Waikiki: 2-Hour Whale Watching with Guaranteed Sightings on Oahu
Recommended by 90% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Oahu, USA
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Every year during the winter months, humpback whales travel to the warmer waters of the Pacific to give birth to their calves. Rather than straining to catch sight of them from the shore, embark on a whale-watching tour from Honolulu for your best chance of seeing the gentle giants. You can also see other wildlife such as dolphins and green sea turtles while you sail.
- If no whales are spotted, guests can ride again for free
- Take in the coastal views of Oahu while you sail
- Learn about the local ecosystem from your guide
- Hassle-free pickups from Honolulu are offered
What's Included
- 2-hour seasonal whale watching cruise
- Complimentary re-ride guarantee if whales are not spotted
- Professional captain and crew
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Parking Fees
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Pink Sails Waikiki1 Holomoana St, Honolulu, HI 96815, USA
Right across from Prince Waikiki Hotel on Holomoana Street.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
1
Waikiki
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 100 travelers
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Frequently Asked Question (1)
Q:What are the starting times for the Whale Watching Cruise?
A:There are two starting times for the whale watch cruise; 8:00am and 10:30am.
Jun 2023
The answers provided are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Dorsey_W
My whole group of 8 mamas adored our crew. Alexio was so great as captain. Very hospitable, kind, honest, funny, and gave good facts. (I would’ve loved even more facts of the city, more on the whales and marine life, Hawaiian culture, etc.)
Sheymus was funny and personable as well. Loved his reaction when the humpback we were following breached at the end of his jokes. It was hilarious. We were so blessed for nature to give us that gift of the whale breaching. Quite rare, only 5% of the time, according to our great guides.
And I absolutely loved the boat ride! If you like rollercoasters, go to the front and pretend you are doing the classic Titanic stance! It was the best! So fun.
And John was hilarious too as our first point of contact. They were a great group of guys and have been close friends for a long time. Great atmosphere. I enjoyed their playlist, and my gfs and I sang and danced, but I think it could be improved with some more hit songs, or classic Hawaiian ukulele songs, OR hits remixed with the uke! That would be bomb and make it feel special for where you are whale watching. I def recommend this excursion. Great price and great two hours on the sea. Great view of Diamond Head too!! So gorgeous and velvety green.
We went very beginning March.
Reviews
4.6
based on 1,334 reviews
Apiwat_Y, Apr 2026
Same as the title, but I've ask them about guaranty of whale watching . They said OK I can come back to do the tour again in the future ,no additional charge. I'm OK.
But I don't know when I be back to Hawaii again... (So hard for me to visit here.) So if anyone want to see the whale just come here at about January to February I think that's OK than my touring date (14th April).
Thank you
Dustin_M, Apr 2026
While we didn't see any whales (it was late in the season, so I knew it would be a risk) we still had a lot of fun! The captain and workers (I'm sorry I forgot their names) were really funny. They made jokes, sang parody songs about whales, and even got other people on the boat to get out of their comfort zone and make "whale noises" into the microphone. So even though we didn't see the whales, it was still worth every penny and I plan on taking advantage of their guarantee to get a free ride in the future to see the whales, even if it is another 10 years before I make it back to Hawaii! 10 out of 10, 100%, A+! Highly recommend!
Drew_C, Apr 2026
My friends and I had a great time, the captain and crew were very entertaining and made our trip worthwhile. we didn't get to see whales but we rebooked for another trip and still had a great time
David_J, Apr 2026
They canceled and never let us know. For a refund we have to wait 3 to 5 days. Very unprofessional and very frustrating.
Mario_M, Apr 2026
The team shared their in depth knowledge of humpbacked whales. They were fun and took us to where a whale was. We were able to witness it beach and followed it for a while
Heather_G, Apr 2026
We were informed bathroom on boat wasn’t working when we set out , ocean was pretty rocky , I forgot to take Dramamine and soon started feeling bad . I threw up several times off the back of the boat . They drove out one hour sat in one spot and rocked back and forth for a few minutes There were no whales and I think they knew there wouldn’t be. It was the last day of the season, no whales , no dolphins nothing . I was so sick I was crying by the time we got back Never ever again
Kevin_C, Apr 2026
We saw tons of dolphins, a few turtles, monk seals but no whales. Tour guides and captain were great and took lots of time sharing information about the area and the sea creatures!
Robert_S, Apr 2026
Absolutely worth it! Bonus Sunset 🌇 The crew was hospitable, informative, and humorous. Made it easy to enjoy and engage with others on the cruise.
Amy_M, Apr 2026
The crew was very friendly, entertaining, and accommodating. Thank you John, Jayden, and the other "J:" We saw at least three whales. I was with my 80yr old parents and they really enjoyed themselves as well!
Eric_C, Apr 2026
Overall a very good experience. Sadly we didn't catch and Whales due to the season, but the staff notified us of this upon leaving the dock. They were on time and helpful through the boat ride. There were significant moments of silence, which depending on your engagement preference could be a a good or bad thing; while staff were searching for marine life to showcase.
Lauren_M, Apr 2026
Such a cool experience, it was amazing to see the coast from the ocean, we saw whales and followed them for an hour! The staff was great, made jokes the whole time & even had margaritas available! Such a fun time!!
Miroslava_D, Apr 2026
Very cute and fu. Piña colada’s were great.. if you have a easy to upset stomach stay on the bottom back part
Nicole_M, Apr 2026
First hour was great, we seen many whales. Second half of the trip everybody started to feel sick. It was pretty hot, and everybody within our visibility was getting motion sickness so kings couldn’t wait for it to be over at that point! Tour guides were great, it was still a nice experience.
Lisa_G, Apr 2026
The crew, captain Jamie, John, Hayden were wonderful and very informative about whales. We had a great time and good experience. Thank you!
Kelsey_J, Apr 2026
It was a really fun boat ride. Got to see more of the island which was really nice. Our captain Jamie was very good about pointing out land marks around the coast and providing a bit of history which was really cool. My husband and I traveled with our 19mo old. He liked the boat, but the water was a bit choppy when we went out, and I think it was a bit much for him. He ended up sleeping the whole tour. We didn’t get to see any whales, big storms had just rolled through right before our tour so I didn’t have much hope, but we did see like 30 spinner dolphins jumping and doing flips around our boat which was really cool. We got to see some sea turtles as well. Our crew was really friendly and funny. Since we didn’t see whales we have the opportunity to take another tour, an offer that doesn’t expire, which I think is amazing. I’m not sure when we’ll make it back out to Hawaii, but when we do, we’ll go out with pink sails again.
Jessica_A, Apr 2026
Cpt Jaime and crew members John and Jalen were awesome. Almost end of whale season and saw so many!!
Doryan_c, Apr 2026
The tour guides were great; it was a relaxing yet exciting adventure. We were not expecting to see any whales but were surprised to see several throughout the tour.
Julie_M, Apr 2026
One of our favorite excursions during our vacation to Hawaii. I would definitely recommend and would go with this group again! We say several whale breaches (momma and baby), and watched them swim. It was very informative about whales and Hawaii.
Sarah_W, Apr 2026
Terrible rock experience and did not even see what we paid for.
The captain says that we would be able to get a vulture to see the whales another time because we didn’t see anything but he failed to give us that so I’m not sure how that works
satinath_m, Apr 2026
It was an awesome trip but could be amazing. We saw many whales but boat captain kept the boat so much away that only my camera could see the whales tail. I was not there to listen to stories of whales, i paid for watching whales atleast from a distance which gives you a feeling that you watched something. Not value for money. Other boats were very close to the whales and good view for them. Our boat watch experience was similar like how you watch from binoculars
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Sorry that it was only awesome and not amazing!
Jackie_L, Apr 2026
Our guide, Alexio and his two teammates did a fantastic job. They made lot of jokes to make everyone laugh during the trip. They shared lots of information about whales and we did see quite a few of whales which is fantastic! What an unforgettable outing.
Casey_H, Apr 2026
If you dont see a whale still worth it was beautiful. But we did see a momma and baby whale it was awesome.
Lacotref_B, Apr 2026
Nice and relaxing very friendly crew snacks drinks all on the boat. It was worth it. We’ll come again.
Jacqueline_K, Apr 2026
Be prepared to take pictures and videos fairly quickly after embarking. Cash only or Venmo. Parking area next to and around the corner. Price for parking reasonable. Crew and boat are excellent. Would do again for sure.
James_F, Apr 2026
Saw whales, they guys were great. Loved the jokes. My wife and I had a wonderful time. Would do pink sails again.
Leah_S, Apr 2026
Excellent experience. Wasn’t sure we’d see whales the first week of April but they were plentiful. Friendly crew. Lots of hilariously bad jokes.
Joanna_K, Apr 2026
Really easy to find and easy check in. Was a fun ride with great guides! We saw lots of whales and sea turtles.
Mohamed_R, Apr 2026
Captain Jaimie was awesome. I really recommend this for first time Travellers and they entertain on the boat as well
Suman_N, Apr 2026
Awesome whale watching experience as we got to see a couple of whales breaching the water and spent a lot of time watching the whales
Meghan_R, Apr 2026
It was a good experience. No whales but still enjoyed the view and the crew!
The day we booked the boat wasn’t working and they worked to accommodate our dates and times!
From $53.31
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Waikiki: 2-Hour Whale Watching with Guaranteed Sightings on Oahu
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