Just took this tour today and it was awesome!!! I've lived here for over 20 years and learned so…read moremuch that I had never heard. Carter really gives you the inside stories and then some. Whether you are a local or a tourist you should definitely take this tour!!

Interesting, informative, poignant, thought provoking.... Just some of the words I could use to…read moredescribe today's tour. Our guide, Carter, was friendly, funny, warm and very knowledgeable. She didn't swamp you with her knowledge, but shared it. Her passion for history and in particular Queen Liliukalani was evident. The tour was perfect in length - a touch under 2 hours - with plenty of time for questions all the way through. It required a little walking - but not much - and there were opportunities to sit down, or at least get out of the sun throughout. I would recommend this tour to anyone who has even a passing interest in history, or the history of these islands. Fascinating! And a great way to spend a couple of hours.

You will see two other companies with similar names to this one, but they are not the same as this…read moreone. Make sure you are booking with Dan! Dan is the guy who runs The Real Hawaii. I found him through TripAdvisor when I was seaching for a private circle tour. We were a group of two, and I wanted something small, custom and personal, over an impersonal group tour. If you are looking for the same, Dan is your man. Booking through the external sites is easy, but I recommend calling Dan and booking through him directly. He is polite and prompt in his service. He has a fleet of three vehicles: two jeeps and a van. We took a tour in one of his Jeeps. We scheduled a pickup at our Waikiki Beach hotel the day before. He picked us up promptly at 7am for our tour on the scheduled day. He was very professional, fun and a great conversationalist. He took us to some very beautiful spots of places with names I have trouble pronouncing. He will point out the spots of simple beauty, but also take you to places you never knew you needed to visit. Every place he goes, he has a story or experience there. He seems to know everyone, which makes your tour very efficient. He also adjusts your tour's pace to you, and you will never feel rushed. Some of the lookouts and beaches were so breathtaking. The Pipeline Beach area is a must. You would think places like that do not exist, but WOW. Even if you are not a surf fan, you will appreciate a stop there. The restaurants he takes you to are great! We stopped at Fumi's and Aoki's and I was impressed by both. The shopping area we went to on the North Shore was nice. Lots of photo ops, and Dan will even show you some filming locations from movies and tv shows. We got lucky and even saw quite a few whales during our tour! Overall, this is probably one of the best private tours I have been on in all my years of traveling. Dan knows his stuff, and we were super happy with our experience. Customer service, excellent. Driving, excellent. Tour stops, excellent. And Dan, excellent. Thank you, Dan!

Shannon who was are driver was awesome. We had a great time and showed us a lot of local things had…read morereal knowledge of the island he is a local and grew up there. Also he did a awesome job of staying ahead of other groups so basically at all our stops we where the only ones around. I booked 3 different activities while I staying in Hawaii and The Real Hawaii by far blew the other groups out of the water. I will recommend this tour group for anyone visiting and I have friends coming soon who I recommend to you. Wish you nothing but the best and hope to see you again. If you are planning on going to the north shore book through this guy and save your self the headaches he knows his stuff. Mahalo my friend.

I had already been in the excellent WWII Red Light District tour so decided to take the Devil's Den…read moreTour this time and I enjoyed the last one so much! Once again Carter was awesome and it was so much fun. Very informative and interesting. The time flew by and it was over before I knew it. Thank you Carter!!!!

We had a very entertaining time on this tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable and informative. I…read morerecommend this tour to anyone that would like to learn interesting history of Chintown

Loved the tour, history and the house. It was amazing. But…read moreas someone who is regular weight and height, but struggling with infertility, to be asked by the docent whether I was pregnant, is hugely hurtful and shows lack of interpersonal interactions. Specially as she was a woman, or even it it were a man, that is unacceptable. I am not expecting. We are going through IVF. I thought everyone from a young age was asked not to ask that kind of question. I loved our visit, but now it's on a sour feeling. Would not recommend bc of conduct of the docent. Otherwise, it's spectacular

Perched high in the mountains of Makiki Heights and nestled in an oasis of eucalyptus trees and…read morelush tropical foliage sits the magnificent Liljestrand House. Getting there is quite the experience of hairpin turns and winding roads, but once you see the low sprawling home, your blood pressure will return to normal. With its Japanese aesthetic and simple clean lines, the home captures the ambience of country cabin meets mid-century modern innovation and convenience. Once occupied by the Lilijestrand family, today the House is a showpiece of architectural excellence best experienced on a small guided tour. We were lucky to have Lisa and Kim as our guides, regaling us with one fascinating story after another along with intimate peeks into the lives of the architect and the homeowners. The breathtaking views from every room in the house is as gasp-inducing as the artwork and amazing nooks and crannies. Betty Lilijestrand oversaw the construction and it's her foresight along with Ossipoff's brilliant design that makes one marvel at their genius. Remember to wear shoes that can be removed easily, and plan to do some walking and taking lots of photos. And ... I imagined if I lived here I wouldn't want to leave! A wonderful experience that I highly recommend! Enjoy!

What an experience!! Highly recommend! Lopaka is a great guide and story teller…read more The tour is engaging and mysterious. We started off sitting on the steps of the bandstand in Waikiki. Walked over to Kapiolani park, then the tennis courts. Lopaka told us stories throughout the entire tour. You do get to participate, I don't want to give too much away. You'll walk away with memories and stories to share. There is walking involved on this tour. Bring a jacket. Park at Waikiki Shell or the metered parking between the bandstand and the tennis courts (Kalākaua Ave). I can't wait to go on the next tour!

What a fun thing to do, whether your visiting or a local. A great guide and even if you don't…read morebelieve in Night Marcher's of spirits, there is a lot of history related in the tour. Allow about 90 minutes, come a little early for parking if needed. Can't say much more as I don't want to ruin the tour. Great guide with 30 years experience.

This was an outstanding way to quickly pop around the Island in style! Paul's love of Hawaiian…read morehistory was contagious! my mom is slow moving and cant do stairs well on a tour bus or shuttle, so this was absolutely perfect! the convertible was perfect to feel fully engrossed with the atmosphere. we slowed down or zoomed through if we wanted and was very customizable. LOVE the car and so did everyone else along the way- get your shaka ready! :)

We've been in Hawaii five-years and I took my wife on Awesome Tours Hawaii for her birthday. It was…read morea fantastic, beautiful trip learning about the different locations in Hawaii as well as being in a very cool car. It was not a boring lecture but extremely compelling. The history mixed with the beauty of Hawaii made this an awesome experience!

Not a tour. This is a talk in the courtyard. Guide had a lot of knowledge and information, but we…read morestarted about 10 mins late and then spent 45 minutes standing in the courtyard (not touring the property). If you like learning about history, and not seeing it - this would be great for you. If you were hoping to see the hotel itself and walk through parts - you either will not get it with this tour or all touring is somehow done in the last 10 minutes (we ended up leaving early)

This tour was amazing! It is extremely informative. Yes, the first part is pretty lengthy and…read morestationary, but after that, the entire property is toured, with a lot of nooks and crannies visited that a typical person might not normally encounter. Kehaulani was an incredible guide and is a wealth of knowledge with over 50 years of experience. It was advertised as an hour but ended up being almost 2.5 hours long. Highly recommended, especially for history buffs!

Pearl Harbor Tour by Luis G. Was Outstanding…read more Luis G. brought history to life in the setting of Pearl Harbor where it happened. His knowledge is detailed and vast, and his stories of history leading up to December7, 1941, what happened on that day, and concluding with events on the USS Missouri that brought the war to an end were fascinating and well-told. Luis managed our day smoothly and with flexibility for our family's requests. We enjoyed his company and benefitted from his experiences growing up in Honolulu and service in the Navy, his education, and his compelling passion for the history he seeks to understand and share. Luis is by far the best tour guide we have met in our travels in the U.S. and abroad!

Our personal, small group tour of Pearl Harbor with Lui was a seven hour day that went by in a…read moreflash as we were at rapt attention from the first minute to the last. Lui's deft handling of history and deep knowledge underscored each area and event he walked us through; all historical material and timelines were shared with great care and accuracy. Lui's narration and storytelling were powerful, in-depth, and he never missed a beat in bringing history to life. Given Lui is 4th generation Hawaiian, a former Navy submariner, and has a history degree focused on Asia Pacific studies, I couldn't imagine having anyone else guide us through one of the most somber and powerful events in our nation's history. We will always remember our day with Lui and still talk about it. Highly recommend his tour: 5 stars.

We were really disappointed with this experience. The ride is far too long for young children and…read moresimply isn't engaging enough to hold their attention. The advertised ice cream stop is just a stop at a local shopping plaza, where you're directed to buy ice cream from the ABC Store. It didn't feel like a special attraction at all. If you're expecting scenic ocean views, temper your expectations. We only caught two brief glimpses of the water. The majority of the ride passes through overgrown brush, a shopping cart graveyard, and several homeless encampments. Overall, it felt like a waste of both our time and money. Unfortunately, we wouldn't recommend it, especially for families with young children.

First time ride on the Hawaiian Railroad Society's train from Ewa (Kapolei) to Kahe Point (past Ko…read moreOlina) late April 2026. It's a slow-paced easy ride with a narration of the area's past history and current status. Once the train entered onto the Ko Olina property the views were beautiful, especially up the sea cost. Passengers on both sides of the railcars switch seats to provide equal viewing opportunities. The seats are hard wood, so bring cushions. Overall a nice diversion and unique way to see the leeward (west) coastline of Oahu. Good for children especially. Staff very hospitable.

I really appreciate the way Kamaka shares his knowledge. He's authentic, upbeat, and genuinely…read morefriendly, making the experience both enjoyable and engaging. He has a talent for pointing out and explaining things you would normally walk right past, giving you a whole new appreciation for your surroundings. Hawaii is so much more than a tourist destination. Enhance your visit by having him as your guide! I highly recommend him!

One of the Best Walking Tours We've Ever Experienced!…read more My husband and I were fortunate to be among Kamaka's "guinea pigs" on his walking tour along the Ala Wai Canal. It was a complimentary tour--his third time refining the experience before officially offering it to the public--and it far exceeded our expectations. Kamaka has a relaxed, engaging, and easy-to-understand presentation style that made the three-hour stop-and-go tour both enjoyable and informative. Throughout the walk, he shared historical photographs that beautifully illustrated how Hawaiʻi has changed over time. He also provided QR codes at various stops, allowing us to continue learning more about each topic on our own. Such a thoughtful touch! What stood out most was Kamaka's genuine passion for his Hawaiian heritage. His extensive research was evident, and he shared fascinating historical facts alongside heartfelt stories from his beloved Tutu, who was born in 1916. Those personal stories brought the history to life and made the experience even more meaningful. Kamaka also thought of every detail to ensure everyone was comfortable. He provided sunscreen, umbrellas, hand sanitizer, granola bars, ice-cold bottled water, and even collapsible seats for anyone who needed a break. His hospitality and thoughtfulness were truly exceptional. At the end of the tour, he surprised each of us with a beautifully designed lapel pin featuring a red and yellow seedling--a symbol of growth, renewal, and the unyielding drive to rise upward. It was a meaningful keepsake and a perfect ending to an unforgettable experience. My husband and I have traveled extensively and participated in walking tours all over the world. We can honestly say that Kamaka's tour ranks among the very best. The care, preparation, knowledge, and genuine aloha he pours into every aspect of the experience are remarkable. I highly recommend Now and Then Tours with Kamaka!! A job exceptionally well done, Kamaka! Mahalo nui loa!