Best of Hawaii

BEST OF HAWAII
12 DAYS FROM $3,740 US
Details below or click here for more information INQUIRY FORM
Phone: 1-888-682-6449/1-303-670-5640
Fax: (425) 984-7676

This four-island Hawaii vacation package incorporates natural and historical sights, exclusive cultural experiences, and free days to pursue your own passions on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island of Hawaii. Stay at some of the Pacific's finest oceanfront resorts; view the biggest dormant volcano in the world; experience one of the most poignant chapters of World War II history at the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor; visit the whaling town of Lahaina; enjoy "talk-story" from a beach boy and an outrigger ride along Waikiki Beach; attend a traditional luau on Maui, and a private evening with dinner at Honolulu's renowned Iolani Palace!

Day 1 - Aloha Honolulu
Hawaii vacation package 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 your choice of garden or oceanfront accommodations (see Prices for details), and enjoy dinner in the hotel's new Azure restaurant, overlooking Waikiki Beach.

Meals: Dinner
Lodging: The Royal Hawaiian (Historic Garden Rooms or Tower Oceanfront Rooms), Waikiki Beach, Oahu

Day 2 - Memories of Pearl Harbor & 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 Washington Place, and the sumptuous state capitol building. Tonight, Tauck welcomes you to our ultimate Hawaii vacation package with an exclusive evening at Honolulu's Iolani Palace, a National Historic Landmark built in 1882, complete with cocktails and dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: The Royal Hawaiian (Historic Garden Rooms or Tower Oceanfront Rooms), Waikiki Beach, Oahu

Day 3 - A morning on Waikiki and Honolulu at leisure
Kick off the day on Waikiki Beach when you meet a "beach boy" who will "talk-story" for you, then take a ride in Waikiki's celebrated surf aboard a traditional outrigger canoe. This afternoon we'll circle the windward side of Oahu for a tour of its southeastern beaches, bays and birds.

Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: The Royal Hawaiian (Historic Garden Rooms or Tower Oceanfront Rooms), Waikiki Beach, Oahu

Day 4 - Natural wonders of Kauai
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. Have lunch amidst scenic views of Hanalei Bay in Princeville, before seeing a parade of natural island wonders. See thundering Opaekaa Falls, Spouting Horn, a fascinating volcanic blowhole, and pass through the Tunnel of Trees - formed by walls of eucalyptus trees towering above the roadway - en route to your beachfront resort.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Lodging: Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa (Ocean-View Rooms), Koloa, Kauai

Day 5 - Ecological discoveries and leisure time on Kauai
Start your day on an optional 30-minute helicopter flightseeing adventure over the rainforests and mountains of the lush "Garden Isle" (available for an additional charge of $240 per person; see Available Tour Options for details). 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. Your Hawaii vacation package continues with an ecology lecture on the ecology of the Hawaiian Archipelago. Dine à la carte at your hotel tonight.

Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa (Ocean-View Rooms), Koloa, Kauai

Day 6 - Explore Maui, the "Valley Isle"
Fly to Maui, named for an ancient god, and have your camera at the ready as you travel through the mist-shrouded Iao Valley. Visit the historic port of Lahaina, an old whaling center and former island capital, with time to explore as you please. Ocean-view rooms offering Pacific vistas await at your resort home for the next three nights, set amidst 40 lush acres on Kaanapali Beach. Join us for an interpretive walk on hotel grounds this afternoon and enjoy a tour of the night sky with a local expert tonight!

Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa (Ocean-View Rooms), Lahaina, Maui

Day 7 - Gourmet cooking on Maui
Spend the morning indulging in the natural beauty of Maui before learning how to prepare Hawaiian fusion-style cuisine at the award-winning Roy's of Kahana restaurant. The remainder of the day is at your leisure.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Lodging: Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa (Ocean-View Rooms), Lahaina, Maui

Day 8 - Impressive Mount Haleakala
This Hawaii vacation package highlights include a journey to the 10,023-foot-high rim of Mount Haleakala, the world's largest dormant volcano 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 on Kaanapali Beach. This evening, learn about Hawaiian culture at a luau featuring traditional food, music, and dance, surrounded by tiki torches and swaying palm trees.

Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa (Ocean-View Rooms), Lahaina, Maui

Day 9 - The Big Island and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Fly to the Big Island of Hawaii, and explore Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It showcases Mauna Loa, the most massive mountain on earth, and Kilauea, which has been erupting almost continually since 1983, producing rivers of fiery lava. Walk through the astounding volcanic terrain, exploring geological features from craters to lava tubes. Then travel along the stunning Hamakua shoreline to your renowned luxury resort - The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, nestled on 32 oceanfront acres along the Big Island's famous Kohala Coast - for a three-night stay.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, Kohala Coast, Big Island

Day 10 - Big Island relaxation - or adventure - as you choose
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 of $405 per person (see Available Tour Options). Or you can indulge in other optional activities offered by your resort (at additional cost) such as tennis, a round (or two) of golf on a 36-hole championship course, or a world-class spa treatment.

Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, Kohala Coast, Big Island

Day 11 - History of Old Hawaii
Guided sightseeing today takes you to Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, renowned as a place of sanctuary and refuge for ancient Hawaiians, and the nearby Painted Church. Later, enjoy free time in the harborside town of Kailua-Kona - once home to Hawaiian royalty - and explore the Kona Coast as you wish. This evening, your enriching four-island Hawaii vacation package concludes as you share memories with your fellow travelers at tonight's farewell reception and dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, Kohala Coast, Big Island

Day 12 - Mahalo Hawaii
Your Hawaiian vacation package ends on the Big Island. Fly home anytime; a transfer is included from The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, to Kailua-Kona International Airport. Allow a minimum of two hours for departure flight check-in at the airport.

Meals: Breakfast

INCLUSIONS

Tour prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All hotel accommodations, motor coach transportation, sightseeing, admissions, porterage, and the services of the Tour Director, local guides and drivers are included. A representative will meet you at Honolulu Airport on the island of Oahu and provide transportation to The Royal Hawaiian hotel, regardless of the day and time of your arrival, provided you have furnished us with accurate flight arrival information at least two weeks prior to your departure date. At the end of the tour, you will be provided with transportation from The Fairmont Orchid on the island of Hawaii to the KaIlua-Kona International Airport.

Hotel Accommodations - The tour price includes all hotel acommodations with private baths. Most reserved rooms accommodate two guests in two separate beds. Triple accommodations are generally two-bedded rooms with a rollaway cot and are not recommended for comfort.

Meals – Most meals are included as specified in the itinerary.

Tour Director – Best of Hawaii is conducted by a Tour Director who will remain with the group throughout the tour. Your Tour Director is a professional, fully trained employee of the Tour Operator.

Gratuities Included – All customary gratuities for the hotel and restaurant staff, and local guides and drivers are included.

No Options Sold – Your Tour Director will assist you with information on free-time activities based on honest opinion and guidance, but will not sell you anything. This means better value and a more relaxed and pleasant experience for you.

On Tour Air

Airfare While on Tour – Three on-tour flights must be purchased through us as part of your tour package. All inter-island flights are operated by Hawaiian Airlines which operates a fleet of new Boeing 717 Jet aircraft. Inter-island air schedules change frequently. Hawaiian Airlines often flies to each island with a stopover in Honolulu. This stopover may range in time from a simple touch down to board new passengers to up to an hour and a half.

Not Included

Airfare to the tour departure point and from the tour ending point is not included. Airfare may be purchased from us for travel originating in the United States.

Hotel Rooms Before and After Tours – To avoid jet lag and possible flight delays, you may wish to make hotel arrangements for the nights preceding or following your tour. As a service, we will book additional nights for you on a space-available basis using special rates only available through us. Hotel room charges will be added to the tour cost. If you wish to spend additional nights, please consult the Extend This Journey section on this website and discuss it with the reservations agent when you book your tour.

Luggage Responsibility – Although every effort is made to handle your luggage carefully, we cannot be responsible, assume liability or accept claims for loss or damage to luggage and personal effects due to breakage, theft, or fair wear and tear through hotel, airline and group carrier handling. It is important for your own self-interest and protection that you make certain you have adequate insurance to cover these eventualities. Please refer to the Tauck Protection Plan for more information.

Personal Expenses - Phone calls, alcoholic and bar beverages not included with meals, laundry and dry cleaning, airline luggage charges, vaccinations, visa fees and services, airport and departure taxes, and other optional or incidental extras are not included and may be significant.

You will be personally responsible for payment of the fee for a second and each additional checked bag on all on-tour flights. Currently, for inter-island itineraries, there is a $17 USD fee charged by the airline each way for a second and for each additional checked bag. This fee is set by the Hawaiian Airlines and is subject to change without notice.

Tour Director Gratuities – The customary gratuity to the Tour Director is not included. We ask that gratuities be extended on a voluntary, individual basis and not as a group.

Value Includes:

Private evening with cocktails and dinner at Honolulu’s Iolani Palace, a National Historic Landmark that reigns as the only official state residence of royalty in the U.S.
An authentic island experience on Oahu, where you'll listen to a local Waikiki beach boy’s “talk-story” about life on the beach – then have fun in the sun and the surf aboard a Hawaiian outrigger canoe
A lecture presentation on the ecology of the islands in Kauai that takes a look at the island's unique features
A gourmet cooking presentation and lunch at the acclaimed Roy's of Kahana restaurant on Maui
A catamaran sail and historical tour on the Big Island of Hawaii
Ocean-view accommodations at beachfront resorts on Kauai, Maui and the Big Island, with a choice of Garden-view or Ocean-front Tower rooms at The Royal Hawaiian
Airport transfers upon arrival and departure as detailed
21 meals, service charges, gratuities to local guides, admission fees, taxes and porterage

ACCOMMODATIONS

Night 1, 2, & 3: The Royal Hawaiian
Honolulu, Hawaii

A beloved Hawaiian landmark, the legendary “Pink Palace of the Pacific” has welcomed guests to Waikiki for over 75 years. Set right on famed Waikiki Beach, this elegant Grande Dame provides a gracious introduction to traditional Hawaii with its the prime beachfront location and its charming old-world ambiance. Guest rooms offer all the amenities that today’s travelers expect, including cable TV with movie channels and high-speed Internet access. The hotel offers a wide range of water sports and beach activities to enhance your leisure hours, with facilities including a private beach, inviting swimming pool, well-equipped Fitness Center and the Abhasa Waikiki Spa. Dining at the world-renowned Surf Room and new Azure restaurant is a memorable experience, as is indulging in lovely ocean views at the Mai Tai Bar.

Night 4 & 5: Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa
Koloa, Kauai, Hawaii

Evoking the ambiance of the days of grand plantations on Kauai with bamboo and wicker furnishings, this 1920s-style Art Deco resort is ideally located on the sunny side of the island. Breathtaking views of mountains, gardens and the sea enhance the lovely setting everywhere you look. Here saltwater swimming pools and lagoons mimic the nearby ocean but are always bathed in tranquility; a choice of restaurants celebrate the abundance of the land and sea; championship golf and tennis courts invite you to play and the Anara Spa weaves traditional Hawaiian healing customs into their array of pampering spa services.

Night 6, 7 & 8: Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa
Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii

The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa is a consistent choice as one of the world’s 500 best hotels by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure. Its desirable beachfront location, attentive service, wide range of recreational facilities and luxurious atmosphere make it a perennial favorite among sophisticated visitors to Maui. The resort is set amidst landscaped grounds offering an array of recreational facilities including two swimming pools and tennis courts, plus cultural activities such as lei making and hula demonstrations. Refresh your mind and body at the oceanfront, full service spa or take advantage of all the fitness equipment at the Moana Athletic club. Enjoy a cocktail at one of the resorts many lounges prior to dining at one of its impressive restaurants.

Night 9, 10 & 11: The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii
Big Island, Hawaii

Nestled beachside on the sun-drenched Kohala Coast of the Big Island, The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii extends a warm e komo mai (welcome) to today’s sophisticated travelers. Comfortable guest rooms, each with its own private lanai, feature waffle-weave, tropical-weight bathrobes, exclusive Fairmont toiletries, coffee maker, mini-bar / refreshment center, cable TV, hairdryer and iron / ironing board. From the beautiful beach to the 10,000-square-foot swimming pool to the world-class tennis courts to the award-winning 36-hole golf course, there is no shortage of enjoyable activities from which to choose. The unique Spa Without Walls awaits with a wide range of rejuvenating treatments and services and the Fitness Center stands ready with an array of exercise equipment. Many guests enjoy admiring the views of the sea at the Ocean Bar or the Sunset Terrace. The discerning readers of Travel + Leisure consider The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii to be one of the 500 best hotels in the world.

OPTIONALS
One of the best ways to explore Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii is aboard an unforgettable adventure by helicopter! Book your flightseeing when making your reservation; Tauck’s special price represents a savings!

Kauai – Rainforests & Mountains
$299 Per Person
30-minute Helicopter Adventure

Enjoy an amazing helicopter adventure into a world of lush tropical rainforests, jagged mountains, sea cliffs, beaches and craters. Music and narration combine as you soar into Waimea Canyon and view the Na Pali Cliffs.

Hawaii—Volcanoes & Valleys
$550 Per Person
2-Hour Helicopter Adventure

Witness the fiery lava vents of Kilauea, the island’s active volcano, and soar over the hidden tropical valleys of the Kohala Mountains and the beautiful rainforests of the Hamakua Coast. This island boasts 11 of earth’s 13 climate zones – this excursion is an adventure you don't want to miss!

DEPARTURE DATES
Year Round

PRICES
From approx $3,740 US per person double occupancy