Published on Jan, 2025

We loved the tour in general. This tour is well worth it if you don't have days and days on the island to explore on your own. We started out on the east coast and went up north and around the top end of the island. But: if you plan to start out at around 8am as we did, AND stop and do and see stuff along the route, you will not finish in one day (before dark). The island is really a road around the perimeter with a cut through across dark and unlit roads if you want to get back to your hotel. Just be prepared for anticipated potty breaks or "eats" that may be far and few between. We learned a lot about the Hawaiian culture, tsunamis, cowboys, kings and queens, waterfalls, and more. We hiked the entire way [all paved paths but many stairs up and down] at the Akaka Waterfalls stop between the 2 falls, Akaka and Kahana. We did not see the Botanical Gardens for time's sake. We had to abort to return to the hotel by dark and may complete the tour, particularly black sand beach and Volcano Natl park today. The good news is we can always listen to the narrative at any time to learn more even if we are not right there. Tip: I recommend taking a photo of your password so if you have to "start up again" you don't have to search your email for it. Type it in, and the tour is yours once again. The narrator is clear. The start point was a bit difficult to find as we were not sure we were pointed in the right direction, but it turned out ok and the map followed right along. Sometimes the road he says to turn on is not was was labeled on the street sign so we had to guess for these and hope it was correct. Some stops have admittance fees, picnic tables, and restrooms, but some did not, so plan for your drive. Interesting to learn about the climate change as Hilo in the east is very wet and rainy while the west coast terrain is dry and scrubby and very volcanic. Bring a light jacket or rain gear for some of the rain forest stops like Botanical Gardens and Waterfalls. Also non slip shoes as the paved and boardwalk surfaces can be slick when wet. Bring your phone or camera charger to keep you taking pictures the whole way! Enjoy!

Published on Nov, 2024

I loved the fun facts during the trip. The drive took us places we never would have found on our own. The extra tips of how to better access the sites were handy as well. If we took a detour, the app would catch up with us when we got back on the road. I will definitely search for these driving tours in other travel destinations in the future.

Published on May, 2024

We enjoyed the places we visited,interesting information along the way too. However we couldn’t complete in one days trip. Too much to see and weather conditions weren’t good.

Published on May, 2024

The app was easy to use. It had many, many points of interest that were easy to find. The information was very informative & interesting. We has a MUCH better appreciation and understanding of the Big Island thanks to the self-driving guided tour. Highly recommend for an equally awarding experience.

Published on Jan, 2024

The views were awesome. I love that the big island has distinctive ecosystems and climates from arid, desert-like to rainforest. The views of the volcanos in the distance were astounding. We enjoyed our drive around the island. The weather was perfect at around 80 degrees each day we were there. So much to see on the big island and not as "touristy" as some of the other islands. Friendly people and the only downside is that everything is expensive, but that is to be expected on an island. If you can rent a car and drive around on your own time to circle the island, I highly recommend it. You can see all that Hawaii offers.