All Reviews for Waipio Valley, Big Island

It’s a long day, but absolutely packed with jaw-dropping sights and well-paced stops.

We usually skip tours and try to experience places through the locals, soaking in real culture over curated stops. But this tour into Waipio Valley with Forrest changed everything.

From the start, it was clear this wasn’t a typical tour. Forrest’s love for the valley, his deep knowledge of its history and sacredness, and his powerful storytelling made us feel connected to every inch of this land. He didn’t just drive us through—he invited us in.

The peace we felt in Waipio was unreal. Waterfalls, wild horses, taro fields… all of it wrapped in a stillness that felt spiritual. We walked away with more than photos—we walked away with perspective and gratitude.

If you get the chance, go. And hope Forrest is your guide. It’s an experience we’ll never forget.

This was my third visit to Waipi'o, and I was finally able to see the bottom of the valley. It was truly wonderful. I'm glad I could feel the reason it's called a "sacred place." I definitely want to visit again.

3度目のワイピオでやっと渓谷の下まで見学する事が出来ました。本当に素晴らしかったです。「聖地」と呼ばれる由縁を感じら事が出来て良かったです。また是非訪れたいです。

I had been to the top of the valley a few times before, but going into the valley was such an experience! It was incredibly peaceful, beautiful, and Kaleo was a wealth of knowledge about his home. I will absolutely be visiting again when family visits 🤙🏻 mahalo for the experience!

We witnessed the amazing beauty of Hawaii and learned the ancient practices that are still used today. What an unbelievable experience!

Absolutely amazing. You can feel the spirit and history of the land. Like no other place.

We had a great driver/tour guide in Omar. He shared his love for the valley where he was born and raised with such joy and we felt like we got an insider’s view. The personal anecdotes about his family, and tales of fishing, hunting, canoeing, surfing, etc., really made the tour come alive for us. The overlook provides a stunning view but going into the valley provided a rich context for life of the Hawaiian people who have lived off the land and sea for generations. The valley is such a special place, a piece of history and way of life beautifully preserved; I feel blessed and privileged to have had this experience. And we even met one of the wild horses.

Kilauea was just amazing, I could go every day if it was possible!

Found our tour guide Shaun (sp?) to be very informative about the area and Island history. Great scenery and an awesome education!

You definitely should go! I saw the original landscapes of Hawaii that you can only experience by joining the tour. The guide was very experienced, which gave me a sense of security.

ぜひ行くべきです！ツアーに参加しないと見ることが出来ないハワイの原風景を見ました。ガイドの方はもちろん慣れていて安心感がありました。

Tour guide was a local. This was once in a lifetime experience to go down into the valley and see the long cascading waterfall. We meandered through trails & crossed 7 streams and passed by taro fields.

Our guide was very friendly, courteous, and informative. Having lived and worked in the valley, he displayed his passion and knowledge throughout the tour.

Our tour guide (Shawn) was VERY informative and passionate about telling us the history and sacredness of Waipio Valley, the Valley of the Kings. We had such a great time! My 7yr old (who doesn’t like to sit still) enjoyed this tour immensely! Especially trying to find the prawns in the stream. Would definitely do this again!

Highly recommend! The tour guide provided details and history of the region, with various stops along the way for us to soak in the beauty of the valley!

My husband and I really enjoyed our ride down into the valley. We learned a great deal of history from our guide as well as trivia like the fact they used Waipio Valley as the "Dry Land" in the movie Waterworld.
It's a beautiful and magical place.

Such an experience to go into the valley, you can feel the spirit of Hawaii in places like Waipio Valley.

Omar was a remarkable, knowledgeable, and personable guide. He grew up in this sacred valley and his relatives still live there. This shuttle tour is the only way tourists can visit Wai'ipo Valley, which is an absolute must-see. So book your trip and ask for Omar as your guide!

We had a wonderful time! Great information and an experience everyone will benefit from.

We had an excellent guide. A safe driver! He knew exactly what to do when the transmission went out. He made sure we were all safe! I loved the knowledge he shared of the valley, people and history.
He was very personable and he made the tour very enjoyable.

This is a must-do experience while on the Big Island. Local knowledge and passion for the history and importance of this amazing valley makes this guided tour an incredible experience for all ages.

An unexpected and surprising journey of elves. We are tourists from China, attracted by the original vegetation, wild horses, and clear streams in the valley. The travelogue written upon returning to China has attracted a lot of attention from friends.

Great experience and insight into Waipi'o. I have hiked it many times but never went back into the valley--well worth it, especially given the circumstances. I am glad our driver has had an authentic experience with the valley; that made a big difference.

Waipio Valley was such a gorgeous find - rich with history and a unique ecological place. Highly recommend! We loved our tour guide, Seanery - so personable and knowledgeable! We were fortunate to have a smaller group in the van, which was a huge plus. :)

This was one of my favorite things we have done on the big island the guide was fun and extremely informative this is a must do for anyone visiting.

Brett was an excellent tour guide. Funny engaging and informative. It is a long day as the island is rather large. Greenwell Farms (coffee farm) was our first stop. Excellent coffee! Brett explained the growing and harvesting process, followed by tasting and souvenir purchases. Then on to the Punalu'u sweetbread bakery for treats. I lived the Lilikoi flavored pastry. Nice gift shop also. Next stop was Punalu'u black sand beach with a bonus sleeping turtle. Quick provided tasty lunch at a shady state park. Next into Volcano National Park. Brett has fantastic volcano pics. Kilauea was steeming and erupted hours later. Traveled down a large lava tube, very cool. Huge old lava fields. Next on to Rainbow falls and majestic Akaka falls on the East side of the island. On the North end, we visited Waipi'o lookout for sunset. It was along day, but excellent. Strongly recommend. Brett made the trip very enjoyable.

Small group experience with a great guide! He was very informative and wanted us to understand about the area! Would recommend this to newcomers!

Exceptional experience!!!! AAA+++!!!! Highly recommended, we loved it!!

Waipi'o Valley looks very different from above compared to when you actually descend into it. Once you step onto the land, you can feel as if you are in the village from the movie Moana. The guide was very friendly and explained the plants and flowers during the tour. The scent of the vanilla flower that was picked and handed to me lingers in my nose.

ワイピオ渓谷は上から眺めるのと、実際に降りるのとでは、大きくイメージが異なります。
その地に降り立つと、映画：モアナ　の村はこんな感じだったのかと、感じることができるでしょう。
ガイドさんはとてもフレンドリーで、ツアー中に草木や花の説明をしてくれます。
摘んで渡してくれたバニラの花の匂いが、鼻の奥に残っています。

I don't think too many people know about this, but it is an excellent experience. Our driver was a Waipio local who drove us down into the valley - a sacred place in Hawaiian culture - and showed us the beauty, the self-sufficient culture, and the hydroponics. We also got to see horses extremely up close on the way back (this is not guaranteed though). Most of all, I appreciated the commitment to preserving nature and living in harmony with it. Do go and check it out!

The best decision on Big Island
I enjoyed every moment of the ride with K who has so much knowledge about Waipio being from the valley
100% recommend