Kualoa Ranch by bus! What to expect for a Kualoa day trip from Waikiki without a car

ALOHA!

You can totally go to Kualoa Ranch without a car on your own, courtesy of the Honolulu bus.

Now, do you WANT to take the bus all the way to Kualoa? Well, that is a highly individual preference, because it is a long ride.

Going from Waikiki to Kualoa Ranch by bus means that you’re taking the slow easy-going local way! It will take close to 2 hours one way. There is a bus stop right near Kualoa Ranch, so at least that part is convenient!

Personally, I am always very happy for the option of being able to go far independently, even if it does take a long time… especially because it’s the budget-friendly option!

To take the bus to Kualoa Ranch, you’ll first take a bus from Waikiki to Ala Moana or downtown Honolulu for a transfer. Then you can get on bus #60 to get you to Kualoa Ranch. The bus stop called “Kamehameha Hwy + Opp Kualoa Ranch” will drop you off right in front of Kualoa Ranch! This is just a short walk to the Kualoa Ranch entrance.

I got off at the bus stop just down the road, right before Kualoa Ranch, at Kualoa Regional Park and Kualoa Beach. It was like a 5 minute walk from the Kualoa Beach bus stop to Kualoa Ranch.

Below I will show you what it was like, along with tips for your day trip to Kualoa Ranch, so you can decide if it’s something you find to be a reasonable option!

 

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Waikiki to Kualoa Ranch bus route

Google maps, transfers, bus route, bus schedule

 

The best bus route for you will depend on where you’re starting from and your timing. The best way to figure this out is google maps! Use the public transportation option, and play around with it on your phone. It gives a bunch of details, including transfer details and future bus timings. The google maps app is really all you need to take the bus to Kualoa Ranch.

You’ll likely need a transfer to get from Waikiki to Kualoa Ranch. If you’re staying on the Hawaiian Hilton Village side of Waikiki, then you can walk 15-20 minutes to Ala Moana Center for a direct bus. Transfers aren’t really a big deal so it’s not really something you need to avoid, but that is an option if you’d rather just take one bus.

There’s a bus stop right in front of Ala Moana Center on Ala Moana Blvd that will get you a direct bus to Kualoa Ranch (map). Bus 60 goes to Kualoa Ranch.

For figuring out directions, putting in Kualoa Ranch on google maps works. I tend to not like it when the destination is seemingly in the middle of nowhere (like for Kualoa Ranch it’s in a random spot in the valley), as sometimes it doesn’t pull up good directions for getting there. So to be safe in this case for example, I would use “Kualoa Ranch & Secret Island Check-in Counter” as the destination on google maps. Then, adjust the departure time to give you a better idea. (map + directions)

 

👆 To get from Waikiki to Kualoa Ranch will take around 1 hour 45 minutes by bus. You’ll take bus #60 to Kualoa Ranch. Consult google maps to figure out the best bus routes to Kualoa Ranch! When you’re actually in Waikiki, you can use your current location for directions. Then, when you’re on the bus, you can follow along with GPS to know when your bus stop is coming up!

 

👆 From Ala Moana Center, there’s a direct bus to Kualoa Ranch. On the way back, you can stop by Ala Moana Center for groceries at Target!

 

👆 Bus #60 to Kualoa Ranch comes around every 30 minutes or so. On google maps, you can click on “also at” for the bus schedule of future timings.

 

👆 I got on bus #60 to Kualoa Ranch from Ala Moana Center. The bus number is shown big on the front of the bus.

 

 

Paying the bus fare

HOLO card vs cash

 

As soon as you get on the bus, you will pay the bus fare.

The easiest way to pay for the bus is with a HOLO card. You can get this in Waikiki at any ABC Store.

With a HOLO card, you will never pay more than the cost of a day pass for taking the bus, which is $7.50.

Without a HOLO card, you will pay $3 in cash for every bus ride you take. (Exact change required.) So if you take 2 bus rides to get to Kualoa Ranch, and 2 bus rides to get back, then that’s $12 for the bus if you’re paying in cash to get to Kualoa Ranch. See current bus fares.

You can tap your HOLO card as soon as you get on the bus. To pay with cash, look for the spot to insert the money. With regards to payment, you don’t need to do anything as you are getting off the bus.

 

 

On the bus

Follow google maps, bus stops, views!

 

Once you’re on the bus, sit back and relax! Enjoy the views once you get out of the city!

Follow the bus route on your phone on google maps. This is how you can know if you’re getting close to Kualoa. There will also be announcements and/or a digital sign that indicates the name of the next bus stop. You’ll know the name of your bus stop because it will tell you on google maps.

Once your bus stop is next, you will pull the cord along the side of the window. This indicates to the bus driver to stop at the next bus stop. Once the bus arrives at your bus stop, the doors may not open automatically. If they don’t, touch the door where it says TOUCH HERE when the green light lights up.

 

👆 You can tap “stops” on the google maps app to expand the details and see a list of bus stops before the Kualoa Ranch bus stop.

 

👆 Inside of bus 60 to Kualoa Ranch.

 

👆 When your bus stop is next, you will pull the cord to signal to the bus driver to stop at the next bus stop.

 

 

Walking from the bus stop

Kualoa Regional Park bus stop or Kualoa Ranch bus stop, safety tips!

 

I didn’t get off at the bus stop closest to Kualoa Ranch.

Instead, I got off at the bus stop at Kualoa Regional Park, which is just before Kualoa Ranch. Kualoa Regional Park is a coastal park with Kualoa Beach that has the iconic “Chinaman’s Hat” island right in front of it. This is a spot to walk around for scenic views of the ocean! You can see the mountains too.

It’s a short walk of like 5 minutes from Kualoa Regional Park to Kualoa Ranch. But it is not exactly the safest walk, as there’s no sidewalk. It’s just a small shoulder to walk along cars that are zooming past you. So be careful! You’ll also need to cross that busy road.

I like to wear bright clothes so I can be better seen by drivers.

If you get off at the bus stop closest to Kualoa Ranch, you won’t be walking much along the side of the road, but you still do need to cross the road. Take care!

 

👆 The Kualoa Regional Park bus stop (which is also the Kualoa Beach bus stop) is right along the side of the main road.

 

👆 It’s also right next to the ocean! This is what many bus stop signs look like.

 

👆 This Kualoa Regional Park bus stop has a small shelter with a spot to sit.

 

👆 I walked around Kualoa Regional Park before going to Kualoa Ranch.

 

👆 That’s Chinaman’s Hat. It’s an easy stop to make when you’re doing a day trip to Kualoa Ranch without a car.

 

👆 Now this is the walk from Kualoa Regional Park to Kualoa Ranch. This is facing back towards the park. It’s a main road with not a lot of space to walk.

 

👆 Continuing the walk to Kualoa Ranch along the small shoulder. It’s like a 5 minute walk, so not very long, but be careful!

 

👆 Almost there!

 

👆 The Kualoa Ranch visitor center!

 

👆 Just follow the signs to the tour check-in.

 

 

Kualoa Ranch tours

It is a VERY good idea to buy your Kualoa Ranch tour ahead of time! It’s very possible that if you just show up, you won’t be able to do the tour you want because they are sold out.

The most popular way to see Kualoa Ranch is the movie sites tour. This takes you around on a bus for scenes you may be familiar with… and mountain views! (Okay all tours include mountain views.)

Or you can make your time more adventure-filled by exploring Kualoa Ranch through an open-air jungle expedition, by UTV, or by e-bike!

Read the reviews for all Kualoa Ranch tours.

 

👆 The most popular Kualoa Ranch tour is the movie sites tour. It’s a ride through the valley in a big bus. Even if you don’t watch a ton of movies, this tour is amazing for the lush mountain views. You’ll get to see another side of Hawaii by going into the valley at Kualoa Ranch.

 

👆 A lot of the Kualoa Ranch tours stop off at this Jurassic Valley photo spot (including the movie sites tour), and there’s also a specific Jurassic Adventure tour too.

 

👆 Also seen on the movie sites tour (and other tours). Watch Kong: Skull Island before you go to Kualoa Ranch!

 

👆 The jungle expedition takes you around Kualoa Ranch in the back of a pick-up truck.

 

👆 You can also ride around to explore the valley through a UTV tour.

 

👆 You can also ride around through a biking tour!

 

 

Kualoa Ranch to Waikiki bus

For the way back to Waikiki, the bus stop is on the same side of the road as Kualoa Ranch. It’s also right along the side of the road.

 

👆 This is the bus stop near Kualoa Ranch that goes back to Waikiki. (Or more specifically to Ala Moana, and then you’ll get another bus to Waikiki.)

 

👆 The same Kualoa Ranch bus stop, as seen from across the road.

 

👆 Bus #60 from Kualoa Ranch back towards Waikiki.

 

Nearby food

Huli huli chicken, Aunty Pat’s Cafe

 

Another place I went to during my Kualoa day trip is down the road to eat a huli huli chicken plate lunch.

This is a 30-40 minute walk from Kualoa Ranch and the park, so I took a bus to it.

By bus it’s like a 5 minute ride, but since the bus timings aren’t the most frequent, you do want to pay attention to the bus schedule. It opens at 10am, and closes at 4pm or 6pm depending on the day. Read the reviews. It’s located before Kualoa Ranch and the park when coming from Waikiki. Huli huli chicken is a classic Hawaii food so this is a good spot to have it!

There is also Aunty Pat’s Cafe directly at Kualoa Ranch.

 

👆 This is the bus stop near the huli huli chicken in the direction of Kualoa Ranch. It is right across the street from the huli huli chicken shop.

 

👆 Eat the classic Hawaii food of huli huli chicken as part of your day trip to Kualoa Ranch!

 

 

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