Compare Best of Hawaii Four Island Tour by YMT Vacations vs Hawaii with Oahu & Maui, Small Group, 2022 Small Group by Insight Vacations

Day 1

Fly to Hawaii

Guests arriving in Honolulu who have made their flight arrangements with YMT Vacations will meet a YMT representative in the baggage claim area for a warm aloha welcome with a beautiful flower lei, and transfer to the hotel.

✦ Ohana Waikiki East, Waikiki

Day 2

Oahu

This morning meet your fellow travelers at the Guest Welcome meeting in the hotel. After the Guest Welcome, we take the included Pearl Harbor and Honolulu city tour. We head first to Pearl Harbor where we take a Navy launch out to the USS Arizona Memorial. You’ll have time to explore the visitor center, view the 23 minute film and view the exhibits in museums before we head off to see the sights of Honolulu. Set in a dormant volcano, we also visit Punchbowl Crater where we take a slow drive through the National Cemetery of the Pacific before continuing onto downtown Honolulu. Here you’ll see the State Capitol and Iolani Palace, which you may recognize as the Police HQ in the new Hawaii Five-0 TV show.

✦ Ohana Waikiki East, Waikiki

Day 3

Oahu

Leisure day – Enjoy another day in paradise from your centrally located Waikiki hotel, where you are perfectly positioned just a few minutes’ walk from famous Waikiki Beach and the shopping on Kalakaua Avenue. Over the next couple of days your Tour Director will be organizing a variety of optional tours throughout your stay and here on Oahu.

✦ Ohana Waikiki East, Waikiki

Day 4

Oahu

Leisure day – during your stay in Waikiki, why not visit the Hawaii Army Museum, a museum that tells the military story of Hawaii, from ancient times to the Gulf War and the War in Iraq? Admission is free.

✦ Ohana Waikiki East, Waikiki

Day 5

Kauai

This morning we fly to Kauai. This tropical island paradise is known as the “Garden Isle” because of its daily rainbows, lush forests, majestic mountains and emerald valleys. Upon arrival we visit the magnificent Opaekaa Falls before heading to the Wailua River Marina, from where we will take a leisurely boat cruise along the beautiful Wailua River to the amazingly tropical and romantic Fern Grotto.

✦ Hotel Aqua Kauai Shores

Day 6

Kauai

Leisure day – It’s no wonder that an impressive list of Hollywood productions have used this emerald island as a setting, including Jurassic Park, South Pacific, and Fantasy Island. Kauai is the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands and it is here that you will find tropical rain forests, forking rivers and cascading waterfalls.

✦ Hotel Aqua Kauai Shores

Day 7

Kauai

Leisure day – If ever there is a place to have an experience of a lifetime it’s here on Kauai! Take a spectacular optional helicopter sightseeing flight, where you’ll circle the entire island and see spectacular scenery, waterfalls and the stunning Napali coastline.

✦ Hotel Aqua Kauai Shores

Day 8

Maui

This morning we fly to the island of Maui where your sightseeing tour includes a visit to the stunning Iao Valley. We stop at the Iao Needle Lookout Trail, a paved loop trail through an ethnobotanical garden. You’ll also get the opportunity to explore the small town of Lahaina, the picturesque old whaling capital of the Pacific, which looks much today as it did at the turn of the century.

✦ Kaanapali Beach Hotel

Day 9

Maui

Leisure day - Kaanapali is one of the best beaches in Hawaii and between the months of December and April you’ll see whales swimming just offshore – an amazing sight.

✦ Kaanapali Beach Hotel

Day 10

Hawaii (Big Island)

This morning we fly to Hilo on the Island of Hawaii (the Big Island). Today we travel across the island on a full day tour from Hilo en route to Kona. First, we make two short stops at a Macadamia nut factory and an orchid nursery, both important exports from Hawaii, then we head off for one of the main highlights of the whole tour. Ascend the rugged countryside to Volcanoes National Park to see a real, smoking and steaming volcano as you look across the Kilauea Caldera. We also visit the Jaggar Museum and visitor center to learn all about the geology and history of the volcano. Next,  you’ll visit and walk through Thurston’s Lava Tube (involves steps and uneven ground). We then depart to Punaluu Black Sand Volcanic Beach and on to Kona.

✦ Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel

Day 11

Hawaii (Big Island)

Leisure day – nearing the end of your stay in Hawaii today, you can relax by the beach or stroll along the bay to explore the quaint waterfront old town of Kona.

✦ Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel

Day 12

Hawaii (Big Island)

Leisure day – enjoy the hotel amenities and relaxed pace of this town on your last full day.

✦ Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel

Day 13

Depart for Home

Transfer to Kona airport for your journey home. Please note: Due to the available flight times for the Mainland, and the time zone changes, guests should expect to arrive to their final destination the next day.

Note: If you are arranging your own flights to Hawaii, you must arrange your arrival flight to Honolulu airport and your departure flight from Kona airport on the island of Hawaii.

*or similar accommodations.

Please note that this is a proposed itinerary; the actual itinerary may vary due to season, special events, or weather. Because our tour arrangements are often made a year or more in advance, YMT Vacations reserves the right to alter the itinerary. Itinerary changes are made to improve your vacation experience, as well as respond to any unforeseen circumstances that mandate alterations. By their nature, all tour vacations involve a certain level of physical activity. While YMT tours have been designed with our guests in mind and are not physically demanding, this tour does include walking and periods of standing during the sightseeing visits. You will also encounter steps and some uneven ground along the way, particularly at older, historical sights.

Day 1: Aloha Hawaii

After your arrival at Honolulu Airport, the traditional lei greeting kicks off your Hawaii vacation. You are transferred to your oceanfront resort in Waikiki. The hotel was the setting for Blue Hawaii, Elvis Presley’s 1961 movie and it is the birthplace of the legendary cocktail of the same name.  Tonight, join your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Dinner with the Pacific Ocean as your backdrop.

Day 2: Pearl Harbour

Skip the line as you visit the Pearl Harbour National Memorial commemorating the tragic day of December 7th 1941. Walk through the Visitor Centre and take a short boat ride to the USS Arizona Memorial, the final resting place of 1,102 sailors and marines. Listen to the moving and award-winning audio guide and recount the events that led the US to join World War II.  From here head to the Punchbowl National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. It honours all those who served in the US Armed Forces and lost their lives during WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Return to Waikiki and spend the rest of your day at leisure.

Day 3: A trip around Oahu

Set out to explore Oahu on an exciting island tour. Take in the epic views from Pali Lookout towards the Kaneohe Bay and the Windward Coast. The valley below was the scene of a bloody battle in 1795 when King Kamehameha I extended his rule over the island with an army of 10,000 men.  Journey beneath the towering Ko’olau Cliffs and along the rugged coastline. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you join an eco-tour with your Local Expert in the Hawaiian Legacy Forest and plant a native Milo tree contributing to the healing of the local ecosystem.Delve into an al fresco, sustainably sourced Farm-to-Table lunch while enjoying epic views of the North Shore.Continue to Sunset Beach where in the winter months waves can reach 30ft making it a favourite spot among big wave surfers worldwide. Visit Haleiwa, the social and artistic hub of the North Shore. Grab some shaved ice and stroll among small boutiques and plantation-era buildings to soak up the laid-back ambiance. Finally, return to Waikiki after your eventful day and enjoy your evening at leisure.

Day 4: Maui, the Valley Isle

Take a short flight to Kahului on Maui. This slice of Hawaiian island paradise offers magnificent nature and a wide variety of activities. Visit the awe-inspiring Iao Valley State Park and see the 1,200-foot landmark Iao Needle. This green-mantled rock outcropping overlooks sacred lands and was used as a burial site for Hawaii’s chiefs for centuries.  Journey to Lahaina, once a busy whaling port and plantation settlement. Join your Travel Director for a walk through the Historic District before continuing to your oceanfront resort.In the evening you are invited to choose your own dining experience from a selection of restaurants for your Dine-Around Evening. Your options include a magical evening at the Wailele Luau for a taste of traditional Polynesian cuisine, dance and storytelling, or one of the resort’s other acclaimed restaurants.

Day 5: Upcountry Maui Relaxed Start

Stroll along Kaanapali Beach and lay by the pool or shop in the boutiques of Whaler’s Village. Later this morning, head to Upcountry Maui and discover a different face of the island. Indulge in a Farm-to-Table lunch at the Hali’imaile General Store. Originally a plantation shop in the early 20th century, the restaurant is known for its outstanding island cuisine. At its peak, Hawaii produced 75% of the world’s pineapples and the tropical fruit became a symbol for the state. Visit one of the last working pineapple farms with a fun and knowledgeable Local Expert. Discover the deep impact these plantations had on the islands and sample some of the extra sweet Maui Gold variant. Return to your resort and spend the evening at your leisure.

Day 6: Insight Choice in Maui

Explore Maui with Insight Choice. Choose to visit the Haleakalā National Park offering an astonishing volcanic landscape. Hear the Hawaiian legends about the dormant volcano and see the unique Haleakalā Silversword plant. Alternatively, set sail to the crescent shaped Molokini island for a memorable snorkelling trip. Marvel at the colourful tropical fish and enjoy a light lunch on board.  Tonight, get together with your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Celebration Dinner. Toast to your fantastic Hawaiian holiday.

Day 7: Depart Maui.

You are transferred to Kahului Airport as your vacation comes to an end.