Page 2) Honolulu to Hilo One Day Fly Away Tour - Volcanoes National Park & Waterfalls reviews, Oahu tours & activities, fun things to do in Oahu | HawaiiActivities.com

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more here

Honolulu to Hilo One Day Fly Away Tour - Volcanoes National Park & Waterfalls

Overall Rating

4.34 4.34 / 5

Reviews

70 reviews
Post a review

Tour was okay, Hawaiian Airlines may be better

Reviewed by: sofia, 2013/09/01

- It's a really long day and not sure it was worth it. The only thing you can get at the Big Island that you can't get at Oahu is the volcano.
- Flight was cancelled. Didn't notify us until we called them, after waiting for the shuttle for 15min at 5am. Then they woke us up again in the morning to reschedule. We later learned that it is common for Go! Airlines to cancel flights/be late. So I would recommend to go with Hawaiian Airlines instead; it's a bit more expensive, but likely because it is more reliable. FYI, the number listed on your voucher has normal business hours so if you have an early pick-up, you should call them the day before and get the dispatcher number in case you need to contact them early.
- I noticed they gave us longer times at spots with shopping areas (even if there was not much to see, e.g. the nut factory) and very little time at some of the nature vistas (like 5-7 minutes). so it felt a bit rushed.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2013/08/05
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Big Island Volcanoes Tour

Reviewed by: FPDoc, 2013/08/08

We very much enjoyed this tour, our tour guide Captain Ron was informative and entertaining and also attentive to our needs (appropriate bathroom breaks, breakfast needs, etc). The volcanoes are amazing! We have 3 kids (Ages 14, 11 and 8) and traveled with friends who have teenage/young adult children and a good time was had by all. My kids loved climbing on the lava rocks and it kept them entertained. The sites in Hilo that we went to were beautiful. Since there was 10 of us, we decided to save a little money and use Go! Airlines instead of Hawaiian Air. Big mistake. They were 2.5 hours late on the flight back from Hilo to Honolulu, which was a big deal with 10 very tired people who were already jetlagged. After reading the reviews for Go! Airlines, it seems like this is a very common occurrence. The ticket agent sent us to the wrong gate, and there was very little communication as the why the flight was late or when we were leaving. Spend the extra cash and fly Hawaiian.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2013/07/27
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

1 day volcano tour

Reviewed by: Yvonne Luk, 2013/06/30

this tour can't say it's bad, but can't say it's good.
we have spent a lot of times on volcano but some of the places we stop by seems repeated.

we have arrived to airport very early and wait for couple hours to fly back to Oahu.

the tour should be more well organised the time and make the tour more fruitful

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2013/06/24
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Amazing Volcano Adventure

Reviewed by: TalitaheJuno, 2013/06/11

The tour is amazing. See what the lava does is spetacular. Our guide is so funny. I really recomended.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2013/06/05
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Enjoyed the trip, room for improvement

Reviewed by: Robert, 2013/05/12

Positives: our flights were on time and without incident with greeters ready for us at the terminal.
Our tour guide was fun and enthusiastic.
We made it to all places on itinerary without being rushed.
Negatives: I found it unusual compared to other tours that the guide stayed with the bus which meant we didn't get any feedback while visiting sites, only in between.
The coordination of three different groups of customers on different incoming and outgoing flights a) took a lot of time b) distracted the tour guide

If I had to do it all over again I would look for a tour where all customers are on the same flight or leave if customers haven't arrived at designated time / spot within 30 minutes of start time.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2013/05/07
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

A jam-packed day

Reviewed by: Cathy, 2013/05/02

We took the Big Island Volcano tour from Oahu last week - it was a long but enjoyable day.

Leroy was our guide/driver, and he was everything you could want from a tour guide - friendly, knowledgeable and patient. All of the places visited were interesting. There was no lava to be seen, just steam rising from Kilauea, but we knew to expect this when we booked. Leroy allowed just the right amount of time at each stop, and told us a lovely story about Pele, the goddess of fire, on the trip back down the mountain.

The only slight downside was that the GO Airlines flight back to Oahu was delayed by 2hrs, so it made for a very long day.

Make sure you wear sturdy shoes and take a jacket as the temperature drops significantly when up on the mountain. We were blessed with good weather, but I am told that it does rain quite a bit on the Big Island, so perhaps also take a foldup umbrella.

Thanks for sharing your beautiful island with us !

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2013/04/26
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Big Island Tour

Reviewed by: K Moore, 2013/02/20

We enjoyed the tour of the Big Island and our guide John was very knowledgeable and pleasant. We did not appreciate having to wait nearly an hour upon arrival at the 'Big Island' airport for a second plane to arrive with further passengers. Also, as with all other tours, MANY fewer stops at commercial places where one is expected to buy would be great. There is more of value one could do in the time than trawl shops.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Best Tour

Reviewed by: Dale, 2012/12/20

It was our first time to visit the islands and we based out of Oahu. The flight on Go! Airlines over to Hawaii was excellent, I've been on smaller planes. Sharon our tour guide gave us a lot of history and knowledge about the islands and we were glad that we chose this tour at the beginning of our trip because every where we went after that was much better because of Sharon's explanations during the tour about the history of the islands, plants and even the hula dance. Thanks to everyone that made this tour a very enjoyable experience.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

The best ever

Reviewed by: Jane, 2012/01/12

Me and my daughter recently did the Volcano Tour and we were lucky enough to have a wonderful, knowledgable Tour Guide by the name of Jane. I hope you relay to her once again how much we enjoyed the Tour. I have traveled 18 different countries and been on many tours but I enjoyed the casual way that she conducts her tour. She tells you what you need to know - answers all questions. She keeps you entertained full time and is very careful about what her people do and where they are. She stays with her visitors. I truthfully, enjoyed her tour better than any I have ever been on. She really is an asset to your company and good at what she does. I am really glad we took the tour as we have been to Hawaii 7 times and this is on the top of the list of what we have experienced. All other tours were good but this one was really good. Thank you and Thank Jane for such a wonderful - educational amount of entertainment you provided. Thanks again.......Audra E. LeGasse

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Hawaii Volcano Tour

Reviewed by: Autumn, 2011/11/08

Great day trip! I went on this trip with my husband for our anniversary. Our bus driver Dennis was very knowledgeable and friendly! Lots of different things to see and do from rain forest hikes, lava fields, black sand beaches, and an active volcano! Great for anyone who doesn't have a chance to stay on the big island.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

vacationer

Reviewed by: Les Cord, 2011/09/22

The tour was outstanding and was a highlight of our vacation. It was seeing something new and so different from our normal area and it really showed how powerful mother nature and Pele really are.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Fun trip, glad we went

Reviewed by: Jillian, 2011/09/01

My husband, daughter, son-in-law, and myself went on this trip, and we had a great day. We flew over from Oahu, as we wanted to see another island, and "volcanoes" was on our bucket lists. The staff was friendly, professional, and always looking out for us. Dennis was our tour guide, and he was full of knowledge, and we especially enjoyed his coaching us on our usage of the Hawaiian language. The trip consists of a visit to Rainbow Falls, a waterfall park on the island(okay, but not awe inspiring), a stop at Mauna Loa nut factory (yum), a visit to a volcano field and a black sand beach(breathtaking), a stop at a orchid farm(they smelled divine), and finally the Volcano National Park. Don't go on this tour if you expect to see lava...all you will see is steam from vents in the park, and gasses far off in the distance. We knew this ahead of time and were not disappointed. We had a late flight, so Dennis dropped us off for a bit at a local shopping center, and then came back and to

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Trip to the Big Island

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2011/08/16

Captain Rob was very informative with great stories. His knowledge of the island, flora & volcano is amazing. He had a lot of patience with the stragglers.

Only recommendation for improvement would be to advise people not to buy any thing that is spreadable in addition to the liquids.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Nice day

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2011/07/07

Nice and enjoyable day on the Big Island. We got to see quite a few different and beautiful places. The pick-up at the hotel in the morning was a little later than planned and there was some free time at the end of the day waiting for the plane back, but otherwise it was pretty well organized. Volcanoes national park is beautiful and probably unlike anything you've seen before. More time could be spent there and maybe less or skip the Macadamia nut factory, but we got to see the main spots of the park. Guide/driver was fun. Recommend this especially to first timers who don't have the chance to stay on the Big Island.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Good trip.

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2010/10/25

Bus driver (Dennis) was knowledgeable and friendly.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Great Tour

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2010/10/11

We went on this tour for our honeymoon. The group was a mix of families, couples and friends. Great tour guide. Very informative. Does require good walking shoes. We were able to walk on a lava field, see steam vents, walk in the rainforest and through the Thurston Lava tubes. It was a great way to enjoy the Volcanoes National Park. The morning was mostly spent in the bus, with the afternoon being more active.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Volcano Tour Review

Reviewed by: John Gleeson, 2010/09/18

The all-day tour was awesome. No time was wasted - it was fully occupied with interesting things to see. The highlight was having "Captain Rob" as our guide - he has an incredible wealth of knowledge on the geology, flora and fauna, and history of the island/volcanoes. And all comments/narration were presented in a very comfortable and "user-friendly" manner. The other guides may be equally commendable, but for us, we couldn't see how the "Capt" could be improved upon.
The only negative element in the tour was Go! Airlines - 30-35 minutes late leaving Honolulu and 35-40 minutes late returning from Hilo - please don't use them !!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

tour to the big island

Reviewed by: ignasi, 2010/08/02

The tour was excellent and we enjoyed it very much. The organization was perfect.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Comments

Reviewed by: Pauline, 2009/07/04

What a fantastic trip! I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the Park and could have spent the whole trip there. Maybe the bus couldn't make it down some of the other roads.


Needed more time for the Jasper museum at the Park.

Lunch was so late that when we got to Volcano House there was no food left in the sandwich area. Many people on the tour did not want the buffet but had to have it as there was no food available.

You should promote the arts and craft building at the park. There were wonderful things there but I only had 5 minutes to look at the whole building. Also no opportunity to look at the exhibits at the visitor center due to time constraints. All day at the park would be awesome!!

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
1 people find this helpful!
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Volcano tour with a wonderful guide

Reviewed by: brandon, 2009/04/27

Our tour was led by a very friendly old blonde woman. She is very tolerant and knowledgable. I and my friend was late a few times, but she manage to catch up with the schedule. Hawaii island is worth to explore more.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

first hand volcano experience

Reviewed by: subendu, 2008/12/06

The trip is fun as you get to see the only live volcano on earth..when we visited, we could see the fumes coming out of 2 volcanoes, but couldnot make near the second one because of excess smoke..the black sand beach is also fun and unique.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

What a great day!

Reviewed by: Linda, 2008/11/03

I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Though the day started out a bit rainy (we did get an awesome rainbow) it cleared up quickly so by the time we were hiking the lava tube the weather was very pleasant. Viewing the volcano plume while having lunch at the Volcano House was awesome! Did enjoy the side trips to the orchid store and the Macadamia Nut factory, but the highlight was of couse hiking the lava beds and getting close enough to the water to see that tremendous grey and white plume where the lava meets the sea. Our driver was very knowledgable and did enjoy the information he provided us. Am tired but happy and would defnitely do this again. Mahalo!

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Amazing Day!

Reviewed by: timothy brock, 2008/10/09

Note: this is a long day adventure and requires moderate/difficult walking atop the Lava Rocks and paths so be well rested and hydrated for this Adventure. I was amazed and chilled by coming so close to the lava flows and the crater with live lava and steam rising from it..it looks so close you could touch it. This is a great adventure that anyone into the miracle of this great planets processes would love. I still get chills and the big Island is beautiful.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Completely unforgettable!

Reviewed by: Marina Erickson, 2008/08/02

It was a long day, but one that I will not soon forget! From the moment we were picked up, till we were dropped back off, the staff was excellent. They were fountains of information and made the tour that much better.

Once we arrived into Hilo, I was thrilled to be able to see the crater and recent lava flows. It is amazing that this island is still growing and too see where new land is being created was quite the experience. Also being able to have lunch at the Volcano House was a wonderful touch and I am glad that we were able to have lunch in such a unique environment (and it was really yummy too)!

There was so much to see even once we were done with at the National Volcano Park, and the waterfalls were quite breathtaking. Must thank our river for the stop at the macadamia nut factory, since the ice-cream just hit the spot!

Thank you all for everything!!!!

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Mrs.

Reviewed by: Cathy, 2008/06/23

This is a very long day, so be sure to get a good night's sleep the night before! We started off the morning with a 4:30 am pickup at our Oahu hotel and were driven to the airport. The driver was on time but the flight out to the Big Island on Island Air was not until after 6:30am, so we did have a but of a wait. The flight out was good, with one stop in Maui to pick up more people.

Once in Hilo, we were placed in a comfortable, air conditioned mini coach that could hold approximately 24 people. Our driver, Steve, was wonderful. He was friendly and constantly speaking to us with a wealth of information.

We are a family of five that went on this tour. I would not recommend this tour for really young children, as this is a long day and there is about a 1 mile hike on uneven hardened lava, but our youngest child is 9 and she did great. Our family enjoyed this tour very much and thought that this tour was a great value. We would definitely do it again.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Great Trip

Reviewed by: Mr. Lynn Smith, 2008/05/25

This was a really great trip. Everything was just about as advertised. It was awesome to see the waterfall at Rainbow Falls and to see an active volcano, craters, walk on a lava field, see plumes of smoke from an active volcano. The only downer of the trip is when we got to the airport to return to Oahu, our flight was delayed 1.5 hours. Of course, the tour company can't be responsible for this. The airline (Island Air) did put us on another flight (Hawaiian Airlines) which was also delayed. So we got back to Oahu over two hours later than expected. We left our hotel at 4:30am and didn't get back until 10pm. A very long day so be well rested, especially for the 1 mile (total round trip) hike over the lava field but it was well worth it and I'm glad we did it.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Mrs

Reviewed by: Geraldine Robinson, 2008/05/11

An amazing trip. Once in a lifetime chance to visit an active volcano and walk on solidified lava. Fantastic experience.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Great time!

Reviewed by: Fun Gyrl, 2008/04/12

I took this took by myself, and I had such a GREAT time. Saw so much lava everywhere, and our guide the driver was very informative. I would recommend to go with some friends or with family, it is just an awesome experience to share with them. It was a great experience, and I will definitely go again, but with some friends or family members.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Volcanoe Tour

Reviewed by: Jacqui, 2008/03/04

The trip was ineteresting, but we were a little dissapointed as we didnt get to see the proposed itinerary (due to to much VOG in the air). Our driver Steve was very knowledgable and liked the sound of his own voice.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

wonderful trip

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2007/10/11

The nature trip is very enjoyable and educational. You get to see stuff that you would not see on the average. It is trip worth taking. However, I did not like the long wait at the airport in the morning and the evening. By the end of the day you are exhuasted. So, you should sleep well night before to enjoy the trip. It is trip that one should take once in their lifetime.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Oahu Categories