Which Big Island Tour Is The Best?

Which Big Island tour is the best? It’s a difficult question, but not impossible to answer! If you’re looking for a budget-friendly excursion with an excellent tour guide who provides wonderful stories, history, music, and fun - Shaka Guide has got you covered. With over 2K 5-star reviews, see why travelers love Shaka Guide’s Big Island tours. definitely take a look at Shaka Guide’s Big Island tours!

Why Are Shaka Guide’s Big Island Tours The Best?

We compared Shaka Guide’s Big Island tours to traditional pickup/dropoff tours. And guess what? Shaka Guide wins in every category! From tour prices to precious vacation time, here is how Shaka Guide’s tours compare to your average Big Island tour.

Which Big Island tour is the best? Find out below!

Price

Shaka Guide’s Big Island tours are the best in price because they only cost $19.99 for each tour (or just $29.99 if you buy the bundle with all five tours). Plus, that price covers EVERYONE in your car. Since you only need to download one tour on one phone for everyone to enjoy the tour, you can save your money and spend it on something even better.

Traditional Big Island tours will cost anywhere from $100 to $300 depending on the itinerary and where you’re going. Our calculations came out to an average of $220 PER PERSON for these tours. If you’re traveling with a family of 4, that’s $880 you’re spending on just one tour!

Did you know? A portion of your purchase of a Shaka Guide tour is donated to the local charity or nonprofit of your choice? Learn more here.

Best Big Island Tour: Different Big Island Tours vs. Shaka Guide

We took the most popular Big Island tours that pick you up, drop you off, and take you to the biggest attractions and activities on the island:

Mauna Kea Summit Tour
Hamakua Coast Tour
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Tour
Kona Coastal Tour
Hilo Coastal Tour

Turns out, when you add all of these tour prices up, it comes out to about $1,440 PER PERSON! That’s a huge difference when you compare this price to the $29.99 price tag for all 5 Shaka Guide tours.

Shaka Guide Big Island Tours

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Tour: $19.99. 4 - 6 hours and 45 narration points. Our #1 bestselling tour that explores the Chain of Craters Road and beyond.
North Island Jungle Adventure Loop: $19.99. 8 - 12 hours and 158 narration points. Explore Waimea Town, Waipio Valley, Hamakua Coast, Hilo, and Mauna Kea.
South Island Epic Coastal Journey: $19.99. 8 - 12 hours and 159 narration points. Explore Kona, South Point, Volcanoes, and Mauna Kea.
Kona Big Kahuna Tour: $19.99. 4 - 6 hours and 84 narration points. Half-day tour along Kona’s coastal and historical regions with optional snorkeling session included.
Kohala Coast Backcountry Tour: $9.99. 4 - 6 hours and 31 narration points. Tour along the pristine coast of Kohala and the amazing rolling green hills of Waimea.

Want all 5? Get them all for just $29.99.

Traditional Big Island tours vs. Shaka Guide tours when it comes to price.

Time

At the very minimum, doing all 5 of our Big Island tours will keep you busy exploring for 4-5 days at the very leastBut, we guesstimate you’ll spend at least 20 - 30 hours doing all 5 tours because we’re sure you’ll want to spend some time relaxing and hitting the beach.

The average Big Island tour usually markets half-day or full-day tours, with the circle island tours lasting up to 11 hours. While it’s a long day, it doesn’t come close to the amount of quality tour time you’ll get with Shaka Guide’s Big Island tours.

Local Gems

Visit local gems that you won’t find with anyone else. As you drive, your tour guide will point out different stops along the way that most people miss or don’t even know are there! In fact, some of our Shaka Guide users are repeat visitors to Hawaii and are surprised at how many new things they learned and saw on the app.

Traditional Big Island tours usually take you to the must-see, popular hotspots. While these are great places to go - and are also included on the Shaka Guide tours - . Shaka Guide prides itself on visiting lesser-known spots to reveal the islands’ history in a way you won’t experience anywhere else.

Number Of Stops

Purchasing Shaka Guide’s Big Island tours gives you guided access to over 100 stops. Plus, you get to choose where to go, making your vacation completely customizable.

In comparison, opting for a traditional Big Island tour will only introduce you to about 10 - 15 locations depending on their itinerary. This is because most guided tours will include a couple of activities that require an hour or so of time such as snorkeling or hiking.

Freedom To Explore

Shaka Guide’s Big Island tours will NEVER force you to return to your car. Everything is based on your schedule and preference. Want to enjoy the view for a little while longer on that hike? Or, maybe you’d like to explore that optional side trip we mentioned at that botanical garden? Go ahead! You don’t have to rush back just to return to the tour in time. Your tour continues whenever you get back to your car.

Touring with an in-person tour guide means sticking to a strict schedule. Most tours are done with other families or groups and in order to make everyone happy, there’s a specific time you have to arrive and leave a specific attraction.

Reviews

Shaka Guide has over 3,500 reviews for our Big Island tours and it’s growing fast! In fact, when you put all of our tours together (we have tours for several Hawaiian Islands and national parks), we’re currently at 18,000+ reviews in the app stores!

Over 2,500 reviews for a traditional Big Island tour is nothing to complain about. Whether you choose a traditional tour or a Shaka Big Island tour as the best, you’ll have a fantastic time because there are plenty of 5-star reviews on both!

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Shaka Guide’s Hawaii Volcanoes National Park tour is our most popular driving tour and takes many of our users 4 - 6 hours to complete! We’ll guide you to the different stops, hikes, and viewpoints while sharing each location’s history and legends to enhance your visit to the Big Island’s most famous attraction.

Most traditional Big Island tours will include Hawaii Volcanoes National Park as a part of their full-day itinerary. That means on average you’ll spend only 1.5 hours on this magnificent volcanic land full of geology, history, and cultural sites.

Cancellations

All Shaka Guide tours have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. That means you can try out our Big Island tours with zero risk! Plus, our reliable customer support team is there to help answer any questions you may have. The app also has no expiration date and free updates forever. That means you can use these tours as much as you want, as many times you want, even on your next trip to the Big Island!

Understandably, most Big Island tours can’t offer a full refund. In fact, the general policy for these tours is no refunds within 24 hours of your tour time. If something unexpected happens, be ready to wave “aloha” to your tour and money.

Which Big Island Tour Is The Best?

Here at Shaka guide, we believe that our Big Island tours will give you an incredible vacation while saving you time and money. Plus, our tours give you the freedom to fully customize your experience with powerful GPS technology and fantastic storytelling elements.

However, no number can be put on any Big Island experience. There are huge pros to choosing a more traditional tour as well. But if you’re looking for a quality tour at an affordable price, you can’t go wrong with Shaka Guide’s Big Island tours.

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