Days 1–5

Truly the perfect place to begin your Hawaiian vacation, Oahu is known as the “Gathering Island.” Enjoy a fully guided tour of Honolulu to help you get acquainted with the colorful history and tradition of Hawaii, including King Kamehameha’s Statue, the Iolani Palace, Kawaiahao Church, and the Punchbowl Crater. The highlight of your stay in Waikiki, however, may well be the Pearl Harbor Tour where you will pay silent tribute to our departed heroes at the USS Arizona Memorial. According to your vacation wishes, you may decide to take a Hula lesson or two on the seemingly endless beaches along Oahu or head into the city to experience the art galleries, museums, exhibits, cutting-edge cuisine, and exciting nightlife unique to the Islands. Oahu Accommodations: Ohana Waikiki East

Days 6–8

Agricultural sightseeing includes “Steelgrass” Cacao and Vanilla Farm. About twenty minutes by air from Honolulu, Kauai is the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. This tropical island paradise is known as the “Garden Isle” because of its daily rainbows, lush forests, majestic mountains, emerald valleys, and breathtaking beaches covered with palm trees swaying in the breeze. 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. During your stay on Kauai, you’ll experience nature at its best with a cruise up the captivating and beautiful Wailua River through the land of the “Menehunes,” Hawaii’s version of the Little People, to the Fern Grotto (if weather permits a visit). For your agricultural sight-seeing tour, you will visit a cattle and sheep ranch as well as the Steel Grass Farm, specializing in bamboo, vanilla, and cacao but home to a wide and diverse selection of landscape plants, palms, fruit trees, flowering trees, tropical plants, and native Hawaiian plants. At your leisure, you may decide to take a trip to see the massive Waimea Canyon, the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” or take a spectacular helicopter flight to marvel at the lush green cliffs plunging into deep, narrow valleys. One of the most popular optional tours is the evening Luau, a traditional Hawaiian feast set in lush tropical gardens. Here the “romance of the Islands” will overwhelm you; you’ll feel the true Hawaiian spirit and you’ll know why this incredibly beautiful tropical island is known as the “Garden Isle.” 

Overnight: Courtyard by Marriott Kauai at Coconut Beach (or similar accommodations)

Days 9–10

Agricultural sightseeing includes Maui Tropical Plantation. Hawaiian folklore mentions the Haleakala volcano on the island of Maui as the location where the demigod Maui once held the sun captive in a crater in order to force it to lengthen the day by slowing its speedy journey across the sky. Known as the “Valley Isle,” this majestic island has three main peaks more than a mile high, thousands of breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls and pools, 120 miles of shoreline, and more than 80 golden beaches. During your stay on Maui, you’ll visit Iao Valley and see the lush tropical foliage surrounding the Iao Needle, a rock formation rising over 2,000 feet from the valley floor. You’ll also get the opportunity to explore the village of Lahaina, the picturesque old whaling capital of the Pacific, marked by its unique blend of 1800s New England and South Seas influences. At your leisure you may take our optional Road to Hana Tour and witness the thrilling scenery of Maui’s coastline. A sightseeing highlight! For your agricultural sight-seeing tour, you’ll explore the Maui Tropical Plantation. Maui truly has it all, from the sophisticated edge in culture and fine taste to natural, raw, and relaxing activities and exploration opportunities! 

Overnight: Ka'anapali Beach Hotel

Days 11-14

Day 11 (Thursday): Hilo, Hawaii 
Day 12-14 (Friday-Sunday): Kona, Hawaii 

You’ll thrill as you enjoy a day in and around Hilo, located at the feet of Mauna Kea, the tallest volcano in the world; Mauna Loa, the most voluminous volcano in the world; and Kilauea, the world’s most active volcano. Also known as the orchid growing center of Hawaii, your time in Hilo offers you an opportunity to visit a Hilo Orchid Nursery. You’ll see Rainbow Falls, an 80 foot cascade that drops over a deep cave that legend names as home to Maui’s demigod Hina. You will enjoy a chance to visit a giant fern tree forest as well as witness the 50+ humungous banyan trees bedecked in orchids, ferns, and dangling aerial roots on Banyan Tree Drive, planted by visiting dignitaries such as Amelia Earhart, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Babe Ruth some 60-70 years ago. En route to Kona, you will enjoy a visit to a Macadamian Nut Factory, ascend the rugged countryside to Volcanoes National Park, and continue on to the Kilauea Crater and the Halemau-mau Firepit, the home of legendary Fire Goddess, Pele. A breath-taking sight! You’ll see the famous Black Sand Beaches at Punalu’u, Kona Coffee Plantation, and Oceanic Fish Farm*. The natives are prone to brag that the Kona Coast enjoys 354 days of sunshine a year, historically making it the perfect locale for Hawaiian royalty, including King Kamehameha, to call home and a perfect place to finish your island adventures! Hilo 

Overnight Hilo: Castle Resorts Hilo Hawaiian; Overnight Kona: Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel

Day 15

After a bittersweet farewell to the Islands, you’re on your way home with a multitude of memories from paradise. Aloha! Please note: due to several factors, including the need to route from the outer islands to Honolulu at the end of the tour, the available flight times for the Mainland, and the time zone changes, passengers 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