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Best of Maui Haleakala, Iao Valley & Central Maui
Maui, USA
- 9 hours 30 minutes
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
From the lunar summit of Haleakala Crater to the viewpoint for Iao Needle, explore the best of Central Maui on this informative, guided day tour. Hotel pickup is conveniently provided, and the tour also visits historic Wailuku—a funky, yet up-and-coming hot spot. Learn the island’s agricultural history and hear its legends and stories, and experience some of the island’s best scenery from its valleys right up to its peak.
- Full-day trip to Haleakala, Iao Valley and central Maui
- See a dormant volcano in Haleakala National Park
- Enjoy scenic drives past Maui's flower farms and sugar cane farms
- Admire the Iao Needle in Iao Valley State Park
- Professionally narrated tour
- Pickup and drop-off at Maui hotels
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Haleakala National Park admission
- Pick-up and drop-off at specific Maui hotels
- Lunch
- Port pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Start time
06:00 AM
Pickup details
IMPORTANT: Access is restricted to Lahaina on the west side of Maui. The tour times provided reflect the start and end of the tour, but not your exact pickup and drop off time. Whether or not you've provided your hotel/lodging at the time of booking, you are required to contact the tour provider no less than (2) days prior to your tour date to receive your exact pickup time and location. The tour provider will advise you of the specific area at the hotel/lodging you should wait; for example "at the front entrance." Please be there at least 5 minutes before your pickup time. If your hotel/lodging is not included on our pickup schedule, you'll be advised to meet at nearby location. Please note that we are prohibited by certain properties to pickup non-hotel guests and we do not pick-up at private properties such as AirBnB's and residential areas.
What To Expect
Your Central Maui day trip begins with a hotel pickup, where a knowledgeable, informative, and professional guide will help introduce you to the island. You’ll explore both State and National Parks while hearing the island’s history, and even get a glimpse of historic Wailuku—the County seat of government.
On the tour’s first stop, wind your way through Maui’s Upcountry before reaching Haleakala Crater—one of the island’s most dramatically scenic and popular spots to visit. This 10,000 ft. (3,007m) volcano has been dormant since 1790, and covers 33,000 acres of cinder cones and remote, tropical forest.
After descending the mountain and stopping for lunch (own expense), drive past fields of waving sugar to the famous Iao Needle, where King Kamehameha fiercely battled to place Maui under his control. A short hike leads to the viewpoint for the pointy, forested needle, which rises 1,200 feet (366m) from the valley floor against a verdant backdrop of cliffs. Later on, at the top of Wailuku, visit historic Ka’ahumanu Church—which is backed by Iao Valley—and hear the history of this picturesque church built in 1876.
On the final journey back to your hotel, drive through Wailuku past farms and fields before returning by mid-afternoon, allowing enough time to make plans for the night—if you have energy after the day tour.
On the tour’s first stop, wind your way through Maui’s Upcountry before reaching Haleakala Crater—one of the island’s most dramatically scenic and popular spots to visit. This 10,000 ft. (3,007m) volcano has been dormant since 1790, and covers 33,000 acres of cinder cones and remote, tropical forest.
After descending the mountain and stopping for lunch (own expense), drive past fields of waving sugar to the famous Iao Needle, where King Kamehameha fiercely battled to place Maui under his control. A short hike leads to the viewpoint for the pointy, forested needle, which rises 1,200 feet (366m) from the valley floor against a verdant backdrop of cliffs. Later on, at the top of Wailuku, visit historic Ka’ahumanu Church—which is backed by Iao Valley—and hear the history of this picturesque church built in 1876.
On the final journey back to your hotel, drive through Wailuku past farms and fields before returning by mid-afternoon, allowing enough time to make plans for the night—if you have energy after the day tour.
Haleakala National Park
1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Haleakala Crater (Pass By)
Haleakala Visitor Center
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Historic Makawao Town
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Wailuku (Pass By)
Kaahumanu Church (Pass By)
Iao Valley
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Please contact the tour provider at minimum of 7 days prior to the tour date for ADA and all special requests.
- Wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can 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.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
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Reviews
4.0
174 reviews
SUDARSHANA_M, May 2024
We had wonderful experience and company was great . People are nice and worth the visit. People are nice and cooperative. Beautiful weather and very soothing experience.
Robert_A, Apr 2024
Seeing the crater with all the colors and the views. The History the legends. How Maui was created from two different volcanoes that eventually connected to become the island we know today.
Alex_A, Jan 2024
Canceled by tour provider and it was perfect weather don’t book they will just cancel on you rent fa car and drive the island
Response from Host, Jan 2024
We are sorry that your tour was cancelled - due to safety concerns. Atop Haleakala at high elevations where the tour visits, wind conditions were of concern due to recent storm conditions. Thank you for posting a review.
Kenneth_M, Dec 2023
We really enjoyed our tour with Uncle Mitch. We were a small group of eight so had a lot of chances to ask questions and learn about Maui and the sights we were visiting. The only negative was being dropped off at the mall for lunch. A local restaurant or food truck would have been better but not a dying mall.
Charles_B, Sep 2023
Breathtaking views and wonderfully contrasting scenery, knowledgeable tour guide made the whole thing come together
Dale_B, Jul 2023
Our trip to the volcano and sites along the way was amazing. We enjoyed the history and culture that our tour guide Henry presented to us. We also asked lots of questions,which he answered . Polynesian Adventures was fantastic.
Phalandis_B, Jun 2023
This was a great tour. We learned some of Maui’s history saw breathtaking sites. This is a great tour.
Clifton_A, Jun 2023
We enjoyed the views on top of Haleakala. Iao Needle area was so lush and green. The hills and mountains looked like something out of a Jurassic Park movie. The town we ate in had cute little boutiques and shops. We ate at Freshies which lived up to its name. We had fresh tacos and the burrito. So good!
Unfortunately our driver was 25 minutes late. I was trying to get a hold of anybody to let me know if the tour was still on or cancelled. Very stressful! We made many stops to pick up people. The tour never really started until after 8 am. We were to be picked up at 620. So, it started out very late. We had more bathroom breaks than I have ever had on a tour. So, although the dormant volcano, Iao Needle, and the small boutique town were cool, other parts of this tour made for a very long boring trip. I would not recommend Polynesian tours.
Response from Host, Jun 2023
We are sorry to hear that your expectations for the tour were not met. Your feedback has been shared with our management team. Hope you had a nice time in the islands! Mahalo.
Sharon_F, May 2023
The tour guide, Alfredo, was very knowledgeable and entertaining about the areas we visited. The van was comfortable. We were picked up and dropped off right at our hotel.
Jay_A, Apr 2023
Dino our tour guide and driver was very friendly and informative. Had a great view from the top! Really glad we took this tour and not drove ourselves as the road is very curvy and the fog and cloud cover move in quickly.
...
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up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Best of Maui Haleakala, Iao Valley & Central Maui
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9 hours 30 minutes
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