Our Waikiki Trolley tour was a great sightseeing hop-on hop-off tour! We booked the Blue Line route which is a fun, memorable way to see both the city and breath-taking coastal views!
We share our experience with Waikiki Trolley and pictures from our Blue Line tour in this article! I am fortunate to have traveled to Oahu with my husband, mom, and brother! This was a family-friendly adventure everyone enjoyed!
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If you are planning a trip to Waikiki, or have been there, then you know that excursions here can be pricey! Therefore, as always, we had to be selective in what activities to book!
For us, the “1-day Blue Line Pass”, a coastal route, was a fantastic choice! With limited time, the length of the pass and route was ideal and reasonably priced.
Explore the Waikiki Trolley tour and link below, with over four thousand reviews, and book this popular, highly rated tour too!
We knew we wanted to see more of the island of Oahu, not just stay in the city of Waikiki, despite not having a rental car! So, Waikiki Trolley was a great sightseeing option!
It provided us transportation and the opportunity to see several attractions in a limited amount of time!
Of course, if you have more time and want to see more, you can choose a Waikiki Trolley pass which includes more days and access to more lines!
Waikiki Trolley – Passes
Firstly, there are four types of Waikiki Trolley passes available to purchase:
- 1-day pass for only one line:
- 1-day Blue Line Pass
- 1-day Green Line Pass
- 1-day Red Line Pass
- 1-day Pink Line Pass
- 1-day pass – All Lines
- 4-day pass – All lines
- 7-day pass – All lines
The 1-day Blue Line Pass was great for our itinerary. Just what we were looking for!
Everyone was interested in the coastal Blue Line route. And with other excursions planned during our stay in Waikiki, we could fortunately fit this tour in our schedule!
We spent our morning on the tour and still had enough time for other activities for the rest of the day!
Since you choose what time to start, having flexibility was perfect and worked to our benefit! We originally wanted to take the first scheduled pick-up time. However, after breakfast, we decided to start a bit later.
Because you choose where to start and at what scheduled time, we had no issues with starting later! There was no need to reschedule or rebook, nor pay more money to hop-on later!
And hop-off, if you want, at any of the stops, or just stay on the trolley for the whole tour!
Notably, we have also done similar hop-on hop-off tours, in other cities. We have also purchased a multi-day pass which can be convenient and worthwhile.
Therefore, choose which pass is best based on your needs, time, and budget!
Waikiki Trolley – Routes
There are four routes available on Waikiki Trolley:
- Blue Line
- coastal route
- Red Line
- historic route
- Green Line
- Diamond Head shuttle
- Pink Line
- shopping route
Although each route features a certain type of tour, all lines seem to offer stops close to other places you may be interested in!
Waikiki Trolley – The Tour Route We Selected
Waikiki Trolley – Blue Line Coastal Route Summary
Since we were staying in the heart of Waikiki, we were steps away from the beach, shopping, dining, and many of the stops on the Waikiki Trolley routes. Therefore, for us, the Blue Line Coastal route offered what we were looking for…
We wanted to get out of the city and see more of the island of Oahu. This scenic line with nature and ocean views was ideal!
Blue Line Route Highlights & Additional Info
- duration: this coastal route takes approximately two hours if you do not hop-off
- we recommend starting (early) in the morning especially if you are planning to hop-off at any of the stops.
- tour feature: beautiful ocean and coastal views
- driver/tour guide: both drivers we had were friendly and informative
- great photo opportunities: on the trolley and at the Halona Blowhole lookout!
- seating:
- first come first served.
- standing may be required.
- passengers:
- there were families, couples, older kids, and seniors on our tour!
- I would not recommend this route for very young children nor babies since our tour was on an open-air trolley, on winding roads at times.
- open-air trolley:
- can be very windy at times, but we enjoyed that!
- wood bench seating
Meeting & Pick-Up
We started our tour at the Duke Kahanamoku Statue! It was close to our hotel, easy to spot. However, you can choose which of the stops to hop-on and where to hop-off!
The Duke Kahanamoku Statue is also a popular attraction. Waiting for the Waikiki Trolley gave us time to take some pictures there!
The operating schedule for the Blue Line is approximately every 40 minutes. The first pick-up at the statue is approximately 8:34 a.m. We aimed for the second pick-up time.
Waikiki Trolley arrived as scheduled, around 9:15 a.m. and we boarded with a few other passengers.
Also, we rode on an open-air trolley on our tour, which is what we wanted to do! There may also be double-decker buses along the various lines!
We showed our Waikiki Trolley tickets to the driver, from our phone. Seats are first come, first served.
Our Journey on the Blue Line Route
We chose the Blue Line because we wanted to see more of Oahu, outside of the city and particularly the coast!
Our driver provided some interesting commentary and history on the tour which was broadcast through speakers! Otherwise, enjoyable music played during the tour.
Waikiki Trolley Blue Line Stops
The eleven stops on the Waikiki Trolley Blue Line during our tour:
- Waikiki Shopping Plaza
• website: https://waikikishoppingplaza.com/ - Duke Kahanamoku Statue
• bronze statue of the legendary Hawaiian surfer who was an Olympic champion - Honolulu Zoo / Waikiki Beach
• website: https://www.honoluluzoo.org/ - Waikiki Aquarium / Kapi’olani Regional Park
• website: https://www.waikikiaquarium.org/ - Kahala Mall
• website: https://www.kahalamallcenter.com/ - Halona Blowhole
• The lookout at this natural rock formation provides beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean. - Sea Life Park
• website: https://www.sealifeparkhawaii.com/ - Koko Marina Center
• website: https://kokomarinacenter.com/ - Kahala Market
• website: https://jp.foodland.com/ - Kahala Mall
• website: https://www.kahalamallcenter.com/ - Pioneer Saloon
• website: https://pioneer-saloon.net/
Like us, many people on the tour were taking pictures and videos! We got to see more of the city in addition to the breath-taking coast.
Recommended Stops on the Blue Line – Halona Blowhole
As we approached the Halona Blowhole, the driver announced he would stop for 15-minutes. This would allow us to explore the area briefly and take some pictures at the beautiful lookout!
We took several pictures at this popular tourist attraction. Free to visit, there were many people enjoying the spectacular views!
After the Halona Blowhole, there was a brief stop at Sea Life Park where passengers on our trolley could use the restroom. Several passengers took advantage of this break and used the facilities.
Recommended Stops on the Blue Line – Koko Marina Shopping Center Stop for Leonard’s Bakery
After the Sea Life Park stop, we recommend hopping off at the Koko Marina Shopping Center stop. If you looked into what foods to eat in Waikiki, you probably came across Leonard’s Bakery in your research!
We knew we had to try these famous desserts while in Hawaii! According to their website, “a malasada is a Portugese doughnut without a hole”. And Leonard’s is “Hawaii’s original malasada bakery.”
If you can’t get to the storefront location, their food truck is the next best thing!
So, be sure to hop-off the trolley at the Koko Marina Shopping Center stop and treat yourself!
The trolley stopped at a designated public bus stop which had benches and signage. Steps away from the bus stop, we walked to Leonard’s “Malasadamobile” in the parking lot!
We had more than enough time to sit and savour the famous malasadas! For foodies, Leonard’s Bakery is a must do in Hawaii!
Malasadas can be ordered with a coating (e.g. original plain sugar, cinnamon) and “malasada puffs” with fillings. We ordered malasada puffs with filling, two of each:
- custard
- haupia (coconut)
- dobash (chocolate)
All the them were delicious! The custard filled malasadas was my favourite!
After our mouth-watering snacks at Leonard’s Bakery, we walked back to the trolley stop. Just a reminder, the operating schedule for the Blue Line is approximately every 40 minutes.
Waikiki Trolley – The Return Journey
For the return journey, we had a different trolley driver. We hopped on the trolley which was very busy by this time. As such, we had to stand up on the trolley for part of the way back.
We knew standing would be a possibility on this tour. However, fortunately, there were only a few stops left as we headed back to our starting point, the Duke Kahanamoku Statue.
Nonetheless, be prepared to possibly have to stand if you decide to hop-off and hop-on again during a tour. We held onto the benches, poles, and hanging bus handles for stability.
In the end, we all felt delighted with our Waikiki Trolley tour! It was time well spent and we agreed it was worth the cost for the 1-day Blue Line route!
My husband and I even had enough time to go back to Waikiki beach to swim after the tour! We enjoyed the rest of the day on the beach before heading out for another beautiful evening on vacation…
Waikiki Trolley – Conclusion
The Blue Line route on Waikiki Trolley was a great way to see the city and the coast in a short amount of time!
Overall, the journey along the coast of Oahu and up Kalanianaole Highway was fantastic and dramatic to experience in an open-air trolley!
The tour was reasonably priced and a great experience for my family!
Especially if it is your first time in Waikiki, we highly recommend the Blue Line route on the Waikiki Trolley! It provided a convenient and fun way to see the city and beautiful coast! Book Waikiki Trolley here or explore more reviews in the link below!
Wishing you happy adventures! Enjoy Hawaii!
Also, are you going to Boston, U.S.A. or Paris, France? Check out our articles on similar hop-on hop-off tours we did:
Waikiki – Accommodations – Where to Stay
We stayed at two places on our Waikiki vacation – check our website soon for our detailed reviews and pictures from our stay:
- The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki
- 5-star hotel: luxury iconic hotel in the center of Waikiki
- A fabulous stay! We would love to stay here again if we return to Waikiki!
- OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel
- The home of Cirque du Soleil’s newest show – ‘Auana
- A great stay in a newer, modern hotel, located in the center of Waikiki, steps from Waikiki beach (across the street).
Explore other Honolulu hotels and resorts on Booking.com here or in the link below:
Waikiki – Other Popular Tours
Explore other popular tours in Waikiki with reviews:
Hawaii Resources
Other websites you may find useful in researching your trip:
Oʻahu Visitors Bureau
- contracted by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) for leisure destination marketing in the United States.
- website: https://www.hvcb.org/about-hvcb/island-chapters/oahu-visitors-bureau/
Hawaii Tourism Authority
- “…the state’s official source for information on tourism market research, partnership opportunities, industry news and timely updates during emergency situations.”
- website: https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/
The tour described in this article was self-funded. The views and opinions expressed through this website are our own from personal experience(s). Our content and this article is informational only, not facts, and cannot be construed as professional advice. We always give our honest opinions on topics, experiences or products, made in good faith. Any product or service claims, made by the product or service, should be verified with the manufacturer or provider in question. There may be potential errors on our website, for example due to changes and unintentional mistakes. Thank you.
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