Hawaii: In Honolulu, you can now hop on and hop off

The hop-on, hop-off double-decker sightseeing bus, a fixture in tourist destinations worldwide, has arrived in Honolulu.

Gray Line Hawaii/Polynesian Adventure Tours has launched a fleet of seven island-themed open-top AlohaBuses that make numerous stops from Waikiki to downtown Honolulu, including at major hotels, Ala Moana Shopping Center, Chinatown and Iolani Palace.

Each bright red bus has 51 seats up top and eight below for those preferring air-conditioned comfort. The City Tour Loop, with 19 stops, takes about two hours. There is also a one-hour Night Time Loop with 12 stops.

Passengers have unlimited boarding and reboarding privileges. The day tour includes optional transfer to an express motor coach to Pearl Harbor.

All Loop passes may be purchased in advance on the website or through hotel concierges and other outlets in Honolulu. They cost $29 for 24 hours, $39 for 48 hours and $49 for 72 hours. The night tour alone is $10. Through December, one child 11 and younger rides free with each paid adult ticket on any tour.

The narration, in Japanese, Mandarin, Korean and Spanish as well as English, is GPS-activated to avoid those annoying lapses when the recording and the bus’ actual location are not in sync.

There are also uniformed “ambassadors” onboard to answer questions. The day tour operates 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; the night tour 5:30-10 p.m. Buses come by every 20 to 25 minutes.

Info: AlohaBus, (800) 622-3011.