Polynesian Adventures Haleakala Sunrise Tour
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- Polynesian Adventures Haleakala Sunrise Tour
Highlights
- Middle of the Night Pickup at most Maui resorts
- Park Admission and sunrise viewing permit included
- Watch sunrise and includes breakfast after tour
- Child rate makes this tour the best family option
Description
Your driver-guide will greet you at your hotel and welcome you aboard a state-of-art minibus that features wide side windows and an incredible panoramic front window well above the driver's seat to open up the finest possible views along the way to and from the summit area. Your driver's superb live tour narration is augmented with captivating video segments shown on high tech vehicle monitors. Upon descending from the dormant volcano, you will join newfound friends for a delicious local style breakfast at Kula Lodge with its Upcountry hospitality and stunning views of the west Maui mountains before returning to your hotel.
- Hotel pickup in specially outfitted Grech deluxe minibus with USB ports, video monitors, climate control, and the best windows for viewing the Haleakala landscape
- Viewing of Sunrise as it rises above the clouds is the climax of the morning. The unforgettable show of light and color bursting into view is a spiritual experience for many. Majestic views from the 9,740 ft elevation are unparalleled anywhere. You can often see the Big Island to the east!
- Descend through the Clouds as you gently glide through the changes in topography, weather, and scenery accompany elevation changes.
- Breakfast included at the Mill House Restaurant, where you and your newly found friends will enjoy a delicious meal together.
- Souvenir booklet containing facts, Hawaiian cultural information, and more.
- Hotel return after your morning on fabled Haleakala.
Cost
Polynesian Adventure Haleakala Sunrise Tour Rate (POLYM3)
$225.00 per Adult, $140.00 per Child (3-11), Infants (under 3) FREE (plus 4.712% Hawaii sales tax)
If your dates are already sold out with Polynesian Adventures we have two suggestions for you. First, check availability with the other two tour operators who also do Haleakala Sunrise Tours. See Valley Isle Excursions and Skyline Hawaii. Second, if all tour operators are sold out on the Sunrise Tour consider the Haleakala Sunset Tour instead. Sunsets are just as pretty, and the park is a lot less crowded in the evening!
Details
Schedule: Currently operating Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Pick Up: Around 2:00am to 2:30am depending on the location of your accommodations and time of the year.
Duration: 8-10 hours depending on your pickup location.
Tour Includes: Round trip transportation, park admission, guide, breakfast at Nill House Restaurant
Restrictions: Because of the high elevation, this tour is not recommended for anyone with breathing or heart problems or pregnant women.
What to Wear: Dress in layers. Bring a warm jacket or sweater along and wear long pants. Closed toed shoes with socks will keep you warm.
Reservations: Advanced reservations required. This event is "RESERVE NOW PAY LATER"; we need a credit card on file to finalize your reservation but we do not charge you for this reservation until a few days before the beginning of your vacation!
Minimum Notice for Cancellations / Changes: At least 72 hours before the start of the event. All tours go out rain or shine.
Kevin's Activity Tips:
In February of 2017 Haleakala National Park implemented a reservation system for sunrise viewing from the summit of the crater. Without advanced reservations, visitors are not permitted to drive rental cars into the National Park from 3am to 7am. If you want to see a sunrise from the top of Haleakala and you didn't secure a permit weeks before your Maui arrival, one of these tours is your only way to get inside the park in the pre-dawn hours.
Sunrise on Haleakala has gotten SO popular that it is hard to find space on any of these tours if you aren't planning ahead. There isn't a tremendous difference between the three tour operators who have permits to run Haleakala Sunrise tours. Your decision on which company to go with may come down to taking whichever company still has space available for your date. The one big advantage of Polynesian Adventure Tours over the other two companies is of special interest to families with children. They have a child rate that is significantly less than the child rate with Valley Isle Excursions. Skyline Hawaii doesn't offer a child rate at all. So, if you have children 12 and under, a Haleakala Sunrise Tour with Polynesian Adventures will cost you SIGNIFICANTLY less than with the other two companies. On the other hand, if you DON'T have children, you will likely find that there will be MORE OF THEM on the Polynesian Adventures tour than with the other companies.
The road to the summit of Haleakala is not as narrow as the road to Hana, but there are hairpin turns … LOTS of them. And driving it in the middle of the night in the dark can be a challenge. Actually, if you aren't properly rested, driving can be dangerous. Consider one of these tours … you can rest your eyes on the way up instead of having to prop them open with toothpicks and getting white knuckles from holding the steering wheel too tightly.
Haleakala is famous for its spectacular sunrises and it has a well-deserved reputation. We wish every morning at the summit could be equally beautiful, but obviously this just isn't possible. There is no way to predict which mornings are going to be pretty based upon weather forecasts. Occasionally there are days when cancellation is necessary due to a serious storm, but ordinary summit weather is notoriously unpredictable and changes quickly. The tour operators provide the same level of service every day, and incur the same expenses in operating the tour regardless of the quality of the sunrise view on any given day. All they can do is take people on their tours every day and watch what happens as the sun rises.