Today I’m taking you along on our Kualoa Ranch movie sites tour. Aloha! It’s time to recap another amazing experience in Oahu and share why, if you’re ever there, this spot should definitely be on your must-do list. Before I wrote this recap, I was scrolling through my camera roll, feeling nostalgic. (Yep, it’s been around four months since we got back from our holiday, and I still can’t shake that nostalgia!).
As I was scrolling, I stopped on a video I took at Kualoa Ranch–those views were incredible! And you can hear me saying, “Oh my gosh, this is the most epicest holiday ever!”
Haha — EPICEST isn’t even a word, and my school teachers would be horrified. I was horrified! But I guess that just shows how, by the time we got to Hawaii, I’d run out of real words to describe our trip.
I’m happy to report I didn’t completely massacre the English language with words like bestest and amazingest. I had to draw the line somewhere!
The Kualoa Ranch Movie Sites tour and our snorkelling adventure (a recap is coming soon) were two experiences we planned and booked before leaving Sydney. My superstar cousin J organised both, and we had the best time—even better than we could have ever imagined.
Quite a few of the photos in this post were taken by my cousin J. Not only is she amazing at organising our adventures, but she’s also a brilliant photographer. Lucky me to have a cousin like her!
Welcome to Kualoa Ranch
Arriving at Kualoa Ranch
We left our hotel in Kapolei at 7:30 AM and pulled into Kualoa Ranch around 8:20. Luckily, we left early enough and seemed to avoid the worst of the morning traffic. Our tour was booked for 9 AM, and they recommend arriving at least 30 minutes early, so our timing worked out perfectly.
The Visitor Centre and Mini Museum
The ranch has an open-air visitor centre with stunning valley views and horses roaming about. There’s also a small Hawaiian History Hall mini-museum full of information about the rich culture and history of both the ranch and Hawaii. I did a quick zoom around and snapped a few photos so I could read everything later. So glad I did!
Tours You Can Take
Kualoa Ranch offers all sorts of tours, such as E-Bike Tours, UTV Raptor Tours, Zipline Tour, Horseback Tour, and the Kualoa Movie Sites Tour — which is the one we did. There are many more options, and you can check out all of them here.
Kualoa Movie Sites and Ranch Tour
The official name of the tour is the “Kualoa Ranch Movie Sites and Ranch Tour.” So it wasn’t just about movies—it was a proper ranch tour too, even though the movie spots were definitely the highlight. There was so much to take in, and I wish I could remember every little detail. Thankfully, I filmed a lot of what our guide said during the drive, which really helped me piece it all back together for this post.
We rode a vintage bus that was so rattly, bumpy, and probably older than me, but it was perfect. I felt like I was on a real Jurassic expedition!
Our Tour Guide and a Peek into Ranch Life
Our tour guide (I think her name was Elsie, but I’m not 100% sure) was incredible. She was enthusiastic, funny, and full of knowledge—not just about filming locations, but also the history and daily operations of the ranch itself. We learned that Kualoa Ranch isn’t just where they have filmed blockbuster movies. It’s a massive 4,000-acre private nature reserve and working cattle ranch that’s been owned by the same family since 1850. The ranch still runs as a working farm, and they grow tropical fruits like coconuts and mangoes.
Our guide also said that sometimes, the ranch workers even appear as extras in the films shot there. Sounds like a fun place to work!
Kualoa Ranch Movie Sites and Ranch Tour Experience
Jurassic Valley
First stop: Kaʻaʻawa Valley, better known as Jurassic Valley. We drove past the spot where the original Jurassic Park gates stood. It was our first glimpse of all the movie magic, and it was so exciting. I had no idea there was still so much more to come!
WWII Bunker Turned Movie Museum
Next, we rattled up the hill in the old bus to the old wartime bunker. Our guide told us all about how back in the 1940s, the army built a string of these lookouts along Oahu’s coast to keep an eye out for enemy ships after Pearl Harbour. Kualoa’s bunker was carved straight into the hillside, hidden by jungle and reinforced with extremely thick walls.
Fast forward 85 years, and now inside this bunker, you’ll find a gold mine of film sets! There were walls of posters, prop weapons, and behind-the-scenes photos from Lost, Kong: Skull Island, Jumanji, 50 First Dates, and Hawaii Five-0.
There was a photo from The Karate Kid Part II (the one where Daniel and Mr. Miyagi go to Okinawa) that was filmed right here at Kualoa Ranch. I had no idea until I saw it!
If you’re a huge Lost fan like me (that is, until the later seasons when it went downhill), hold onto your geek hats–because this is the Dharma Initiative’s tempest station–woah!!
I got to touch the actual computer where they typed in the numbers—4 8 15 16 23 42—every 108 minutes. Goosebumps!! I used to know those numbers off by heart, but I had to look them up to jog my memory.
From there, we headed to one of the most impressive sights on the tour.
Kong’s Skull and Bones
Right next to the massive Kong skull, there are these huge bones scattered around — all movie props from Kong: Skull Island.
The Jurassic Park Chase Scene
Nearby, there’s a Jurassic Park sign, and this is the exact spot where the characters ran and hid to escape the dinosaurs. Our guide told us the Gallimimus herd chase scene was filmed here — you know, that moment in the first Jurassic Park movie where they just barely make it, jump, and hide. Holey Moley, that was so fun to see!
This is what I loved so much about our tour guide. She went the extra mile with special touches like this one. See here where it looks like we are about to be devoured by a dinosaur. The guide held a rubber dinosaur in front of our camera phones to get that shot. There was no dinosaur there, we just had to pretend. Pretty clever, huh?
At the end of the tour, she also handed out little plastic dinosaurs to all the kids. I really wanted one too, but I managed to act like an adult and didn’t put my hand up. It took great strength, I won’t lie.
Rainbow Beach
After the Kong skull and giant bones, we made our way to Rainbow Beach, which has been featured in movies like Jurassic World, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and the TV show Hawaii Five-0.
According to my camera roll, that was our last stop on the Kualoa Ranch movie sites tour. What a way to end another one of our epicest days! If you’re ever in Oahu, this place is a must-see. The tour was amazing, the views were incredible, and I also have to mention the gift shop at Kualoa Ranch. It was really good and full of reasonably priced souvenirs, which was such a nice surprise because those places can be mighty expensive!
I am finally heading toward the last few days of our trip. Next time it will be all about visiting the Byodo-In Temple, snorkelling, and lots more. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Wow! That is a fun place to explore. I was surprised that a Karate Kid movie was filmed here. You take great photos and do such a good job providing a narrative to the tour. Thank you! #MMBC
I think there would have been a lot of oh my goshes from me too! It does look like such an amazing place to visit, I had no idea it existed! So many movies were filmed there and Lost too! Wow! I still remember those numbers. lol
This is so cool. I was a huge Lost fan (until the ending) and would love to see where it was filmed! I also loved Karate Kid Part 2!
That would be so fun to see in person. I loved Lost! And Hawaii is just so pretty anyway, it looks like a neat tour.
OH wow; that sounds like such a neat day! Now I kind of wish we had went to Oahu… oh well, next time I guess.