Best Circle Island Tour Of Oahu With Entrance To Byodo-In Temple Tours Honolulu Near Me

4worldlovers: Ohana Circle Island tour is a guided day tour of Oahu with pick up and drop off in beautiful Waikiki. Oahu is known for being a sightseeing paradise, full of spectacular lookout points, incredible white sandy beaches, colorful culture, outstanding surf and unique wildlife. Our local guide will spend the day with you on our semi-private shuttle escorting your ohana to some of Oahu’s Hidden Gems on our highly rated Oahu circle island tour that even has a special stop at the majestic Byodo-in Temple. Admission included in the cost of the ticket.

Diamond Head, Halona Blowhole, Makapu’u Pt, Byodo- In Temple (admission included in ticket price), Macadamia Nut and Hawaiian Kona Coffee Shop, Lunch at Local Hawaiian Restaurant (Garlic Shrimp, Kalua Pork, Coconut shrimp and much more), North Shore Fruit Stand, Chinaman’s Hat, Sunset Beach, North Shore beach home to Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles for turtle spotting, and Dole Pineapple Plantation

Our semi private shuttle will arrive at 7am for pick up in Waikiki with a local guide to help you prepare for a day of exploring the island of Oahu. Pick up times vary by hotel and will be automatically assigned when you input your information into our online booking platform.

The first lookout we visit is an elevated view perched on the eastern side of Waikiki’s famous Diamond Head Volcano. This lookout grants us a great opportunity for pictures of the south eastern coastline of Oahu, with notable sights as far as Hanauma bay and Maui on a clear day. The location is more formally known as Amelia Earhart Lookout, known for where bystanders gathered to watch Earhart make her first solo aviation journey from Hawaii to North America.

Molten lava tubes from volcanic eruptions that occurred from Oahu’s Koko Head crater formed the natural occurrence known as the Halona Blowhole. This lava tube extends into the ocean with a very narrow opening at the top, and when the surf is just right, water pressure builds up within the lava tube and erupts through the narrow opening creating a special Hawaiian geyser for your viewing pleasure.

Witness Waimanalo’s dramatic sea cliffs as we turn into Oahu’s windward side as we begin our journey to the North Shore of Oahu. Look off into the azure blue waters of the bay and you will see Oahu’s famous Manana Island also known as Rabbit island due to its rabbit-like shape.

Built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaiʻi, the temple grounds are nestled on the foothills of Ko'olau Mountains and surrounded by a lush Hawaiian landscape which is home to wild peacocks and hundreds of Japanese koi carp. The beautiful grounds instill an out of body experience via a large reflecting pond, meditation niches, and small waterfalls. Admission included into the price of the tour.

After a beautiful drive along Oahu’s eastern coastline, our next stop is a local shop that finds itself tucked away under aged Banyan trees. This location provides macadamia nut and delicious Kona coffee tastings amongst other treats like tempting Hawaiian chocolates.

Chinaman’s Hat, also known as Mokolii, is nestled right next to the Kualoa Valley Mountain range. This location is known for its dramatic landscape filmed in a number of Hollywood movies; most notably and fan favorite Jurassic Park. The island has earned the nickname Chinaman’s Hat from its resemblance to the straw hats that the Chinese immigrants wore when working Oahu’s sugar plantations during the early 1900’s.

We break for lunch at a local restaurant where you can have your pick of either a famous North Shore Garlic Shrimp plate or other local delicacies. Non-Shellfish and Vegetarian options are available. Please bring cash for lunch.

After lunch we make a stop at a North Shore tropical fruit stand which offers ice cold coconuts to drink from, fresh mangos, and other tropical treats.

A change of pace from the crowded beaches of Waikiki, the infamous Sunset Beach on the North Shore offers tranquility and is the epitome of a beautiful Hawaiian Beach. However don’t let the summer months fool you, during the winter months, swells of 30 to 40 feet can be seen from the safe confines of shore.

Hono is the Hawaiian name for our beloved Green Sea Turtles. Our Honu are very Hawaiian in that they love to lay on the sand and bask under the warm sun. We take you to a beach where we hope to spot this incredible occurrence.

4worldlovers:
The Byodo-In Temple is located at the foot of the Ko'olau Mountains in Valley of the Temples Memorial Park. It was established on June 7, 1968, to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii. The Byodo-In Temple in O'ahu is a smaller-scale replica of the over 950-year-old Byodo-in Temple, a United Nations World Heritage Site in Uji, Japan.

The Byodo-In Temple is a non-practicing Buddhist temple which welcomes people of all faiths to worship, meditate or simply appreciate its beauty.

Please click the photos on the right to see a larger view.

The temple grounds are often used for wedding ceremonies for locals and visitors from Japan.

The Temple grounds are a lushly landscaped paradise nestled in a cleft of the pali and are home to wild peacocks and hundreds of Japanese koi carp. The beautiful grounds include a large reflecting pond, meditation niches, and small waterfalls. Visitors describe this destination as beautiful, peaceful, and restful.

The TV series Hawaii Five-O and Magnum, P.I. featured several episodes where the temple is incorporated into the plot. The temple and its gardens also appeared in an episode of the ABC series Lost, "House of the Rising Sun" in season one as the home of Sun's father.

In 2017 and 2018, the Official Best of America television program awarded the Byodo-In Temple at Valley of the Temples Memorial Park, the distinction of Official Best Memorial Temple in Hawaii.

In 2019, National Geographic featured the Byodo-In Temple in “20 of the world’s most beautiful Buddhist temples” while noting its architectural details and inspiring surroundings.