DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1: Fly to Los Angeles

Fly from London to Los Angeles today, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Days 2 to 4: Explore Los Angeles

Los Angeles is a bustling city that is the home of the Hollywood movie industry. Keep an eye out for the rich and famous, as you pass the designer shops on Rodeo Drive, and lavish celebrity mansions in Beverly Hills. Also look out for the famous Hollywood sign atop Mount Lee and visible for miles around. You can also visit the landmark Grauman’s Chinese Movie Theatre and walk the star-studded Hollywood Walk of Fame.

There is much to do and see in Los Angeles, which is one of the largest cities in the USA. LA, as it is known locally, is home to the original Disneyland Theme Park as well as to Universal Studios.

The Griffith Observatory has a planetarium with telescopes and wonderful city views. Other attractions include The Getty, an art venue, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens.

Alternatively you can get in some beach time in Santa Monica, where the Santa Monica pier is a popular landmark. Linger over lunch and catch a live performance on the pier, or carry on to bohemian Venice, where street art and urban farms abound.

Day 5: Fly to Maui in Hawaii

Today transfer to LA airport for your flight to Maui in Hawaii, a tropical archipelago situated in the Pacific Ocean about 2,000 miles from the U.S. mainland.

Hawaii has eight main islands, although only six can be visited - Hawaii Island (the largest), Maui, Molokai, O’ahu (home to the capital of Honolulu), Lanai and Kauai.

Days 6 to 8: Explore Maui

With its paradise beaches, colourful coral reefs and dramatic volcanoes, life in Hawaii is lived outdoors. Whether it's surfing, swimming, fishing or picnicking with the ʻohana’ (extended family and friends), encounters with nature are infused with the traditional Hawaiian value of ‘aloha aina’ (love and respect for the land).

Everything here feels easy going and casual, bursting with genuine aloha and fun, as in these multicultural islands the descendants of ancient Polynesians, European explorers, American missionaries and Asian plantation immigrants mix and mingle. Boisterous arts and cultural festivals keep their diverse traditions alive, ranging from Hawaiian outrigger canoe races to Japanese ‘taiko’ drumming. Hula dancing, aloha shirts, 'rubbah slippah' (flip-flops), ukulele and slack key guitar music are all part of everyday island life.

Maui is spectacularly beautiful. On this volcanic island, you can see black lava sands at Waiʻānapanapa State Park and stunning red sands at Kaihalulu Beach. You can hike across ancient lava flows and down fluted ‘Pali’ (sea cliffs). Don’t miss the scenic drive along the Hana Highway, with its tropical rainforest, and breathtaking sunrises and sunsets from the top of Haleakalā Volcano.

Other outdoor activities include swimming at Kaanapali Beach and Kapalua Bay, snorkelling with giant manta rays and sea turtles at Molokini islet, kayaking to a deserted offshore island, and whale watching cruises. 

You can also horse ride with ‘paniolo’, Hawaii's cowboys, visit the Maui Ocean Centre aquarium and attend a traditional Hawaiian ‘luau’ (party) with a buffet dinner and Polynesian dancing.

Day 9: Fly to O’ahu

Transfer to the airport this morning for your flight to the more developed island of O’ahu, which is home to Hawaii’s capital of Honolulu and the birthplace of former US President, Barack Obama.

Diamond Head, a dormant volcanic tuff cone known to Hawaiians as Le’ahi, dominates Honolulu’s skyline.

Days 10 to 12: Explore O’ahu

Surfing is centred around famous Waikiki Beach with its high-rise hotels, designer stores, fine dining restaurants and vibrant waterside cocktail bars. Beach lovers will be spoilt for choice, as Kuhio has hula shows and Queen Kapiʻolani beachfront park overlooks Diamond Head. Ala Moana Park offers a calm swimming beach, whilst Sandy Beach has big waves for surfing. Kaimana has a nice calm beach, whilst Kahanamoku is a man-made sandy beach for swimming and surfing. Makapuʻu is situated at the eastern end of the island, with a prominent lighthouse situated on its cliff.

There is much to see and do in Honolulu in addition to its spectacular beaches. You can start with a visit to the World War 2 memorial at Pearl Harbour, where you can visit the USS Missouri battleship, Pearl Harbour Aviation Museum and the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum. Other sights in and around the city include the landmark Aloha Tower, Iolani Palace (the home of Hawaii’s former kings), Bishop Museum which showcases Polynesian culture and natural history, Honolulu Zoo that is home to some Komodo dragons, Waikiki Aquarium, Sea Life Park and Honolulu Museum of Art. Keep an eye out for several statues of King Kamehameha, the monarch who founded the kingdom of Hawaii.

Outside the city, nature lovers can see sea turtles at Hanauma Bay Nature Reserve and the Halona Blowhole rock formation. For those who love gardens, the inviting Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden is set in a rainforest, with an enormous freshwater lake. You can also explore the historic Foster Botanical Garden, the 200-acre Harold L. Lyon Arboretum, Koko Crater Botanical Garden and Liliʻuokalani Botanical Garden, situated on the land of the late queen.

Walkers can hike through tropical rainforest to the 150 ft Manoa Falls. Other great trails include Koko Head and the Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail, where you may see whales from November to May. Nu’uanu Pali Lookout and Tantalus Lookout also offer panoramic views.

Day 13: Fly Home

Transfer to the airport for your flight home.

PRICING

From £2,995 per person sharing

Price is based on two adults sharing en-suite accommodation on a room only basis. Economy flights from London are included, as well as flights to Hawaii.

We offer a choice of hotels at different prices, so please discuss your requirements with us. All hotels are subject to availability.

It is essential that you have personal holiday insurance. The FCO should also be consulted.