Kualoa Ranch

A working ranch on Oahu's eastern shore that runs its own tours

Kualoa Ranch runs its own guided tours and activities on its 4,000-acre property on the eastern shore of Oahu, Hawaii, at 49-560 Kamehameha Highway, Kaneohe. It is an operator, not a reseller: the About page describes a private nature reserve and working cattle ranch owned and managed by sixth, seventh and eighth generation descendants of Dr. Gerritt P. Judd, established in 1850, with more than 600 head of cattle, 120 horses and 200 sheep. The About page puts the ranch 24 miles from Waikiki (the tours page says 22), and the land runs across the Kualoa, Hakipu'u and Ka'a'awa valleys down to Kaneohe Bay. Everything it sells happens on that property or on the water just off it, so this is a listing for visitors to Oahu only. Its tours use UTV Raptors, electric mountain bikes, ziplines, horses, buses, jungle vehicles and a catamaran, and a large part of the appeal is film history: the About page says Kualoa has been the site of over 70 Hollywood movies since the 1950s, from Jurassic Park to 50 First Dates, while the tour pages give higher running totals for movies and TV shows together.

Tours, packages and prices

The site sorts its menu into Adventure, Sightseeing, Beach/Ocean, Nature and Tour Package, and lists a price and an age band on each card. UTV tours lead the adventure list: the UTV Raptor Tour and the UTV Raptor Ride-Along each show 2 hours at $149.95, with a children's rate of $74.95 for ages 5 to 12, and the same group of cards, which also includes a Private UTV Raptor Ride Along Tour, shows a 3-hour option at 199.95; the site calls these "New 3-hour deluxe tours!" The Jurassic Adventure Tour is a 2.5-hour trek to filming locations from Jurassic Park, Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, listed at $149.95 for ages 3 and up. The Horseback Walking Tour is 2 hours at $154.95 for ages 10 and up and is pitched as a view of the valleys through the eyes of the paniolo, the Hawaiian cowboy. The Novice Rider E-Bike Tour (2 hours, $124.95) and Ultra E-Bike Tour (3 hours, $179.95) take riders from age 10.

Several shorter tours run 1.5 hours at $59.95: the Movie Sites & Ranch Tour on a vintage school bus, the Jungle Expedition in custom jungle vehicles through the Hakipu'u rainforest, the Ocean Voyage, which crosses the 800-year-old Moli'i fishpond before a catamaran trip on Kaneohe Bay from Secret Island, and the Kualoa Grown Tour of the fishpond, farm and oyster operation. Secret Island Beach Activities include use of kayaks, paddle boards, a glass bottom boat, canoes and sand volleyball courts. A Malama Experience covers watershed stewardship. Packages add a free Ranch House buffet lunch: the Kualoa Half Day Package pairs the Movie Sites Tour with the Ocean Voyage, and the Best of Kualoa Full Day Package combines the Movie Sites, Jungle Expedition and Kualoa Grown tours, each 90 minutes, with check-in at 8:30am and the day running until 3:30pm. The site also lists a Surf & Turf Package.

The zipline tour in detail

The Zipline Tour has the fullest page. It climbs Ka'a'awa Valley with 7 tandem sections, 2 suspension bridges and 5 short hiking nature trails, with lines from 200 feet up to a quarter of a mile long, and guides share Hawaiian traditions and plant knowledge along the way. The page lists it at 3 hours for $184.95, or $134.95 for children aged 10 to 12, "subject to 4.712% tax", and its structured data shows 4.82 from 841 reviews. The 3 hours include training and a safety briefing.

The page is unusually specific about who can go. Closed-toe shoes are required, every guest signs a liability waiver, guests under 18 must be with an adult or guardian, and everyone is weighed at check in. The harness limits are a height of 4'8" to 6'9", a waist of 22" to 50", an upper thigh of 18" to 28" and a weight of 70 to 280 pounds. The ranch states that expecting mothers and guests with heart conditions, spinal issues or joint pain are not advised to take part. Its FAQ says the short hikes between platforms cross uneven terrain with gravel and inclines, that guides are trained to support nervous guests, and that glasses are allowed with a secure strap. Photos are sold at the zip basecamp by card only.

Getting there and what the day looks like

Most tours start at the ranch itself, where there are places to eat and shop: Aunty Pat's Cafe, JJ's Outpost and the Kualoa Grown Market. The zipline page also lists early morning and mid morning hotel pickups in Waikiki, at the Twin Fin Waikiki Hotel on Paoakalani Ave, the Sheraton Waikiki's Aloha Landing bus stop and Aqua Palms Waikiki on Ala Moana Blvd. The website can be switched between English, Japanese, Korean and Spanish; the tour pages do not say in which languages the guides lead tours. The ranch says it has 400+ employees, and the zipline reviews it shows name individual guides.

Children are welcome on many products, within the age bands printed on each card: all ages for the Ocean Voyage, Kualoa Grown Tour and beach activities, from 3 for the Jurassic Adventure Tour and packages, from 5 on the UTV tours, and from 10 for horseback, E-bikes and the zipline. The site states no group-size cap for any tour.

Booking, events and extras

Tours are booked online through "CHECK AVAILABILITY" and "RESERVE" buttons that lead to the ranch's own booking system, and the zipline page warns that "many tours sell out" and recommends reserving ahead. The footer links to a Military & Kama'aina page, but no rates for residents or service members appear on the tour cards. The ranch also runs an online store that ships its apparel, gifts and locally made products. Beyond tours, the ranch hosts corporate and team building events, film and TV production, weddings and education programs, each with its own section. For questions the site lists (808) 237-7321 and an email link.

The tours page says Kualoa has been in TripAdvisor's Hall of Fame for 11 years in a row (2013 to 2024) and rated number one by Hawai'i Magazine and the StarAdvertiser's Readers Choice Awards for 7 years; those are the ranch's own claims.

What the site leaves open, and who it suits

No cancellation or refund policy appears on the tour, zipline or package pages, and the FAQ is only a link in the menu, so the terms have to be checked in the booking flow before paying. Prices differ slightly between pages (the full day package shows both $159.95 and $164.95), so the checkout figure is the one to trust. Only the zipline page spells out physical requirements; the UTV, horseback and E-bike pages give age bands but not the rules behind them. The site does not describe accessibility for guests with limited mobility, and guide languages are not stated.

Kualoa suits visitors to Oahu who want a full day of outdoor activities in one place, film fans who want to see the Jurassic Park valley, and families, since the age bands let younger children join the movie, ocean and farm tours. The combined packages with lunch are the simplest way to see several parts of the ranch in one visit. It suits less well anyone outside the zipline's size limits or wanting a clear refund rule before booking.