The day begins with pick-up at 3:30 am via an exclusive 8-passenger luxury limo-van. To capture all the beauty that is the sunrise at Haleakala, we travel directly to Haleakala National Park and the crater summit. Start the day, 'on top of the World', at majestic Pu'u Ula Ula (Red Hill), the pinnacle of Haleakala, at 10,023 feet. Continental breakfast is served, prior to sunrise. 'First light' reveals a pallet of golden pastel hues plus a 360-degree view encompassing the Big Island of Hawaii, West Maui, Lanai, Molokai and beyond. The 'House of the Sun' Visitor's Center offers breathtaking panoramas from the rim of the crater. There are numerous photo opportunities while descending this mountain drive. You'll learn, in-depth, about the native Hawaiian people, their culture and land from an entertaining and knowledgeable tour guide. Complimenting to this invigorating experience is a run-of the menu breakfast at a charming 'upcountry' restaurant. Also, during this memorable day, you'll have a chance to visit an upcountry protea farm, to see these ancient and exotic flowers. There are 1,500 types of protea, 90 of which grow on Maui. Returning at a 'Maui-style' pace, takes us through the vibrant agricultural region of 'upcountry' Maui. Note: This tour is not recommended for guests with respiratory or heart problems. We do not guarantee the weather will permit viewing sunrise.

Average:

4.3

out of

(4 Reviews) 4

Rating Snapshot (4 reviews)

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

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4 of 4(100%)customers would recommend this to a friend.

Customer Reviews for Haleakala Sunrise (Exclusive)

Review 1 for Haleakala Sunrise (Exclusive)

Overall:

5 out of 5

krob

Top 1000 Contributor

Date:March 15, 2013

STUNNING!

This is a MUST DO! Yes, you have to get up super early, but I highly recommend it. I would recommend this versus a large bus on the windy roads. Our driver was friendly and informative., They get you to the top early so that you have a great spot for the sunrise. Be sure to have your camera and plenty of room on your disk as you will take many photos. You stop for a great breakfast on the way down the volcano. Caution: I am from Minnesota and brought gloves, a sweatshirt and a fall jacket and I still froze. Bring warm clothes. I cant stress that enough, it is cold up there and windy. Highly recommend this excursion.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

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Review 2 for Haleakala Sunrise (Exclusive)

Overall:

4 out of 5

happytravelbug

Location:Colorado

Party size:2

I traveled with:Family

Cruise Date Month:November

Favorite activities:Adventure

Favorite port:Kona, Hawaii

Top 100 Contributor

Date:December 3, 2012

worth the extra cost

If only for the ride in the 8-person deluxe van, vs riding in the bouncy mini-bus with 20 other people, the Deluxe excursion is worth the additional cost. It makes up for the fact that you woke up at 3:15am and literally froze on top of this mountain to experience a sunrise. We are from Colorado and are used to altitude & cold weather, but you try to minimize packing when going to Hawaii. My husband & I had 2 layers of sweatshirts, a windbreaker, hat & gloves, and could have used another jacket on top of that! This excursion is all about bonding with other folks that decided to put in the effort to do this, because we saw some beautiful colors as the sun came up but then clouds rolled in and obscured the rest. Still, it's the "fun" of doing this is how you measure the experience. You have to want to do this excursion or I could see one giving it a negative review based on expectations or choosing it because they feel it's something they had to do (we all know these types). The breakfast was ok, worth getting something different to eat other than the ship breakfast that varies very little daily. Like I told my husband, this is something you do in Maui, especially since we may not return any time soon. Not sure if we went to the protea farm, unless that was the large garden in back of the breakfast restaurant? We were rushing in the end because several of us had appointments or excursions right after this one and had to get back to the ship.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Review 3 for Haleakala Sunrise (Exclusive)

Overall:

5 out of 5

mimi05052012

Location:Central NJ

Party size:2

I traveled with:Family

Cruise Date Month:May

Favorite activities:Educational

Top 1000 Contributor

Date:June 5, 2012

Highlight of the trip!

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By far the best tour of the trip! The guide, Eric, was amazing. He has a wonderful attitude, got us right up to the rail for the sunrise, took lots of pictures of everyone, helped us with our cameras. He has amazing energy at 3am!

The sunrise was spectacular! We were there on what Eric declared the best (and warmest) days of the year. Yet it was very cold! Bring hat and gloves. My hands were cold even with the gloves on. There's a building you can go in to warm up. Eric will hold your spot at the rail for you.

We had a terrific breakfast at a wonderful restaurant on the way back to the ship. Water and snacks are provided during the tour. We got beautiful flowers (included in price of tour) at the gift shop.

This tour truly was exclusive and worth the extra money. The van was luxurious and comfortable. The tour guide was outstanding. The meal was wonderful. The sunrise was AMAZING!

5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

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Review 4 for Haleakala Sunrise (Exclusive)

Overall:

3 out of 5

Minnesotatraveller

Top 500 Contributor

Date:March 20, 2012

Can't Control the Weather!

It sounded like a great idea, but the weather did not cooperate! Got on the van at 3:45 a.m. and never saw anything but rain, clouds, and wind in the face! It was definitely disappointing, but whatever!

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