Excellent trainers bring dolphins right up to you to pet, splash, and swim with. The view of the dolphins underwater is amazing. The power and athletic ability of these amazing creatures is beautiful.
This tour was great fun. The off-roading was excellent and the views absolutely beautiful. The guides were funny and full of interesting Hawaii facts/information. My kids also had a great time and said this was their favorite tour.
You will get dirty. Obviously bring a camera.
Seeing the Waipi’o Valley was a highlight of an otherwise already amazing week on the big island. The view of the sea cliffs is stunning, but so is the waterfall, river, taro fields, and other beautiful features of this location that you can only see on this tour.
Our guide was remarkably knowledgeable and articulate in sharing his firsthand experience growing up and living in this valley. It was a culturally educational, and aesthetic experience to visit and I would highly recommend it.
After researching several options, we chose the Ultimate Hawaii Circle Island Sightseeing tour from Veltra for our mid-April 2026 trip, and it did not disappoint. Our guide, Marcus, was total pro, wWith 15 years of experience, his knowledge and storytelling made the 10-hour journey fly by.
The Highlights:
1) Coffee Farm: Stunning views and a great tasting session in the gift shop.
2) Punaluu Black Sand Beach: We were lucky enough to see sea turtles basking on the sand!
3) Volcanoes National Park: Seeing the steam vents and the scale of the active volcano was easily the highlight of the day.
4) Rainbow Falls: The best panoramic view is actually from the side of the park; the hike to the top isn't strictly necessary for the best photos.
5) Waipio Valley Lookout: Absolutely breathtaking photo opportunities.
The logistics were seamless with a prompt pickup at 7:20 am from the Fairmont Orchid. While it is a long day covering 2/3 of the island, Marcus kept us entertained throughout. Lunch, dinner, snacks, and water were all provided, making for a stress-free experience. Highly recommended!
• Wear runners for hikes & lots of walking
• No need to bring water as the tour provides plenty.
My kids, ages 11 and 13, were thrilled with meeting and engaging with several of the dolphins! We were impressed by the care given to them and the expertise of their trainers. We will be taking part in Dolphin Quest upon our next visit.
My kids ages 11 and 13 had a great time learning to surf! Both instructors were friendly and supportive and their personalities put my kids at ease. I appreciated their attentiveness and both girls are excited to return for more lessons.
This trip was very enjoyable, we got to learn about all the volcanoes and various other attractions. And see some amazing sights, including telescopes and sunsets!
Wow just wow, Shane was our pilot and boy he had a lot of knowledge of the island and for him to give a good answer to everyone's questions was exceptional. The ride was smooth, we felt safe and it was longer than I expected. The views are amazing and beautiful. My grandkids and I truly loved this experience. Shane even let Liam shut the helicopter down once we landed.
This was our 1st time to the big island and this was our 1st time snorkeling. The captain and the crew were all exceptional and pretty funny at times. The vessel was clean and the cruise was smooth. We had 2 areas we stopped to snorkel and get a little history lesson. Breakfast and lunch was very tasty and well timed. Thank you for making this such a wonderful experience for my family.
Don't skip this adventure.
I can say enough good things about this experience! Everything about it!
A lovely night of cocktails and beautiful weather. Drinks were plentiful and the chicken and rice meal was delicious
Seeing the sun set above the cloud line is a once in a lifetime experience. Our guide, Fernando, made the night that much more enjoyable with the knowledge (and parkas) he shared. After the spectacular sun set we went further down the mountain to star gaze. The telescope he had was amazing, and it was super cool to see so many, and different, stars we see at home. This was a 10 out of 10 experience and I would highly recommend it..
Wonderful ride and day! Patricia and Kaleo guided us through a beautiful ranch!! Great horses! Jack & Liz
This was our 3 son's first trip to Hawaii. I wanted to make it special for them. It was great to see the sign that said MURPHY after getting off our flight. I knew exactly where to walk the boys. They were greeted very pleasantly and they were so excited to start their Hawaii vacation this way.
My friend and I had a great time. Ronson was great knew all about the ranch and the habitat. I loved the ponds with fish to use for fertilizer. The ocean view was awesome and we did a couple whales. Thanks so much for a great ride.
I loved this zipline experience! I took a friend with me, and we had such an amazing time. The instructors were so funny and down to earth. Amazing views over the waterfall.
I from the Mid-West so seeing a dolphin was never on my bingo card so I thought! This establishment was great and so helpful. The pictures were amazing and I will never forget the experience!
It was so good to go such a tour with a local guide. He was soo friendly and knowledgeable and pleasant. We had a very good time throughout valley , learned about history and culture.
I really appreciate the guide and all people behind .
The road quite steep and the ride is bumpy, be aware!
I was with James as a tour guide on our tour he was very friendly and responsive.
There was another group with the same company and Their guide was Wes. Both guys made everything easy, enjoyable and pleasant all through the tour. The hot coco we had while stargazing was sooo appreciated and nice touch.
Thanks to all.
If there would be Hand warmers it would be useful
Beautiful valley and great guide. The valley is definitely worth a visit. If you are on the big island don’t miss this one out.
Very professional and entertaining guide.
Interesting commentary on the way to the top.
Don’t miss it.
Mind blowing tour! Incredible crew: friendly, professional, knowledgeable, well prepared. The experience of a lifetime. Huge manta rays, swimming all around us! Gentle giants. Feeding on the plankton attracted to the lights. I know the crew told us that experiences may vary in numbers of mantas seen, but we were extremely lucky and saw close up mantas almost the entire time!
Take warm clothes for afterwards. Some people took Dramamine (good idea if you get seasick easily)
Terrific experience! Derek was a wonderful guide! Knowledgeable, friendly, and professional! Gave a preview of events, a timeline, and kept to the schedule.
The tour took us to places we probably wouldn't have gone to on our own. We saw turtles on the beautiful black sand beach, enjoyed a walk around the coffee farm with delicious samples. Spent time at Rainbow Falls. Enjoyed cookies at a local bakery. Plenty of opportunities along the way to pickup meaningful, local souvenirs.
But my favorite stops were in Volcano National Park. The caldera was amazing. No spouting lava but lots of smoking vents. The steam vents were amazing as well. Lunch at the cafe was well organized and tasty. The view from the restaurant was great. Beautiful vistas along the route. What more could you ask for???
Good for everyone, including kids. Plenty of stops along the way. Great overview of many sites.
It is a really wonderful trip. Very good tour guide. Execllent photos took by professional photographer.
Tour driver was so kind and even born in that valley! He had so much great info and was so careful driving us
would do a taro sample at the end
Three of my kids participated in the swimming with the dolphins and LOVED IT! One even said it was the best day of her life! It was very informative and Patrick had a really great personality and interacted with well with all the participants in the group. I highly recommend going to Dolphin Quest at the Hilton Waikoloa!
For a hotel luau they sure put on a show, very talented group!
We had some great activity on our tour, and it was really easy to get the hang of flowing with these gorgeous animals!
Great place. My teens greatly enjoyed the experience and Grace was fantastic.
This is such a wonderful experience! Very well run, and like nothing else!