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Shaka Guide Apps · App on your phone

The self-guided circle island drive

Shaka Guide's app talks you around Oahu in your own car, with GPS-triggered stories and directions at 18 suggested stops from Leonard's Bakery to Waimea Valley and Dole. Buy it if you have a rental car and want to stop where and as long as you like.

Self-Guided GPS Audio Driving Tour

About this experience

This is not a tour with a driver. You pay $19.99 per vehicle, download the Shaka Guide app, redeem your code, and drive. The narration plays by GPS as you go, with turn-by-turn directions, stories and local tips, and it works offline once downloaded. Access does not expire, so you can split the loop over two days.

The route suggests 18 stops: Leonard's Bakery, Byodo-In Temple, Tropical Farms, Mokoli'i, Kahana Bay, Laie Point, Kahuku, Ted's Bakery, Sunset Beach, the Banzai Pipeline, Shark's Cove (an hour), Pu'u o Mahuka Heiau, Waimea Valley (two hours), Waimea Bay, Laniakea, Haleiwa, Matsumoto Shave Ice and Dole Plantation. The listing puts the full day at 11 to 12 hours. One guest did it in 6 to 7 without swimming.

Add your costs. The car, gas and food are yours. Some stops charge: Byodo-In entry is not included, Waimea Valley's website lists admission from $26 for an adult, and if you detour to the Pali Lookout, Hawaii State Parks charge non-residents $7 to park. For a family of four with a car already booked, $19.99 beats four guided tickets. Without a car, a guided loop is simpler.

  • One price per vehicle: $19.99
  • GPS audio that plays as you drive, offline after download
  • 18 suggested stops, skip or linger as you like
  • Access never expires
  • Wheelchair and stroller friendly: it's your own car

How the day runs

  1. Before you goDownload on Wi-Fi

    Redeem the code from your confirmation in the Shaka Guide app and download the tour on strong Wi-Fi.

  2. StartDrive to a start point

    The app won't route you to the start: get to the tour's starting point in Waikiki or Kapolei and the narration kicks in.

  3. MorningWindward side

    Malasadas at Leonard's, Byodo-In Temple, Tropical Farms, Mokoli'i and Kahana Bay.

  4. MiddayLaie and Kahuku

    Laie Point, Kahuku and Ted's Bakery.

  5. AfternoonNorth Shore

    Sunset Beach, Pipeline, Shark's Cove, Pu'u o Mahuka Heiau, Waimea Valley and Waimea Bay.

  6. LateHaleiwa and Dole

    Laniakea, Haleiwa, Matsumoto Shave Ice and Dole Plantation, then back past Pearl Harbor.

The yellow M. Matsumoto Shave Ice sign over a shop door in HaleiwaWaimea Bay's golden beach and turquoise water seen from aboveSteep green ridges of the Koolau mountains above a highway curving along a valley

What's included

Included

  • Access to the Oahu Grand Circle Island tour in the Shaka Guide app
  • Turn-by-turn audio navigation
  • Offline map and audio after download
  • Stories, Hawaiian history and local tips
  • One purchase for everyone in the vehicle
  • Access that does not expire

Not included

  • A car or driver
  • An in-person guide
  • Food and drinks
  • Entry and parking fees at optional stops

Who it suits

Book it if

  • You already have a rental car
  • You want to stay longer on the North Shore
  • You're a family or group splitting one price
  • You want to swim and snorkel on your own schedule

Skip it if

  • You don't want to drive on unfamiliar roads
  • You want to enjoy the views instead of watching the road
  • You have no car: try the Grand Circle Island tour
  • You hate fiddling with apps before a trip

What guests say

★★★★★

I can't recommend this enough! This seriously was the most amazing tour on your own time. It was like he was a friend in the backseat telling us everything [...]

Valerie_M · Mar 2026
★★★★★

Traveling with the Shaka Guide was easy and really enjoyable. We could stop in any stop we wanted. Directions were clear, stories were very interesting, we learn a lot about Hawai'i culture. [...]

Maria_T · May 2024
★★★★★

The tour was great' we loved the narration and the history behind the sights we experienced. The directions were great and very clear. [...] We spent time where we wanted and skipped places we weren't as interested in.

Dawn_J · Oct 2022

Tips before you book

  • Download before you leave the hotel, on strong Wi-Fi, as the listing asks.
  • Navigate to the start point yourself. The app takes over from there.
  • Bring a car charger. A full day of GPS drains a phone.
  • Waimea Valley gets two hours on the suggested route. Its admission is separate, from $26 for an adult.
  • Read our self-drive guide for the full cost of a day with a rental car.

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Frequently asked questions

How much is the Shaka Guide circle island tour?

$19.99 on Viator, and one purchase covers everyone in your vehicle. The car, gas, food and any entry or parking fees are extra.

Does the app work without signal?

Yes, once downloaded. The map and audio run offline, so download over Wi-Fi before you set off.

How long does the self-guided circle island drive take?

The listing says 11 to 12 hours with all the suggested stops. Skip some and it's shorter; one guest did it in 6 to 7 hours.

Can I do the route over two days?

Yes. Tour access doesn't expire, so you can stop and pick it up another day.

Ready to book

Book Self-guided driving app

Turn-by-turn audio stories for your own rental car; one purchase covers everyone in the vehicle.

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Plan your date before you go

Turn-by-turn audio stories for your own rental car; one purchase covers everyone in the vehicle.

Check dates for the self-guided driving app