Big Island of Hawaii

Big Island Hawaii Self-Guided Driving Tour

Big Island of Hawaii, USA
Big Island Hawaii Self Guided Driving Tour
  • 2 to 4 hours (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

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Overview

Discover the highlights of Hawaii’s Big Island with this GPS-programmed self-drive tour. Simply download the app onto your phone, use your code to unlock the entire year access, then set out on a thrilling 2-hour road trip around the south and west coast. Travel at your own pace and take as long as you like at each stop, including Punalu'u black sand beach, Mauna Loa volcano, and Kailua-Kona.
  • Follow a ready-made itinerary with plenty of stops along the way
  • Learn more about the island with audio and text commentary
  • App works 100% offline: save on wi-fi and data usage
  • Purchase one app per car and enjoy an entire year of use.

What's Included

  • Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales, history, and facts for a memorable journey!
  • Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
  • Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
  • Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
  • Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!
  • Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
  • Great value: One purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
  • Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
  • Attraction passes, entry tickets, or reservations

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting points

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Start time

Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.

Opening hours

  • 7/22/2020 - 6/3/2025

    Monday - Sunday : 06:00 AM - 09:00 PM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • How to access: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a confirmation email and an instructions email. Follow the instructions right away: • Download the app • Enter the password • Download the tour • MUST DO while in strong wifi/cellular
  • How to start the tour: Once onsite, open the Action's Tour Guide App: • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If there are multiple tour versions, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction. • Go to the starting point. (Note: no one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided). • The audio will begin automatically at the starting point. If you face audio issues, visit the FAQ. • Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
  • Amazing savings: • Driving Tours: Save money by purchasing a single tour for the entire vehicle, avoiding individual fees per person like on a bus tour. Connect your phone to the car speakers to share the audio.
  • Flexibility and Convenience: • Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. It's perfect for tailoring your exploration and revisiting your favorite spots on future trips. • Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace, free from the constraints of a group.
  • Comprehensive Tour Experience: •The app provides a full itinerary, travel tips, narrated audio stories, scripts, images, videos, and recommendations for additional activities. • Enjoy a private experience without the crowds, ideal for personalized stops and photo opportunities.
  • Ease of Use and Accessibility: • The app is hands-free and activates stories via GPS, offering support through call, chat, or email. • There is no need for a continuous cell or Wi-Fi connection as the GPS map works offline.
  • Memorable Keepsakes: • Utilize the app’s images to create a photo book or share on social media, ensuring you have high-quality, crowd-free memories from your trip.
  • Preparation: • After booking, download the app and the tour using a strong Wi-Fi connection. • Review the tour at home before your trip for a better experience.
  • Starting the Tour: • Open the app upon arrival at your destination. • Select the appropriate tour based on your starting point. • Head to the starting location; the audio will begin automatically. • Follow the suggested route and adhere to the speed limit for an optimal experience. • By following these instructions and taking advantage of the app's features, users can enjoy a personalized, flexible, and in-depth exploration of their destination at their own pace and convenience.
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

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Reviews

4.0
25 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 25 reviews
Disappointing
Alison_V, Apr 2024
The app worked on the northern part of the Big Island, but not in the southern part. When it worked, it was great. However, we missed so much information when the app stopped working on the southern tour. It would not connect after trying over and over. It was a long drive and I know we missed so much!
Response from Host, May 2024
Alison, I am sorry that the app stopped working in the South! Disconnecting can be frustrating. Just to let you know, our website FAQs have a troubleshooting guide for the app, and our 24/7 support team is always available through the app or your tour voucher for help on the spot. They might have been able to fix the connection for you. Hopefully, this helps on future adventures!
Kona coast
Kimberley_P, Apr 2024
Traveling the Kona landscape was a great experience. The island has a very beautiful landscape and very relaxing. The guided tour made the drive fun and educational. Would definitely recommend.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
I am so glad to hear you had a fantastic journey along the Kona coast, Kimberley! It’s wonderful that the tour enhanced your experience, making it fun and informative. Our Ultimate Hawaii: Maui, Kauai, Oahu, Big Island Audio Guide is perfect for your next adventure if you want to uncover more of Hawaii’s stunning beauty and rich history. From the majestic volcanoes of the Big Island to the lush landscapes of Maui, there’s so much more to explore at your own pace. Check out where you booked your Big Island tour for access to these immersive self-guided tours—excited for you to discover more of what Hawaii has to offer!
Unfortunately, we have no...
Latoya_L, Dec 2023
Unfortunately, we have no memories to share because we were unable to get the app to work. It would not connect even though we had good service and it also had us starting from the wrong starting point although I entered the correct starting point several times.
Response from Host, Dec 2023
Latoya, I'm sorry to hear about your trouble with the Big Island Driving Audio Tour. There might have been an issue with Bluetooth or another connection interfering with the app's functionality. If issues arise, our support team is always on standby to assist and ensure a smooth experience. The tour is yours to keep forever so that you can revisit it anytime or, if you prefer, reach out via the app, and I'll be happy to swap it with one of the other 100+ self-guided audio tours. I appreciate you bringing this to our attention, and I hope we can make your next experience memorable. Thanks for your feedback.
Big island trip
Deepak_M, Dec 2023
Really good app to have on a trip or drive. The map did not show up on apple play but otherwise it was good narrative and useful to have on a drive.
Response from Host, Dec 2023
I'm delighted you found the Big Island Hawaii Self-Guided Driving Tour helpful app for your trip, Deepak! I understand the inconvenience with Apple Play and appreciate your feedback, as it helps improve the experience for everyone. Remember, for future travels, don’t forget to check out my Action+ Tour Bundle for over 100 more self-guided tours.
Beware: Plan your drive wisely
Tiffany_W, Jun 2023
Positives: the scenery and the history were nice. I learned a lot and the narrator was excellent. The app was pretty easy to use. Negatives: Although you can use the app wit Bluetooth or CarPlay to play the narrative, you cannnot actually see the map on your onboard navigation screen which can make it difficult to use and you have to have someone else help with navigation. Also, the site says this drive os 2-3 hours. IT absolutely is NOT. It is more like 6 hours especially if you take in the time you have drive back to your starting point or hotel. The guide does not circle you back to the original spot. I was unable to finish all 42 stops. Got to stop 28 and gave up. App recommend: do not have it automatically switch the story screen when playing the next number. Because I was trying to keep track of the navigation while someone else driving I had to quick switch back the map to make sure we were in the right track. I don’t think it’s necessary to automatically do this. If I need to see what marker I’m on then I can just click the tour button but it should stay in map mode all the time with the narrative playing without moving me to tour mode automatically. Tips: if you do this plan for windy roads, snacks, and 6 hours of your day. Otherwise it can be a fun scenic adventure.
Response from Host, Jun 2023
Thank you for sharing your experience with my Big Island tour, Tiffany. I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed the beautiful scenery and found the app narration informative. Your feedback on the app's usability, particularly regarding the onboard navigation screens, is much appreciated and I will be looking into ways to improve it. I apologize if the tour took longer than expected, I have increased the duration to provide more accurate and precise descriptions. Your suggestions and tips for future travelers are invaluable to us and will help us improve the quality of our tours. If you're planning more trips, you might be interested in my Action+ Tour Bundle. It includes all of my self-guided tours, which are over 100. Thank you again for your helpful feedback and for choosing my tour!
Fun way to see the Island
Brian_D, Apr 2023
This was a fun way to see the island. The navigation is good but they can talk more with less music. There’s so much more they can say about the history of the island. The starting points can be a bit troublesome but worth taking the tour. We did it over three days, stopping only were we wanted too! Oh and that road between stops 16 and 17 is tricky and kinda scary and will make you think where am I and where am I going!
Response from Host, Apr 2023
Thanks Brian! I’m so glad you enjoyed my tour of the Big Island! And thank you for the suggestions — I’ll add as much as I can. If you plan to travel more, you may like my Action+ Tour Bundle (it has all of my self-guided tours, over 100). Thanks again!
Not fun!
xcobrair, Dec 2022
The app kept freezing, then wouldn't go back to our next stop. The gentleman voice is very annoying also! We finally gave up & did our own driving tour!
Response from Host, Dec 2022
This is really unusual to hear because many of our visitors enjoyed this self-guided tour. I believe this is because you did not fully download the tour previously. I checked the tour and everything is working without any hitch.
Cool little app. We really enjoyed it. Got our money’s worth for sure.
Aline_S, Aug 2022
We thought this little self guided tour was super cool. As someone who can’t hop on a tour bus because of motion sickness, this was super cool because we could drive ourselves and still listen to the guided tour. It’s a little tricky at first. Figure out where the “starting point is” first. Then look at the map so you can follow along. Just keep the app running with your gps to your final destination. Make sure your GPS matches the map on the app.. and it will just kick on as you get to those markers. We learned a lot. We did both the north and sound hawaii tours.
Response from Host, Aug 2022
Thanks so much Aline! I'm thrilled that my tour added to your learning and that you enjoyed it. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to improve the tour and earn it that extra star! In addition, I have 100 other tours in the USA. Please check them out on your next vacation. Also, just to remind you that the tour you bought is yours for a lifetime. So, you can listen to it at home or on your next visit also.
Slow but sure way to see the big island.
Frances_B, Jul 2022
I had trouble navigating the app. I finally realized if I let it do it’s thing it was great way to drive around the island. Some of the sites on the Kona coast were not accessible which was disappointing. Sometimes long miles of scenery, a bit boring at times. But that’s the way the island is. We stopped a few places along the way so it took us 8 hours to drive all the way around the island. The commentary was very interesting, a lot of island background.
Response from Host, Jul 2022
So glad the app was able to take over and work seamlessly without any handling! So glad you enjoyed my narration all around the island. I hope you try out my other self-guided tours on your future travels!
Fantastisch, wenn man es hören kann
Ralf_D, Jul 2022
Die Beschreibungen sind lehrreich und unterhaltsam zugleich. Um uns zum Startpunkt zu bringen verband die App uns mit Android Auto. Vom Startpunkt an jedoch konnten wir die Beschreibungen nur dann hören wenn wir das Handy von Android Auto trennten. Man braucht also auf jeden Fall zwei Leute, einer der fährt und einer der navigiert. Vielleicht lag es an der Autosoftware oder das wir kein iPhone haben. Trotzdem ein Erlebnis.
Response from Host, Aug 2022
That’s fantastic! Thanks so much. Hope you get to try my other tours too!

From $16.99

per group (up to 4)

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

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