Kauai & Hilo Tours

[trbarton]

I’m helping in planning some small group tours in Kauai & Hilo on a Hawaiian cruise in December 2021 . Anyone have any suggestions?

 

Thanks!

 

Tom😀

[KeepCalmBearOn]

What interests you? Obviously in Hilo the #1 tour is to go to Volcano National Park; after that Hilo is pretty thin on things to see. Kauai is more diverse, but you would go in opposite directions, depending on what interests you and how active you want it to be.

[trbarton]

1 hour ago, scottca075 said:

What interests you? Obviously in Hilo the #1 tour is to go to Volcano National Park; after that Hilo is pretty thin on things to see. Kauai is more diverse, but you would go in opposite directions, depending on what interests you and how active you want it to be.

Thanks.  Yes the Volcano National Park would be great. Any suggestions for a private tour to the park would be great. 
 

Any tours that people have taken would be helpful. 
 

Thanks!
 

Tom😀

Edited May 27, 2021 by trbarton

[mcrcruiser]

On 5/27/2021 at 10:04 AM, trbarton said:

Thanks.  Yes the Volcano National Park would be great. Any suggestions for a private tour to the park would be great. 
 

Any tours that people have taken would be helpful. 
 

Thanks!
 

Tom😀

Rent a Car from  Hilo ,it is only a 45 minute drive to Volcano National Park . coming back on the right side look for the Japanese Orchid Farm .all sorts of orchids & it is free .In hilo right off the road is Rainbow waterfall   .Enjoy Aloha 😀

[KeepCalmBearOn]

8 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

Rent a Car from  Hilo ,it is only a 45 minute drive to Volcano National Park . coming back on the right side look for the Japanese Orchid Farm .all sorts of orchids & it is free .In hilo right off the road is Rainbow waterfall   .Enjoy Aloha 😀

 

If I wanted to go to Volcano National Park, I too would rent a car.

 

I don't like tours in general, but I hope to never drive in Rome or Paris again, so I am fine with tours there, but U.S. locations like Hawaii and Alaska, I'd almost always rent my own car.

[trbarton]

Thanks for the car suggestions but for me that doesn’t work as I don’t drive. Great if you have a driver’s license.
 

I’m looking for tours for a group around 10-15 people so if anyone has any suggestions that would be helpful.  
 

Tom😀

[Ashland]

On 6/9/2021 at 9:22 AM, trbarton said:

Thanks for the car suggestions but for me that doesn’t work as I don’t drive. Great if you have a driver’s license.
 

I’m looking for tours for a group around 10-15 people so if anyone has any suggestions that would be helpful.  
 

Tom😀

Shore Excursions Group Hilo.....Has maybe what you're looking for.

[Belle]

In Hilo just outside gate of port (short walk) is a Hop on Hop Off Bus. Small bus

more of a shuttle not a big bus. I've taken this shuttle a few times. Last time was $20

$25 now (if don't raise more)  takes you to 7 different spots. Waterfall, town, beach, park, 

great candy place, free samples , (forget the other 2 places)

Then they sell bigger tours to volcano and you can add in the 7 stops for less money too.

 

The 7 stop tour runs all day but think the volcano one doesn't run as often.

Hope this helps.

 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

10 hours ago, Belle said:

In Hilo just outside gate of port (short walk) is a Hop on Hop Off Bus. Small bus more of a shuttle not a big bus. I've taken this shuttle a few times. Last time was $20, $25 now (if don't raise more)  takes you to 7 different spots.

 

Don't think me an awful person, but I get on the free bus to Walmart and then walk across the street to Hilo's main mall, Prince Kuhio Plaza. I do go into Walmart before getting back on the bus to the ship and buy something to assuage my guilty conscious.

[Ashland]

On 6/30/2021 at 10:26 AM, scottca075 said:

 

Don't think me an awful person, but I get on the free bus to Walmart and then walk across the street to Hilo's main mall, Prince Kuhio Plaza. I do go into Walmart before getting back on the bus to the ship and buy something to assuage my guilty conscious.

We have done this also ... but picking up something at Walmart has nothing to do with guilt...usually necessity 

[Belle]

I to have gone to Walmart especially good if doing b2b"s.

 

Kauai--Is a small walk to Anchor Shopping area or a free shuttle.

There is a small shuttle Hop on Hop on that takes you to about five. stops.

It's was about $25. Also there's a place to book tours.

. At the port there are different shuttles to take you to different places.

 

Behind the area is a beach but you want to walk over the bridge to a sandy

beach cove. Dukes to eat at.  Hotel there with a beautiful garden behind it,

take the walk way after Duke's before the hotel.

 

[GoHuskies!]

If you rent a car, you can drive about 20 miles north from Hilo along the beautiful coast to the tiny town of Laupahoehoe.  Drive down to the small peninsula there--in 1946, April 1, the big tsunami that devastated Hilo came in here and wiped off the school on that peninsula, along with 25 young students and their teacher.  You can see the small monument there today.  The school has been rebuilt and you can drive around it.  Also, look up at the cliffs behind you at the coconut palms about 50 feet up on the cliffside.  The coconuts were planted there by the tsunami.  We've been there twice--a lovely but sobering place.

[cruzin4us]

On 6/30/2021 at 10:26 AM, scottca075 said:

 

Don't think me an awful person, but I get on the free bus to Walmart and then walk across the street to Hilo's main mall, Prince Kuhio Plaza. I do go into Walmart before getting back on the bus to the ship and buy something to assuage my guilty conscious.

sounds like me in Puerto Vallarta 🙂

 

[sfaaa]

On 10/8/2021 at 12:22 PM, cruzin4us said:

sounds like me in Puerto Vallarta 🙂

 

 Mall is AC and has comfy places to sit. Perfect for free wifi surfing.

[bethtex]

I am on a Hawaii cruise in Dec 2021

in Hilo, worked out a private small group tour with Big Island Aina tours  www.ainatours.com

they have a van for 10 and were able to get another 10 person van so 20 of us able to go

INcludes Volcano national park and volcano winery

so maybe contact them for your group - as long as it isn't the same day we will be there (Carnival Miracle), hopefully they can accomodate you

[KeepCalmBearOn]

On 10/19/2021 at 1:17 PM, sfaaa said:

 Mall is AC and has comfy places to sit. Perfect for free wifi surfing.

 

You don't even need to go in the mall, Starbucks has free WiFi and is a great place to chill for a bit.

[kibutzer]

On 11/7/2021 at 7:47 PM, bethtex said:

I am on a Hawaii cruise in Dec 2021

in Hilo, worked out a private small group tour with Big Island Aina tours  www.ainatours.com

they have a van for 10 and were able to get another 10 person van so 20 of us able to go

INcludes Volcano national park and volcano winery

so maybe contact them for your group - as long as it isn't the same day we will be there (Carnival Miracle), hopefully they can accomodate you

Better how was the tour?

[vacation44]

On 11/7/2021 at 8:47 PM, bethtex said:

I am on a Hawaii cruise in Dec 2021

in Hilo, worked out a private small group tour with Big Island Aina tours  www.ainatours.com

they have a van for 10 and were able to get another 10 person van so 20 of us able to go

INcludes Volcano national park and volcano winery

so maybe contact them for your group - as long as it isn't the same day we will be there (Carnival Miracle), hopefully they can accomodate you

Would love to know how your tour went.

[floralscent]

On 6/30/2021 at 12:26 PM, scottca075 said:

 

Don't think me an awful person, but I get on the free bus to Walmart and then walk across the street to Hilo's main mall, Prince Kuhio Plaza. I do go into Walmart before getting back on the bus to the ship and buy something to assuage my guilty conscious.

Are you saying that there is a bus at the Hilo cruise port that takes you to Walmart? I suppose this free shuttle takes you back to the ship too? 
 

interesting…

[KeepCalmBearOn]

17 minutes ago, floralscent said:

Are you saying that there is a bus at the Hilo cruise port that takes you to Walmart? I suppose this free shuttle takes you back to the ship too?  interesting…

 

Yes, Walmart sends a bus to the port. I believe they do on Kauai as well.

[floralscent]

50 minutes ago, scottca075 said:

 

Yes, Walmart sends a bus to the port. I believe they do on Kauai as well.

Thanks so much, scottca075!
 

We are renting a Jeep in Hilo on day 1 in port and your post got me thinking that maybe we should rent it for 2 days and if allowed, park it in the Walmart lot overnight.  We could then take the Walmart bus back to the ship…depending on how late it runs. Do you know if this plan is doable? Thank you 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

49 minutes ago, floralscent said:

Thanks so much, scottca075! We are renting a Jeep in Hilo on day 1 in port and your post got me thinking that maybe we should rent it for 2 days and if allowed, park it in the Walmart lot overnight.  We could then take the Walmart bus back to the ship…depending on how late it runs. Do you know if this plan is doable? Thank you 

 

It's an interesting thought. Look at the map below.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/EDLBkzhzaTkkNfSB8

 

There are four large parking lots there. I don't know what the malls do about cars parked overnight, if anything. The lots aren't controlled (as in no gates) and I don't know how tightly they watch their lots.

 

You might ask a question in the Hilo Forum on TripAdvisor.