Private Tour: Coffee, Volcanoes, Waterfalls & Black Sand Beach

Highly recommend Wild Hawaii

Wow, just wow! Don't even hesitate, book this tour! First off, Gary is amazing!!!! Not only extremely friendly but also very knowledgeable. From a coffee plantation to a black sand beach....Punalu'u bakery (amazing malasadas) try the lilikoi one for sure, volcanic national park, orchid farm, a delicious lunch at Ola brewery rainbow falls...... and an unexpected stop at a farmers market! Such a great way to sample offerings of the island! Thank you again, Gary - Mahalo from your new Cali ohana!

Gary was fantastic. We had a family of 11 on the tour. He picked us up at our door, was very knowledgeable about the entire island and had fun facts at the different stops. He was very accommodating with the stops we wanted and the timing at each stop. Would highly recommend this company. Love that it was just our group and we didn't have to share.

Gary was the best. We had a great time and Gary was fun, knowledgeable, thoughtful, and entertaining. Our group ranged in age from 4 to 70 years of age and everyone had a great time. There were 11 of us in total, although smaller groups can be accommodated. The trip was flexible and we saw so much of the island. Gary also provided suggestions for things we might want to do on our own. Highly recommend!

Highly recommend this private tour! You get to see and experience so much in one day. Gary was a great tour guide and took us all around making several fun stops. I will definitely book again with him.

Gary was great! He arrived right on time and was super accommodating in changing the itinerary to make the day special for us. He came prepared for all the weather (umbrellas and rain jackets too!) which make the day exploring easy and enjoyable. Great way to see the best stops on the Big Island, highly recommend!

Kona Chris was an excellent tour guide for my family of five. We booked a private tour because of my special needs children and he was very gracious with them, keeping them entertained with stories and jokes. He also had so much interesting Hawaiian history and cultural stories to tell. The kids and we had an excellent time with him and they even asked if we could do another tour with him. Because we were the only family on the tour, we got to choose our itinerary. Snacks and beverages were provided as well as rain gear. The whole experience was wonderful. We would recommend this company to anyone looking to see the highlights of the big island of Hawaii.

Gary was kind, knowledgeable and fun! He totally customized the day to our wants as well as suggesting hidden gems of his own. Two of the locations he took us to had no other tourists and they were amazing! I highly recommend this tour!

Gary was wonderful. He exceeded all expectations. He was full of knowledge and enthusiasm. He catered the tour to our family. Showed us some great local spots and kept us laughing. He was great with our kids. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the big island!

Gary is fun, extremely knowledgeable about. the Island and its history and culture. I had more fun just soaking up his knowledge about flora and fauna of Hawaii. I was traveling with two teenage boys and they had fun and adventure swimming inside a waterfall while it was pouring. To top it all he gave the best food recommendations on the Island, which, if you have dined in Kona know is more valuable than his fee is. Do Big Island with Gary, you won't regret.

This was hands down the best decision for our family. This tour was so personable instead of your standard tour. We never felt rushed, and Gary was so full of knowledge and down to earth.

Wow. We were ready for an incredible day exploring the island, but Gary made it magical. His deep local knowledge, flexibility, and warm personality turned each stop—from sampling Kona coffee, tasting iconic island Malasadas, to beautiful waterfalls—into something special. One of the most unforgettable moments was seeing the eruption at the Kilauea volcano. Gary knew exactly where to take us—he beat the traffic, avoided the crowds, and got us an unobstructed view of a once-in-a-lifetime sight. Hands down, the highlight of our trip to Hawaii! It felt like we got to experience everything through the eyes of a local who loves and admires the island. Can’t recommend this and Gary enough!! You won’t regret booking this.

This tour was exceptional. Gary tailored the day specifically to our family. We all got to see and do everything that we wanted to and then some. He felt more like family then a tour guide and it made our whole trip.

What a wonderful day on the Big Island. Gary was very knowledgeable, sharing a lot of really interesting information on a wide range of topics throughout the day and we really appreciated his great sense of humor. The tour was able to be adjusted to our needs and interests and we were able to go at our own comfortable pace. The time and care Gary took to ensure we got the most out of the day was incredible and it was such a unique experience. Highly recommend this tour.

Gary did an amazing job! Was very impressed with his knowledge about the island. Sent is video of the volcano eruption the evening before. Perfect timing and selection of places to see! Highly recommend Gary!

A truly unforgettable Big Island tour! Gary did an incredible job from the time of booking to ensuring we hit all the highlights — in accordance with our preferences and at our own pace — on a full day (9 hours) tour of the entire island. We had a one day cruise ship stop and made the most of it by circumnavigating the entire island (from Kona to Hilo and back), including black sand beach, sea turtles, active volcano plumes, walk through a lava tube, Kona coffee, and a lovely shop showcasing local artists. Notwithstanding an unexpected delay with the shipboard immigration and tender process, Gary maintained communication and ensured that the tour was not compromised. The van was very comfortable and stocked with drinks and snacks. Gary is not only a wealth of information about the island, he is well-versed in history and particularly good at spotting and showcasing the unique details of this truly special and diverse volcanic ecosystem. My 87-year old (world traveler) father pronounced Gary the best guide he’s ever had… and after visiting more than 100 countries myself, I could not agree more! Do yourself a favor and put your group in Gary’s hands for a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a lifelong memory that will leave you dreaming of volcanos, sea turtles, waterfalls, unique landscapes, spectacular coastlines, and the beautiful people of Hawaii. Mahalo and Aloha!

A private tour experience is something that we continue to choose as a family. First of all, Gary‘s car is clean, welcoming and comfortable. Gary is very knowledgeable and support any questions and conversation about the area Region and highlighted spots. Would absolutely recommend this private tour over the large tour buses of people that are being rushed from spot to spot.

Incredible experience! Gary was so knowledgeable and brought us to the best spots. Highly recommend this tour. You will not be disappointed! We have a young family and Gary catered to everything we wanted to do. An absolutely epic day!

My husband and I had the best experience with Gary. He was very knowledgeable and easy going. We decided to skip a couple of items listed to do something else and didn’t regret it. He’s very flexible if you don’t want to do one or two things listed you can ask him about something else that interests you and maybe he will be able to fit it in. He was a wonderful guide.

We had a wonderful day seeing the Big Island sites with our private guide Gary. He was friendly, informative and patient with our grandchildren 11 & 7. We all appreciated that he had a lot of knowledge about the island to share but didn't overwhelm us with too much information. His car was very comfortable for our family of 6 and spotless. He communicated with us by text several times before the tour and picked us up right on time. We started at Greenwell Coffee Farm where he pointed out several interesting plants and trees as well as describing the process of coffee from plant to roasting. They have a nice gift shop where we bought coffee, salt and granola. From there we went to Volcano National Park and were very lucky that Mt. Kilauea had started erupting the day before. It was a fairly long drive from Kona but Gary had snacks and water to keep everyone happy. It was a chilly rainy day but Gary had rain ponchos, umbrellas and towels for us to use. He took us to the steam vents, the eruption viewing site and the lava tubes. We loved seeing each site and would never have found them on our own. The kids especially loved seeing the volcano and hearing the roar of the eruption. We stopped at a black sand beach and also saw Rainbow Falls. It was too late in the day to stop at a bakery in town but the extra time spent at the park was well worth it. Our family had a great time and we really appreciated having such a friendly, informative and easy going guide. We would absolutely recommend this tour and Gary in particular to anyone wanting a memorable day on the Big Island.

my group went in not knowing much about the big island and ready to explore and we definitely did with gary's help!!! we had a beautiful day visiting local businesses and all the beaches/parks listed on the itinerary! gary helped us have so much fun while we learned history, stories, and what life is like on the big island. we would totally recommend this tour to anyone visiting the big island!!!!!!!!

Booked a private tour of Hilo and VNP. Gary knew when and where to go for optimal viewing, experience, interest, and fun. Our group consisted of 2 seniors and 2, 21 year old that were cruising the islands. We were picked up at ship and day was planned to ensure we had no problem getting back to ship on time. We so enjoyed we asked for a day be planned for us in Kona. It was great - kids were taken to hike to a beautiful beach to snorkel and the seniors toured various areas of interest and then we all went to a coffee farm. A great day was had by all

we had an amaaaaaazing time with gary! he was so fun and funny, informed, and overall a great guide! he gave us so much room to improvise, add activities, and get a good idea of what life is like on the big island. gary gave us a history of the island, current news and events, and kept us laughing! you could tell that gary really cares about where he lives and it made everything even more enjoyable!

Gary was very knowledgeable about the island, the various trees, and certainly about coffee in general. Having our own private tour was far better than the large group tours we have been on before. Great tour!

Gary is absolutely amazing… he set the tone for a wonderful day immediately upon meeting him at reception! Whether generously sharing his impressive local knowledge, or how he created warm welcoming hospitality for the group… five stars all around. My entire family loved our day touring the Big Island (both kids and adults). Gary made it a special trip, with too many local highlights to list - we’ll certainly remember it forever! Finally, Gary is highly in tune with what works for his guests, and is quick to adjust plans as needed to fit his audience!

Gary was a phenomenal guide. He took us to all the amazing places served up with fun facts and a lot of Dad jokes. It was a long fun filled day that was customized to our group. Everyone had a blast! The most exhilarating part was seeing the volcano vent with lava shooting up into the air! Thanks Gary

We had a terrific tour with our guide Alex. He was thoughtful, informative, and funny. He provided a lot of information during the drive and kept my teens entertained. He came prepared with snacks and drinks. As we approached our stops, he was sure to provide a lot of information about it. He provided historical facts, geological facts, and much more! Well worth it!!!

Gary was so helpful. He answered all of our questions about the volcanoes and the sites around the island. The tour was well paced. We never felt bored. This was one of the best tours we’ve ever taken. We highly recommend this tour.

THE BEST TOUR EVER!!!!!!!!!!! Gary is Amazing. The day spent with Gary was the best experience we have ever had. Gary is so knowledgeable about everything on the entire Big Island. He personalized our tour to cover everything that interested us, never rushed us, has a wonderful personality and is an Encyclopedia of knowledge. Gary is not only informative about the Big Island, but when asked about Oahu and Maui, he helped us with planning our excursions for them as well. The only mistake that you could make when visiting the Big Island is not booking with Gary Crundwell, owner and operator of Wild Hawaii Tours. Mahalo, Gary!

We had a blast with Gary. He went above and beyond what we expected of the tour, sharing his knowledge and experience of the island. His minivan was clean and comfortable. He provided us with snacks, took us to yummy places to eat, and stopped at spots not advertised on the tour. Hands down, this was one of the best activities that we have done during our vacation on Kona.

I highly recommend this tour company. Gary was a wonderful guide matching our interests to a customized itinerary perfect for our group of 6 adults. He was very helpful and responsive. We saw everything we wanted including the Volcano park, waterfalls, black sand beaches, plus a few extras like a local farmers market.

Highly recommended and customized to our wish list of sight seeing. Excellent service and enjoyed the company.

We had an amazing experience on our tour. Alex was our guide and with 4 teenagers in tow he ensured everyone had a great experience. He was extremely knowledgeable on everything from the geology of volcanoes to local Hawaiian history. He was very flexible on pick up times and itineraries. While we knew some of the key things we wanted to do, he added in additional stops and excursions we were unaware of, further enhancing the experience. He led us through the 3+ mile Iki trail hike of the caldera as well. Even though we got back late after squeezing in a ton on a full day he was extremely gracious and positive. This was the highlight of our vacation. Thanks for a fabulous trip!!

Gary was the perfect guide. Were were six adults and he indulged our wishes for stops, shopping, touring, potty breaks and all. He fit in perfect with our old but crazy group. He also assisted in another special tour to Hawaiian Vanilla Company. We would certainly use his services if we go back. He is also welcome to visit in TX.

There were four of us on this private tour with Gary our tour guide. We all agreed that this was one of the best experiences of our vacation. Gary was a great tour guide. He was knowledgable about every place we visited - coffee plantation, black sand beach, waterfalls and volcano national park. We had a great day.

We loved this private tour! Gary is so knowledgeable about virtually everything on the big Island, from Hawaiian history to volcanic formations to restaurant recommendations! He has a nice, easy going manner, which is important on a day-long tour. Highly recommend!

Gary was the best! My family and I had the ultimate pleasure of joining him for a full day tour, and the experience was exceptional from start to finish. Gary displayed a deep knowledge and understanding of every stop on the tour, with genuine enthusiasm and passion that brought the history and culture alive for us. He was highly attentive and managed everything perfectly, from providing snacks and drinks to sharing fun facts and tools that fully enhanced the experience. Every stop on the tour contributed to making this an amazing and unforgettable day for my family and me. We could not recommend Gary more highly.

This was an excellent experience for our three generational family. Gary is a fount of knowledge on just about everything- Hawaiian history, the geology of volcanoes, the timing of the eruptions, etc.. He is also very personable and was easy to spend a day with! The only negative was that his vehicle was a little small for 6 people, but that was not a deal breaker. We highly recommend this tour!

My family and I were first time travelers to the big island and were on the cruise ship. Gary picked us up from the port and showed us a lot of great sites while sharing some of the local history. I would definitely recommend him and his company when looking to book something more personalized for your family. We had 6 of us so while it seems expensive at first it is a much better deal and more personalized that booking an excursion that is more expensive per person from the ship.

Gary was so much fun, kept us laughing and we kept him laughing too! He went above and beyond, even took us to a few extra stops that were awesome. Gary was so knowledgeable of everything! Was are top favorite tour of our whole vacation! Thank you for everything Gary,your the best!

We had such a wonderful day with Gary! He made sure we were able to see all the “wants” on the list, having goodies to snack on along the way was awesome, and we learned SO MUCH! I don’t think there was any question left unanswered… the kids enjoyed every minute :)

We recently returned from Oahu. One of the best things we did was to take a flight to the big island and take a private island tour with Gary of Big Island Tours. He picked us (6 women) up at the airport in Kona and we set off on our full day of adventures. Gary provided drinks, snacks, rain ponchos, if you didn't bring a raincoat, and even opened/closed car oors an used his umbrella to shield us from the rain. Now, Gary is a fun, jokingly, kind young man but he is an even better tour guide. His island knowledge is above and beyond. He enlightened us on the island vegetation, from trees to coffee to fruit and nuts. He shared his insight on all the volcanos, the wildlife, the way of life on the island, and everything we passed. He even stopped at a local farmers' market and a great bakery for us to grab a local pastry. We will never looked at the island the same. After a full day, he dropped us back at the airport for our return flight to Oahu. Thanks again, Gary, for sharing all this with us.

This tour was amazing! Gary was a very knowledgeable, caring, and friendly tour guide. He designed the tour around what we wanted to see and experience versus being a set itinerary like the other tours. Traveling with my senior parents to see the Hawaii Volcano National Park, he provided opportunities for me to explore different parts of the park, while he took my parents to areas requiring less activity. We got to see the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut factory and walk through their gardens and explore downtown Hilo. I will definitely book another tour with him the next time on on the Big Island.

Gary called me after I booked to discuss what our family would like to do on the tour. When it came time for the tour, he picked us up from our resort in a minivan for our family of 4. This provided us with plenty of space for a comfortable ride. Gary was super knowledgeable about a lot of things on the island. We got to see petroglyphs, craters, steam vents, Thurston Lava Tube, Black Sand Beach, Rainbow Falls, and the big Banyan tree. We also made stops at local farmers markets and Big Island Candies. Throughout the whole trip, Gary was asking us what things we would be interested in and things we didn’t want to do like the coffee tours. He also had tons of local snacks and drinks that were included in the tour. This was an amazing way to see a lot of the island and to learn more about it. I would highly recommend taking this tour over one of the big tours where you have no say in where you go. This was definitely worth every penny!

Our day with Gary was definitely the highlight of our trip. He was in contact with me as soon as I booked three months out, and he asked questions about our group and our interests. He tailored a day that was perfect for our group of five. We got to see very special things that 99% of people visiting will never be aware of, and he narrated the entire time with facts and stories. We had a great time incorporating Gary into our family for the day, it was like we met up with a friend who lived here and was kind enough to take us around to share all the neat things. He had a cooler with drinks and snacks, and we were very comfortable in the minivan. We toured from sun up to sun down. My only regret is that we didn't book it for earlier in the week because he gave us such great ideas for more things to do next time we visit the Big Island!

Gary was our tour guide and we could not have been more happy with the experience! He picked us up bright and early from our resort and drove us to some pretty unique places. We got some local coffee, went to the farmers market, saw black sand beach, rainbow falls, volcanic state park, saw turtles in their natural habitat and more. Not only did Gary show us these places he had a wealth of knowledge about the island vegetation, geology and history. He also was very understanding when we had to make a change up to the schedule. If you aren’t booking with this guy you are missing out! 10/10 Gary ftw!

With a family of 3 generations traveling together, it’s great to have Gary giving us a personalized tour. It went with our own comfortable pace. We stayed longer at spots where we enjoyed most and skipped those with less interest. Gary is informative and provided us with a nice overview of culture and nature of the Big Island!

It was nice relaxing day where we got to see so many sights without feeling rushed. Loved seeing the black sands beach with sea turtles and unique sights of the Volcanos National park. Enjoyed sampling Kona coffee and learning how it is made.

Gary provided us with the most wonderful welcome and experience a visitor to the Big Island could hope for. He went above and beyond researching topics that we had mentioned prior to our trip. Gary was incredibly accommodating to the needs of the group. He was entertaining and informative. We felt like we’re with a friend and not like we were just another tourist. He even pulled off one of the most impressive feats in keeping our three teenaged daughters engaged! I can’t recommend Gary enough. If you want a private tour go with Gary. if you want to be one of the crowd go with someone else.