Day 1

Guests arriving in Honolulu who have made their flight arrangements with YMT Vacations, please meet your YMT representative in the baggage claim area for a warm Aloha welcome with a beautiful flower lei, and transfers to the hotel. Guests who made their own flight arrangements should make their own way to the hotel. Overnight: Hotel Ohana East, Waikiki (or similar accommodations)

Day 2

This morning meet your fellow travelers at the Guest Welcome meeting in the hotel. Your Tour Director will tell you all you need to know about the arrangements and plans for the days ahead. Your central Waikiki hotel is just a few minutes’ walk from famous Waikiki Beach and a perfect base from where to explore. Overnight: Hotel Ohana East, Waikiki (or similar accommodations)

Day 3

This morning we take the included Pearl Harbor and Honolulu city tour. We head first to Pearl Harbor where we take a Navy launch out to the USS Arizona Memorial to pay tribute to the fallen heroes who lost their lives on December 7th, 1941. You’ll have time to explore the visitor center, view the 23 minute film and view the exhibits in museums before we head off to see the sights of Honolulu. Next stop is Pali lookout for stunning views overlooking the entire windward coastline of Oahu and once the scene of the greatest battle victory by King Kamehameha. Set in a real dormant volcano, we also visit Punchbowl Crater where we take a slow drive through the National Cemetery of the Pacific before continuing onto downtown Honolulu. Here you’ll see the State Capitol and Iolani Palace, which you may recognize as the Police HQ in the new Hawaii Five-0 TV show, but in reality was the residence of the last Queen of Hawaii. Finally we drive through China Town, and view King Kamehameha’s statue before returning to Waikiki. The afternoon is at leisure. Overnight: Hotel Ohana East, Waikiki (or similar accommodations)

Day 4

Leisure day - during your stay in Waikiki, why not visit the Hawaii Army Museum, a museum that tells the military story of Hawaii, from ancient times to the Gulf War and the War in Iraq, admission is free. Overnight: Hotel Ohana East, Waikiki (or similar accommodations)

Day 5

Leisure day - this morning, take in the world famous Waikiki Beach and enjoy a swim in the warm turquoise waters, or explore the stylish shops of Kalakaua Avenue. If you are an early riser, a photo favorite is the morning sunrise over Diamond Head seen from Waikiki Beach. Overnight: Hotel Ohana East, Waikiki (or similar accommodations)

Day 6

This morning we fly to Kauai. This tropical island paradise is known as the “Garden Isle” because of its daily rainbows, lush forests, majestic mountains and emerald valleys. Upon arrival we visit the magnificent Opaekaa Falls before heading to the Wailua River Marina, from where we will take a leisurely boat cruise along the beautiful Wailua River to the amazingly tropical and romantic Fern Grotto. We arrive at our hotel early afternoon. Overnight: Hotel Courtyard by Marriott Coconut Kauai (or similar accommodations)

Day 7

This morning, on the first of our agricultural inclusions, you will visit the Steel Grass Farm about a 30 minute drive from the hotel. Named after a common nickname for bamboo, the uniquely diverse and family owned Steel Grass Farm will offer you an assortment of agricultural highlights, including a specialization in timber bamboo, vanilla, and cacao (chocolate) farming. Hawaii is the only state in the US where cacao grows and you’ll see different varieties and even get to taste some chocolate. The Ludgate Family will give you their personal insight into the eight-acre farm and a guided exploration of everything there is to know about how to grow and harvest cacao. Additionally you’ll see Tahitian Lime, Papyrus, and 75 feet tall Black Bamboo, to name a few of the unusual and exotic plants you’ll experience. The afternoon is at leisure. Overnight: Hotel Courtyard by Marriott Coconut Kauai (or similar accommodations)

Day 8

Leisure day - It’s no wonder that an impressive list of Hollywood productions have used this emerald island as a setting, including Jurassic Park, South Pacific, and Fantasy Island. Kauai is the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands and it is here that you will find tropical rainforests, forking rivers and cascading waterfalls. Overnight: Hotel Courtyard by Marriott Coconut Kauai (or similar accommodations)

Day 9

This morning we fly to the island of Maui, known as the Valley Isle. Upon arrival, we drive from the airport to the small plantation town of Hali‘imaile, home since the 1930’s to the Maui Gold Pineapple Plantation and its 1,350 acres on the slopes of Haleakala. You’ll be given a talk at the company’s main farming operation and a short tour of its processing and packing facility. Hawaii was once home to 85% of the worlds’ production, but now this is the USA’s sole remaining commercial pineapple plantation. We continue with a sightseeing tour which includes a visit to the stunning Iao Valley where spectacular waterfalls and lush tropical foliage surround the Iao Needle, a rock formation rising over 2,000 feet from the valley floor. We stop at the Iao Needle Lookout Trail, a paved loop trail through an ethnobotanical garden adjacent to Iao stream with a scenic viewpoint of the Needle (trail involves steep steps and is at guests’ discretion). You’ll also get the opportunity to explore the small town of Lahaina, the picturesque old whaling capital of the Pacific, which looks much today as it did at the turn of the century. We arrive at our beachfront hotel in the resort of Kaanapali in the afternoon. Overnight: Kaanapali Beach Hotel (or similar accommodations)

Day 10

Leisure day - Kaanapali is one of the best beaches in Hawaii and between the months of December and April you’ll see whales swimming just off shore – an amazing sight. Overnight: Kaanapali Beach Hotel (or similar accommodations)

Day 11

This morning we fly to Hilo on the Island of Hawaii (the Big Island). Upon arrival in Hilo, once off the plane it’s straight out to the waiting motor coach to depart on a sightseeing tour. In the shadow of Mauna Loa, the world’s biggest volcano, we take in the natural beauty of Rainbow Falls (an 80 foot cascade that drops over a deep cave), Old Hilo town and a real treat for those with a sweet tooth – a stop at Big Island Candies. Overnight: Hotel Hilo Hawaiian (or similar accommodations)

Day 12

Today we travel across the island of a full day tour en route to Kona. First, we make two short stops at a Macadamia nut factory and an orchid nursery, both important exports from Hawaii, before we head off for the main event and one of the highlights on the whole tour. You will ascend the rugged countryside to Volcanoes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site where you’ll see a real, smoking and steaming volcano as you look out across the Kilauea Caldera, within which lies the Halemaumau Crater. It’s here that we also visit the Jaggar Museum and visitor center to learn all about the geology and history of the volcano. Next we’ll make a short stop to take a walk through Thurston’s Lava Tube (involves steps and uneven ground) and before we leave the park and head for Kona there is the chance to view the expanse that is Kilauea Crater and its steam vents. We then depart to Punaluu black sand volcanic beach. After a lunch stop we start our journey across the island arriving in Kona late afternoon. Overnight: Hotel Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel (or similar accommodations)

Day 13

This morning we visit N.E.L.H.A. (Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii), a research facility for ocean thermal energy conversion. Here you’ll get an insight into how they bring ashore both warm surface and cold deepwater seawater to generate electricity and how‘Aquaculture’ has flourished as a byproduct. Following this fascinating presentation, we’ll visit Big Island Abolone farm, where they produce 60 tons of the Japanese Ezo variety of this delicacy annually. Learn about the growing lifecycle, the 13 tons of home grown algae per week used as feed, and you’ll even get to taste an abalone sample. Next we drive upwards to an elevation of 3000 feet into the Kaloko Cloud Forest to visit Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation. The journey from coffee bean to coffee cup is explained by video presentation and by the principles of the company who will show and explain to you the key parts of the facility and process, starting with the plants and then moving on to production, sorting, roasting, and bagging. Your afternoon is at leisure in Kona. Overnight: Hotel Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel (or similar accommodations)

Day 14

Leisure day - nearing the end of your stay in Hawaii, today, you can relax by the beach or stroll along the bay to explore the quaint waterfront old town of Kona, complete with shops, galleries, restaurants and cafes - a perfect way to spend your final full day in Kona. Overnight: Hotel Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel (or similar accommodations)

Day 15

Say farewell to your Tour Director and new friends. Transfer to Kona airport for your journey home. Please note: Due to several factors, including the need to route from Kona to Honolulu at the end of the tour, the available flight times for the Mainland, and the time zone changes, guests should expect to arrive to their final destination the next day.

Please note that this is a proposed itinerary; the actual itinerary may vary due to season, special events, or weather. Because our tour arrangements are often made a year or more in advance, YMT Vacations reserves the right to alter the itinerary. Itinerary changes are made to improve your vacation experience, as well as respond to any unforeseen circumstances that mandate alterations.

Note: By their nature, all tours vacations involve a certain level of physical activity. While YMT tours have been designed with our guests in mind and are not physically demanding, this tour does include walking and periods of standing during the sightseeing visits. You will also encounter steps and some uneven ground along the way, particularly at older, historical sights.

The Motor Coach Experience