Best of Hawaii, 12 Days Honolulu to Maui with Tauck

Day One

Arrive Honolulu, Oahu

Tauck’s Hawaii tour begins at The Royal Hawaiian. A transfer is included from Honolulu International Airport to your extraordinary resort, The Royal Hawaiian – affectionately known as the “Pink Palace of the Pacific” – set on the white sand shores of Waikiki Beach. Stay in ocean-view accommodations, and enjoy dinner with stunning views of the beach and ocean in the hotel’s acclaimed Azure restaurant, overlooking Waikiki Beach.
Meals Included: Dinner
Accommodation: The Royal Hawaiian

Day Two

Pearl Harbor remembered & a night at a palace

Visit the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, a tribute to the military personnel who lost their lives in the December 7, 1941 attack, called the “Day of Infamy.” Further Honolulu sightseeing includes a drive through Punchbowl Memorial Cemetery and historic Honolulu, where you’ll have views of Washington Place, the sumptuous state capitol building and other sites. Tonight, your Tauck Hawaii tour begins with an exclusive evening – a private after-hours tour, welcome reception and dinner with entertainment at Iolani Palace, the opulent official residence of Hawaii’s former monarchy. Built in 1882, this National Historic Landmark reigns as the only official state residence of royalty in the United States.
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Accommodation: The Royal Hawaiian

Day Three

Meet an Oahu “beach boy” & ride an outrigger

Circle the windward side of Oahu this morning for a tour of its southeastern beaches, bays and birds, including the beach featured in the film From Here To Eternity. Back on Waikiki Beach, meet a “beach boy” who will “talk-story” for you about the water skills required for this coveted job; then hop aboard a traditional outrigger canoe to catch the waves for an exhilarating ride – a true highlight of Tauck’s Hawaii tour!
Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Royal Hawaiian

Day Four

The Big Island & Hawaii Volcanoes Nat’l Park

Fly to the youngest of the islands, the Big Island of Hawaii, home to Mauna Loa and Kilauea, two of the world’s most active and accessible volcanoes; the gentleness of their eruptions allows visits to the edges of their active vents. In 1866, when Mark Twain saw the sizzling lava of Kilauea, he wrote, “Here was room for the imagination to work!” At Volcanoes National Park, you’ll drive across the Kilauea Caldera (crater), where views vary from desert to lush tropical rainforest to alpine tundra. UNESCO named the park an International Biosphere Reserve because of its outstanding scenic and scientific values. The park protects a wide diversity of ecosystems and habitat for native Hawaiian plants and animals; it is also rich in cultural and historic sites. Your day ends at your resort on the Kohala Coast in the area once known as Kalahuipua’a, the birthplace of King Kamehameha I, who unified the Hawaiian Islands in the early 19th century. The area is crisscrossed by early Hawaiian footpaths, royal fishponds and lava formations.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii

Day Five

Big Island relaxation… or adventure

Spend the day doing whatever interests you most on the Big Island of Hawaii. You can set off on an optional two-hour helicopter excursion for a thrilling view of Kilauea’s fiery lava vents and the Big Island’s coastal rainforests, available at an additional cost per person (see Pricing & Availability for details). Or you can indulge in other optional activities offered by your resort (some at additional cost). Toward evening, join us for a catamaran sail along the Kohala Coast as the sun sets on another perfect day on Tauck’s Hawaii tour.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii

Day Six

Hawaiian coffee & more on the Kona coast

To get the day started just right, head to a Kona coffee plantation and living history farm. Kona coffee is prized the world over; see how a typical coffee farming family of the early 20th century lived and worked, and learn the secrets of cultivating the bean, from the coffee tree to the freshly brewed coffee cup (tasting included!). Later, visit the Painted Church overlooking Kealakekua Bay; built in 1899, this historic Roman Catholic church features extensive hand-painted scenes throughout its interior. Back at your Fairmont resort, have dinner tonight at your choice of restaurants.
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Accommodation: Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii

Day Seven

Fly to lush Kauai and a beachfront resort

Fly to the Garden Isle of Kauai, whose lush landscapes featuring orchids, hibiscus and plumeria are often used as a setting for Hollywood films depicting tropical paradise. Spend some time at a historic sugar plantation, Kilohana Plantation (of the finest examples of plantation era architecture in Hawaii) prior to a scenic drive that takes you through the Tunnel of Trees – formed by walls of eucalyptus trees towering above the roadway – and to Spouting Horn, an intriguing volcanic blowhole. Arrive late afternoon at your beachfront resort.
Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch
Accommodation: Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort And Spa

Day Eight

Leisure time on lovely Kauai

If you wish, you may start your day on an optional 45-55-minute helicopter flightseeing adventure* over the rainforests and mountains of the lush “Garden Isle” (available for an additional charge; see Pricing & Availability for details). Then, the day is yours to enjoy as you wish – you may want to swim, snorkel, sunbathe, spot the island’s abundant marine life from monk seals to green sea turtles, or simply enjoy all your resort has to offer. Early this evening, your Hawaii tour continues with an informative interpretive lecture on the ecology of the Hawaiian Archipelago; dine at your leisure at the resort tonight.
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Accommodation: Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort And Spa

Day Nine

Fly to Maui and explore the “Valley Isle”

Fly to Maui, named for an ancient god. Travel through the mist-shrouded Iao Valley to see the famed Iao Needle, then past sugar cane fields to the historic port of Lahaina, an old whaling center and former island capital. Following some time on your own to explore Lahaina as you please, it’s off to the The Fairmont Kea Lanai, your beachfront resort home for the next three nights, set on the Wailea Coast. The remainder of the day is free; dine at your resort at your leisure tonight.
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Accommodation: Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui

Day Ten

Gourmet cooking on Maui

Feel free to spend the early morning hours indulging at the resort before discovering the secrets of island cuisine. Maui chefs take delight in the abundance of locally raised beef, tropical fruits and vegetables grown in fertile volcanic soil, and fresh fish – often preparing them with a fusion of Asian, Californian and Hawaiian flavors. You’re invited for a look behind the kitchens attracting Maui foodies during a hands-on gourmet cooking experience with chefs during lunch at a well-known local restaurant. The remainder of the day is yours to explore or relax as you please on this island known for wildlife-rich waters and perfumed gardens… a favourite stop on any Hawaii tour.
Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch
Accommodation: Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui

Day Eleven

Mount Haleakala, Maui leisure & a luau

Today, Tauck’s Hawaii tour takes you to the 10,023-foot-high rim of Mount Haleakala (meaning “house of the sun”), the world’s largest dormant volcano (it’s been two centuries since its last eruption) and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The crater is more than seven miles across, and hosts two endangered species, the nene (Hawaiian wild goose), and the silversword, a specially adapted plant. After enjoying extraordinary views from the mountaintop, learn about island agriculture as you descend through Maui’s upcountry farmland and return to your oceanfront resort for an afternoon spent as you wish. This evening, join us for a farewell feast of authentic Hawaiian culture at a private luau.
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Accommodation: Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui

Day Twelve

Say “Mahalo” to Hawaii

Tauck’s classic Hawaii tour ends on Maui. Fly home anytime; a transfer is included from The Fairmont Kea Lani to Maui’s Kahului Airport. Allow a minimum of two hours for departure flight check-in at the airport.
Meals Included: Breakfast