Dole Plantation question...

Can anyone tell me how long will the drive from Waikiki to the Dole Plantation without traffic be?

Also what time is traffic usually at? If i plan to leave from waikiki at 9:00 am (to Dole) will i be stuck in traffic?

Help! Just trying to figure out activities. Oh! and i will be going in mid-sept, if that makes any differenc.

Thanks!

Dole Plantation question...

Icoul not help you with the driving time,but if Iwre you,Iwould skip Dole Plantation-it is a ripoff-it is not really a working plantation anymore,you wouldbe swamped with over priced ';Hawaiian goods'; made in China or other Asian countries.Itook an Enoa tour-that is another story.

Dole Plantation question...

At 9am the traffic is pretty light.

It will take about 45 minutes from Waikiki.

Dole Pineapple is OK to stop if you are going past it on the way to or from North Shore. But it isn%26#39;t worth going to by itself.

There%26#39;s a nice pineapple garden (free) behind the gift center. Also a koi (carp) pond.

I agree with Dusty. The free things they have at Dole plus the pineapple Dole Whip make it a nice stop on the way to the North Shore, but I don%26#39;t know that I%26#39;d pay for the maze or tour unless you have kids with you.

I quite like the Dole Pineapple Plantation. I consider it worth the trip just for a Dole Whip!

The train ride through the Pineapple fields is a little cheesy, not really worth the cost. And that ';Pineapple Princess'; song will get stuck in your head. But the pineapple gardens in the back are nice, with different varieties from around the world.

The gift shop is really nice, they have a huge variety of pineapple-related food and merchandise, along with your typical Hawaiian souvenirs. They also have a decent size restaurant(cafeteria) now as well.

I also make sure I stop there, but its usually on the way to the North Shore.

The plan is to drive around the island and make stops along the way and the Dole Plantation would be our first stop for the Dole Whip!! We dont have kids but maybe we will do the train ride:). Then we would head up towards north shore. Are there other must see/stops sites that we should do? It will be 4 girls.

Thanks everyone!! Thanks Dusty!

Overall, for a circle island tour, here are the main stops I would make:

Dole Pineapple Plantation. Only half an hour is needed unless you do the train ride.

Haleiwa. Stop in town, check out some of the shops, and walk through the surf museum. give yourself at least an hour there.

Waimea Bay. Pull over and take some pictures, 5-10 minutes should be ok unless you walk down to the beach.

Banzai Pipeline. (if you can find it) It%26#39;s the world surfing mecca, people from around the world come to surf Pipeline. If you are there on a good day, you%26#39;ll see some amazing surfing, and huge waves.

Sunset Beach. Beautiful north shore beach which is also a good place to watch surfing. If your timing is right, this is the place to be at sunset, with beautiful views.

I would go in a counterclockwise direction. It would make Dole the last stop. But almost all of the turns in %26amp; out of the beaches would be to the right. It is much easier making right turns %26amp; you can stop more frequently.

Driving tour #2 on this thread is nice. It would also get you to Laniakea Beach in the afternoon when the sea turtles come in to bask in the sun.

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g29222-i37-k647862…

Oh yeah, good point Dusty!

Plus with a counter-clockwise trip, you can check out the beautiful stunning beaches on the windward coast to start off the tour.

Matzimoto%26#39;s Shave Ice in Haleiwa! Awesome!

O.k. so if i drive the other way around and we start the day early let%26#39;s say 7:30am. Can the below be done before 4 or 4:30 before the dole plantation closes at 5pm?

Hike Diamond head spend about 1/2 at top to take photos, make small stop along the way, spend an hour in Kailua beach, maybe having lunch at the shrimp trucks, continue around and stoping at Haleiwa / North Shore / Waimea and places suggested.

Am i asking for too much? What would do?