Ever wonder why Waikīkī 's luxurious Royal Hawaiian Hotel is painted pink and called the "Pink…read morePalace"? Or why 90% of its original suites face inland instead of taking advantage of the ocean and Diamond Head view? Or what events or who inspired the Spanish-Moorish architecture of this island hotel? I noticed the announcement of this tour on Yelp and signed up because an inquiring mind like mine and a group of 20 visitors wanted to know the answers. We met our tour guide, Kehaulani, at 1:00PM sharp at the lanai of the Royal Hawaiian near the resort's bakery. After a brief introduction, she led us around the main floor of this grand dame which Kehaulani gave us the rich background that Matson Navigation Company had created back in 1927. The answer as to why the hotel was painted pink was because Captain Matson noted that his "neighbor" on Waikīkī Beach was Kimo Wilder and his wife, Sarah, who traveled to and returned from Portugal where they fell in love with the Portuguese salmon pink painted houses with blue shutters and had the Wilder home painted with like colors. The hotel's builder liked the colors so much that he requested to use the same color paint as the Wilders to which they agreed. What we all understood was that this hotel was built for the very wealthy to stay or play at. Travel was accomplished on steamer ships which often took months and these travelers were those who traveled with personal entourages and never asked about cost. The attitude was "if you have to ask, you can't afford it". Anyway, we found out that during the steamer ship passenger days, the wealthy would travel with their own cars, household staff and clothes "to be seen in" or have them tailored once they arrived in Honolulu. Because they were on the ocean for so long, they preferred staying in suites that faced inland where they could gaze at the lush green land. Their staff or entourage stayed in ocean view rooms (which they hated or complained about). Well, how times have changed with air travel... the modern travelers prefer the ocean views. The hotel was designed and built in the late 1920's. At the time, Rudolph Valentino was a big screen star and his movies always had him portraying an Arab sheik. The exotic Islamic art and background seen in the Valentino movies were inspiration to this hotel's architectural design. There were more interesting facts about the hotel and Hawaii society from the 1920's to present day which Kehaulani shared during this 2 hour tour. If you're interested in this free and informative historical tour, please find yourself at the Royal Hawaiian on either Tuesdays or Thursdays at 1:00PM. I believe that you can self-park at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel parking garage (shared by the Sheraton Waikīkī) and they'll validate your ticket. We lucked out with free street parking along the Ala Wai Canal.

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)

AMAZING TOUR!!! My family and I were visiting O'ahu the first week of July and so I booked the…read moreHoneymoon/Romantic Tour for July 6th. We were more interested in seeing the southeastern parts of the island, so it worked out perfectly. We arrived on July 4th in the late afternoon and learned that there were some unforeseen changes to our planned excursion the next day (July 5th), so (on a whim) I left an email around 7:30-8pm asking if we could switch our tour from the 6th to the 5th (keeping my fingers crossed). I wasn't expecting for a change in our tour date to be permitted - especially given the short notice, but the next morning around 8:30am I received a call saying that changing our tour date was no issue and our tour guide/driver (Eva) would be there to pick us up from our hotel in Waikiki Beach right near Diamond Head at 10am. We were thrilled!!!! Eva arrived promptly at 10am and greeted us with seashell necklaces and we began our tour going past the zoo, and began at Diamond Head then to stops at Waimanalo Beach, Makapu'u Lookout, Halona Blowhole-Eternity Beach, Lanai Lookout, Hanauma Bay Reserve/Lookout (the guards let us in to use the bathrooms and take pictures), Hawaii Kai Lookout, Sandy Beach (my fav with an awesome food truck that has delicious smoothies), Punchbowl Crater, downtown Honolulu, Iolani Palace and more!!! She was gracious enough to drop us off at the Royal Hawaiian Center, so we could go shopping and eat. We couldn't have asked for a better host! She was absolutely AMAZING!!!!! She took us to every site that we wanted, allowed us to take pictures without rushing and even offered to take a million pictures/videos of our family without hesitation. Most importantly, when my elderly diabetic father was feeling a little dizzy, she was quick to offer up snacks to help him raise his sugar levels. She's just phenomenal and we will never forget her genuine kind spirit. The tour itself and her hospitable energy is one of the top highlights from our entire Hawaiian vacation (including our stays in the North Shore of O'ahu and Maui). If and when we return, we plan to look her up and hope to connect again! We love Eva and Spiritual Tours!!! Thanks again!!

Extraordinary tour. I learned so much Hawaiian history, specifically about Oahu, and more. The…read moredepth of Eva's knowledge and love for Hawaii makes the tour come alive. I highly recommend you try to schedule with Eva. This tour should definitely make it into your Oahu itinerary! Delightful tour guide (Eva) and tour. Five stars for sure! Mahalo Spiritual Tours Hawaii

Highly recommend AINA Tours! Everything was perfectly organized and ran on time. The tour was fun,…read morestraight to the point, and never felt rushed or overloaded with information ,it honestly felt like a private tour. I also loved the early start, which meant we visited places before the crowds, and the tour ended early enough to enjoy the rest of the day. A great experience!

Awesome guide. Didn't feel rushed and was super nice to see sites while getting some background on…read moreHawaiian culture. I really appreciated the pickup and drop-off service. Was really convenient and his communication was top notch. A+ for service and a lovely tour of Hawaii!

Excellent Pearl Harbor Tour Experience!…read more We had an amazing time on our Pearl Harbor tour! Our guide Jeff picked us up right from our hotel, which made everything super convenient. From the moment we got on the shuttle, he was friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely excited to share the history of Pearl Harbor. Not only did he explain everything we needed to know beforehand, he also shared tons of fun facts about Hawaii, local culture, and even pointed out some great spots to check out during our trip. You could tell he really loves what he does. Overall, he was a pretty cool guy and made the whole experience smooth, educational, and enjoyable. Highly recommend this tour -- especially if you're lucky enough to have him as your guide!

Made a reservation for our family of 7 to tour Pearl Harbor. Realized the time required for the…read moretour exceeded our available time. Contacted the company to request a cancellation the following day and it was granted. Were told our payment would be refunded in 2-4 business days Our trip to Hawai'i has come and gone and we are still awaiting our refund Recommend caution when considering Pearl Harbor Tours

Don't buy thru Viacom, as it's genuinely free! We toured downtown Honolulu including Iolani palace,…read moreand absolutely loved it. We had Peter as our incredible guide who was knowledgeable of all of our questions as well as witty and hilarious. It was easy to meet up, with a great location to gather. Paid to park. Walked for about 1 hour. Thank you Peter!!

The best deal in Hawai'i! Victor and Ellis were great tour guides. They were knowledgeable,…read morefriendly, attentive, and knew their stuff. They gave a detailed and honest tour about Hawai'i's history and present day Hawai'i, with no typical tour guide BS. Can't recommend enough. Thanks guys!

Really cool experience with Classic Kine Cars. Waikiki tour and photo shoot in a immaculate 1967…read morebaby blue Mustang. Owner Randy and his daughter Haley were gracious and entertaining tour guides. Ended up with some classic pictures with a classic car in a classic location. Mahalo

From the owner: Classic Kine Cars are much more than getting from A to B. They are about experiencing a piece of…read morehistory. Classic Kine Cars tell the story of yesteryear. We all had a mother, a father, a braddah, an aunty or uncle that had this car. Maybe they dropped you off at school, or went to the drive-in or on your first date.. Experience your piece of history and schedule your Classic Kine Car Waikiki Tour/ Cruise today or schedule your event or photoshoot.

I took the Lalumha falls or Manoa falls hike & Kailua / Lanikai beach day tour with Seamus as my…read moreguide. The group was nice and small - only me, Seamus, and a couple from CA. Seamus was a very knowledgeable guide - very approachable and fun to hang out with. He knew the trail very well and carefully guided us over the more slippery areas. One should definitely be prepared to get muddy and wet on this tour - I actually felt relieved that it was raining because there are lots of changes in the terrain and sunny/hot weather may have been too much. Seamus will say the trail is okay for children and elderly, but I don't believe it is. Might be a pain. I wanted to get a little rugged this trip, so it was perfect for me. The waterfall at the end was gorgeous - Seamus didn't rush us at all. We were unable to do the beach due to the weather, but Seamus took us around the island and showed us turtle beach, which was lovely because we got to see multiple sea turtles! We stopped at a local woodworker's shop for gifts which was a nice touch - always prefer the mom and pop places to the cheap junk you get in touristy shops. Pickup and drop-off were seamless. Easily one of my highlights this trip and have already recommended to a friend who will be in the area soon. Thanks Seamus!

We booked the North Shore / Waimea, Falls Day & Swim Swim with Turtles trip…read more Our tour guide (Seamus) and tour guide pet companion (Sandy) were AMAZING! First, we didn't get to experience the Waimea Falls or swim with the turtles because it rained so much the night before AND of course for the safety of all (mother nature, staff and guests) they had to close access to that area. It was a bummer BUT Seamus and Sandy truly made our day such a BLAST! We could tell that Seamus truly loves his career. We learned and saw so much about the history, culture and people of Hawaii! We look forward to when we can return to Hawaii and book another trip with Seamus and Sandy!!!!! Don't just book a trip with just any company, BOOK a trip with a company that TREATS you just like FAMILY!

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.

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.

For someone who has mobility issues, this transportation (pink line) helped me a lot! It goes…read morearound the city particularly the shopping and hotel area. It also stops at the Waikiki beach. It takes longer where you want to go but I enjoyed the breeze and saved me from aches and pains. The ride is $6 and it's an all day pass. It starts just before 10 am and I think it ends at 8 pm. You can buy the pass from the bus driver in cash. They don't accept credit cards and they prefer exact change only. If you have the JCB credit card, your ride is free. Don't lose your ticket since you have to present it when boarding.

Our family of eight started the day having an absolutely wonderful experience with Waikiki Trolley…read more We were greeted by the sweetest woman who helped us purchase our passes, followed by a genuinely kind Pink Line driver. Our Blue Line driver was equally wonderful--fun, friendly, and everything we hoped to experience in Hawaii. Unfortunately, by the end of the day, that experience had completely changed. The behavior of two employees was so unnecessarily rude, hostile, and unprofessional that our family decided we would no longer support Waikiki Trolley for the remainder of our vacation (7 more days). I am specifically requesting that management REVIEW THE SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE from when our family boarded at Waikiki Shopping Plaza, and ESPECIALLY when we exited at the Ilikai stop at approximately 6:06 PM. PLEASE REVIEW THIS FOOTAGE. Although the employee, Char, had already been unnecessarily aggressive toward us while boarding, the harassment escalated after I politely asked for her name and my father photographed the trolley number to identify the vehicle when filing a complaint. It was only after Char realized we intended to report her behavior that she deliberately EXITED THE TROLLEY to confront and harass me further. We were already approximately ten feet away, walking away without arguing or engaging with her. Yet she left her vehicle, called after us, and demanded that we return to photograph the posted rules. PLEASE REVIEW THIS SPECIFIC INTERACTION. Char chose to escalate the situation after we had already left. Her behavior felt like blatant, unwarranted harassment. It was uncomfortable, intimidating, and left me flabbergasted. Why would an adult working in hospitality pursue customers who had already walked away simply because they might report her behavior? Regardless of the original disagreement, there is absolutely no justification for an employee to exit a trolley to continue confronting a family that has already left. I ask management to preserve and review this footage before making any determination. Our first negative encounter occurred when I approached a driver sitting outside an out-of-service trolley. He was the only employee nearby, so I politely asked where we should wait for the Pink Line. He wouldn't even look up. When we repeated the question, he appeared irritated and sarcastically pointed toward a pole, saying something like, "See the pole? Find the next one." The pole had no identifying information. We were tourists asking a reasonable question. His rude, sarcastic response was completely unnecessary. Unfortunately, what happened next was worse. We walked to the next pole, as instructed, only to be yelled at by Char for standing incorrectly. When I apologized and explained that we didn't realize we needed to stand elsewhere, she raised her voice AGAIN, saying she was telling us NOW that we needed to stand against the wall. We were NOT blocking the walkway. We were standing at the pole another employee had directed us toward. Even after we boarded, Char continued aggressively reprimanding us for not standing against the wall. Other passengers were visibly shocked, and several even apologized for her behavior. Throughout our approximately 50-minute ride, people stood at poles rather than against walls at EVERY stop, yet Char never yelled at or reprimanded anyone else. Not one person. Why was our family treated differently? I cannot say with certainty what motivated Char's behavior, but being singled out raised genuine concerns about whether race played a role. That is incredibly uncomfortable while visiting a place known for its hospitality and aloha spirit. We were not causing a problem. We were simply asking questions and following the instructions we had been given. A simple explanation delivered with basic courtesy would have resolved everything. Our family had planned to continue purchasing trolley transportation throughout our stay. Instead, we decided to forego additional rides and rent a vehicle. We would rather spend our money elsewhere than risk another encounter like this. Your wonderful employees earlier in the day demonstrated how positive this experience COULD have been. Their kindness made us feel welcome. Unfortunately, your evening employees completely overshadowed that experience. This was not a minor inconvenience or simply someone having a bad day. It was repeated, unnecessary disrespect toward paying customers, including children and family members who witnessed it. We came to Hawaii excited to experience its beauty, culture, and HOSPITALITY. We certainly did not expect such hostility. Management, PLEASE REVIEW THE FOOTAGE, especially Char exiting the trolley to confront us AFTER we had already walked away. While you review footage please also notice Char's failure to wear a seatbelt...