Compare Best of Hawaii Four Island Tour by YMT Vacations vs California Panorama by Omega Tours

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: LOS ANGELES ARRIVAL

Arrive at Los Angeles International Airport and transfer independently to the hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Accommodation at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport, Los Angeles, or similar

DAY 2: LOS ANGELES > MOJAVE DESERT > LAS VEGAS

Meet your Tour Director and depart for Las Vegas, the glittering “Entertainment Capital of the World,” for non-stop fun, gambling, and world-class entertainment. Your tour stops at the iconic Las Vegas Welcome Sign where you may wish to capture your photo memory of Las Vegas.

Accommodation at the Luxor Las Vegas, Las Vegas, or similar

DAY 3: LAS VEGAS > DEATH VALLEY > MAMMOTH LAKES/FRESNO

Having enjoyed glamorous Las Vegas, it will be a sharp contrast this afternoon to enter the quiet and extreme environment of Death Valley. Stop at Zabriskie Point and Furnace Creek Ranch/Visitors Center before continuing across the valley and ascending the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the alpine resort town of Mammoth Lakes. The area gained prominence as a gold mining town in the 19th century and today is renowned for its superior skiing terrain and staggeringly beautiful mountain vistas.

Important note: Winter Routing The Tioga Pass may be closed due to weather or road conditions, in which case you will overnight in Fresno or Visalia and a visit to Mammoth Lakes will not be possible (winter routing applies to all departures between October and May under normal snow conditions).

Accommodation at the Mammoth Mountain Inn, Mammoth Lakes, or Piccadilly Inn, Fresno

DAY 4: MAMMOTH/FRESNO > YOSEMITE > MODESTO

Your journey today brings you to the Tioga Pass (please see important note on day 3) into the scenic wonderland of Yosemite National Park. Here, you will experience the valley floor and its splendors including the glacial-shaped granite formations of El Capitan, Half Dome, the magnificent Bridal Falls, and Yosemite Falls. Overnight in Modesto.

Accommodation at the Doubletree by Hilton Modesto, Modesto, or similar

DAY 5: MODESTO > SAN FRANCISCO

Depart early this morning to arrive in San Francisco, one of the most beloved cities in America. Enjoy a comprehensive sightseeing tour before arriving at your hotel. This evening take a memorable City by Night Tour (optional).

Accommodation at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square, San Francisco, or similar

DAY 6: SAN FRANCISCO (NAPA VALLEY OPTIONAL)

Day at leisure! Your Tour Director is on hand to assist with making your plans for the day: perhaps a cable car ride to Fisherman’s Wharf where one may enjoy a “Taste of San Francisco”: local seafood, famous sourdough bread, or decadent Ghiradelli’s Chocolate. Or take a stroll by Sea Lions’ Marina to watch them frolic.

Be sure to gaze across the bay to Alcatraz Island where “America’s Most Wanted” such as Al Capone and ”Machine Gun” Kelly were incarcerated. Or visit Union Square for a shopping stop at Macy’s Department Store. You also may choose to embark on a wine-tasting tour to Napa Valley, world-renowned for its fine wineries and beautiful scenery (optional).

Accommodation at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square, San Francisco, or similar

DAY 7: SAN FRANCISCO > MONTEREY/ CARMEL > CENTRAL COAST

Depart San Francisco this morning for the drive to the Monterey Peninsula, known for its magnificent homes and lovely beaches. In Monterey, visit Fisherman’s Wharf and famous Cannery Row Then tour charming Carmel-by-the-Sea, noted for its quaint houses, upscale art galleries, and unique stores. In the afternoon your tour continues through Paso Robles, home of fine wineries. Overnight in a quaint Central California Coast town.

Accommodation at the Radisson Santa Maria, Central Coast, or similar

DAY 8: CENTRAL COAST > SANTA BARBARA > SANTA MONICA > LOS ANGELES DEPARTURE

Journey south through the Santa Ynez Valley into Santa Barbara where palm-lined walkways border white sandy beaches. Upon arrival in Los Angeles, an orientation tour commences to include Hollywood, portions of Beverly Hills, and Century City before arriving in Santa Monica, home to the finish line of Historic Route 66, where you may enjoy an optional lunch on the pier before departure or arriving at your hotel.