Things to do in Oahu › Oahu tours and activities › Food, history and culture tours › Honolulu: Off The Beaten Path Food Tour
Honolulu: Off The Beaten Path Food Tour
★ #1 of 12 in our list “Food, history and culture tours” Picked from the 53 food and culture tours in the Oahu catalog, the way every tour here gets picked.
Updated price re-read every day; listing, times and pickup notes reviewed with it
Hawaii Free Tours leads you through Chinatown's markets for food tastings in Honolulu. The 3-hour tour costs from $150 per person for 2 or more. Your hotel pickup covers Waikiki and Honolulu, with Royal Kitchen as the meeting point for other guests. Tours start at 9:30 a.m. on Monday and Wednesday to Friday. You get 13 to 16 tastings along the route, including poke and manapua.
Our check
Honolulu: Off The Beaten Path Food Tour at a glance
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Price | from $150 per person for 2 or more |
| Starts | 9:30 a.m. Monday and Wednesday to Friday |
| Pickup | Waikiki and Honolulu hotels, 9 to 9:30 a.m. |
| Meet independently | Royal Kitchen in Chinatown |
| Food | 13 to 16 tastings with drinks |
| Ages | 2 and up |
| Group | Up to 16 guests, up to 10 per booking |
| Main trade-off | Standing for most of the tour |
| Guide languages | English, Japanese |
Read from the operator's listing on the booking page, October 30, 2026. The price is the tour's starting price in U.S. dollars, re-read every day, last on .
What's included
- Chutoro Sashimi (Fatty & fresh local big eye tuna served raw Japanese style)
- Drinks (Local Juice (Lilikoi / Lychee / Guava / Pineapple)) or Bottled Water
- Japanese Octopus (Cooked Japanese madako served in a korean dressing)
- Vietnamese Green Pandan Cake
- Roast Duck - Chinese Style
- Tropical Fresh Fruits (5+ tastings of locally grown exotic fruits)
- Roast Pork Belly with Crispy Skin
- Kauai Wild Caught Deep Water Prawns (Ama Ebi / Boton Shrimp)
- Hawaiian Style Ahi Limu Poke - Raw big eye tuna served cubed, seasoned local style
- Chicken Adobo (Filipino style braised Chicken)
- Private transportation
- Manapua (freshly baked sweet buns with a savory pork filling)
- Spicy Ahi/Tuna Poke (Fresh & fatty tuna made into a spicy poke)
- Sweet Honey BBQ Pork Belly "Charsiu"
- Turon / Banana Lumpia (Filipino fried banana dessert)
What's not included
- Gratuities
Options
Which option to book
One option covers tastings and hotel pickup. It starts at 9:30 a.m. on Monday and Wednesday to Friday.
| Option | Departures |
|---|---|
| Honolulu: Off The Beaten Path Food Tour | 9:30 a.m., Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri |
The catch: You'll spend most of the 3 hours standing, with seats only when available.
Route
How does the day work?
A Shinto shrine visit leads into a Chinatown walk with frequent pauses for food tastings.
- 15 min
1. Izumo Taishakyo Mission
The shrine beside Nuuanu Stream introduces the area's Japanese community. It's still a working place of worship.
- 15 min
2. Manapua
Manapua pairs sweet bread with a savory filling. You taste the buns during the walk through downtown Honolulu.
- 15 min
3. Turon
Turon is a Filipino fried banana dessert. This tasting brings something sweet into the market walk.
- 15 min
4. Chicken adobo
Chicken adobo adds a savory Filipino dish. The chicken is marinated and simmered in sauce.
- 15 min
5. Kauai deep water prawns
You sample deep water prawns caught off Kauai. They're a seafood tasting within the Honolulu route.
- 20 min
6. Local fruits
The fruit changes with the season and day's supply. There isn't a fixed fruit menu.
- 20 min
7. Fish market tasting
Seafood market tastings can include raw tuna sashimi and cooked octopus. The selection depends on the day's fish.
- 15 min
8. Roast duck or pork
Chinese roast duck or pork brings another cooked meat tasting. What's served depends on availability.
- 15 min
9. Vietnamese pandan cake
Pandan cake is the Vietnamese sweet on the route. You taste it between the roast meat and poke stops.
- 15 min
10. Hawaiian poke
The poke tasting centers on seasoned raw fish. You try the Hawaiian preparation after the other market foods.
The tour takes 3 hours, with food pauses lasting 15 to 20 minutes. The walk returns to Royal Kitchen. Guests using hotel pickup also have a return ride.
Pickup and meeting point
- Pickup area: Hotel transport covers Waikiki and Honolulu. Your hotel or Airbnb details are needed when booking, or at least 24 hours before departure.
- Pickup window: Pickups run between 9 and 9:30 a.m. A text the afternoon before gives you a 15-minute window.
- Meeting independently: Royal Kitchen is the meeting point outside the pickup area. Guests from Ko Olina or the windward side arrange their own ride there.
- Standing time: Expect to eat on your feet for much of the walk. Seats are arranged when possible.
Before you book
- Check serious allergies before booking with Hawaii Free Tours. The menu includes raw fish and shellfish.
Fit
Is this tour right for you?
This Chinatown outing suits parties of 2 to 10 who can stand through most of its 3 hours. It's a useful first look at the markets. Hotel pickup helps if you're staying in Waikiki or Honolulu.
The Waikiki food walk keeps you near Waikiki hotels for five tastings, from $107 per adult. For a driver between stops and selected Ko Olina hotel pickup, We Go Eat costs from $229.32 per adult.
Who it's not for
- Travelers who need a seat at most stops
- Guests with serious food allergies still unresolved before booking
- Travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Good to know
Know before you go
Most tasting stops keep you on your feet. Seats depend on what's available along the route. This tour isn't recommended if you have poor cardiovascular health.
Check serious allergies with Hawaii Free Tours before paying. Raw tuna and shellfish feature among the tastings. Your booking shouldn't depend on an unarranged substitution.
Your pickup details arrive by text the previous afternoon. The message gives a 15-minute window within the 9 to 9:30 a.m. pickup period. Keep the booking phone available.
You can book up to 10 travelers together. The full tour can have 16 guests, so your booking may share the walk with another party.
Your ticket is mobile only. Add your hotel or rental address when booking, or give it to Hawaii Free Tours at least 24 hours before the tour.
A full refund requires cancellation at least 24 hours before departure. You won't receive one for a later cancellation. Weather can also cause the tour to be canceled.
Reviews
How is it rated?
Alternatives
Which tour to choose instead
Food near your Waikiki hotel
Downtown Honolulu Food Tour with 5 Local Favorites TastingsYou can stay in Waikiki for five tastings. The 3-hour walk costs from $107 per adult, with shared and private options available.
★ 4.9 · 157 reviews · from $107 per adult
Pickup from selected Ko Olina hotels
We Go Eat: Secret Aloha Bites TourYou won't drive between the food stops. We Go Eat includes lunch and selected hotel pickup, from $229.32 per adult.
★ 4.8 · 56 reviews · from $229.32 per adult
A shorter lunch walk
Honolulu's Walking Food TourThe Monsarrat Avenue walk takes 1 to 2 hours. Lunch servings and dessert cost from $159 per adult, with at least 4 guests needed for the standard rate.
★ 4.8 · 30 reviews · from $159 per adult
All 12 tours in the list “Food, history and culture tours” · Oahu tours and activities by category
Questions
People also ask
- How much is the Hawaii Free Tours Chinatown food tour?
It costs from $150 per person for 2 or more. That rate applies to parties of 2 to 10. Your food and drinks are included along with pickup within Honolulu or Waikiki. Tips are separate.
- Does the Chinatown food tour pick up at Aulani?
No, pickup is limited to Honolulu and Waikiki. You need your own ride from Ko Olina to Royal Kitchen for the 9:30 a.m. start. The same applies if you're staying in Kailua or Kaneohe.
- How much food is on the Hawaii Free Tours Chinatown walk?
You'll get 13 to 16 tastings during the 3-hour outing. Poke and manapua are among the dishes. Several samples come from fruit, so the tasting count doesn't mean that many separate meals.
- Can children join the Hawaii Free Tours Chinatown walk?
Tickets cover guests aged 2 and up. Your child will need to cope with a 3-hour outing spent largely standing. Seating can't be promised at each stop, even though the route is a food walk.
- Where does the Chinatown food tour start and finish?
The walking route starts and finishes at Royal Kitchen. The tour begins at 9:30 a.m. Hotel guests can use the Honolulu and Waikiki pickup service, with their exact collection window sent the previous day.
Times and conditions as the booking page listed them on October 30, 2026; the price is re-read every day, last on . Booking happens on the booking page, at its price; a booking through the button earns this site a commission, and your price is the same.