. After landing, we’ll head over to the towering emerald peaks of the ‘Iao Valley on Central Maui for a guided hike of the state park. A location revered by the ancient Hawaiians, the valley also served as the site of one of Hawaii’s most important battles as King Kamehameha I tried to unite the islands in the 1700’s. Later in the evening, unwind at our Kaanapali beachfront hotel.

Day 5: Snorkel off Lana’i & Lend a Hand Protecting Sea Turtles

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

We’ll have an early breakfast before cruising to the scenic coastline of Lana'i island with the Pacific Whale Foundation. Spend the morning with breakfast on the boat (expect large boat with other travelers) and then 1.5 hours of snorkeling. Scout for wild dolphins, including acrobatic spinner dolphins, friendly bottlenose dolphins, and curious spotted dolphins. Conservationists from the Foundation will narrate your journey and take about everything from whale migration to plastics in the ocean to reef health.

We’ll return to Maui and, after lunch, spend our first afternoon volunteering alongside the Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute. Home to one of Hawaii’s largest sea turtle rescues and land based coral nurseries, we’ll join their staff on beach and marine debris cleanu , specifically collecting coral fragments. Take these pieces of coral back to the research center and aid in cutting them into smaller pieces to be grown at the center for a period of 8 months - something that would take the reef 20 years to regenerate! This coral is eventually placed back into the reef to bring back areas that are dead or dying.

Day 6: Maui Ocean Center Volunteering & Farewell Luau

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast, we’ll spend another morning helping the conservation team at the Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute. On Maui and other Hawaiian islands, sea turtles are being threatened as their habitat is increasingly depleted. Green turtle populations are being impacted by events such as the 2018 hurricane that washed out the most important nesting beach for this species in the entire archipelago. We’ll continue to lend a hand on our projects while learning about some of the initiatives in place to preserve the fragile ecosystem both on land and underwater, including going out with the team to find turtles and tag them for research purposes.

Later in the afternoon, we’ll head back to the hotel where you’ll have some free time to enjoy the beach, swim in the ocean or venture into the coastal town of Lahaina. Tonight, we’ll enjoy a special farewell dinner together along with a traditional island luau.

Day 7: Depart Maui or Continue on for the Post-Trip Extension

Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and check-out of your rooms. The rest of the day is free to relax at the beach or explore nearby Lahaina until your flight home, or continue on to our optional post-trip extension along the gorgeous road to Hana.