BUYERS BEWARE**** If you oversleep, the company expects leniency with arrival times asking you to be there 5 minutes early for a 2:30 AM pickup time, and a 10 minute window for late drivers, but they do not offer the same said leniency for their customers. The drivers do not call the rooms EVER. They will pull up late, and if you are not there, they will wait for a couple of minutes then leave. ******IF YOU MISS THIS TOUR THEY WILL KEEP ALL OF THE MONIES FOR THE TOUR EVEN IF YOU DON'T GO****They charge you for food you didn't eat, for gas you didn't use, for a service that you didn't receive. They do NOT offer partial refunds so make sure you are willing to lose your $500 for three people if you are not there on time even though their drivers can be late. The weather was bad when we were there and we were told by many people that it is 50/50 on whether or not the atmosphere will cooperate enough for you to even see the sunrise through the cloud cover on this tour. You can drive up on your own and save about $450!!! You just have to book in advance because they have made the sunrise viewing a complete money game. Also, if you have any issues with the company their marketing manager Mr. Kim will be happy to call you and talk down to you. Sad business model, all about the money; Very unforgiving, condescending, and overpriced. *****Be careful before purchase!!!!!! read more

We did the Pearl Harbor and USS Missouri Tour. Eddie, our guide, and Mike, the driver, were very good. Enjoyed the tour even though there was not enough time to go out to the Arizona Memorial. If we get to return, we'll take a taxi to the memorial so that we will have enough time to stand in the long line and get our shuttle tickets early. read more

We were in Waikiki and booked a tour for Pearl Harbor. The people said they're oils pick us up at 7:05 and never showed. We called the number listed on the reservation and got a call center is closed Message. Finally got a call through, they said someone overlooked our reservations and forgot to inform us the time had changed to 9:15. The ride was supreme. read more

We took the road to Hana tour with Ed, and it was amazing! He was so knowledgeable and made the trip fun. I would totally do it again. I can't wait for the next time. read more

My husband and I booked a tour with Polynesian Adventure while we were in Maui and had a great time. Pick up was on time and the tour guide/driver was amazing. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Oahu tour that we were supposed to go on. I say "supposed to" because the bus left without us and none of it was our fault. We booked the Grand Circle Island tour months in advance through Costco. A week before leaving for Hawaii I called Polynesian Adventure Tours to confirm my tours and pick up times and location. The lady on the phone confirmed everything with me and even repeated to me three times the pick up time and location for my Oahu tour. "8:50, that is eight-five-zero, 8:50am curbside in front of your hotel." We were staying at the Aston Waikiki Beach hotel. On the day of the tour, my husband and I came down at 8:20am and started to wait for the bus because we didn't want to be late. 8:50am finally came and still no bus. I gave them 10 more minutes but still no show. So I called the company to ask what was going on and the lady on the phone told me that there was NO BUS PICK UP SCHEDULED at my hotel. WTH! She unapologetically told me that because there was some sort of event/marathon going on nearby the bus was unable to stop at our hotel and the pick up location was changed to a different hotel. By then (at about 9:05am) the bus had already departed for the tour for the day and would not be able to turn around. I was fuming because: 1. WHY DID NO ONE CALL US? I was told that the company does not ever call their customers ("because we don't have their phone numbers") so instead they just leave without them. 2. I was given the wrong information when I called to confirm my tour. KNOW YOUR STUFF BEFORE YOU TELL YOUR CUSTOMERS THE WRONG INFO! 3. While waiting outside my hotel I saw PLENTY of large tour buses picking up tourists. So why couldn't the Polynesian bus? 4. They wasted 6 hours of my life and stressed me out while I was on vacation. 5. They were not sorry at all for leaving without us. I was able to get a refund BUT that doesn't excuse what they did. No one wants to spend their vacation calling the travel agency to try to get their money back. Or to scramble for last minute plans. They wasted a very valuable 6 hours of my vacation which I won't be able to get back. I DO NOT recommend booking with this company!! read more

Update: I changed the rate because the tour itself was great and the guide was very nice. The delay was mainly a traffic jam caused by a parade in downtown and some misunderstanding. Overall a good experience. I just hope the pick up notification could be better. Original post: We waited for the pick up bus for more than one hour!!! Until now the bus hasn't shown up yet. We called three times and every time they asked us to wait for 10 more minutes. Very frustrating. read more

Let me start by saying I don't leave many reviews so I am really upset with this company. I had the sunrise haleakala tour booked with them and woke up a 2am for a 230am pickup at my hotel (Not something you really go out of your way to do). At 240am I called the dispatch to see how much longer we could plan on waiting, no answer. By 315am I realized they weren't going to show up. I left several messages with a call back number and got no response the next day on what had happened. I reached out to my booking agent for a refund which they gave me but when asked what happened with the tour the only response provided was that it was canceled for weather related reasons. That was a bizarre and poor excuse being that there were clear skies and no rain. Regardless, what kind of company doesn't even give its customers a call or heads up that they will be canceling the tour? You have to figure the bulk of their clients are travelers and every day in Maui is precious. They couldn't care less about that. There are better companies out there, don't make my mistake go with someone with a better track record. read more

Paid my respects at the USS Arizona memorial and toured the USS Missouri. The Good: The tour package included transportation and tickets for both tours. The tour guide was very knowledgable about Pearl Harbor and Waikiki. The Bad: The Tour took about six hours, and I still felt like we didn't have enough time to appreciate everything the facility had to offer. There wasn't time to spend in either of the two museums on site, nor was there time to visit the USS Bowfin. The Unbearable: Both tour buses we were on had cheap intercom systems that delivered high-pitched feedback from the engine. Dealing with this unwanted sound was incredibly tiring, and I spent most of my time during transport with my fingers in my ears. I couldn't enjoy the tour of Waikiki because of it. The company absolutely should not be charging $150 per person while this is still the case. Fix it or stop taking people's money! The Bottom Line: I took the same tour from a competitor in 2017 and had a much better experience. This time around, I was excited to share the experience with a descendant of a Bataan Death March survivor, and I'm sorry we chose this company. Lots of companies offer this exact same package. Pick a different one. read more

We had booked a tour for the road to Hana with a 625 AM pickup in front of the Residence inn on 8/21. We arrived at the designated area at 615 AM and waited for 50 minutes without anyone coming to pick us up. When I called to speak with a representative about the issue he told me that the tour bus had picked up another client for the same tour and that he didn't see us there. I inquired about what time the bus had arrived to pick up this other client but he was unable to tell me a time. He did not once apologize or admit fault for the incident and stated that the bus was there and did pick someone up and kept implying that this issue was our fault. I am very unhappy with how this situation was handled. A full refund was promised, however, this should be the minimum compensation as we had to wake up early to meet the bus, spend extended time on hold trying to get in touch with a representative, and had to change our overall plans for the day as this tour was supposed to be a full day experience. I hope you can offer some other type of compensation to amend such a terrible experience with your company. read more

We took the USS Missouri, USS Arizona and Pearl Harbor tour with Leo C as our tour guide. It was about 7 hours long and was very interesting and informative and entertaining. It was a great way to see a lot without struggling with traffic and trying to navigate yourself. Our lunch was included and the food was wonderful. It was a wonderful day and I highly recommend it! read more

Four friends went to Hana yesterday. Sale was a wonderful driver and guide. He was funny and kind, a great combo. What a wonder way to spend 12 hours learning about the history and enjoying the scenery. Highly rated read more

We did the Haleakala Sunrise Tour. We had to be ready at 2:30 in the morning but it was totally worth it. By the time we got to the top it was about 30 degrees cooler but it felt even colder because of the high winds. I would remember to bring a jacket, long pants, and/or a jacket. We got some really good views of the sunrise and the scenery which was spectacular. read more

We booked the Haleakala sunrise tour via Viator/Polynesian Adventures. We (us and another family) got picked up from our hotel lobby at the set time of 2:45 am by another company driver. The driver only confirmed that it was the Haleakala sunrise tour but didn't check the manifest. He started driving and got called by the other folks who he was supposed to pick up. As soon as we all realized we were on the wrong bus we started calling Polynesian tours and at first, they didn't answer. Then they told us to find a ride that will take us to the top of the mountain and then they will give us a ride back down. They expected us to figure out a bus ride at 3 am with a small child in tow. Turns out our actual bus driver didn't show up at the hotel till ~20 mins later than he was supposed to show up. The dispatcher said he couldn't contact our bus driver after 3 am which was not true since they managed to talk to him later. We couldn't find another ride and spent the next 3 hours trying to sort things out and get back to the hotel. The Polynesian tours folks were really not helpful and we are still trying to get our refund. There are 4 tour operators for the tour. Viator does not make it clear who the operator is till you dig deep in your booking details. read more

This was our second time with PAT and it was awesome. Hank our driver, tour guide and all around gracious host made our adventure unforgettable. His knowledge and history of this great island made me see how lucky all who live here are blessed to be in paradise. The beautiful beaches and manner how he presented the nature of the island made me feel this was my home. Can't wait come back and keep our tradition up by taking the tour again. Sincerely, Thank you Hank for a wonderful time. Hank should get s raise... read more

Absolutely loved this tour. We did the Haleakala sunrise tour with them. They picked us up from our hotel at 2:00am and after picking up a few more folks on the way, after half an hour we stopped at rest stop. From then on, the journey up there mountain was great. I want to specifically mention the driver Wayne here -- you are awesome. The amount of knowledge and energy that man showed is brilliant. He was very detailed and organized in his monologue as he gave us the history of each place we were driving by. The bus was well equipped with some pastries and coffee to keep us warm. The breakfast they organized at the end of the tour was also quite nice. read more

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My husband purchased three tickets through Groupon from Polynesian Adventures for a tour of the Honolulu Hale Christmas lights. It was a little pricey ($28 and $11-ish for kids?), but our son loved it so it was worth the price. We sat on the rooftop of the double decker bus, so that was cool. The tour guide wasn't the best...I would have loved to hear a little bit of history of the city lights or even a little history about the Honolulu area...if I was an out of town guest (tourist) this would have made it a greater experience. He was really good about stating the rules while being on the bus and we got a crash course on ducking when driving past overhung trees. Lol. Other than that, he didn't say much. It's not a big deal to me, but for out of town guests, being more of a "tour guide" on a "tour" would have been a good idea. Once you get to the Honolulu Hale, you can depart from the bus and walk around if choose to. To make the best of your money (if you choose to go on this tour), I'd suggest to go early in the evening. Depart from the bus, stay for a few hours and take in the sites by foot, eat some fattening but delicious foods, and then hop on the next bus for a ride back to your car when you're done. It's less of a hassle when finding parking at Ward Centers than it is at the location, and you can enjoy a cool ride to and from. Park by Buca di Beppo. Bus stop is right in front of restaurant. Hours are from 6-10 p.m. read more

Tip: If you're not into long reviews, just skip to the last paragraph. I just witnessed a tour guide yell at the top of his lungs and threaten a couple of tourists from his group at the Haleakala Sunset tour (Friday, September 25th, 2015). Apparently they went up the Keonehe'ehe'e Trailhead (a 1/4 mile path adjacent to the Visitors Center with a lookout) when, from what the guide was yelling, they had been told not to for some reason (side note: everyone else had been walking/hiking that short path. It's not illegal). Let me set the scene up for you: you know that tone a parent, most likely an angry male one, uses when their kid does something so heinous, like shove another kid face first onto concrete, and they're yelling at them about it? Ok.. now read the exchange below. Him: [charging towards group of 4, pointing] ARE YOU TWO ON MY BUS?! Couple: [confirm that they are] Him: I TOLD YOU NOT TO GO THERE!! I TOLD YOU!! I COULD LOSE MY LICENSE! Couple: We're sorry.. Him: SORRY DOESN'T CUT IT! I'M FURIOUS WITH YOU! I SHOULD REPORT YOU! WHAT HOTEL ARE YOU STAYING AT?! I'M REPORTING YOU!! Oh, but wait, this tour guide, the very guide ripping this couple a new one, walked ACROSS a non-paved area with rocks and plants to get to them because he couldn't be bothered to take the few extra steps to stay ON the pavement. He must be the "Do as I say, not as I do" type. I probably should have filmed the whole thing and sent it to the company or posted it online to warn other potential customers.. but I was too busy picking my jaw up off the floor and "let me film this" isn't my initial reaction in situations like this. The description of this tour on their site says it's a family friendly tour. No.. Your raging and aggressive tour guide is most definitely NOT family friendly. So thankful we hesitated to book with them. If they can't handle situations professionally without entire parking lots turning to gawk at what's happening, I think I'll pass. The TL;DR version: We were thinking of using Polynesian Adventures Tours to give ourselves a break from driving and navigating. Saw tour guide yelling at a couple and threatening them. Will never book with this company and I will tell this story to anyone asking me about Maui. read more

I purchased the Groupon for $30 each for this tour (52% off). This was an excellent, affordable way to see many popular sites on the island of Oahu with transportation included. The air-conditioned charter bus picked my wife and I up in front of our hotel. Our driver (name was Nappy) was very informative and humorous as he pointed out points of interest and nearly every type of tree and flower we saw. This trip gives you ~25 min to 1 hour at each location. Some people may want more time to explore, but it was necessary to keep on schedule to visit all the destinations. Pearl Harbor: This relatively new facility does a great service to those travelers who may not know all the circumstances leading up to the bombing at Pearl Harbor. The 20 minute closed captioned, high definition video is shown before visiting the Arizona memorial. Attention was paid to explain both the Japanese and American sides of the conflict. After the video, a few polite USCG members shuttled us via ferry to the memorial (very smooth ride). You have about 20 minutes to soak in the wonderfully sad place then your shuttled back to the island. Pali Lookout (20 Min): Very windy, due to the location between the mountains but the view of the ocean is worth it. Don't forget to miss the most photographed wild chickens on the side of the walking path. Byodo-In Temple (20min): Byodo-In is a picturesque concrete recreation of a Buddhist temple situated in the foothills of the lush Hawaiian mountains. Koi ponds and waterfalls create a serene pitstop on this leg of the tour. The original temple is made of wood in China, but the tropical Hawaiian climate prevented wood from being used as a building material. Kahaluu Macadamia nut farm (20 min): This very kid-friendly stop gives you the opportunity to crack your own macadamia nuts and see how the locals de-husk and open up a coconut in less than 20 seconds. Be sure to sample the dozen different types of macadamia nuts they have for free. Kualoa Ranch (1 hour) Here you'll have the lunch break of the trip. Lunch is not included in the price of the tour, though they do give you a coupon for $2 off the buffet (regularly $14.95). The buffet is small, but very flavorful (especially the deliciously sauced spare ribs). For those who prefer a la carte, there is a grill that includes grass fed Kualoa Ranch burgers and a wide selection of grab and go items including gluten free. Note that the price of the grill can be more expensive than the buffet if you get more than 2 items. Dole Plantation (45 min) Also kid-friendly, but with only 45 minutes you will not have enough time to go on the guided train tour around the plantation. Just enough time to walk around the gift shop and get a ice cream cone at the snack bar. Beautifully landscaped. read more

We did the Haleakala Suneset tour and it was amazing! My boyfriend and I opted for a tour rather than driving ourselves so that we could both enjoy the views on the way up and not have to worry about driving. We were above the clouds and it literally looked like we were in heaven. Watching the sunset was amazing. Our tour guide Kama was extremely informative and funny, and even took the time to memorize everyone's names! Kama is the best and gets 5 stars all the way in my book! The only reason I will give PolyAdventures 4/5 stars is because when we booked, the website said that the tour included dinner at Cafe O'Lei. However shortly after we got on the bus we were informed we would not be getting dinner. The tour takes up most of the afternoon (2pm - 9pm) and most food places around our hotel were closing by the time we were dropped off. I am guessing that dinner with the whole group probably was not possible due to Covid restrictions which i understand however I wish we had at least been informed that we wouldn't be able to get dinner because we probably would've eaten more beforehand. We did get a chance to go to the Kula Marketplace before starting the tour but they mainly had snacks, not really enough for a full meal. Not sure if they are skipping meals for the other tours too but my advice is if you are doing the sunset tour make sure you eat before they pick you up. But the tour was amazing and definitely worth it! read more

Polynesian Adventure - Sunset tour in 05/22/21 - Looks like heaven! - Bus Tours Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I booked this Haleakala Sunrise Tour because it was one of the "must" haves for a trip to Maui. The number of 5 star reviews on this page was what engaged me into purchasing what was an overpriced, horrible experience. The driver we had was named "Bob" and he promptly picked us up at our hotel, Sheraton Maui at 2:30am. We barely got any sleep the night before because we were tired, and being up at 2am in the morning for a tour was extremely difficult. When we got into a small van, the chairs were rather uncomfortable without any good headrest area or soft seats. What my ideal situation would be, that the driver could allow us for some shut eye time before we reached to the sunrise location. Picking up other people along the way and driving up the mountain would take at least 1.5hour. The coffee was cold, he did not care much to serve us or anything. The pastry he told us, were bought from a local pastry shop, and it was probably the coldest, and lamest pastry I have ever had. At that early in the morning, the driver decided that it was "comedy hour." He was talking so much that my body just shut down and fell asleep, but was QUICKLY awakened when he decided up the volume on the music to 300%. There was not one minute he was not talking or gave me any peace of mind. I understand that he wanted to be a nice tour guide by giving us the info, but he did not understand the time and/or place. It seemed like he did not know how to read the room and paid any attention to how people were responding. It was clear that everyone is extremely exhausted at that hour, and it would just be best if 30minutes before we got to the sunrise location, he could start telling us facts. He did not. Instead of allowing us for time to rest so we have the energy, he just took over the bus intercom speakers and started telling "lame jokes" and "negative sarcasm." Example of a joke he gave: "They say your mind is the first thing to go, I can't remember what the first thing was." "Oh, I have been to this sunrise for like over 20,000 times over the course of 9 years and I can tell ya, there's nothing that spectacular up there" "By the way, we have coffee and pastries for you, oh they aren't free, you paid for them" "One day I went to the bathroom and could not find my toothpaste, then I asked my wife where it was, and she said it's under the cabinet.. when i looked..yup. it was there" "Winner to this trivia gets Macademia nuts. (someone on the bus won and he gave them a can of Mac Nuts).. then he turns around, says "oh mac nuts are kinda expensive, you get only 1 nut. then took the can back" after the told these "jokes" he started discussion with a participant about their property taxes over the PA system. Not sure how any of these examples are funny at all. They weren't. He forcefully broadcasted these "so called jokes" on the PA system and if no one answered his trivia, he would say, "we all need to wake up" then, he blasted the Trumpet Horn Wake Up Music... After the actual sunrise event, he took us down the mountain and visited a couple of spots. The sunrise itself was a great experience, extremely cold... but his behavior made my whole experience miserable. I know he did not mean anything by it, but he just was TOO MUCH. It was so overwhelming that it really ruined my whole day in Maui. I was so grumpy and fed up. I have never heard of a tour guide that just would not shut up. The intensity of his talking combined with the extremely dry - humor, (reminded me of Gilbert Gottfried's dry/disconnected jokes), was just the worst experience of my entire trip to Maui. What is even more disappointing is that the trip costed $79.99/per person. Which for 2, would be $160. This is extremely overpriced for the service we received, which is basically nothing but a drive up a mountain. This experience is worth $30 dollars at the most. I would not suggest anyone taking this tour again, and I would not participate in my next trip to Maui. I booked through http://www.allmauitours.com read more

Polynesian Adventure - Bus Tours Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

AVOID this company at all cost! Our 8:30 AM pick up did not occur until 9am then we were informed that our tour was being combined with another tour because they did not have enough drivers. After driving in circles for 1.5 hours and the driving being called over an over on a cellphone while driving a bus....and there would be 10 pickups before we even started. We would arrive at a hotel wait 30 minutes...leave then get called back to the same hotel. The driver did all he could to make the best of the situation which was not his fault. We arrived at Pearl Harbor LATE with barely enough time to go through the museum and was later informed that the Navy would not take people to the Arizona due to winds. The winds were lite, the last boat left at 11AM. *Tip arrive at pearl harbor as early as possible. Or rent a car for the day and save yourself the hell of Grayline tours. Never have a been on a tour on a tour where we are told to call the customer service line and request money back...TO which you will be passed around by rude arrogant and very defensive "not my fault" Guest come last mentality. People missed there connections to Cruises...Avoid if your on a short time frame. There is a reason why this company hasn't received an award from Tripadvisior since 2014... Have a better day in Honolulu and Avoid Grayline tours. Grayline tours...they'll turn your hair gray... read more

We did the Haleakala Sunrise Tour and Netie was our tour guide. She is the best tour guide that I have ever encountered. She provided blankets, flash lights and even act as a photographer to all her passengers and even taught us how to pose to get good pictures. She shares the history of the park and even give tips on other tours. Netie is so excellent at what she does. read more

Polynesian Adventure - Bus Tours Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Went on their Pearl Harbor, Arizona Memorial, and Punchbowl tour. An absolute debacle with bus pickup on the way out. We got picked up at the Waikiki Marriott at 9am, drove around to pick up others for about 30 minutes, switched buses for some reason to a new one, then drove around a little more to pick up others. We didn't get on the road until 10am- and left from the place we'd been picked up from an hour before. We complained to the tour company afterwards and got half of our fee as a refund. Tour was a snoozer and we basically used it as overpriced transportation to and from Pearl Harbor. I think the driver pointed out every mango and pomegranate tree we passed - got boring quickly. Save your money and find one of the vans that will take you back and forth to Pearl Harbor for a fraction of the price (we paid $32/person for this tour through our Expedia local expert), or use your own rental car if you have one. read more

We were on the sunrise Haleakala tour. When we got up there, our driver was feeling sick. I am just disappointed in this company and its response to unexpected event. We were stuck on the mountain for 2 hours before another driver was able to get up there and get us down but more importantly get our original driver any medical attention. I am scared to think of what would have happened if there had been a true medical emergency. Our tour was supposed to include a breakfast and it ended up boxes on the bus. I think they should have done more to make the experience better for us after all that to actually have a decent dinner. read more

My boyfriend really wanted to do the Road to Hana, so we took a tour since we wanted to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery. This was the smartest decision we could have made, as the roads are extremely curvy and dangerous. Our driver was knowledgeable of every hairpin turn and cliff, so we felt relatively safe, even with locals and tourists speeding toward us on the narrow roads. We planned ahead and bought the magnet bracelets to reduce nausea- many of the other passengers didn't fare so well. The bus was very comfortable and the other passengers were very pleasant. Our driver knew a lot about the flora and fauna of the area, and slowed down to let guests take photos. He picked some local flowers and passed them around the van (their scent reduced nausea). We always stopped in safe locations and outlooks, which many tourists don't know or heed (sadly, a child had fallen off a cliff just a few days before). We took breaks at Black Sand Beach and Oheo Gulch 7 Ponds. I can't believe how bonkers people get over waterfalls! Seeing the untouched rainforest and bamboo was amazing, although I wished we paused more often at less touristy areas. For lunch we stopped at a small restaurant in Hana. I enjoyed supporting the local business, but the food was just OK. The tour operator had "included" the food as part of our tour, but I think we just overpaid to eat off a special menu. I would advise to deny the inclusive food option, and bring your own food, or eat off the regular menu. One of the "perks" of this trip was that we got to travel along the south side of the island where only locals can go. (Tourists and rental cars are forbidden). The south side was barren, dry and desert-like. It was amazing to see the ravines and lava rocks, but the unpaved, cliff side roads were nail-biting. This is one of those experiences that I can check off our bucket list, but I would only do it once in my life. If you don't like driving in unfamiliar areas or on dangerous roads, give yourself some peace of mind and take the tour! read more

After attempting the road to Hana on a previous trip, I was happy to let a knowledgeable tour guide do the driving. After being promised in their description that we would explore waterfalls, the plantation town of Paia, and instructed to bring (among other things) a swimsuit and towel, we were prepared for a tropical adventure. Instead what we got was 11 hours stuck on a cramped bus driving straight through Paia, several quick stops barely long enough to snap a good picture, and only two stops where we actually had a whole 20 minutes to walk on a beach. Pluses: + driver was very knowledgable + Maui scenery is beautiful + the lunch in Hana was very good. The wait staff at the Hana Ranch Restaurant were terrific Minuses: - The driver NEVER stopped talking...no kidding. For 11 hours straight this guy kept repeating himself. NEVER could we enjoy the scenery in peace -the buses are cramped. 20 people. At 5-9", my knees were smack against the seat in front of me -you see beautiful scenery from a bus window but do not get out of the bus often enough or for long enough to do anything This tour is for the sedentary vacationer who wants zero activity, no exercise, and is short and thin enough to not mind being locked up like a sardine for 11 hours (at least 2 hours of which is spent on an extremely pot holed ridden road that rental cats are not even allowed to travel). read more

Took the A2 tour of the Arizona Memorial, USS Missouri, and Honolulu area. We only had a very short time at the important places we wanted to see. Our driver was more interested in getting us to the Waikiki beach area and drop us off for two hours of shopping. Disappointed in the quality of the tour and the driver who made sure we knew where shopping was but failed to provide narrative on historical locations. Of the ten people in our group most were unhappy with the tour A very pricy adventure and this company needs to provide better for their guests Suggest that if you are interested in this type of tour look for another tour company. read more

Best tour I could have gone on- the Oahu Grand Circle Island Tour. Found and booked it through the Hostelling International hostel I was staying. The best decision I could have made- so stoked! Drove around almost the whole island and got to see or stop by some of the popular tourist locations that otherwise I wouldn't have been able to. So easy- got a hotel pick up and return and a comfortable bus seat right near the window for a good view. Had the best tour driver- he was so funny, always cracking jokes. Not only that, he was helpful, considerate and his narration was perfect. Loved his quirky facts and awesome knowledge so it was a learning experience as well as a sightseeing one. Enjoyed looking at Diamond Head- the famous landmark as well as the cool Chinaman's Hat island. Loved the Dole Pineapple Plantation stop best and getting to have a look at North Shore with it's unbelievably white water surf waves. Neat lunch stop at Kualoa Ranch with it's souvenir shopping as well. Such a wide contrast of scenery with its sandy beaches, different compass point coastlines, mountains and forests. As well as celebrity homes, historical landmarks and a random macadamia farm stop for tastings. Highly recommend this- wish I could have done it on my first day or one of my first days here as it's a beautiful introduction and allows you to see what you want to go back and explore with more time. read more

Haleakala Sunrise Tour Great tour, worth the $120 or so per person! Spend the $$$ for the tour and have a great time. Don't stress about the drive, the hassle of parking AND having to leave the parking lot at Haleakala. This price includes pick up and drop off at your hotel, coffee/tea/cocoa and box-store pastries, and a full breakfast after the tour before going back to your hotel. Our driver, Rory, got us to the lookout point early enough that we got spots at the front and had the best view. We had to wait about an hour before the sun rose, but waiting to pick a spot right before the sun came up isn't a good idea... You won't get a good view at all. Bundle up and just wait. After the sun rose, he brought us to a higher point where we could find the Silversword, and then another lookout where we had great views. Rory was a great guide... He had so much useful information! He gave great tips on where to buy cheaper souvenirs (Longs, NOT ABC), get cheaper golf rates (don't remember the course), etc. Some of the complaints I've read that might make you think twice about this tour but shouldn't: Pre-packaged pastries - You're paying for the tour, not the pastries... The pastries and hot beverages are a nice bonus. The driver was late - They give you an estimate, and the paperwork says be ready 10 minutes before. They are picking up others, and have no control over what's on the road that might cause delays. The driver left them - Again... You are given a time, and paperwork says be there 10 minutes before. If you are not ready by the time you're driver is there, you will and SHOULD be left behind. Why should everyone else who got up early have to risk being late getting up the mountain because you couldn't wake up on time? I'll say it again... Great tour, worth the $120 or so per person! Spend the $$$ for the tour and have a great time. read more

We checked the forecast the day before our trip and thought that it might be canceled due to thunderstorms, but after confirming with Expedia, they said the trip would likely still happen. Sure enough the trip still left in the morning even though it was down pouring all the way there. A tree fell on the road halfway to Hana and we ended up having to go back the entire way that we came. I honestly can't say that I saw anything worth the 8 hour car ride. We were stuck on a bus from 6am - 2:30 pm, did not make it to Hana, were unable to have lunch and wasted an entire day in Maui. The most ridiculous part was that the company initially did not want to give us a 100% refund. Definitely not worth the money. Additionally it took about 3 hours total to pick up and drop off all of the guests. If you happen to be the last guests picked up you may not be able to sit next to one another. Plus many of the windows on the bus were leaking the entire trip. I happened to be one of the unlucky guests to have a leaky window and had to wear two rain jackets to prevent myself from being soaked the entire ride. For $150 per person you think they would at least be able to guarantee a dry seat. Save yourself the time and money and drive it yourself on a non-stormy day. Don't let this company take you out in thunderstorm conditions only to be turned around halfway to Hana and returned to your hotel disappointed. read more

We booked Polynesian Adventure Tours for the sunrise Haleakala tour. Booked through our hotel, $97 per person plus tax. We were picked up from our resort in Kaanapali at 2:30 am. The vehicle was a small bus, ten rows of two seats on each side plus a bench at the back - total of 25 people and it was full. Seats were standard bus seats and didn't lean back, with enough leg room for a smallish bag; we also brought some blankets, and they fit fine. Overall the drive took about 2.5 hours, with a small pit stop in Kahului (roughly halfway) for a bathroom break and to get the coffee and pastries. We arrived with about 45 minutes to spare before sunrise. NOTE #1: Bring your own snacks/breakfast. The danishes were from the "local" Costco, and weren't all that impressive. The coffee was welcome, though. Also, by the time we got back to our hotel room it was around 10:00 - so almost 8 hours and you'll be hungry if you don't bring anything. The sunrise itself was amazing - just as you'd expect. My husband and I were surprised at how many people were there so early in the morning! The parking lot was full and about a third of the vehicles were tour buses - easily about 300-400 people up there on the morning we went. A bit crowded, but there was enough space to get a really good view of the main event. NOTE #2: Bring warm clothes. It's been mentioned before but bears mentioning again. Pants and a thicker jacket should be good; we brought neither but had blankets, which is what made the cold bearable. Also, the winds weren't bad when we got up there, and this made a difference. After that, we went up to the summit and spent about 20-25 minutes there - 10,000 feet! On the way down we stopped at another lookout area and spent another 20 minutes taking pictures and getting a good view of the valley below. Then back down through Kahului and to our hotels. The thing which made the tour great was our driver, Bob. He's a retired transplant from the East Coast and just loves Maui and enjoys his job. He was very entertaining and talked at regular intervals throughout the trip. I was pretty sleepy and missed much of it on the way up (he didn't turn the intercom up TOO high), but on the way down he kept chiming in with facts about Maui and Hawaii in general. He engaged a pretty diverse group of international passengers (England, Australia, Singapore, Italy, Japan, US), and overall succeeded. I personally think he made the tour really enjoyable. Watching the sunrise is one of those "must-do" type of activities; and I highly recommend this company for doing that. read more

Polynesian Adventure - Sunrise over Haleakala - Bus Tours Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We did the premium Pearl Harbor tour and our tour guide was Kaleo. We had an amazing experience, our guide was outgoing, friendly, funny, he made our day tour experience even better than we could have imagined. The bus was clean, and provided plugs for our electronic devices and reclining seats. Kaleo had waters and even banana bread for us throughout our tour and even a little souvenir at the end which was awesome. We paid a little more than other tours but it was honestly so worth it! The lunch stop at the 604 restaurant was awesome too. We definitely recommend them. read more

Polynesian Adventure - Bus Tours Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I just did the Hawaii Grand Circle Island Tour earlier in the week. I flew in as I was staying on Oahu. The positives: You get to see the entire island. The Kona coffee stop is cool, but I would have much rather stopped at Kona brewing. I get it, it was a time thing (I flew into Kona, so it was morning, and coffee makes more sense). Perhaps since it ended in Kona as well they could cut the candy store stop and add in the brewing company at the end?) The black sand beach and the volcanoes park (including the lava tube) stops were the highlights of the day. I wish they would have pointed out all five volcanoes as we passed them - I would have liked pics of them. Oh, I loved that the mac farm gives samples of everything. I definitely bought more because I knew exactly what I was getting! Lunch was pretty good. Negatives: Its a 50 seater bus. That's a lot of people to shuffle on/off. And I could have totally skipped the candy store stop because we were going to the macadamia farm right after. And because you are doing so many miles in 1 day, you kind of zip through everything. That's no fault of the tour- its the nature of the beast. I personally am happy that I got over to the big island (finally) and got to see some volcanoes. If I ever went again, I wouldn't mind doing a helecopter tour to see the volcanoes and lava flow from above. But I don't particularly have to do a bus tour again (or go back to the big island). I'll stick to Maui, Oahu and Kauai where the lovely beaches are! At the end of the day, it was time/money well spent. And it was exhausting in a good way. read more

Tour package: Pearl Harbor, Missouri, Arizona Memorial & Punchbowl. Tour Guide Host: Ernel made us feel like ohana, taught us a great deal about the language and is a very high energy tour guide. I agree Jaime W.he is the GREATEST Tour Guide EVER! He is full of energy, warm, naturally comical and knowledgable. He was our host during the bus travel from our pick up to our drop off, but was not our host for the actual Pearl Harbor tour. However, we did have some excellent hosts during the Missouri tour . We also snuck next to Hawaii Five O shooting. Sssssh don't tell anyone. My kids stayed engaged the entire five hours. read more

I didn't have high expectations, this was definitely something my wife signed me up for. That said, I couldn't have been more pleased. It was completely worth the money, but one massive differentiator made all of the difference. His name was Preston. He told us SO much about where to stand, what to look for, what to do, and so much history the island of Maui and Hawaii in general. He was fantastic all-around. He went WAY above and beyond for us all and made the experience as enjoyable as it could possibly be. He's done this a long time and knew how maximize our time and enjoyment. I highly recommend, and I highly recommend Preston! read more

As no one from Polynesian Adventure Tours including Sara has the decency to reply to my email sent on Monday May 7th at 6:14p.m., I will attempt to resolve this matter via social media. I also want other honest individuals to be aware of the type of business Polynesian Adventure Tours partakes in. Customer service is not at all important to them which is a major issue. It should always be paramount. We purchased two tour packages on May 5th for the May 6th 9:30 a.m pickup which included the Pearl Harbor tour (USS Arizona), cemetery "tour", and city tour. I use quotations around the cemetery tour because it was really a 3 minute circle that I would never call a tour. Kaleo, our driver picked us up on time and he was very pleasant. We are dropped at Pearl Harbor and have some time to view the museums and other items on display before the 11:30 boat ride to the USS Arizona memorial. We stand in line and as we are in line, a volunteer worker informs us that we would not be able to visit the memorial due to dock damage. The very essence of this tour package is the ability to alight from the boat onto the memorial. The alternative was to sit on the boat and settle for what they referred to as a "drive-by". Simply put, we did not sign up for a drive-by of the memorial. Had the premise of the package been based on driving by the memorial, we would have passed as I deemed it a complete waste of my holiday time in Oahu. I find it impossible that no one from the tour company knew of the issue with the dock as there were groups who went before us. The proper thing to do would have been to contact individuals like us who previously purchased tickets and allow us to make the call. After the city tour, we were dropped at the hotel and we immediately went to the concierge who directed us to the desk to purchase the tour. The concierge agreed with me that something should be done to compensate us for not actually receiving what we paid for. We walked to the tour desk and I felt that we were met with attitude from the employee there. He informs me that they are the "middle people" and he could call Polynesian Adventure Tours. A PAT representative answers the phone and essentially says that because we went on the tour, nothing can be done. UNACCEPTABLE! I then ask to speak with someone of senior rank as this must be resolved. I was told I would need to speak with Sara. As it was a Sunday, Sara was out. I took down Sara's telephone number and email. Because I believe in a paper trail, I emailed Sara on Monday (May 7th at 6:14p.m.) a very kind email which can be read here. " Hello Sara, My name is Chris and I along with my partner Frederick purchased the tour of the Arizona on the 5th of May for the 9am tour on the 6th. Our driver was punctual and very professional. We arrived at Pearl Harbor and we were informed by a volunteer that we would not be able to dock at the memorial due to damage. Instead, we would float around it aimlessly and that's exactly what we did. I was not at all pleased with this because this is not what we were sold and paid for. I spoke with the concierge at the resort who directed us to speak to the counter at the hotel (Hilton Waikiki) where we purchased the package. The gentleman there was less than helpful informing me that we would not get a full refund. I never asked for a full refund. We were able to experience some of the tour and that surely has some value. However, the biggest plug of that package was the visit to the memorial. Which, we did not get. I am seeking some sort of compensation back simply because we did not receive what we paid for. I understand that it is not directly the fault of Polynesian Tours. However, we paid Polynesian Tours so I have faith that we can come to an agreement. A statement proclaiming otherwise is unacceptable. We would have loved to be possibly be rescheduled but we are already back home at this point. Sara, I'm looking forward to your reply. Thank you for your time and understanding." I allowed Polynesian Adventure Tours now FOUR business days to get back to me and nothing has happened. Why? One would assume that you guys are simply not interested in customer satisfaction. You are also blithely unaware of the fact that I am relentless and this will not go away until someone decides to put on a professional attitude and deals with it appropriately. At this point, you have not only wasted my time but insulted me by not addressing this. Customer service should be a strong pillar of any company and it is clear that you are a pillar short. The only thing I was seeking was to be acknowledged and for a small percentage back on what was paid out to you. However now, we'll be disputing the charge with our credit card company. You can continue to be non-responsive. read more

We had such a great time with our tour guide Garfield! He was so informative and had a great sense of humor. We covered some beautiful areas of the island that I would've never known have existed. We were so tired at the end. I didn't even think to tip him at the end of the tour. I felt so bad for not tipping him because he was amazing! So if you take this tour please remember to tip your tour guide. read more

My husband and I decided to take the Road to Hana tour. We wanted to drive Hana but felt it would be easier to enjoy the views if someone else took on the stress of driving. We were glad we did the tour. Our guide and driver was Paulina. She was funny, knowledgable, and all around a great guide. She knew a lot about the Islands and their history, not just Hana history. (She took some great pictures for us as stops too!) I loved how she kept the tour on time but still let us experience the things we stopped to see. The tour included lunch and a stop at a winery. Overall it was a great experience and we feel more prepared to drive it ourselves when we visit next time. read more

Had a great sunrise tour with Wayne. Wayne was very passionate and knowledgeable and had many interesting tidbits. He was quite a talker, and I learned far more than I would have thought possible about the island. Beautiful sunrise, worth getting up early! Breakfast and the snack were a weak point, could use improvement. However, would definitely recommend as a highlight of our trip! read more

This tour company had many great options and was the best way to get around Oahu when we were staying on Maui. They arranged our flights for us, met us at the airport to send us off and to drop us off. The tour guide was funny and entertaining and knew the best times to go to the memorial and get tickets. He stopped by pearl harbor to get our tickets first thing and then we went across the way to the USS Missorui and had lots of time to take the tour and look around before going back to the USS Arizona. We got there exactly at the time our tickets listed, so there was no waiting around. After we got back we had plenty of time to tour the USS Bowfin, get lunch and then head to Waikiki beach to shop. I couldn't done without 3-4hrs shopping etc on waikiki but it was pretty beach and nice to take a break and get early dinner. The bus on this tour was really comfortable, the one for Haleakela was terrible, there wasn't enough room for our knees and we couldn't wait to get off that bus. I'm glad we didn't take them to the road to hana, next time we'll probably take a private van rather than a big tour bus. read more