Kailua Kayak Tour to the Mokulua Islands: Guided Paddle, Snorkel and Picnic

The Mokulua Islands are the two green cones you have seen in every Oʻahu photo, floating off Lanikai in water that looks edited. Most visitors see them from the beach. The right way to see them is from a kayak, and then from the beach on Moku Nui itself, which only a handful of operators are permitted to land on.

This page covers the guided tour we book, who should do it, what it costs, and how to beat the trade winds.

Why this made our list

Kailua is Oʻahu’s kayaking capital, and a dozen shops will rent you a boat. Only a few hold a commercial landing permit for Moku Nui, and the difference between paddling past the Mokes and standing on them is the whole day. This operator has the permit, runs eight guests per guide, uses top-end double kayaks, and feeds you a real lunch on the island. It has earned 4.9 stars across more than 4,300 reviews, the deepest review history of any adventure on this list.

The route is the other reason. You launch from Kailua Beach, paddle along the reef where the turtles feed, cross three-quarters of a mile of blue to Moku Nui, land on the small beach, snorkel in the lee and eat lunch looking back at the Koʻolau cliffs. Then you paddle home. It is five and a half hours and it feels like a full expedition.

How it compares

Self-guided rentals are cheaper and fine for Flat Island or a Lanikai cruise, but they cannot land on the Mokes and the open crossing catches people out when the wind comes up. Other guided Kailua tours visit the same islands with bigger groups or without the landing. The permitted landing, the eight-guest cap and the lunch are why this one is on the list; the same operator’s easier Flat Island paddle is the second button for families with younger kids.

What the Mokulua kayak tour is like

Five and a half hours. Here is how it goes.

1. Check in near Kailua Beach Park. Morning. Waivers, dry bags, a paddling lesson on the sand and a look at the day’s wind.
2. Launch into Kailua Bay. The first stretch follows the reef toward Lanikai, with turtles grazing beneath the boats.
3. The crossing. Three-quarters of a mile of open bay to Moku Nui, with the guide setting the line. In the morning it is a glide; this is why you start early.
4. Land on Moku Nui. The permitted beach on the island’s lee side. Seabirds overhead, a tide pool on the far side, and the view back to Lanikai that you came for.
5. Snorkel and lunch. Reef fish and turtles in the sheltered water, then a picnic lunch on the sand.
6. Paddle home. Downwind if the trades have arrived, back along the reef to Kailua Beach.
7. Kailua town. Shower at the beach park, then shave ice or a plate lunch in town before the drive back over the Pali.

Prices and what you get

From $249 per person plus tax, including the guide, the permitted landing, double kayaks with all accessories, snorkel gear, dry bags and lunch. Private tours start at $339 per person. The Flat Island paddle and beach day is the shorter, cheaper, inside-the-reef alternative.

Who it’s for (and who should skip it)

Fit beginners and up, ages 13 and over, who want to earn the view. Couples, friends, families with teenagers, anyone who finds a bus tour too passive.

Skip it if you are not comfortable in the ocean or cannot paddle for an hour at a stretch; book the Flat Island paddle instead. Kids under 13 go to Flat Island too.

Where to check in and how to get there

Kailua Beach is on the windward side, 35 to 40 minutes from Waikiki: the H-1 to the Pali Highway, through the tunnels, and down Kailua Road to the beach park. The check-in shop is a short walk from the sand and the exact address comes with your confirmation. Parking at Kailua Beach Park is free but fills by mid-morning on weekends; arrive early. A rideshare from Waikiki runs about $40 each way, and the drive over the Pali is one of the prettiest on the island.

Best time to go

Time of day. Morning. Kailua Bay is glassy at 8 and choppy by 1 when the trade winds fill in.

Time of year. April through October for the lightest winds and the calmest crossings. Winter trips run on the days the wind allows, and the fallback is the Flat Island paddle inside the reef.

Local tips before you book

• Cover up. Five hours on the water with no shade. Rash guard, hat with a strap, reef-safe sunscreen, reapply on the island.
• Shoes that get wet. The Moku Nui landing is sand, but the tide pool walk is lava rock.
• Go early in the week. Kailua Beach parking on a Saturday is its own adventure.
• Add Lanikai Pillbox. The 30-minute hike above Lanikai looks down on the exact water you just paddled; do it the next morning at sunrise.
• Make it a windward day. Kayak in the morning, Kailua town for lunch, Waimānalo Beach or the Byodo-In Temple in the afternoon. For the rest of the week, see our things to do in Waikiki guide.

The verdict

The best full day on the windward side: a real paddle across the bluest water on Oʻahu, a permitted landing on an island almost nobody gets to stand on, turtles on the reef and lunch on the sand. Start early, cover up, and bring your camera in a dry bag.