Fra Big Island Hilo - Fortryllende Mauna Kea & Waterfalls Tour

Terrible tour and very overpriced for tour.

It was an excellent journey and had great experiences. Tourist guide is awesome, he had plenty of knowledge about area as well as the history of island. I would definitely refer to my friends n family.

This tour is an illegal unpermitted tour. They don't have a permit to take tours to the summit of Mauna Kea and will be turned around by Rangers at the Visitor Center. If you book a tour with them, you won't see the summit. I would advise using a reputable permitted tour company.

Zach was very informative and provided ample opportunities to see the fantastic views, and take photos. Mauna Kea was a great place to see a lot, radio telescopes were actually being repositioned while we watched. Zach was great

This was a great tour! Our tour guide Anni picked us up on time. Anni was a great source of the island geographic and cultural elements paying special attention to our needs. She transported us to the Mauna Kea visitor center first where we spent about 45 minutes acclimatizing to the elevation (about 9000feet). Then it was on to the top, almost 14000 feet (you need a 4 wheel drive vehicle for this). It was an unusually clear and calm day according to Anni so we got some great pictures. Then back to the visitor center where Anni shared some of the local fruits with us she had brought. From there we headed back to Hilo and visited a couple of local art galleries and a beautiful downtown park. Anni then returned us to our condo by mid afternoon. An especially enjoyable tour made special by our guide Anni.

I booked this trip for 4 of us and paid almost $1300. I have traveled and toured many times with Trip Advisor and Viator, and never have I been so disappointed. First, the driver, Sai, wasn't certain where she was going. She had to turn around twice and head in the other direction. The one waterfall wasn't spectacular, but that was okay. Next, we headed to the top of the mountain. We made it as far as the parking lot, and she pointed to a building that was not the visitor center. (Clearly, she'd never been.) We found the visitor center where she had us wait for 45 minutes. Virtually nothing to see or read. When we got back into the rented vehicle, the guard wouldn't let us go up the road because it was too windy. So, she had us get out and walk around for another 30 minutes. We were supposed to have water provided, but she had none. She did go back into the visitor center, bought a $27 mug which she charged to my sister, and then filled it with tap water. She should have been able to call ahead and ascertain that the way to the top was closed. Afterwards, she dropped us at a grocery store, and then I suggested we go to the volcano, but she said it was too far. (Remember, we thought we were paying for a 6-hour tour.) So, she dropped us at the 12-acre zoo where we spent 45 minutes. After that, she dropped us back at the boat.

One of the better excursions on the island I enjoyed. Especially recommended if you are intrigued by observatories, lava flows and want something completely different. Recommended visits are for sunrise or sunset but we were there mid-day and enjoyed it any way - and only a light jacket was necessary with the sun shining. An expensive tour but it is a small group and the park requires four-wheel drive vehicles to go to the summit. There is a visitor center with several exhibits and souvenier shop at about the 9,000 ft. level which regular cars can visit. The mountain itself has a variety of different kinds of lava, lots of different observatories which you can walk around but not enter. Several peaks have Hawaiian shrines on top which you can view from the distance and the Rainbow falls was an added bonus. The guide was very experienced and provided lots of commentary during the trip. He also provided water, snacks and heavy coats if desired. Overall, I was very impressed.