Oahu
We had a great time on this tour. We were able to see many different places on the island and our tour guide Awana had great knowledge of the island. The tour is a lot of driving but the van is decently comfortable and they have frequent stops to get out and stretch.
First time riding in a helicopter, the ride was awesome. I did get to see a lot aerial coverage, especially recent destruction that occurred. Checking out the other destinations were ok, but the park was the real treat. True interaction with steam vents. Feeling the heat come from it is insanely hot; even walking a distance away from it and the wind picking up for a bit, my sunglasses fogged up.
This is an experience only you can take for yourself. The helicopter ride made the volcano national park that more interesting. I would do it again just for the helicopter ride.
unreal amazing views and places how close you get is unreal
a must do
been to Hawaii before and missed out doing this
this time booked before we left home
this is the most eye opening thing you will do in your life
will do again again again if I get the chance
Didn’t know what to expect at the beginning of the tour as it was a long one including a helicopter ride. But everything was just perfect! We were picked up from our hotel on time. Had a wonderful guide at Big Island. The helicopter ride was simply breathtaking they actually did it before time which gave us time for an extra ride of the city after it. Would highly recommend this tour.
This tour was amazing although a long day well worth it. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone
The tour was nice and Big Island is beautiful, but our tour guide gave an extensive history of Big Island which felt removed and disconnected from what we were seeing. The guide was asked multiple times from other people on the tour about things they had noticed during the tour but the guide was stuck on the historical narrative and refused to talk about "politics", yet the questions being asked were quite simple and relevant to what we were seeing. He was very knowledgeable but it made for a very tiring and boring ride. It would be great if he could break up the historical narrative with some more present-day information about Big Island.
There were only 7 of us on a bus built for 12. We were not rushed at the sites and the driver/tour guide paced our group appropriately. Driver was very smart and continually pointed out plants/trees and sites as we drove along. Those who were scheduled for helicopter lost out as the helicopter never took off.
Verry good tour. Our guide was a geologist and provided a lot of information on the formation of the island chain and the volcanic activity and its aftermath.
Our tour guide knew so much about the island - history, weather, plants, animals, local favorite spots for food and fun, beaches, etc. I wish we had reserved the tour earlier in our stay so that we could take advantage of the tips he gave! We had plenty of time at each stop to really experience each of them - Kona coffee, lava tubes, black sand beaches, turtles, volcanoes, waterfalls and more! We had beautiful weather everywhere except Akaka Falls and the driver was equipped with rain jackets for everyone. I highly recommend this tour!
We had a fabulous day on this tour. You do need staying power as it starts early and ends late but it is worth it. The bus tour of the Volcano Park was interesting but it was the helicopter ride that made the day. The professionalism of the company chartered for our ride was outstanding and our pilot had everyone feeling safe, secure and excited for the whole flight. Flying over the volcanos was amazing, even without any red lava on our day.
The one thing that was missing from the day was a little bit of time to explore Hilo itself - it looked so interesting and non touristy that we would have loved half an hour there.
This is not a cheap day, but certainly a once in a
lifetime experience we won’t ever forget and worth every cent.
My wife and I did not have a car for the week but wanted to see the Island for what it had to offer. This tour came to our Hotel and picked us up as well as brought us back and gave a view of the Island most people would not be able to see. Our driver Nathan was excellent and gave us a relaxed and informed trip and even gave us some extra insights that a book would not give. The views were amazing and gave you an option if you wanted to come back and stay for more indepth viewing. I would recommend going with a tour to really get the flavor of the Island.
Our Volcano tour was great. John, our driver/guide was very knowledgeable of the area partly due to living in the area fir 20 plus years. We got to see 2 waterfalls, a little of Hilo, and a black beach! We would go it again.
The pilot flew the helicopter on top the volcano and turned around it. We were able to see deep inside it. Was a great experience!
Also saw a lot of hot gas from the volcanoes and walked on solidified lava. Great whole-day tour !
This tour provided a great overview of the island. The stops were timed well for bathroom/stretch purposes. We made a couple unscheduled fun stops/detours which was great. Nate had a lot of info to share amd was very knowledgable. Food was very yummy and Nate even found an orchid shopnfor us to eat at while it was pouring outside. Overall great experience.
Awesome tour and special thanks to Awana for being an awesome Guide during entire journey and make it a memorable one
Great way to spend a day and learn about the Big Island. If you are lucky enough to have Keith Mowibski as your guide the tour gets better by 10X. He is knowledgeable about the history of the island like no ones business. Can’t say enough good things about this tour.
The tour was amazing, scenic and very informative. Our tour guide, Ryan was very friendly and considerate and we enjoyed the tour a lot. Would definitely recommend to a friend.
Drew was exceptional at telling story and being flexible with peoples preference. The lunch provided was good and the scenery was beautiful with highlights everywhere including Turtles, waterfalls, rainbows and Waipo Valley.
Awana, our guide was absolutely wondetful. He was so courteous, professional and accommodating. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour. I think we best part besides the scenery, was the Hawaii Botanical Garden. It wasn’t user friendly, due to some health conditions, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and could have spent a lot more time there. Awana got us back to the airport to catch our flight in record time, after a long day.
Over all was a great experience and great day just a little cramped on helicopter for a 6fter was the only complaint. All operators were informative and friendly .
A wonderful way to experience the diversity of the island. There were frequent stops with ample time to enjoy the site and/or walk the trails. Many foods to sample along the way and delicious lunch! Awana was an informed and entertaining guide who was flexible throughout the day to make sure we could get the best experience.
Driver was very knowledgeable and our transport outstanding. Unfortunately while the National Park is closed you won’t be able to see the volcano unless you go on a helicopter
We only had one day on the big island and wanted to see as much as possible. This tour takes you all the way around with multiple, although brief stops and several locations. Could omit the coffee tasting and spend more time on the black beach or at the falls.
Our guide, Keith, was full of history, folk lore and traditional information which was a big bonus.
If you want history and a good whirlwind tour of the island, this tour is for you.
Of note, lunch was provided and this service has its own chef who prepares the meals. Very healthy sampling of the typical fare at area restaurants, however, when it’s served in lieu of a cold sandwich and a picturesque park, it suddenly becomes one of the best meals of the vacation.
Amazing tour!! Kory was a great pilot! Captain rob was an awesome tour guide!
This was perfect to see the whole island. We were very fortunate to see lava. However,
We feel by 8 hrs we were ready to get off the bus and feel that the first hour or so could have been cut out
Unfortunately, the helicopter tour was canceled due to inclement weather. We were refunded that portion of our tour without even having to contact the booking agency. Captain Rob was a wonderful and informative tour guide. He went above and beyond to make our tour enjoyable.
Unfortunately, the rain and fog prevented us from having the helicopter tour which is what we were most looking forward to. We had a fantastic tour guide and had a marvelous time at the orchid gardens. But with the weather, and being as this was an outdoor tour, it was disappointing and very wet.
it could be better, but bad weather caused out helicopter tour be canceled. but the tour provider directly pick us and put us on the land tour. our tour leader and driver, John, was very knowledgeable and entertaining. he share us alot of things about big island. he is indeed a great driver too!
Our tour was AMAZING!! Our tour driver was Nathan or Nate. He was awsome!!
They pick you up at your hotel, which is super convenient! The tour group can fit up to 12 people. So it is nice and small. Our group was super fun and Nate was very informative and talked to us about everything and anything he could! The van is nice and clean and not to mention Eco friendly! It rained alittle, and they had raincoats for everyone just in case.They provide bento lunch for everyone. We actually had 2 vegans in our group and Nate was very caring and took them to a nearby grocery store, so they could pick up a few things to eat since they could not eat much from the bento. Nate not only took us to the places mentioned, but he also drove by a few other places he thought our group would like! He was AMAZING!! This tour was so much fun, the sights were beautiful and very informative!
We wanted to save time but not transfer hotels so we booked a day trip to Kona from Oahu. It was an excellent overall experience. We were picked up on time but I'm not sure why it was so early because we waited a couple hours before the flight. Unfortunately, after boarding we had to board another plane due to mechanical problems. This made us too late to keep the 9 am helicopter appointment. We were able to rebook for 3:30 but this meant that we missed the last part of the land tour. The lunch was nice and we didn't mind missing the hike into the back country. Our driver was okay but a little irritable. The helicopter tour was exciting and gave us an entirely different perspective of the island. Once back at the airport we had to wait more than 2 hours for the flight. Not sure why these day trips are set up this way. It makes for a longer day than should be necessary.