Oahu · SELF-GUIDED TOURS

The 15 Self-Guided Tours on Oahu That Earn Their Price

34 tours  ·  from $9 a head

A shortlist you could hand a friend at the airport: 15 self-guided tours worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.

Chief's Official Pearl Harbor Self-Guided Multimedia Tour - The Audio Stops and Their Limits
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Chief’s Official Pearl Harbor Self-Guided Multimedia Tour

1.Chief’s Official Pearl Harbor Self-Guided Multimedia Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 407 reviews · 1 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $9Our pick

Explore Pearl Harbor at your own pace with an affordable audio tour, free admission, and practical tips for the USS Arizona Memorial.

“This self-guided audio tour was disappointing and not worth the comparatively reasonable cost. At each tour stop you needed to add the three digit number corresponding to it. At least a third of the stops we’d enter the numbers only to see that no audio was available. Extremely frustrating. What should have been an awe-filled couple of hours were marred by the experience.”

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Self Guided Hike Trail to Nature Walk & Waterfall - From Waikiki into Manoa Valley
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Self guided Hike Trail to Nature Walk & Waterfall

2.Self guided Hike Trail to Nature Walk & Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 283 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $79

Hike lush Manoa Falls, learn about Oahu plants and history, then take in Waikiki and Diamond Head from Puʻu ʻUalakaʻa State Park.

“Gorgeous Hike! Beautiful. Our tour guide was sweet, kind, helpful and cautious. She talked WAY too loud (on microphone the entire time in small van) and WAY too much. She did not breathe. It took away some of the enjoyment of the trip. She had a lot of good info just WAY too much of it. No chance to engage and ask questions without interrupting.”

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Self-Guided Kayaking Discovery in Kailua, Oahu - Lanikai Beach is a better base than a quick stop
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Self-Guided Kayaking Discovery in Kailua, Oahu

Manoa Falls Rainforest & Self-Guided Hike - Walking Through the Eucalyptus Groves
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Manoa Falls Rainforest & Self-Guided Hike

4.Manoa Falls Rainforest & Self-Guided Hike

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 227 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $52

Hike through Oahu’s lush Manoa rainforest to a 150-foot waterfall with Waikiki pickup, water, bug spray, and a walking stick included.

“If you’re looking for a simple way to explore the Manoa rainforest without a formal guide, this self-guided tour does the trick. The rain was on and off, which is expected in a rainforest, and while the ground was a bit muddy, it was manageable with decent footwear. The trail was a little busy but offered a nice, relaxed hike through beautiful scenery. The transportation included a couple of quick points of interest: the driver noted Obama’s first job at Baskin Robbins and pointed out the hospital that issued his birth certificate on the way to the trailhead. From there, you’re free to hike at your own pace. The trail…”

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Diamond Head Official Self-Guided Narrated Audio Tour - Before the trail: secure the right Diamond Head reservation
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Diamond Head Official Self-Guided Narrated Audio Tour

5.Diamond Head Official Self-Guided Narrated Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 212 reviews · 1 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $8Best value

Review of Diamond Head’s $8.99 narrated audio hike, with practical advice on entry tickets, parking, timing, value, and summit views.

“We were headed up to Diamond head and heard we needed tickets for entry. We thought this was it- it was not. You buy Diamond head tickets right from their site. We are going back but this tour was worthless because we couldn’t get I . I know it was part my error for not reading g carefully but it felt deceptive. I inquired about a refund but h e not checked email to see if I have received one. We haven’t used the your because we were t able to enter.”

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Pearl Harbor Self-Guided Multimedia and Virtual Reality Tours - Starting at Pearl Harbor Visitor Center
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Pearl Harbor Self-Guided Multimedia and Virtual Reality Tours

6.Pearl Harbor Self-Guided Multimedia and Virtual Reality Tours

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 67 reviews · 1 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $20

Explore Pearl Harbor at your own pace with survivor stories, a multimedia tour, and one of four virtual reality experiences.

“Maybe it was my rush to get tickets on short notice, but this tour does NOT include the boat trip out to the actual memorial (the site of the USS Arizona itself.) I have no idea what the tour actually includes but when I was told we wouldn't be able to view the actual memorial we simply didn't go and I ate the $32 tickets. I'm sure this comes down to an issue of not reading the fine print, but all we wanted was to visit an important, world-famous memorial an not an on-shore virtual reality "tour."”

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Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum Ticket with Audio Tour and Shuttle - Aircraft from Pearl Harbor, Midway, and the Korean War
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Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum Ticket with Audio Tour and Shuttle

7.Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum Ticket with Audio Tour and Shuttle

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 58 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $29

Explore Pearl Harbor’s surviving hangars, wartime aircraft, MiG Alley, attack footage, and an audio tour with Ford Island shuttle access.

“The information about the outing was vague. We did not know where we were to go and was under the impression someone was to meet us as a group tour since there was a scheduled time to be there.”

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Mokolii Island Self Guided Kayak Tour - Getting from the road to the ocean
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Mokolii Island Self Guided Kayak Tour

8.Mokolii Island Self Guided Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 40 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $82

Paddle from Kualoa Regional Park to Mokoliʻi Island, hike its shoreline, and enjoy a flexible self-guided Oahu adventure with included gear.

“Super easy transfer from shop to beach, it was great! Rob was super helpful with getting the kayak strapped to the top of our convertible.”

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Oahu Grand Circle Island Audio Driving Tour - Mokoli’i Island and the east-coast views
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Oahu Grand Circle Island Audio Driving Tour

9.Oahu Grand Circle Island Audio Driving Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 37 reviews · 8 to 10 hours (approx.)

Explore Oahu by car with GPS audio stories, beaches, temples, surf spots, farms, Haleiwa, and flexible stops for one low group price.

“Being used to having a car, driver and guide to get the most of our touring, this travel guide delivered an awesome experience. Easy to use and very informative and interesting. We visited sights and locations we would have totally missed without the guide.”

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Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour in Oahu Hawaii - Hanauma Bay and the Southeast Coast
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Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour in Oahu Hawaii

10.Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour in Oahu Hawaii

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 30 reviews · 15 to 16 hours (approx.)

Explore Oahu at your own pace with offline GPS audio, local stories, scenic beaches, Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, and more for $19.99 per car group.

“This tour was excellent. Besides history it gave you info on stops and let you decide whether or not to stop. We had to cut the time on the tour short and we were able to stop where we wanted and what to skip. It followed the route perfectly. Just a side note, so there was an emergency on the route and they closed the road we had to turn around and go back the way we came (regrettably Murphy's law) and listened to the the tour twice. The info was accurate historically and presently.”

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Amazing Oahu Adventure Bundle: 6 Self-Guided Audio Tours - Day one: temples, the Windward Coast, and the North Shore
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Amazing Oahu Adventure Bundle: 6 Self-Guided Audio Tours

11.Amazing Oahu Adventure Bundle: 6 Self-Guided Audio Tours

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 25 reviews · 4 days (approx.)

Explore Oahu by car with six offline audio tours covering Pearl Harbor, the North Shore, beaches, temples, hikes, and local food stops.

“The guide was easy to stop and restart on another point or at last point. It REALLY gave us guide to places that we had not been before. We lived in Oahu LONG time ago and this was great for us to just follow at our own pace and not have to get on a tour. The information given was great. Funny at times.”

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Oahu: Kaneohe Self-Guided Sandbar Kayaking Experience - Picking up the kayak in Kailua
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Oahu: Kaneohe Self-Guided Sandbar Kayaking Experience

12.Kaneohe Self-Guided Sandbar Kayaking Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 17 reviews · 4 hours - 570 minutes · from $96

Kayak Kaneohe Bay to its famous sandbar, snorkel by coral reefs, and enjoy Ko'olau Mountain views on this self-guided Oahu outing.

“100% worth it every penny for every moment was fantastic! We saw a majestic turtle near the sandbar and the reefs were full of life! Loved it! The gentleman the works there was very courteous and knowledgeable.”

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Half-Day Kaneohe Bay Sandbar Self-Guided Kayaking Experience - Starting at He’eia Kea Boat Harbor
Canoes & Kayaks, Guided, Half-Day, Kayaking Tours, Sandbar & Bay Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews, Windward Oahu Tours

Half-Day Kaneohe Bay Sandbar Self-Guided Kayaking Experience

Best Oahu Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour: Beaches, History & More - Pearl Harbor and Honolulu set the tone
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Best Oahu Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour: Beaches, History & More

Oahu's North Shore Self-Guided Audio Tour - Haleiwa sets the North Shore mood
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Oahu’s North Shore Self-Guided Audio Tour

15.Oahu’s North Shore Self-Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 9 reviews · 8 to 10 hours (approx.)

Explore Oahu’s North Shore by car with GPS audio stories, beaches, shave ice, shrimp trucks, sea turtles, and flexible stops for one low group price.

“Wow - this really didn't read clearly to me and I paid for 5 "island tours" not realising they were audio tours and i couldve just got 1. Bit peeved tbh”

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