Kualoa Ranch Options

[DVCSunDevil]

We are visiting Aulani in April for the first time. We have booked several excursions that were recommended on these threads…so thank you! One final excursion that we are looking to book is the Kualoa Ranch 2 hour UTV/ATV tour. However, it looks like there are a few companies that offer this tour. Is there a specific company that anyone would recommend? I am thinking the actual Kualoa site over the others (like Viator), but I want to make sure before I book it. Thanks!

 

[Maggie The Cat]

We are visiting Aulani in April for the first time. We have booked several excursions that were recommended on these threads…so thank you! One final excursion that we are looking to book is the Kualoa Ranch 2 hour UTV/ATV tour. However, it looks like there are a few companies that offer this tour. Is there a specific company that anyone would recommend? I am thinking the actual Kualoa site over the others (like Viator), but I want to make sure before I book it. Thanks!

Hi, we are looking for ideas for April 2024 and would love to hear what excursions you booked!

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

We did it through the ranch and had a fantastic time. Will be going back.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Hi, we are looking for ideas for April 2024 and would love to hear what excursions you booked!

We booked a catamaran/snorkeling tour, a luau, and a sunset sail cruise. We also will be doing Pearl Harbor and Kualoa Ranch. We are so excited…but the wallet is taking a beating. Lol

 

[DVCSunDevil]

We did it through the ranch and had a fantastic time. Will be going back.

Thank you! That’s what I figured. It seems to get really good reviews.

 

[reck]

From what I understood when we did tour in Oct, the actual ranch is the only place that offers tours. A single family owns the entire ranch, passed down 6 generations (awesome backstory to its history). We actually did the the ride along utv tour, am glad we did cause our driver gave us soooo much more history and detail to the ranch than the rest of the group got. Each tour (bike, utv, bus, horse) stops at different parts of the ranch, so in order to see everything ranch has to offer landscape wise, you would have to do each tour. Have fun, is truly an awe-inspiring place with a wonderful history. They also grow their own chocolate and make bars with it, trust me, grab some.

 

[mort1331]

We booked through Viator,,,no issues.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

From what I understood when we did tour in Oct, the actual ranch is the only place that offers tours. A single family owns the entire ranch, passed down 6 generations (awesome backstory to its history). We actually did the the ride along utv tour, am glad we did cause our driver gave us soooo much more history and detail to the ranch than the rest of the group got. Each tour (bike, utv, bus, horse) stops at different parts of the ranch, so in order to see everything ranch has to offer landscape wise, you would have to do each tour. Have fun, is truly an awe-inspiring place with a wonderful history. They also grow their own chocolate and make bars with it, trust me, grab some.

Thanks for the info! We ended up booking the UTV tour directly through the Ranch. We are excited…it sounds like a fantastic experience.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Unless you need transport from one of the places the ranch doesn't themselves service there is no reason to book through anyone but the Ranch.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Unless you need transport from one of the places the ranch doesn't themselves service there is no reason to book through anyone but the Ranch.

Well, some other sites had pricing that was a lot lower. So that would be the main reason. But I wasn’t sure if the tour was given by a different company.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Well, some other sites had pricing that was a lot lower. So that would be the main reason. But I wasn’t sure if the tour was given by a different company.

Honestly, sus. There are a couple companies that do UTV not at Kualoa Ranch. But KR don't give big discounts to third party companies for the UTV (don't gotta, and it's lower volume per tour than the trips they do discount via Go Oahu and similar) and they don't allow third parties to host tours.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Honestly, sus. There are a couple companies that do UTV not at Kualoa Ranch. But KR don't give big discounts to third party companies for the UTV (don't gotta, and it's lower volume per tour than the trips they do discount via Go Oahu and similar) and they don't allow third parties to host tours.

That’s why I asked about Viator. Their rate is a lot lower for the UTV tour. Mort1331 said above that they didn’t have any issues with that option. The only difference I can see is that KR had a refund policy, but Viator doesn’t. So I was asking for people’s feedback who have used sites other than direct through KR.

 

[lilsonicfan]

That’s why I asked about Viator. Their rate is a lot lower for the UTV tour. Mort1331 said above that they didn’t have any issues with that option. The only difference I can see is that KR had a refund policy, but Viator doesn’t. So I was asking for people’s feedback who have used sites other than direct through KR.

I was just looking at this. Viator offers the UTV tour for $252.90 per adult but it's only $144.95 per adult at the Kualoa site. Confused where you were able to find it much cheaper?

 

[DVCSunDevil]

I was just looking at this. Viator offers the UTV tour for $252.90 per adult but it's only $144.95 per adult at the Kualoa site. Confused where you were able to find it much cheaper?

When I looked on Viator, that price was for 2 people. The KR site was only for one person.

 

[lilsonicfan]

When I looked on Viator, that price was for 2 people. The KR site was only for one person.

Ah. It does look like it’s for 2 people when the price is first displayed but when you go to book, it comes out to $505 for 2 adults.

 

[Anal Annie]

From what I understood when we did tour in Oct, the actual ranch is the only place that offers tours. A single family owns the entire ranch, passed down 6 generations (awesome backstory to its history). We actually did the the ride along utv tour, am glad we did cause our driver gave us soooo much more history and detail to the ranch than the rest of the group got. Each tour (bike, utv, bus, horse) stops at different parts of the ranch, so in order to see everything ranch has to offer landscape wise, you would have to do each tour. Have fun, is truly an awe-inspiring place with a wonderful history. They also grow their own chocolate and make bars with it, trust me, grab some.

Do you remember how far the ranch is from Aulani or how long it takes to get there? We've done several trips to Oahu but this is one thing we've never done before and I'm on the lookout for some new things to try on Oahu as we're not island hopping this time. TIA.

 

[reck]

It's not bad, 45min maybe. You'll take H-1 from Aulani back east then head north through mountains on H-3, then take highway 83 north to ranch. The speed limits are a "mere suggestion" from what I've seen by driving the island many times, so depending on the type of driver you are will put you anywhere between an hour to 45min out. We did a early afternoon tour, around 1:30, got there a little early and walked around and looked at all the other stuff ranch had. It is a big setup, lots going on, they had "weiner dog races" going on the day we went, it was awesome.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Well, some other sites had pricing that was a lot lower. So that would be the main reason. But I wasn’t sure if the tour was given by a different company.

Other companies don't have access to the property, it's not like a tour on public land. You can't do a Kualoa Ranch UTV tour with anyone other than Kualoa Ranch. Viator is just a booking site that would then stick you on the same tour as if you booked with the ranch directly.

When I looked on Viator, that price was for 2 people.

That is not correct. The Viator prices are per person, same as booking direct.

 

[mort1331]

Ah. It does look like it’s for 2 people when the price is first displayed but when you go to book, it comes out to $505 for 2 adults.

You must have it set to Can$,,,and the ranch website is US$.....now it is still showing cheaper on the ranch site...but there are times that viator is cheaper. We had that this summer.
And yes sometimes companies are cheaper on 3rd party sites,,,,ie hotels, airlines,,some excursions. fyi

 

[magicaldisney]

We booked a catamaran/snorkeling tour, a luau, and a sunset sail cruise. We also will be doing Pearl Harbor and Kualoa Ranch. We are so excited…but the wallet is taking a beating. Lol

What catamaran/snorkeling tour did you book?