The 15 Food & Drink Experiences in Hawaiʻi That Repay the Day

1.Lahaina: Maui Ku’ia Estate Guided Cacao Farm Tour and Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,103 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $99Our pick

Start at Ku’ia Estate’s Lahaina factory, then ride to a 20-acre cacao farm in the West Maui foothills. A certified guide such as Mandy, Steph, Brandy, or Shawn explains growing, harvesting, and chocolate making before a nine-piece tasting in a treehouse. Closed-toe shoes and stair climbing are required.

“Fun tour of the farm and great dark chocolate tasting. Interesting information about how cacao trees are grown normally and in the dry west Maui climate.”

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2.Oahu Catamaran Waikiki Sunset on 40 Foot Catamaran: Food and BYOB

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 836 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $44

Spend about two hours on a 40-foot catamaran with Captain Krash and a friendly crew, watching the sun set behind Waikiki and Diamond Head. Enjoy pupus, beverages, music, and views of the city lights. Guests 21 and older may bring their own alcohol. The cruise carries up to 28 people and returns to Pier A.

“Captain Krash and his crew (Anna and pups Sushi and Mona) were exceptional! They did a great job to not overbook giving plenty of room on the boat. This trip was laid back and light snacks were wonderful. And the views, stunning! Highly recommend!”

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3.Princeville Botanical Gardens Tour and Chocolate Tasting Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 774 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $126

Walk Princeville Botanical Gardens with guides such as Troy, Lauren, Zoe, or Heidi, stopping for tropical fruit, honey, cacao nibs, and five or more single-origin chocolates. Expect shaded paths, creek beds, stairs, loose gravel, hills, and a relaxed outdoor tasting session. Walking sticks, umbrellas, and bug spray are provided.

“The garden was beautiful, our guide equal parts informative and entertaining. Highly recommend. But use insect repellent. My daughter spent the next day in bed with cortisone cream treating over 30 mosquito bites.”

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4.Kauai Chocolate Farm Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 666 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $145

Spend about three hours at Lydgate Farms learning how cacao becomes chocolate. Guides such as Mason, Sheri, Jess, Brooke, and Jenna lead you through tropical gardens, fresh fruit tastings, honey, vanilla, cacao pods, and estate-grown dark chocolate. The tour suits chocolate lovers and curious foodies, but children must be over 7.

“Amazing tour filled with fruits, honeys, and chocolates! Our tour guide Jenna was the best tour guide we have ever had.”

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5.Hawaii Off The Beaten Path Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 665 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $150

Spend about three hours exploring Honolulu’s Chinatown and nearby markets with guides such as Victor and TJ. Expect generous tastings of poke, sashimi, roast meats, Filipino dishes, tropical fruit, sweets, and local drinks, plus hotel pickup in Waikiki or Honolulu. This is a standing and walking tour, so arrive hungry and ready to try unfamiliar foods.

“Man, we had a blast with TJ and Victor. These dudes had us learning local history like it was the hottest Netflix show of the summer. And the food? Listen… we tried fresh tuna, duck, pork, Filipino dishes, basically everything but the kitchen sink. By the time we got back, we were so stuffed I thought somebody was gonna have to roll us outta there like a couple of beach balls. And shoutout to our guides for looking out for my parents. They’re older, and TJ and Victor kept the pace so perfect it felt like we were on the VIP senior tour. Smooth, easy, no stress. Big Mahalo, y’all.”

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6.Oahu in a Day: Waterfall – Food Trucks – Lookouts – Small Crowds

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 475 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $179

Spend about 10 hours circling Oahu with a guide such as Mac, Chris, Emily, Andrew, or Kurt. Walk through Waimea Valley, swim at its waterfall, eat at North Shore food trucks, visit Byodo-In Temple, and stop at major coastal lookouts. Hotel pickup, admissions, and Leonard’s malasada are included.

“I really wanted to see the island, in particular, the North Shore so we decided on this tour and I’m so glad we did! This tour was amazing and Emily our tour guide made it even better. She was knowledgeable, personable and helped us to take great pics to capture our trip. Just a note, this is a 10-hour tour, so be prepared but it’s worth every minute and every penny!”

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7.Kona Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 402 reviews · 2 hours 45 minutes (approx.) · from $155

Start at Kailua Pier with guides such as Ellie or Kai, then walk through historic Kona for small plates, drinks, local favorites, and dessert. You will see Huliheʻe Palace, Mokuaikaua Church, and Ahuʻena Heiau from outside while sampling poke, chowder, musubi, avocado fries, cocktails, and gelato. The tour ends about half a mile from the pier.

“Alllie have a good overview of Kona as we walked to the restaurants. Got to try some local foods and great drinks and it was all delicious. Always nice to meet and talk to other people on the food tours. Would recommend!”

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8.Food Tour of Kaua’i

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 338 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $125

Tasting Kauai’s private 3 to 4 hour food tour pairs local tastings with Hawaiian history and stories from guides such as Susan. Choose a town and day, from Kilauea and Koloa to Hanalei and Lihue. Food, drinks, and a host are included, but you may need a car between stops. Dietary requests require advance notice.

“Great food! We tried several different local wraps/sandwiches, and a dessert. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and shared some great places to try on our own.”

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9.Walking Food Tour Exploring Hanalei

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 282 reviews · 1 to 2 hours (approx.) · from $139

Meet at Hanalei Center for a small-group walk through Kauai’s final commercial town before the Na Pali Coast. Guides such as Max and Nalu lead you to local eateries for taro dishes, poke, chili-pepper chicken, juices, chocolate, doughnuts, and more, while sharing Hanalei history and food culture. Expect generous portions, easy walking, and a full stomach.

“Great food choices and stories to match. The food was delicious and even had some choices of what we wanted as well. Very knowledgeable for sure.”

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10.Kō Hana Hawaiian Rum Distillery Tour and Tasting for One

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 238 reviews · 45 minutes to 1 hour (approx.) · from $25Best value

Spend 45 to 60 minutes at Kō Hana Distillers in historic Kunia. Your guide introduces Hawaiian sugar cane, fresh cane juice, the barrel room, and rum production before a tasting of selected spirits and snacks. Guides including JJ, Emily, Andy, and Bernadette are known for lively, clear presentations. The visit ends at the tasting bar and gift shop.

“Emily was a wonderful tour guide. Learned a lot about the rum process. Emily’s a great asset to the brewery.”

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11.Hawaiian Food Tour by Bike in Oahu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 206 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $189

Meet Kelly in central Waikiki for a relaxed, roughly seven-mile ride through Honolulu. Bikes, helmets, water, lunch, and five to six food tastings are included. Expect poke, fish tacos, shaved ice, malasadas, local history, and stops at family-run food spots. The ride returns to the starting point.

“Great food, knowledgeable host. Felt tour could have been a bit shorter. Enjoyed the variety of stops.”

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12.From Ka’anapali: West Maui Half-Day Snorkel Tour w/ Food

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 127 reviews · 4h 30m · from $176

From Whalers Village, Sea Maui takes you by beach-loading catamaran to west Maui snorkel sites chosen for the day’s conditions. You’ll get breakfast, lunch, an open bar, gear guidance, and time to spot fish, turtles, dolphins, coral, and seasonal humpback whales. Captains such as Linda and Kari lead different departures.

“whole expeience was great. Captain Linda and her crew was great. saw lots of fish, whales, dolphins and turtles. photographer was also exceptional.”

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13.Big Island Hawaii: Craft Chocolate Tasting and Farm Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 3h 30m · from $130

Spend three and a half hours at Honolii Orchards near Hilo with guides Wren and Jude. Walk the cacao orchard, see the fermentation room, learn chocolate history, sample fresh cacao juice and roasted beans, then taste at least 10 Hawaiian single-origin bars in a tasting room with ocean and valley views.

“Chocolate bliss and quite interesting! Wren was our exceptional guide. He has immense knowledge but more importantly has a deep desire to share what makes Cocoa special and the many things Honolii Orchards are doing to improve the cocoa production and craft chocolate creation. The gleam in his eyes as he enthusiastically shares the deep passion he feels for the work they are doing is contagious. I went to the tour with a mild interest and left with a knowing that I want to invest more time and money learning and enjoying craft chocolate. Jude, our host, kept the chocolate coming (tasted 11 different kinds) and served a delicious chocolate…”

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14.Abalone Farm Guided Tour with Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $31

At Big Island Abalone Farm, your English-speaking guide explains deep-water research, breeding, feeding, and growth stages that can last 10 years. You can hold live abalone, see organic dulse seaweed tanks, then taste one grilled in its shell and sample canned abalone. If Kale leads your tour, expect plenty of fun facts.

“Great tour! learned so much about Abalone and seaweeds. Highly recommended!”

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15.Honolulu: Waikiki Food Tour with Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 3 hours · from $100

Meet your English-speaking guide at King David Kalākaua’s Statue for a three-hour walk through Waikiki. You’ll sample a malasada, poke, Hawaiian barbecue, shave ice, and a Japanese treat with a Hawaiian twist while hearing about local culture. One guide named Stella has also helped guests move to a later tour after a flight delay.

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