Waipio Shuttle - An Exceptional Guided Sightseeing Tour of Waipio Valley
Overall Rating
5.00
There and back again!
Reviewed by: Robert S., 2023/12/02It was almost magical, definitely a fun tour to a place you cannot go on your own. Waipoi valley is like going to a hidden paradise that only a few outsiders get to visit and I feel envigorated that I was one of them. I saw many people in regular vehicles at the view point over looking the valley but only residents and tour groups are allowed to enter the valley and if you request it you can get off the 4x4 van and walk to the beach and catch the next vehicle back for a small fee. Overall I very nice experience.
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2023/11/11 |
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The best way to go through the valley.
Reviewed by: Amy S, 2023/11/09After hiking this trail years ago and taking the van trip this time (2023), I would never choose another way to go other than the van ride. Pleasant driver and informative. Felt safe.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2023/11/07 |
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Excellent Tour With Extremely Knowledgeable Driver Guide Forest
Reviewed by: Peggy H, 2023/10/04- Hawaiian History, Flowers, Trees, Birds, Fish & Tame Wild Horses - Fabulous Scenic Views
- Enjoyed The Delightful Pick Up Spot
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2023/10/02 |
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Must-do on the Big Island!
Reviewed by: 1st Timers in Hawaii, 2023/09/14Breathtaking views of natural Hawaii. A must-do on the Big Island.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2023/09/12 |
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Can’t-miss adventure with wonderful guide
Reviewed by: Rem, 2023/05/04My wife and I had a great time listening to stories and information from our very knowledgeable driver, Forest. He made the whole experience enjoyable and I can’t say enough about him.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2023/04/07 |
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Great Adventure
Reviewed by: Amanda, 2023/03/18This was such an amazing tour. Forrest was very knowledgeable of the Hawaiian history and legends of the valley. He knew each local resident by name. It felt very special to get to see such a remote, sacred part of the Big Island.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2023/03/16 |
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Beautiful and informative
Reviewed by: Jared, 2022/11/20We loved going on this tour! It was great to learn about the local traditions of Waipio Valley and to view it on the only tour available at the time. The group mentioned it as one of the highlights of our Big Island trip!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2022/11/18 |
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Very good experience
Reviewed by: thimaire, 2022/02/27Really a very good tour.
The landscape is wonderfull. The guide is perfect... very commited.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2022/02/05 |
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LOVED IT
Reviewed by: Colleen, 2022/02/01We had a great time on the shuttle. Our driver, Forest was fun, professional and had so much to share about the area and island. We got to go down to some beautiful spots and get out to take pictures. It was amazing. I highly recommend you take this tour. The windows are out so you don't feel closed in. It is a long way down and up so think long and hard about hiking it. We are so glad we choose to Book this tour-- You will be happy you did! It was an amazing experience.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2022/01/24 |
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Awesome and beautiful
Reviewed by: Gregory , 2022/01/08So can’t wait to do this again next time we visit !!! Beautiful views and fun times
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/01/06 |
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Waipio
Reviewed by: Tdonaldson7, 2021/11/11We had a great time. Forest was knowledgeable, friendly and professional. I would never want to drive this myself but I felt comfortable with Forest. Thanks for everything!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2021/11/09 |
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Our Second Time Taking this Tour
Reviewed by: Wanda, 2021/09/21This tour is so good and informative, that we decided to do it again. Our first time was about 2 years ago. Great experience both times.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2021/09/16 |
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Waipio Valley First-timers
Reviewed by: Sue, 2021/08/16Didn’t have any expectation beyond seeing incredible scenery in our visit to Waipio Valley. We were not disappointed with the views and were totally surprised with the stories told by an Hawaiian youth resident of the valley of how the valley was occupied and its history through the centuries. We’re so glad we chose this tour while visiting the big island. We were three generations traveling and our youngest - a 3 year old - managed quite well. Anyone interested in this tour should be aware that the four wheel drive vehicle will travel down and up the 1300 feet steep drop into and out of the valley. Not for the faint hearted although a person can easily close their eyes to ensure they will not miss this historical and sacred valley.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2021/08/14 |
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Fully Recommend!
Reviewed by: Kim D, 2021/08/09This was a great tour! Our tour guide was really able to give it a personal touch since he lives in the Valley. Learned so much about the culture and was able to really soak in the beautiful scenery while he took care to get us up and down safely.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2021/08/07 |
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Fun and Friendly
Reviewed by: MSAL, 2021/07/06We had a blast with the sightseeing tour. The driver was very friendly and took us all around the beautiful valley. Comfortable ride.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2021/06/11 |
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Waipio Valley
Reviewed by: Laura , 2021/05/28Our trip was amazing! Our guide was very knowledgeable and we had a wonderful time!
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2021/05/26 |
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Beautiful experience
Reviewed by: Supria, 2021/05/11Kaleo our guide was wonderful. He was very informative and being a resident of the valley, getting a tour from him was excellent.
He was very kind to take pictures for us.
The valley is breathtakingly beautiful. The trip down and up the valley was full of facts.
I highly recommend it.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2021/05/08 |
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Fun family adventure
Reviewed by: Beth K, 2021/04/24We had a great time with the family on this trip. Our guide was friendly and very knowledgeable. The kids really enjoyed seeing the wild horses.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2021/03/30 |
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Love Waipio Valley
Reviewed by: M. and C. Lee, 2021/04/24My niece came to visit from Pennsylvania and loved Waipio Valley.
Douglas was a great tour guide and told wonderful stories. We learned about Waipio vegetation, including the beautiful Gardenia he picked for us. Douglas shared a story about how his grandparents ate Nonni, smelly fruit but healthy for you. Loved hearing about the people of the valley who do not have electricity but are hard working taro farmers. Mahalo Nui Loa Douglas.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2021/04/22 |
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Magnificent views of the valley
Reviewed by: Jen P, 2021/04/10My family really enjoyed this excursion and it was one of the highlights of our trip! We learned about this sacred ground and were able to capture amazing photos along the way! Hawaii’s largest waterfall, wild horses coming up to our van, and great family pictures were taken. Our driver, Daniel, was focused on our safety including following Covid safety protocols. Highly recommend!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2021/03/16 |
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Tremendous experience and a lot of fun to boot.
Reviewed by: Mark Dyre, 2021/01/07The guide was very informative and showed us all of the unique characteristics of the valley. Would take the tour again and it was a lot of fun for all eight of us.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2020/12/24 |
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Amazing experience - highly recommend!
Reviewed by: Mel Lee, 2020/12/30What an awesome experience that was well worth every penny. Kaleo was a authentic, personable, and knowledgeable tour guide, who was born and raised in the valley. He shared not only the history of the sacred valley, but also stories of his childhood and information on the local wildlife. The tour met at the art gallery, where there are restrooms and parking (and yummy ice cream). From there everyone gets in a van as Kaleo drives the group down to the back of the valley, an area off limits to the general public. The views are incredible from the top to the bottom and back.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2020/11/28 |
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Don’t miss this tour of Waipio!
Reviewed by: Marcia from Alaska , 2020/11/14I have brought my exchange students to the Big Island for 3 years and this was my first tour of Waipio. Kaleho our tour guy, being a life long local in the valley was filled with information about the history, biology and legends of this incredibly beautiful valley. So many stories and a safe comfortable tour. There is no glass in the windows in the 4 wheel drive passenger van so lots of airflow in the van. And he keeps a row empty between passengers. Everyone wears masks and sanitizes.
Also the store where you meet up has amazing art, books, music and incredible ice cream!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2020/11/13 |
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My guide was born and raised in the valley!
Reviewed by: Bbbbbbb, 2020/03/07Friendly, knowledgeable, flexible.
Try to sit on the right hand side on the way down!
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2020/02/15 |
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An absolute must do!!
Reviewed by: Gabby, 2020/02/29This tour was fantastic from start to finish - from the quaint shop you meet to get on the shuttle to the informative guide to the incredible views, we couldn’t recommend more. Kolehe aka Douglas was our fearless leader who drove us into Waipio Valley and was just the best! So much fun, tons of passion for the island and specific area, and the perfect sense of humor and charm. It was my first off-roading experience, and needless to say, I’m addicted :) Don’t miss out on this awesome tour!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2020/02/18 |
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Highly recommend
Reviewed by: Brian and Marion , 2020/02/16We had a great time on our tour. Our driver/guide Kaleo, who is from Waipio Valley was very informative and funny. Kaleo stopped to let us out so we could get a better view of Hiilawe waterfall. We also saw several wild horses up close The check-in at the gallery was easy and a great place to browse while waiting (we arrived early) We highly recommend this tour. We felt sorry for the people who decided to walk down because the walk back up is very steep.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2020/02/15 |
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Great tour. Excellent value.
Reviewed by: Tim, 2020/02/06This is a great way to see Waipio Valley. This was out first time, so it was a great introduction. Hector, our guide, was very knowledgeable, polite, and really helped make the tour great. We only had a short time to see Waipio Valley, and this was a perfect introduction. The value was great. We got to see a large portion of the valley, made several stops along the way along with some interpretive explanations, and saw a lot. I highly recommend this tour, either as one time to see Waipio Valley, or as an introduction before venturing out on your own.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2020/02/03 |
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A Great Peak into a Hidden World
Reviewed by: SamE, 2020/02/04A trip into Waipi’o Valley with Douglas as your guide is a time travel to another time. His family is of this place so Douglas understands and shares the insiders perspective, with the added bonus of having access to the valley past the “End of Country Road” sign. Also if you aren’t up for the knee pounding descent and lung busting climb in and out of the valley this is the way to go. Worth mentioning this tour does not go to the beach, It instead works it’s way toward the back of the valley. Definitely a worth while event.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2020/01/30 |
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Amazing Day
Reviewed by: Les, 2020/02/04Awesome trip. The driver was very knowledgeable and kept us entertained. I would highly recommend booking the tour as you get the history along with the beautiful sights. We were given alfalfa to feed the wild horses as well as some fresh coconut to eat
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2020/01/31 |
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Great time!
Reviewed by: Lynn S., 2020/02/03This tour was fun and informative. Hele, our guide, took the time to explain the history of the valley, what grows there and who lives there. He was friendly and personable. We didn’t feel rushed and enjoyed it very much! We are so glad we did it!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2020/01/31 |
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Thank for your 5 star review. The windows on the van have been removed for a richer experience. Mahalo Gary