Ride the red bus to tour Hawaii

The double-decker AlohaBus is a new way to tour Oahu while on Vacation in Hawaii and kids go free this summer. The buses let you hop on and hop off along the route for personalized sight-seeing.

There are three tours. The Historic Route is the basic package, with a route that goes from Waikiki to downtown Honolulu with stops at Ala Moana Center, Ward Warehouse, Academy of Arts, Iolani Palace, the King Kamehameha Statue, Chinatown, Aloha Tower and Hilo Hattie. A second route is called the Pearl Harbor Express. Passengers board a regular Polynesian Adventure tours bus from Hilo Hatie to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, Aloha Stadium and Bishop Museum. A Night Loop operates from 5:30 pm to 10 pm along popular shopping and dining areas, turning around at Aloha Tower.

The AlohaBus just started in April, so they’re still a fairly new sight on Honolulu streets. Adult tickets are $29 for a 24-hour All Loops Tour pass, which is a discounted summer rate. One child (3-11 years) may ride free with each paid adult.

This approach fills a gap in touring Oahu. You can explore on your own by using TheBus, but that is not always convenient (and carrying purchases aboard is problematic when they’re full). Set bus tours are available to particular destinations, such as Pearl Harbor or the city tour, but you must travel as a group. The Waikiki Trolley offers the ability to get on and off, and also offers three tour options, but it is not air conditioned and the drivers vary widely in their local expertise. I am not aware of another evening tour option, other than city-lights dinner boat cruises. It is also great to see the connection to Aloha Tower. We often enjoy happy hour at sunset at Aloha Tower, but the only connection back to Waikiki hotels has been a city bus or cab.

Another bonus: the AlohaBus offers narrated tour translations in English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Spanish. It seems like a great way to explore Oahu safely, with some personalized flexibility but no fear of getting lost or stranded.

The AlohaBus is operated by Gray Line Hawaii • Polynesian Adventure Tours.

Photo provided by Polynesian Adventure Tours.

Posted by: Bruce Fisher on Jun 14, 2011