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Hawaii Oahu Island. Many people travel there, and I have been there too.
So, I will introduce recommended transportation methods.
I stayed in Waikiki. Of course, there are several transportation options.
List of Transportation
- The Bus
- Waikiki Trolley
- Travel Agency Trolley Bus
- Uber
- Taxi
- Rental Car
Here, I will write a bit about The Bus, Waikiki Trolley, Uber, and Rental Car.
My top recommendation is The Bus. It goes to every corner of Oahu Island.
The Bus
This is a transportation method that can take you to almost anywhere on the Hawaii Oahu Island. I took it to Manoa Falls, Ala Moana Shopping Center, Hanauma Bay, in front of King Kamehameha’s statue, Iolani Palace, and even to Diamond Head.
A single ride costs $2.50. If you need to transfer, just ask the driver for a transfer ticket, which means you pay only $2.50 from boarding to disembarking.
But, since I wasn’t sure how much I would ride or if I might make transfer mistakes and have to ride again, I bought the 4 Day Pass.
4 Day Pass
This is an unlimited 4-day pass for The Bus. It costs $35, so it’s not necessarily a money-saver. It becomes cost-effective if you ride it 15 times, but in my case, I didn’t ride that much. Manoa Falls and Hanauma Bay take quite some time, so I only rode them once a day, and since it was a group trip, we used other means of transportation as well.
However, it was convenient not to have to take out money from my wallet and just show it to the driver, so there was that ease of use.
If you go to an ABC Store and ask, “Do you have a 4-day pass for the bus?” the store clerk will bring it out from the back. ABC Store is like a convenience store that you can find around Waikiki. They also have them at the Ala Moana Shopping Center on Oahu and even in San Francisco.
What to Do After Purchase
Scratch off as indicated.
Scratch off any four consecutive days beginning with the first day of use. Scratch off one month or two months if use extends beyond the current month. Days of use are considered from 10:00 a.m. of the first day to 11:59 p.m. of the fourth day.
In my case, I used it from to , so it looked like the picture above.
How to Ride
In the city, there are yellow bus stops labeled “The Bus,” so wait for the bus there. You can check the bus’s arrival time on The Bus website, or it’s even easier to use Google Maps for route search to find the schedule and transfers.
Board from the front door and either pay the fare or show the 4 Day Pass to the driver.
How to Get Off
In Japanese buses, you press a button to get off. The Bus has a string inside, so pull that. Some buses have buttons too, but the basic method is to use the string. Pulling it will make the bus stop at the next station, and then you can exit from the front or rear. Be careful when getting off from the rear because the door doesn’t open automatically; you have to open it yourself.
If You Get Lost
If you want to go to a certain place but don’t know how to transfer or which bus to take, ask the driver.
Ask, “How can I get to SOMEWHERE?” and they will help you with transfers. They will even give you transfer tickets if needed.
Things to Note
Even though it’s a widely used transportation method, if you’re going from Waikiki to places like Manoa Falls or Hanauma Bay, there are fewer buses, so it’s important to check the bus schedule in advance to avoid waiting at the bus stop for too long.
Waikiki Trolley
Waikiki Trolley is a convenient transportation method for visiting major tourist spots. It covers a narrower range compared to The Bus and can’t go to Manoa Falls.
There’s also a 4-day pass for Waikiki Trolley, similar to The Bus, but it’s more expensive.
So, I don’t recommend it, but there is a lot of information available in Japanese.
You can find Japanese explanations on the Waikiki Trolley website. (The Bus website has many sections that are only in English.)
Uber
Uber is essentially an unofficial taxi service. It allows you to call a cheap taxi (with a driver) using a smartphone app.
I haven’t used it, but if you plan to use it abroad, you need to set it up in Japan before you leave, just in case you find yourself in a situation like, “The bus isn’t coming anymore!” It should be fine as long as you’re not going to remote, minor locations.
Rental Car
You can drive with a Japanese license, so it’s recommended if you want the freedom to move around. It’s especially useful if you want to go from Waikiki to the North Shore.
Some companies have contact points in Japan. For example, Nippon Rent-a-Car has a contact point in Japan (0120-107-186).
If You Get Lost
Whether you choose The Bus or the trolley bus and don’t know which one to take, go to the Rurubu Desk. It’s in the basement of Waikiki Shopping Plaza. When you enter and go to the right, you’ll find the Rurubu counter. They can provide information about tourist spots, transportation, and more. They also speak Japanese.
You can even rent a Wi-Fi router there and sign up for tours. It’s quite helpful.
