ATV Tours in Oahu

One of the aspects to consider when planning how to visit everything there is to see on Oahu is transportation. Due to the characteristics of the island, with many natural areas, it is not always easy to reach some of its attractions. For those cases, the best solution is to hire an off-road tour.

Thus, you will be able to hire tours to Kualoa Ranch, make a circular route around the island, make an off-road expedition along the east coast or even take a tour of a botanical garden.

Movie lovers will find on Oahu part of the locations of one of the most famous sagas of recent years: Jurassic Park. Specifically, the filming location is at Kualoa Ranch.

As it could not be less, any traveler will be able to hire a Jurassic Park tour in Oahu and some of them are made in all-terrain vehicles. In fact, there are several different tours with this theme.

It is worth knowing that some of them are included in the Oahu Go Card and do not worry if you arrive with a vehicle that is not adapted for all types of roads, even if you wanted to, you would not be able to do the tour with it. The park provides the vehicles and guides.

Kualoa Ranch is one of the best locations on the island of Oahu for off-road tours. It is a private nature reserve located in a unique location that leaves no one indifferent.

This is where a lot of movies like Jurassic Park or many of the scenes of the famous series "Lost" have been filmed. And no wonder, its incredible landscapes are a spectacle.

Just 39 km from Honolulu, the Kualoa Ranch nature reserve is composed of the valleys of Kualoa, Kaʻaʻawa and Hakipuʻu. It is also within touching distance of Kāneʻohe Bay, where another nature park is located; Kualoa Regional Park.

Accompany the guide on his ATV

With this option, the guide will be the one driving the off-road vehicle so that you and your family can live the experience in the most comfortable way possible.

Through this impressive tour that runs through the jungle and through fields, streams, hills and cliffs like no other, you will see the scenes of some of the most acclaimed movies and series of recent times.

Among them Pearl Harbor, Pirates of the Caribbean, King Kong, Lost, Godzilla and, of course, all the installments of the Jurassic Park saga.

• Price: The approximate price per adult is 140 euros, while for children it costs about half the price.

• Duration: 2.5 hours.

• Means of transport: All-terrain vehicle.

• Advantages of this option: Duration.

• Disadvantages of this option: The route has many potholes.

Drive an ATV Raptor

This option offers you the possibility to drive the best vehicle for this kind of expeditions. It is the ATV Raptor, an open vehicle but with all the safety features that will allow you to live the experience in the most adventurous way possible.

You will go through dirt roads that are impossible to travel with other types of vehicles, you will cross streams and enjoy the authentic Oahu jungle.

In addition, with this expedition you will also have the opportunity to see some of the movie locations we mentioned in the previous activity.

• Price: The price per adult is approximately 145 euros, while for children it costs around 70 euros.

• Duration: 2 hours.

• Means of transportation: ATV Raptor.

• Advantages of this option: You can drive.

• Disadvantages of this option: It will be short.

Tour in the jungle of Kualoa

This expedition has nothing to envy to the other Kualoa Ranch off-road tours. It is the most economical alternative to visit many of the places we have been reviewing so far.

This option is specially designed for groups, but that does not mean that if you go alone you can not join one of them, there are always free places, and it is a good way to meet people.

The originality of this tour lies in the possibility of sharing a cabin with up to 15 other people, imagine what it can be like! This is thanks to the Jungle Jeep, the big Kuala Ranch Jeep with which you and your friends will travel through the authentic jungle of Kuala.

• Price: The price per adult is approximately 60 euros, while for children it costs around 40 euros.
• Duration: 1.5 hours.
• Means of transport: Jungle Jeep.
• Advantages of this option: Price.
• Disadvantages of this option: It can be a bit dizzying.

Although there are quite a few tours of Oahu, few can compare to the all-day off-road tour.

This is one of the most complete expeditions you can find on Oahu. The idea is to make a circular tour of the island in order to get the best possible overview of what Oahu is all about.

During the tour there are about 16 stops and you will even have the possibility (optional) to do some snorkeling in Oahu.

For this tour you will have a guide who will not only take you around the island, but will also explain each of the points you are going to see.

Here are some of the most common stops that are made in this complete off-road tour of Oahu:

• Diamond Head: it is usually the starting point and is located next to Waikiki, one of the best beaches on Oahu. Depending on the date of the tour, you may be able to see the sunrise from this point.
• Kahala Scenic Route (Kahala Scenic Route): besides being the place chosen by several millionaire families to establish their spectacular homes, during this route you can enjoy some of the best ocean views from Oahu.
• Sandy Beach Park: from here you will be able to enjoy unparalleled views of the Kalama Valley, Koko Craterand, of course, Sandy Beach Park.
• Makapu'u Point: this stop is designed so that you can contemplate the crater of Rabbit Island and its cliffs.
• Windward Coast: the tour continues on the way to Kualoa. The guide will explain all the secrets of the island while you contemplate several waterfalls, cliffs and forests.
• Kualoa Park: if you have done one of the Jurassic Park tours on Oahu you will already know the area. Here not only were filmed several movies of the saga, but also allows you to see one of the most iconic places of the island: Chinaman's Hat.
• North Shore: leaving aside Honolulu, it is possibly the North Shore that holds the most attractions on Oahu. Normally, the tour stops in the area for lunch and then continues to see places like the Waimea waterfall, the bay of the same name or Rockpile. Those who want to snorkel will have their chance on the beaches in this area.
• Town of Haleiwa: still on the north coast, you will have the opportunity to visit one of the most traditional surfing towns on the island. Although you will not have time to practice this sport, perhaps it will serve as an incentive to hire a surf lesson on Oahu.
• On the way back to Waikiki: returning to the south of the island, the route makes several stops in places like the
  Dole Plantationor a farm specializing in the cultivation of coffee.

Interesting details

• Price: This type of off-road tour can cost around 120 euros per person.
• Duration: between 10 and 11 hours.
• Advantages of this option: It covers a large part of the island in the same tour.
• Disadvantages of this option: The stops have a time limit that is not very high.

You can rent an SUV in Honolulu or hire a tour and drive along the East Coast of Oahu on one of the most beautiful roads in the world.

It runs between impressive cliffs and practically deserted coves. In addition, along the way you will pass by some of the most impressive volcanic craters of Oahu, many of them filled with water.

On the way you will have the opportunity to go off-road through some of the natural parks that you will find along the way, such as the Kualoa Regional Park (not to be confused with Kualoa Ranch, which is private), known for its rich wildlife, especially for its multitude of waterfowl.

This park is located in Kāneʻohe Bay. A bay that has a pristine white sand beach from where you can see the islet of Mokoliʻi; a small basalt island open to the public.

Details of interest

• Price: The prices for renting an SUV in Oahu vary depending on the model we choose. They can range between 200 and 300 euros per day. A private tour, on the other hand, can cost a little more than 250 €.
• Duration: about 6 or 7 hours, although being private you can negotiate with the company.
• Means of transport: All-terrain vehicle.
• Advantages of this option: Enjoy one of the most beautiful roads in the world and have the option of detouring by dirt roads that lead to corners that are otherwise difficult to access.
• Disadvantages of this option: As it is not a group tour, the final price per person will be somewhat higher for you.

If your adventurous spirit asks you to venture into the off-the-beaten-path areas of the island, this tour through one of the least altered valleys by the hand of man is the place for you. Accompanied by a native guide, you will not only get to know the exuberant nature of the area, but you will also learn a great number of things about the ancient Hawaiian culture and its myths.

With this tour you will go deep into some of the valleys of the North Coast, traveling along roads located in the middle of the jungle aboard a comfortable and modern SUV.

As a curiosity, on the route you will also be able to see some defensive structures erected during World War II and that can serve as a complement to the Pearl Harbor tours to better understand how the conflict affected this archipelago.

Since the vehicles only have 8 seats, I recommend you book well in advance. I assure you that you will not regret it.

Details of interest

• Price: Around 100 € per person.
• Duration: About 2 hours and a half, but keep in mind that you leave from Haleiwa, on the North Coast.
• Means of transport: All-terrain vehicle.
• Advantages of this option: To be able to discover a little visited part of the island.
• Disadvantages of this option: Departure from the North Coast itself.

Most of the tours offered by off-road tours on Oahu can also be done on your own by renting one of these vehicles. However, the organized option has several advantages.

Although it is true that renting an off-road vehicle you will be able to manage the time in each place as you wish, some of the destinations can be difficult to reach, especially if you do not know the island well.

Thus, getting into the rainforest or even in a natural park is not easy. Despite the signs, you will always run the risk of getting lost.

On the other hand, the presence of the guide will not only avoid this possible problem, but will also be able to solve any other mishap. Not forgetting, obviously, his role in explaining everything you are seeing.