Tours to Volcano National Park

[libbieb]

Are there tour companies waiting at the piers if you did not book excursions with the cruise line? We are interested in seeing Volcano NAtional Park, but have not booked yet with the cruise line and we are leaving this Saturday. Are there companies that we should or should not use. How long should it take us to get there, tour the park and then return back to the ship?

[CC Help Michell]

Are there tour companies waiting at the piers if you did not book excursions with the cruise line? We are interested in seeing Volcano NAtional Park, but have not booked yet with the cruise line and we are leaving this Saturday. Are there companies that we should or should not use. How long should it take us to get there, tour the park and then return back to the ship?

 

If it's not too late, and doing so isn't a problem for your party, rent a car, rent a car, rent a car. This was our number one highlight of Hawaii, but we wouldn't have had nearly the same experience on some big ol' bus at the mercy of the slowest fellow passenger on the bus. VNP is about 45 minutes each way from Hilo (without traffic, accidents, etc.).

 

How long it takes you to "tour the park" is up to you and what you want to do there. We spent our entire Hilo day there and didn't do nearly all we wanted to do -- so much so that our first Hawaii land based vacation will include the Big Island just so we can spend 2-3 DAYS at VNP. Here's a website (funded by U. S. taxpayers) giving you some idea of what you can do there, hikes to take, the two main roads (Crater Rim and Chain of Craters), etc. http://www.nps.gov/havo/

 

If renting a car isn't do-able for your group, Green Tours has received some good reports here (http://www.hawaiigreentours.com/HiloTours.html) and Roberts as well (http://www.robertshawaii.com/shore-excursion/index.php)

 

Hope that helps and enjoy your cruise and vacation in Hawaii!

[CC Help Michell]

Well, I did reply to this, but it's not showing up on the board's main page. Conniptions. :( I hope the OP finds it before she leaves this weekend and that it helps a bit.

[libbieb]

thanks so much for your help