Best Molokai Day Trip from Maui or Oahu

February 26, 2007 by Lisa
Filed under: 808Talk Answers, Hawaii - general, Maui Activities, Molokai, Oahu Activities

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Brian of Alexandria, Virginia asks

What is the best way to visit Molokai Island as a day trip? I will be in Oahu for a week, then touring Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island as part of a cruise. I am especially interested in the history of the island, including its role as the location of the colony for those with Hanson’s disease (leprosy).

Would it be best to do this as a day trip from Maui?

Hi Brian,

It may be best and easiest to schedule your trip as a day trip from Maui, but I am concerned that you will find it hard to coincide your shore leave times from the cruise ship and the tour times so we’ll look into options from Oahu and from Maui.

Pacific Wings and Molokai Air Shuttle (808-567-6847) and Island Air offer flights from Oahu (Honolulu) to Molokai.

Molokai Outdoors looks to be an outfit that will set up all your flights or transportation from Oahu or Maui and get you started on a tour or with a rental - whichever you want.

The so-called ‘leper colony’ is located on the Kalaupapa peninsula and hard to get to, plus you must either take a tour or be invited by a resident - you can’t just wander wround the area. Here are some options:

Molokai Mule Ride
A ride down the mountain on a mule plus tour.

Molokai Ferry offers ferry-car packages, guided day tour excursions, and a hike and tour, all from Maui.

Comments

3 Comments on Best Molokai Day Trip from Maui or Oahu

  1. Janet Meyers on Wed, 28th Oct 2009 8:24 pm

    2. My husband and I are going to be on Maui on vacation from 2-4-10 until 2-9-10 and are considering a day trip to Molokai. It was suggested that since we are mainly interested in the history and seeing the leper colony, perhaps we might enjoy flying there, taking the mule ride down and then returning to Maui on the ferry or whatever ship goes there. Is there a tour that has that type of itinerary and how would we arrange it? I am also open to other tours that there might be. Could you help me with this?

    Thank you.

    Sincerely, Janet Meyers

  2. Lisa on Thu, 29th Oct 2009 8:12 pm

    3. Hi Janet,

    There are tours available: here’s an example of someone you could book through. http://www.hawaiiactive.com/activities/molokai-discovery.html

    If you want to fly then take the ferry one way you may need to do that arranging yourself, I’m not sure how available one-way ferry tickets are.

    here’s the ferry http://www.molokaiferry.com/
    and the two airlines are http://iflygo.com/ and http://www.hawaiianair.com/Pages/Index.aspx

    have a wonderful time! Lisa

  3. Iolani Air Tour Company on Thu, 10th Dec 2009 10:05 pm

    4. Aloha,
    Please note Iolani Air Tour Company does fly ‘on demand’ charters to Molokai.
    Aloha,
    J. Mulvihill

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