Birding & Beyond in Hawaii

Aloha adventurers and birding enthusiasts! Get ready to embark on a one-of-a-kind journey across Hawaii. Crafted by Mandy, a lifelong birder and Hawaii Bird Tours owner, and Patti, a renowned Hawaiian historian and adventure guide, this tour is a dream come true for birders who want to bring their family members and friends along who want more from a trip than just birding experiences. It is ideal for that loved one who isn’t a birder but enjoys venturing off the beaten path, enjoys the outdoors, wants to experience the local culture, has a real sense of adventure, and is happy to leave the birding to you!

On this mix of adventure, culture, history, and culinary delights, you’ll experience off-road thrills, foodie adventures, and deep dives into Hawaiian history and culture, all while supporting local businesses and conservation efforts too! You’ll experience the serene beauty of the North Shore, on Oahu and Kauai, snorkel alongside dolphins and manta rays in crystal clear waters, traverse lush trails inside Hakalau Forest NWR, view the breathtaking Waimea Canyon and Napali Coast, explore Volcanoes National Park, and a visit to coffee farms and local markets plus so much more!

Get ready to capture memories that will last a lifetime. Join us for an adventure that perfectly balances the desires of birders and their friends and family, showcasing the best Hawaii has to offer!

Day 1: Arrival

Aloha! Welcome to Hawaii. We will gather in the lobby at 6 pm to meet new friends before our welcome dinner together. Your first night is in Waikiki in comfortable accommodations.

Day 2: Birding Oahu

After breakfast birders will leave the city behind and enter the rainforests of the Koolau Mountains in pursuit of Oahu’s endemic honeycreeper, the Oahu Amakihi, before we visit Kapiolani Park to admire visiting Pacific Golden Plovers and Honolulu’s city bird, the beautiful White Tern. While exploring the park we are sure to encounter a myriad of introduced species among the banyan and rainbow shower trees, such as Common Myna, Red-crested Cardinal, Red-vented Bulbul, Yellow-fronted Canary, Java Sparrow, Common Waxbill, Spotted Dove, Zebra Dove, and Rose-ringed Parakeet. We will then transcend down into the valleys to search for the endangered Oahu Elepaio. While on our endemic bird adventure, we will most likely encounter White-rumped Shama, noisy flocks of Red-billed Leiothrix, an occasional Red-whiskered Bulbul, and chattering Warbling White-eyes.

If you’re not into target birding and still jet-lagged after your long trip to reach Hawaii, Patti invites you to join her on a break-taking sunrise just outside of Honolulu. She will take you to one of her favorite local breakfast stops and share some of Oahu’s stunning scenery and geology along its undeveloped southeastern coastline.

After a local lunch stop, both groups will return to our hotel only a block from the world-famous Waikiki beach and close to just a block from Waikiki’s shops and storefronts. We’ll then enjoy a local dinner together and spend the night in Waikiki.

Day 3: Adventures Along Oahu’s North Shore

Today we will depart our hotel together as we all journey up the picturesque windward side to experience the serenity of Oahu’s North Shore. While cruising the coastline, famous for world-class surf beaches and secluded coves with basking sea turtles, we are sure to find some flashy finches, such as the Saffron Finch and Chestnut Munia. Patti and Mandy are both excited to share one of their favorite tide pools and snorkeling locations for everyone to safely and comfortably enjoy some of our endemic marine life. The North Shore is also home to some of the last family farms on Oahu with crops of coffee, cacao, eggplant, papaya, pineapple, apple banana, and even scattered shrimp farms with Black-crowned Night Heron, the endemic Hawaiian Coot, Common Gallinule (endemic subspecies), and Black-necked Stilt (endemic subspecies). We will return before 4 pm so you can get cleaned up and enjoy a night out in Honolulu on your own. Then it is time to get our heads down for the night in Waikiki.

Day 4: REAL Hawaiian History

Day 4 is all about the teamwork of our talented lady guidesteam! Mandy and Patti are teaming up with one of Oahu’s best eco-tourism operators out of Waianae for a three-hour private charter to search for cetaceans and more marine life. Mandy has teamed up with their guides for years to locate Hawaii Spinner Dolphins, Humpback Whales, Pantropical Spotted Dolphins, Pilot Whales, Pygmy Killer Whales, pelagic manta rays, spotted eagle rays above and in the water, and of course seabirds. Patti has been diving this coastline for years and is excited to share more of Oahu’s endemic fish with you along the way, whether you’re more comfortable in or above the water. We will return to the hotel before lunch for you to relax and enjoy a light lunch on your own before some we head out to learn more about Hawaii’s history and eclectic culture. We are excited for you to visit ‘Iolani Palace and gain a better understanding of the Hawaiian Kingdom it’s courageous leaders before we further immerse ourselves into Hawai’i’s rich culture for a traditional family style lūʻau like no other!
(lunch on own in Waikīkī). Traditional family lūʻau dinner together and night in Waikīkī.

Day 5: Flight to Kaua’i and Birding Kaua’i’s North Shore

After breakfast, we fly to Līhuʻe and discover the beauty of Kaua’i’s north shore in pursuit of impressive seabirds along Kīlauea Lighthouse NWR’s stunning coastline and more endemic water birds amongst Hanalei NWR’s historic loʻi ponds. Birders will spend some more time with Mandy scanning the rugged cliffs of Kīlauea covered with Red-footed Boobies and surveying the skies for Brown Booby, spectacular Red-tailed and White-tailed tropicbirds. Although everyone is sure to be impressed by our nesting majestic Laysan Albatross, soaring Great Frigatebirds, and up-close encounters with Hawaiʻi’s state bird, the Nene (Hawaiian Goose). We will then explore Hanalei Valley’s lush valleys and waterfalls with a brief break to get cleaned up for a local dinner together. Then it is time to spend the night in Kapaʻa

Day 6: Waimea Canyon & Birding Kokee

On day 6 birders will embark on an earlier rainforest adventure with astounding views of Waimea Canyon, the Pacific’s Grand Canyon, on our journey into Kōkeʻe State Park to find Kaua’i‘s endemic Kaua’i ʻAmakihi, Kauai Elepaio,  ʻAnianiau and ʻApapane. Patti will take those less interested in target birding to enjoy some scenery and history away from the crowds before we meet up for a local scrumptious lunch in the park together. We will then return to our beautiful oceanfront hotel for a leisurely afternoon. Tonight is a chance to have dinner on your own before a night in Kapaʻa

Day 7: Experience the Best of the NaPali Coast

We will depart the hotel early in time to make our private charter to explore the unparalleled NaPali coast by boat with snorkeling and pelagic birding opportunities! After a deli-style lunch on the water, we will return to our hotel for a leisurely afternoon and then meet up for a luxurious dinner together at our beachfront hotel together for our last evening on Kauai. 

Day 8: Poipu and Flight to the Big Island

If birders are interested in some of Kauai’s rarer introduced species, like Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush and Hwamei, Mandy will take you on a short jungle walk immediately following breakfast and have you back to the hotel before in time to rinse off and repack before we all need to check out at 11am. We will depart for Poʻipū together in search of Hawaiian Monk Seals, basking sea turtles, a local lunch stop, stunning shoreline sights, and lush gardens before our flight to Kona. Dinner together and night in Kona.

Day 9: Morning Kauai Birding and Departure Day

Today birders will enjoy exclusive access to Hakalau Forest NWR, a publicly restricted cloud forest reserve that is home to many of Hawaii’s endangered plants, native arthropods, and endemic birds with Mandy. We will search for the unique Hawaii Creeper, the gorgeous day glow orange Akepa, the stunning long-billed Akiapolaau, the Hawaiian Hawk and Omao (Hawaii’s endemic thrush) with beautiful Iiwi, Hawaii Amakihi, and Apapane all over the blossoms of the ancient Oahia trees enshrouding us. Patti will take those less interested in birding along the Kona coast for some Hawaiian history, beautiful scenery, and local grinds. In the evening we’ll have a nice dinner together and spend the night in Kona.

Day 10: Kona Pelagic and Snorkel! 

Day 10 is another great day for lovers of collaboration collaboration! Mandy and Patti are teaming up again to take you out on the water for an exclusive charter with one of Kona’s most experienced and talented captains on a spacious boat. We will depart from Honokohau harbor early in the morning for our best chances to get offshore to search for seabirds and cetaceans before we come back inshore along the reef for a light deli-style lunch onboard and some casual snorkeling. 

Past highlights include:
Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Great Frigatebird, Hawaiian Petrel, Black-winged Petrel, Juan Fernandez Petrel, White-necked Petrel, Mottled Petrel, Bulwer’s Petrel, Leach’s Storm Petrel, Band-rumped Storm Petrel, White-tailed Tropicbird, Red-footed Booby, Brown Booby, Brown Noddy, Black Noddy, Sooty Tern, and White Tern with hopes of Laysan and Black-footed albatross, Pomarine Jaeger, Parasitic Jaeger, Long-tailed Jaeger, South Polar Skua, Masked Booby, Nazca Booby, Arctic Tern, Gray-backed Tern, Newell’s Shearwater, Christmas Shearwater, Short-tailed Shearwater and Kermadec Petrel.

Past cetacean sightings include:
Humpback Whale, Short-finned Pilot Whale, Sperm Whale, Mellon-headed Whale, False Killer Whale, Pygmy Killer Whale, Blainville’s Beaked Whale, and Cuvier’s Beaked Whale, Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins, Pantropical Spotted Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins and Rough-toothed Dolphins.

We will return to our hotel, just 15 minutes from the harbor, immediately following our adventure for some rest and dinner on our own, with several local oceanfront restaurants within walking distance where you can have dinner at your own expense before heading back to our accommodation for another night in Kona.

Day 11: Kona Coffee Farm, Local Shopping and Evening Manta Ray Snorkel!

We will start our day together with a local breakfast and a local Kona coffee farm stop before we take you to explore some of Kona’s local markets and lunch on your own. We will pick you up after your light day of walking and tasting around Kona, to prepare for our private chartered manta ray snorkel. Patti and Mandy have enjoyed this adventure countless times with visitors, and loved ones and just can’t stop raving about it so you’re sure to love it! This is a must for everyone visiting Hawaii!

Today allows you to choose where you have your lunch on your own at the market before we have dinner together in the evening. We will then settle down for our last night in Kona.

Day 12: Depart from Kona to Hilo while Exploring the Big Island’s Southern Highlights

We will depart Kona together in the morning on our way to Hilo together. We will make some stops along the way to enjoy some scrumptious local baked goods, visit a black sand beach, and explore a hidden lava tube before reaching Hilo that evening. There, we will have dinner together before settling down for our first night in Hilo

Day 13: Adventure Day in Hilo

After breakfast, Mandy and Patti will take you to see an iconic Hawaiian waterfall before we explore botanical gardens, ziplining, horseback riding, and/or ATVs amongst lush Hawaiian jungles with a picnic lunch. In the evening you get to decide where you have dinner on your own before another night of rest in Hilo.

Day 14: Volcano National Park

Departures and meals today will depend on the activity or inactivity visible within the national park, as this is our last day to adventure together and the lava (if visible) is best viewed in the evening. We’ll then have dinner together one last time, a great chance to reminisce about the previous two weeks together in Hawaii. Then it is time to head back to our accommodations one last time in Hilo to get some rest before the tour comes to an end.

Day 15: Departure Day from Hilo

All good things must come to an end, and this tour is no different! Breakfast will be on your own at your leisure at the hotel before we say our final goodbyes and then check out at 11 am to depart for home.