Maui Tours with Sightseeing Van, Bus, or Jeep and Guide: Where to Go, What to See, Which Tour Company to Use
Guided Van, Jeep or Maui Bus Tours Of Maui Sights
Would you like to go on Maui tours with a knowledgeable friendly guide to drive you in a van, to see the sights of Maui?
Advantages of a van or bus tour include not having to find your own way around, being able to look at the sights instead of at the map or the traffic, and learning all about Maui from your experienced guide and driver.
Places you can go on guided Maui tours lasting half a day or all day include:
- Road to Hana — We’ve gone on a few tours, and the best are these Hana Van Tours. Our guide/driver was so much fun and had tons of local knowledge. It was fun not having to worry about driving or knowing where to go.
- Crater at the top of Haleakala volcano — only 4 companies are allowed to do tours into Haleakala National Park: Polynesian Adventure, Valley Isle, Skyline Hawaii, Haleakala Eco Tours
- Iao Valley — Polynesian offers this as part of a larger tour
- Upcountry gardens — you’ll need a private or custom tour for this
- Hiking and secluded waterfalls — there is minor hiking and waterfalls on most Hana tours, but for more hiking and special waterfalls you will need to choose a private or custom tour
Maui guided van tours, bus or jeep tours from various companies differ in the size of the vehicles, the number of passengers with whom you share your ride and guide, plain to luxurious accommodations, and price you will pay.
To see only what you want to see for as long as you want to see each place, you can hire a private van for just you and your family, and choose your own personal itinerary for the day.
See below for a discussion of some of the companies offering Maui tours with a van and guide, and the differences that will help you choose the right one for you. Or click for more things to do in Maui.
Guided Maui Tours – Details and differences to help you decide
The most important thing you need to know is that cheaper tours use bigger vans with more people on your tour. If you pay more, you usually get a smaller van with a smaller tour group, so you get more personalized service, and you spend less time waiting for a large group to get on and off the van and to return to the van at the end of each stop.
Hoaloha Jeep Adventures
It’s hard to beat the fun had when you get your own private jeep adventure. Their tours provide a customizable and immersive experience that allows you to discover Maui and its secret gems at your own speed. With beautiful locations—such as the coastline to Hana, the volcanoes in the West Maui Mountains, and the towering landscape of Haleakala—there’s something for every type of traveler.
Temptation Tours
This is a first-class tour company with only 6 to 8 people per van. The vans are luxurious, with large windows and leather seats. In addition to their Hana tour with picnic lunch, they also offer an “ultimate” Hana tour with two hot meals, a complete breakfast in Paia, and a three-course lunch in Hana. This is also the only company that offers a combination tour to see both Hana by luxury van and Haleakala by helicopter all in one day.
Mahalo Tours
Mercedes vans with maximum of 8 passengers. Hana tour includes snacks and several choices of hot lunch, and it continues all the way around the south side, with stops at Lindbergh’s grave, Oheo pools, and Tedeschi winery, which is not on most other Hana tours.
Platinum Tours
This company has vans with luxurious captain’s chairs giving more legroom than other vans. They use either a 9-passenger or a 14-passenger van, depending on how many people booked the tour that day. It’s one of only two companies giving you two hot meals on the Hana tour, breakfast in Paia and lunch in Hana.
Valley Isle Excursions
This company is between mid-range and luxury. Their vans take up to 12 passengers and have luxurious captain chairs. Senior discount available.
Polynesian Adventure
This is a large company that is often able to offer lower tour prices by using larger vans or small buses that take 17 to 25 passengers per tour.
Discover Hawaii
This is a budget tour on a 24-passenger bus. With the discounts in the below links, it is usually less expensive than any of the other Hana tours.
Hana In Paradise Tours
This is a private tour for only you and your family or friends. The guide takes you to Hana and back in the tour company’s private SUV. You can choose the sights you want to see along the way, and how long you want to stay at each sight, since the tour is customized just for you.
Maui Custom Tours
Unlike all of the above companies, Maui Custom Tours does not use their own vehicles. Instead, their guide drives you in your own rental car. Tours are only for you and your family, so all tours are customized to your own personal wishes.
Unique Maui Tours
My favorite company for a custom tour for just you and your family or friends is Unique Maui Tours. They will take you and only your own group (up to 7 people) on a custom tour in their vehicle, so you don’t even need to have a rental car. See their website for tour suggestions.
Tours by Locals
This is another company that can take you and your family on your own private customized Maui tour in their vehicle with a local guide. See their website for more info.
Coastline Limousine
This is the only company listed here that uses limousines instead of vans or SUV’s. They specialize in tours for cruise ship passengers who dock in Kahului, taking them on a tour of sights in the central and north parts of Maui.
See the page of Things To Do In Maui for luaus, whale watching, snorkeling, tours, helicopters, horseback riding, ATV, dinner cruises, parasailing, fishing, zipline, biking, golf, hiking, sightseeing, aquarium, road to Hana, volcano, Lahaina, lavender farm, beaches, kids and family fun, and more.
