THE ROYALS
The story of the Hawaiian Rulers from Polynesian discovery, Captain Cook's arrival to the early 20th Century
TOUR LENGTH:
SCHEDULE:
DATES:
4 Hours
Available between 8AM to 5:30PM
Available all year
KEY STOPS:
He'eia State Park, Ulupō Heiau, Nu'uanu Pali Pt., Kawaiaha'o Chuch, Ali'iolani Hale
All tours are fully customizable and include: a naturalist/historian, a driver, a Yukon SUV or similar, entry fees of visited sites, car beverages, and free pickup/dropoff in Waikiki/Honolulu.
Within 100 years, the Hawaiian chiefs abandoned their traditional Polynesian way of life and transformed Hawaii into a modern western society within a single generation.
Our drive takes us to the windward side of Oahu to He'eia State Park where we will see remnants of the ancient Hawaiian way of life which lasted for 1,400 years. Next, we’ll focus on the Hawaiian ruling class' quest for divine power (mana) to conquer their rivals or stave off natural disasters. We will visit Ulupō Heiau, an ancient temple site of human sacrifice dedicated to Ku, the God of War.
We'll climb the Ko'olau Mountains to spectacular Nu'uanu Pali Point, where King Kamehameha the Great fought his last major battle that united the islands.
Arriving back in Honolulu we'll visit Kawaiaha'o Church and hear about Queen Ka'ahumanu, the extraordinary woman who was the major force in establishing the Kamehameha royal dynasty. It is a short walk to the Ali'iolani Hale (headquarters for Hawaii Five-0 on the tv show) with its iconic statue of Kamehameha the Great and the site where Hawaii's last monarch Queen Lili'uokalani was overthrown by the American military. Across the street is Iolani Palace, the only royal palace on American soil.
We will be picked up by our driver and you will be dropped off at the final location of your choice.
NOTES: 1--If the Pali Highway is closed (currently on weekends in the Honolulu direction) we will take the H-3 highway instead