School Trips to Hawaii

Kona Service and Adventure

Eight days on one Kona base, returning twice to the same food-access host, with farm work on the Kohala side and structured reef time in between.

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8 days · From $3,720 per student, excluding airfare10+ studentsMarine science · Food systems

1. Day 1

   Arrive Kona

   The group lands at Kona and recovers at the single hotel it keeps for the whole week.

   MorningFlight to KOA; arrival timing depends on the gateway flight.

   AfternoonTransfer to one Kona hotel and recover.

   EveningOrientation and dinner.

   Route

   KOA to the Kona hotel, by private group transfer.

   Travel

   Private group transfer

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Kona; twin student rooms, teacher singles.

   Meals

   All meals required by the arrival and departure timing are included, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Low effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.

2. Day 2

   Hawi food systems

   A day in North Kohala on how food is grown here, ending at the table it was grown for.

   MorningPlan a visit to a North Kohala farm, subject to contract, for food-growing interpretation.

   AfternoonHost-approved hands-on farm tasks and farm-to-table meal, with a short Kohala beach stop if conditions allow.

   EveningReturn to Kona for an early evening.

   Route

   Kona to a North Kohala farm and back, with a short Kohala beach stop.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Kona; twin student rooms, teacher singles.

   Meals

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Moderate effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.

3. Day 3

   Food access, first visit

   The first shift with the food-access host on a written roster, and an easy introduction to the water afterwards.

   MorningKona food-access host orientation and first three-hour group scheduling block. Volunteer time follows a written host-approved station roster; remaining students join supervised food-systems learning.

   AfternoonRest and an operator-led introductory snorkel with a shore-based alternative.

   EveningDinner and short reflection.

   Route

   The Kona food-access host, then a shore or boat snorkel site.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Kona; twin student rooms, teacher singles.

   Meals

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Higher effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.

4. Day 4

   Land, stories and lei

   A local guide picks the walk for the heat and the access, and a contracted practitioner carries the afternoon.

   MorningShort cinder-cone or established coastal geology walk selected by local guide for access and heat.

   AfternoonPaid lei-making and oral-history session with a locally contracted cultural practitioner.

   EveningEarly dinner; Program Leader-led naked-eye constellation observation from a permitted low-elevation venue if clear.

   Route

   A cinder cone or established coastal route on foot, then a permitted low-elevation venue after dark.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Kona; twin student rooms, teacher singles.

   Meals

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Moderate effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.

5. Day 5

   Return to the service host

   The same host, the same rotations, and each student's real working time published separately from the visit length.

   MorningSecond three-hour group scheduling block with the same host. Repeat the approved station rotations.

   AfternoonKua Bay shore time subject to lifeguard/ocean conditions, with no swimming obligation.

   EveningFree time and dinner.

   Route

   The Kona food-access host, then Kua Bay as the ocean conditions allow.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Kona; twin student rooms, teacher singles.

   Meals

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Moderate effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.

6. Day 6

   Catamaran and reef day

   A licensed catamaran and certified water staff for the reef, with nothing scheduled uphill afterwards.

   MorningGroup places on a licensed Kona catamaran snorkel excursion, with certified water staff and flotation.

   AfternoonComplete the cruise, lunch and recovery; no mountain transfer follows.

   EveningDinner in Kona.

   Route

   Kona harbor out to a reef site by licensed catamaran and back.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Kona; twin student rooms, teacher singles.

   Meals

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Higher effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.

7. Day 7

   Surf, choose confidence and close

   Beginner surf instruction in ability groups, a supervised option on land, and a closing look at both service visits.

   MorningIncluded beginner surf instruction in ability groups with adequate licensed instructors; supervised land option.

   AfternoonRelaxed Kona town time and closing discussion of the two service visits.

   EveningFarewell dinner and Rustic Ties.

   Route

   A Kona instruction beach, then Kona town on foot.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Kona; twin student rooms, teacher singles.

   Meals

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Moderate effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.

8. Day 8

   Depart Kona

   Breakfast, packing and the transfer to the airport.

   MorningBreakfast and packing.

   AfternoonKOA transfer and departure.

   EveningReturn flight may continue overnight, with mainland arrival the following day.

   Route

   The Kona hotel to KOA, by private group transfer.

   Travel

   Private group transfer

   Overnight

   None on program: the group departs on day 8.

   Meals

   All meals required by the arrival and departure timing are included, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Low effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.

Oʻahu History and Ecology

Nine days on Oʻahu for Hawaiian monarchy, Pearl Harbor, reefs, rainforest and Polynesian cultures, with time for each museum and a full North Shore day.

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9 days · $3,860, excluding airfare10+ studentsHistory · Marine science

National Park Service education photo; pictured group is not a Rustic Pathways program.

1. Day 1

   Arrive in Honolulu

   Land on Oʻahu and settle into one Waikīkī base for eight nights.

   MorningFlight to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL); timing varies by gateway.

   AfternoonGroup airport transfer, check-in and recovery.

   EveningOcean-safety orientation and dinner in Waikīkī.

   Route

   HNL to Waikīkī.

   Travel

   Flight and private transfer

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Waikīkī; individual student beds and private teacher rooms.

   Meals

   Meals from program arrival through departure, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Low effort; discuss walking and support needs before booking.

2. Day 2

   Hawaiian monarchy and the stars

   Connect the history of the Hawaiian Kingdom with the navigation that brought Polynesian voyagers to these islands.

   MorningStudy ʻIolani Palace grounds and the King Kamehameha I Statue, distinguishing Kamehameha I, the 1893 overthrow and later U.S. statehood.

   AfternoonExplore Bishop Museum’s Hawaiian Hall and Kamehameha dynasty collections; request a wayfinding presentation in the J. Watumull Planetarium.

   EveningCompare royal artifacts and celestial navigation in field journals.

   Route

   Waikīkī to downtown Honolulu, Bishop Museum and back.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Waikīkī; individual student beds and private teacher rooms.

   Meals

   Meals from program arrival through departure, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Moderate effort; discuss walking and support needs before booking.

   Booking and access

   The itinerary uses Palace grounds/exterior. An interior school tour needs its own Tuesday/Friday morning booking; current elevator outage requires stair-access planning. Bishop’s nonresident group program and planetarium need advance confirmation.

3. Day 3

   Pearl Harbor and the end of the Pacific war

   Use Pearl Harbor National Memorial and the Battleship Missouri Memorial to connect the 1941 attack with the 1945 surrender.

   MorningVisit the shore galleries and separate documentary film, then join the reserved USS Arizona Memorial boat program if operating.

   AfternoonTake the approved Ford Island shuttle to the Battleship Missouri Memorial; study ship design and the surrender deck.

   EveningDiscuss commemoration and the U.S. entry into World War II.

   Route

   Waikīkī to Pearl Harbor Visitor Center; shuttle to Ford Island and return.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Waikīkī; individual student beds and private teacher rooms.

   Meals

   Meals from program arrival through departure, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Moderate effort; discuss walking and support needs before booking.

   Booking and access

   The supervising teacher must coordinate any NPS educational facilitation directly with rangers. USS Arizona reservations and boat operations are conditional; partner-museum admissions are separate.

4. Day 4

   Lēʻahi geology and coastal stewardship

   Study Diamond Head’s tuff crater in the Honolulu Volcanic Series and its later coastal defenses, then connect visitor pressure with shoreline care.

   MorningTake a reserved early visit to Diamond Head State Monument (Lēʻahi); the summit route is 1.6 miles round trip with steep stairs and 560 feet of ascent.

   AfternoonRest, then request a beach cleanup and debris study with Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi at an agreed nearby site.

   EveningSort observations into volcanic processes and human impacts.

   Route

   Waikīkī to Diamond Head and a host-approved coastal site.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Waikīkī; individual student beds and private teacher rooms.

   Meals

   Meals from program arrival through departure, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Higher effort; discuss walking and support needs before booking.

   Booking and access

   Allow about two hours for the summit walk; arrange crater-floor learning when the ascent is unsuitable. Cleanup requires host, site, project, date and minor-consent approval; a shoreline observation session replaces an unconfirmed service booking.

5. Day 5

   Mānoa rainforest and living taro systems

   Compare a wet upland forest with the water channels and cultivation of a loʻi kalo.

   MorningRequest a guided rainforest field trip at Lyon Arboretum in Mānoa Valley, with the agreed bus drop-off and walk to the entrance.

   AfternoonVisit Ka Papa Loʻi o Kānewai for host-led water-system learning and approved taro-patch work.

   EveningDiscuss food sovereignty and how upland water reaches farms and the coast.

   Route

   Waikīkī to upper Mānoa, then Kānewai at UH Mānoa and return.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Waikīkī; individual student beds and private teacher rooms.

   Meals

   Meals from program arrival through departure, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Moderate effort; discuss walking and support needs before booking.

   Booking and access

   Both visits require confirmed group appointments. Lyon has group-size and vehicle limits; Kānewai requires the appropriate waivers. Host approval determines practical work and accessible participation.

6. Day 6

   Hanauma Bay marine field study

   Study the coral reef inside Hanauma Bay’s breached volcanic crater.

   MorningAttend the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve education orientation and mandatory film under the approved group permit.

   AfternoonComplete a conditions-led snorkel or shore study; identify reef fish such as humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa and record habitat observations.

   EveningCompare species logs and discuss reef conservation in Waikīkī.

   Route

   Waikīkī to Hanauma Bay and back.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Waikīkī; individual student beds and private teacher rooms.

   Meals

   Meals from program arrival through departure, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Higher effort; discuss walking and support needs before booking.

   Booking and access

   Education visits allow a maximum party of 40 and require a permit requested at least two weeks ahead. Gear and in-water supervision must be arranged separately; ocean conditions and swimming ability determine participation.

7. Day 7

   Aviation engineering and island markets

   Examine aircraft and the engineering choices behind flight, then study what a local market sells and where its goods come from.

   MorningReturn by approved Ford Island shuttle for Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum; request an Aviation Learning Center STEM session alongside the exhibits.

   AfternoonVisit the relocated Aloha Stadium Swap Meet & Marketplace for lunch and a study of local crafts and commerce on an operating day.

   EveningUse the NPS Opana radar evidence to examine how the 1941 warning was interpreted, then compare aviation and naval engineering.

   Route

   Waikīkī to Pearl Harbor/Ford Island, then the stadium-area marketplace and back.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Waikīkī; individual student beds and private teacher rooms.

   Meals

   Meals from program arrival through departure, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Moderate effort; discuss walking and support needs before booking.

   Booking and access

   The Swap Meet opens Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday until 3 p.m. On other days use Makai Market Food Court at Ala Moana Center for lunch; school STEM programming requires museum confirmation.

8. Day 8

   Plantation history and Polynesian cultures

   Contrast plantation agriculture with living Hawaiian food systems, then compare distinct Polynesian traditions.

   MorningStop at Dole Plantation’s public grounds to discuss pineapple production and the wider sugar-and-pineapple plantation economy; continue to Lāʻie before noon.

   AfternoonExplore Polynesian Cultural Center’s villages, including Hawaiʻi, Sāmoa, Tahiti and Aotearoa; join scheduled hula learning, storytelling and a lagoon canoe ride.

   EveningAttend the booked Aliʻi Lūʻau and HĀ: Breath of Life, including performance traditions such as fire-knife dancing; return to Waikīkī after the show.

   Route

   Waikīkī to Wahiawā, Lāʻie and back; reserve a full North Shore day.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Waikīkī; individual student beds and private teacher rooms.

   Meals

   Meals from program arrival through departure, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Moderate effort; discuss walking and support needs before booking.

   Booking and access

   Dole’s formal group tours are suspended; no reserved train or garden tour is promised. PCC villages run 12:15–5:30 p.m., with the show ending around 9 p.m.; most Wednesdays and Sundays are closed. Allow roughly 1–1.5 hours each way between Waikīkī and Lāʻie, traffic permitting.

9. Day 9

   Synthesis and departure from Oʻahu

   Use evidence from reefs, museums and food systems to explain how island geography shapes civic and environmental decisions.

   MorningBreakfast and student presentations; avoid an early fixed activity after the late cultural-center return.

   AfternoonPack and transfer to HNL for the booked departure.

   EveningReturn flight may continue overnight, with mainland arrival the following day.

   Route

   Waikīkī to HNL.

   Travel

   Private transfer and flight

   Overnight

   None on program after departure.

   Meals

   Meals from program arrival through departure, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Low effort; discuss walking and support needs before booking.

Hawaiʻi Island Volcanoes and Conservation

Eight days from Kona to Hilo for reef science, Hawaiian land relationships, dry-forest restoration and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Choose this program

8 days · $3,720, excluding airfare10+ studentsGeology · Ecology

Kīlauea Iki photo: NPS / J. Wei.

1. Day 1

   Arrive on Hawaiʻi Island

   Begin on the Kona coast, with four nights here before moving to Hilo.

   MorningFlight to Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA); timing varies by gateway.

   AfternoonTransfer to Kona lodging and recover.

   EveningIntroduce volcanic island formation, ocean currents and biological isolation.

   Route

   KOA to Kona.

   Travel

   Flight and private transfer

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Kona; individual student beds and private teacher rooms.

   Meals

   Meals from program arrival through departure, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Low effort; discuss walking and support needs before booking.

2. Day 2

   Kona reefs and coastal science

   Investigate how land use, reef health and human activity connect along the Kona coast.

   MorningBegin a coastal observation session at Kahaluʻu Bay and learn from available ReefTeach interpretation.

   AfternoonJoin a separately contracted, conditions-led guided snorkel with an agreed shore-based alternative.

   EveningCompare coral-health observations and discuss freshwater runoff.

   Route

   Kona to Kahaluʻu and the confirmed snorkeling departure point.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Kona; individual student beds and private teacher rooms.

   Meals

   Meals from program arrival through departure, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Higher effort; discuss walking and support needs before booking.

   Booking and access

   Confirm bay access, coral-spawning closures, commercial permissions, gear and water staff. ReefTeach interpretation does not by itself supply a guided swim or reserve a school session.

3. Day 3

   Hawaiian land relationships and farming

   Connect Hawaiian stewardship with the soils, rainfall and farming choices of the Kona uplands.

   MorningVisit Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park for cultural-site interpretation and respectful access protocols.

   AfternoonRequest a Kona Joe Coffee group farm-and-facility tour to examine a working coffee farm, volcanic soils and food production; compare this with traditional food systems.

   EveningReflect on who holds knowledge of a place and how that knowledge is passed on.

   Route

   Kona to Hōnaunau, Kona Joe in Kealakekua and back.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Kona; individual student beds and private teacher rooms.

   Meals

   Meals from program arrival through departure, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Moderate effort; discuss walking and support needs before booking.

   Booking and access

   Park facilitation and any paid practitioner session depend on confirmation. Kona Joe publishes a group-booking contact for parties of 12 or more; confirm the school visit, group rate, bus access and route accessibility in advance.

4. Day 4

   Restore a dry forest

   Study island biodiversity and why introduced species can change a native ecosystem.

   MorningRequest Waikōloa Dry Forest Initiative’s Restore the Forest field trip.

   AfternoonComplete the host’s approved planting, invasive-plant removal or other restoration tasks; compare dry-forest conditions with the coast.

   EveningRecord observed species and what the work was intended to change.

   Route

   Kona to Waikōloa Dry Forest Preserve and return.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Kona; individual student beds and private teacher rooms.

   Meals

   Meals from program arrival through departure, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Moderate effort; discuss walking and support needs before booking.

   Booking and access

   The host must confirm the project, date, group capacity and minor consent. Rugged ʻaʻā terrain and heat require assessment; a guided ecology visit is the alternative if service cannot be arranged.

5. Day 5

   From the coast to volcanic uplands

   Move across elevation and rainfall zones without an inter-island flight.

   MorningDepart Kona by coach via Highway 11 for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park; allow 2–2.5 hours of driving before stops.

   AfternoonUse open rim viewpoints and native-forest paths for geology and ecosystem comparisons; request ranger interpretation where available, then continue to Hilo.

   EveningSettle into Hilo for three nights and prepare the next day’s field questions.

   Route

   Kona to the national park, then Hilo; allow most of the day for transfers, breaks and short studies.

   Travel

   Coach transfer and short walks

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Hilo; individual student beds and private teacher rooms.

   Meals

   Meals from program arrival through departure, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Moderate effort; discuss walking and support needs before booking.

   Booking and access

   Hilo is about 45 minutes from the park. Current construction, volcanic gas, weather and closures determine access; no eruption, lava-viewing or ranger booking is guaranteed.

6. Day 6

   Kīlauea Iki crater and forest succession

   Investigate the 1959 lava lake and the return of plants to its surface.

   MorningReturn from Hilo to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and assess the Kīlauea Iki route against current conditions.

   AfternoonWhen suitable, walk the 3.3-mile loop from the overlook with about 400 feet of descent and ascent, allowing 2–3 hours plus group breaks.

   EveningReturn to Hilo and compare older forest with the crater’s younger surfaces.

   Route

   Hilo to the national park and back; approximately 45 minutes each way.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Hilo; individual student beds and private teacher rooms.

   Meals

   Meals from program arrival through departure, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Higher effort; discuss walking and support needs before booking.

   Booking and access

   Parking and trail access may change the starting point and length. If the descent is unsuitable, use an open crater overlook and shorter rim/forest study; never enter a closed area.

7. Day 7

   Wayfinding and an island-system investigation

   Connect observations of land and ocean with Polynesian navigation and the sky.

   MorningRequest ʻImiloa Astronomy Center’s Polynesian Navigation school program in Hilo.

   AfternoonComplete a coastal observation and synthesis session linking elevation, water, biodiversity and settlement.

   EveningPresent field evidence; add low-elevation naked-eye constellation observation only if clear and the venue permits it.

   Route

   Hilo museum and a locally assessed coastal study site.

   Travel

   Charter transport and on foot

   Overnight

   Program-approved lodging in Hilo; individual student beds and private teacher rooms.

   Meals

   Meals from program arrival through departure, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Low effort; discuss walking and support needs before booking.

   Booking and access

   ʻImiloa’s two-hour school experience requires reservations and depends on presenter availability. No high-altitude summit visit is included.

8. Day 8

   Depart from Hilo

   Share conclusions about living on an isolated volcanic island before leaving the east coast.

   MorningBreakfast, final journals and packing.

   AfternoonTransfer to Hilo International Airport (ITO); departures commonly connect via Honolulu.

   EveningContinue the return flight; mainland arrival may be the following day.

   Route

   Hilo lodging to ITO.

   Travel

   Private transfer and flight

   Overnight

   None on program after departure.

   Meals

   Meals from program arrival through departure, with drinking water.

   Physical demand

   Low effort; discuss walking and support needs before booking.

   Booking and access

   A KOA departure instead needs a revised ground transfer and flight plan; an Oʻahu stopover is a separately quoted extension.