A Brilliant Excursion Is Fun at Every Age
You can do an entire Honolulu vacation on land.
You can.
But should you?
You’ve flown all the way to Hawaii, the Pacific is sitting right next to you, and the weather stays roughly 78°F depending on the season. At some point, shoes off. Phone down. Get in the ocean.
And Hawaii makes getting into that ocean remarkably easy. Honolulu’s water stays around the mid-70s to low-80s°F, depending on the time of year.
July? Water temperatures around 80°F. December 31? Still swimmable. February? People are still snorkeling.
How Old Are You?
The best excursion, in my opinion, needs to work for almost everybody. A brilliant excursion should make sense for the 8-year-old, the parents, and the 70-year-old grandmother traveling with them.
Kids should be excited about it. Adults should want to do it. And someone who is 80+ shouldn’t automatically think, “I can’t go on this excursion.”
I don’t actually get to decide what the #1 Honolulu excursion is.
If I did, you could reasonably say, “Well… that’s just your opinion.”
But that isn’t what’s happening here. I’m looking at the information—popularity, reviews, traveler interest, ratings—and snorkeling just keeps coming back at #1.
So there’s the first decision.
1 = snorkeling.
But now, which snorkeling tour?
1. Deluxe Snorkel & Cruise by Living Ocean Tours
I can tell you a tour is brilliant, but I have exactly 0 percent control over its Google rating. The people who actually went on the tour created that.
Living Ocean Tours has a 5-star rating from around 8,500 people.
Eight thousand.
And while no review score can promise that you will leave 5 stars too, a 5-star rating from 8,500 people is as powerful a vote of confidence a tour can get.
2. Turtle Canyon Snorkel by Living Ocean Tours
Some travelers would move ordinary snorkeling down one place and put Turtle Canyon—snorkeling with turtles—straight into the #1 spot.
I wouldn’t argue very hard with them.
Hawaii and honu (turtles) almost belong in the same sentence. Green sea turtles are so closely associated with the islands that seeing one underwater can feel like finally getting the Hawaii moment people imagined before they arrived.
Hawaiian green sea turtles have another characteristic that makes these encounters particularly special. Researchers have found that many honu in Hawaii show an unusually high tolerance for humans. Historically, green turtles in many places around the world would flee at the first sign of people. In Hawaii, some continue going about their normal behavior.
Is Living Ocean Tours’ Turtle Canyon Snorkel the one to go with? For many, Living Ocean would be their first pick.
3. Whale Watching Waikiki by Living Ocean Tours
For roughly 6 months of the year, Hawaii becomes one of the great whale-watching places on Earth. Humpbacks arrive from Alaska to mate, give birth, and raise their calves in warmer Hawaiian waters, which means the action can be completely different from one trip to the next.
One day it might be a mother and calf staying close together. Another day, several males may be competing for a female. And sometimes it isn’t 1 whale… or 2… but 5 or 6 at once.
A humpback is enormous—an adult can weigh around 30–40 tons—yet somehow it can throw almost its entire body out of the water. A breach lasts seconds. The anticipation before it happens? Much longer. Everyone watches the surface waiting for the next blow, tail, or sudden explosion of water.
And then somebody shouts, “There!”
The best months are generally January through March, with February often right in the heart of peak season. December and April can still be excellent too.
Living Ocean’s Whale Watching Waikiki Tour also has something snorkeling excursions can’t claim: an age range of approximately 3 to 90+.
On this tour, for 90 minutes, three generations of people will behave the same. Kids will be in awe. Adults will stare. And grandparents stare.
Age 5? “Whoa!”
Age 45? “Whoa!”
Age 90? Still: “WHOA!”
4. Friday Fireworks Cruise by Living Ocean Tours
I know, I know—fireworks aren’t technically an excursion.
But set off those fireworks in Waikiki’s skies above the warm Pacific Ocean and suddenly I’m willing to bend the rules a little.
If a Hawaii vacation runs into the weekend, I would absolutely flag a Waikiki Friday-night fireworks cruise.
From the boat, Waikiki’s hotels glow along the coast. The ocean is dark beneath the boat. And the temperature is still wonderfully warm. Then the first firework goes up—and for the next few minutes, everyone’s attention is in the same place.
A 7-year-old loves fireworks. A couple in their 30s loves fireworks. And someone celebrating their 80th birthday can love them just as much.
Fireworks reflected across the ocean have a little extra magic to them.
It’s fun. It’s romantic. It works for families. And it works for couples.
Fireworks in Hawaii?
Really—what could be better?
5. Waikiki Sunset Cruise by Living Ocean Tours
A sunset cruise in Hawaii has an unfair advantage: warm Pacific water, Waikiki behind the boat, Diamond Head off to one side, and a sunset that can go from bright gold to pink, orange, and purple in about 30 minutes.
That’s why I’d save one for the final night in Honolulu.
Not the first night. The last one.
There’s something right about finishing Hawaii on the water. Dinner can wait. Packing can wait.
A sunset is free—no tour company gets credit for that. What they can control is the boat, the crew, the atmosphere, the amount of space, how smoothly everything runs, and whether people get off saying, “That was incredible.”
That’s what a 5-star rating is really measuring.
After 5 days, 7 days, maybe 10, there’s usually that slightly depressing moment when everyone realizes, “We leave Hawaii tomorrow.” Living Ocean’s Waikiki Sunset Cruise gives the trip a proper ending.
Best Honolulu Excursions FAQs
What are kid-friendly things to do in Honolulu, Waikiki?
Family things to do in Honolulu usually include snorkeling, visiting the Honolulu zoo, a sunset cruise, and exploring the Kualoa Ranch.
Are there free things to do in Honolulu, Waikiki?
Yes. Some of the best things to do in Honolulu cost nothing at all. You can relax on Waikiki Beach, watch the sunset over the Pacific, hike Diamond Head (small entry fee for non-residents), or explore Kuhio Beach and its evening hula shows.
What are the best evening activities in Honolulu?
Popular evening things to do in Waikiki include beachfront dining, live music along the strip, and the Friday night fireworks display. Likewise, fun family things to do in Honolulu include sunset cruises and luaus, which are traditional Hawaiian feasts.
Do you need a car for things to do in Waikiki?
Not necessarily. Many things to do in Waikiki are within walking distance of major hotels. For activities outside the immediate area—like North Shore tours or Pearl Harbor—shuttles are widely available.
What outdoor activities are popular for families in Honolulu?
Outdoor family things to do in Honolulu include surfing lessons, snorkeling tours, stand-up paddleboarding, hiking Diamond Head, and boat cruises along the coastline.
