Island of Hawaii Tours
Big Island - Kona Big Kahuna GPS Driving Tour
5

Big Island - Kona Big Kahuna GPS Driving Tour

By Shaka Guide: Big Island Audio Tours
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A fun bite-sized loop tour that begins in North Kona and takes you down south to Puuhonua and back! Hear cool stories about King Kamehameha, Captain Cook, and the sacred rituals of ancient Hawaii. Shaka Guide is your local guide with turn-by-turn directions, information on what to do & see, and a ton of fun stories. Rated the #1 best GPS tour app for Hawaii with over 6,000+ raving reviews and 200,000+ downloads. Why you need it: ✅ You don't need service because you can download the tours & use them offline ✅ Save time planning your trip because we have the best stops lined up ✅ Freedom to stop and go as you please, unlike a tour bus where you are confined to the pre-determined route (no fun!) ✅ Hear cool and fun stories along the way *Download the Shaka Guide app to access your purchased tours.*
Lowest price guaranteeFree cancellation

Ages 0-120
Duration: 2 days
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Audio guide: English
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Written guide
Print or digital reading material such as a guide, map, brochure, etc.
: English
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  • Offline map of the entire island
  • Hours of audio narration with stories, travel tips and music
  • Audio narration that plays automatically as you drive
  • Turn-by-turn directions using GPS
  • Freedom to explore at your own pace
  • Tour highlights with activity and restaurant recommendations
  • Offline map (no wifi or data needed)
  • Tours NEVER expire
  • Take the tour when you want
  • Tour Start is Customizable
What's not included
  • Meals & Refreshments
  • Entrance Fees
  • Entry/Admission - Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park
  • Entry/Admission - Big Island Bees
  • Entry/Admission - Kealakekua Bay
  • Entry/Admission - The Painted Church
  • Entry/Admission - The Captain Cook Monument
  • Entry/Admission - Pu'uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park
  • Entry/Admission - Kona Coffee Living History Farm
  • Entry/Admission - Two Step
  • Entry/Admission - Island of Hawaii
  • Entry/Admission - Kamehameha III Birthplace
  • Entry/Admission - Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park

Start:
  • Kailua-Kona, HI, USA
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Wheelchair accessible
    • Pushchair accessible
    • Service animals allowed
    • Near public transportation
    • Infants must sit on laps
    • Infant seats available
    • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
    • Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 102020P23

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Most travellers can participate
    • Get Started Easily: • Book Your Tour: Receive a confirmation and easy instructions via email. • Download the App: Follow the simple steps in your email. • Redeem the Tour: Use the redeem code in your email to redeem the tour in the app. • Prepare Ahead: Download the tour using strong Wi-Fi.
    • Begin Your Journey: • Select Your Tour: Go to the My Stuff tab in the Shaka Guide app to launch the tour. • Start the Tour: Select the tour starting point and follow the GPS instructions. • Follow Shaka Guide: Stick to the suggested route and speed for the best experience.
    • Why Choose Our Audio Tour: • Cost-Efficient: One tour for the entire vehicle—no per-person fees! • Ultimate Flexibility: Start, pause, and resume on your schedule. • Convenience: Use the tour any day, over multiple days if needed.
    • Top Features: • Hands-Free: The tour works automatically - GPS-activated stories, directions, and music play as you drive for a seamless experience. • Works Offline: No need for continuous wifi or data. • Reliable Support: Get help via call, chat, or email.
    • Private and Personalized: • Crowd-Free: Enjoy a private tour with just your group. • Customizable Stops: Pick the stops you want and skip the ones you don’t!
    • The Ultimate Guided Tour: • Detailed Itinerary: Includes travel tips and recommendations. • Engaging Narration: Captivating stories and history.
    • What Our Users Say: • “A fantastic way to explore! Easy to use and very informative.” • “Loved the flexibility to stop and go as we pleased. Highly recommend!”
    • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 102020P23

    From
    £15.75
    per group (up to 15)
    Select date and travellers
    Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.

    Similar experiences

    Itinerary
    Overview
    Full Map
    12 stops
    Day 1
    Kona Big Kahuna Driving Tour -...
    Day 2
    Kona Big Kahuna Driving Tour -...
    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Shaka Guide: Big Island Audio Tours
      95
      United States
      Joined in October 2018
    • LandTKelly
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Vulcanixity
      Amazing place. The volcanoes are huge. Unfortunately due to activity which we were unable to see part of the park was closed
      Written 22 September 2024
    • clwiltse
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Can't recommend highly enough! A definitely fantastic way to learn more about the island.
      We absolutely loved this way to learn more about the island. I highly recommend this over a tour in a bus full of people. You can customize it to see what you want to see at the pace you want to see it. it was very informative, great directions, interesting stories, optional Hawaiian music in between info, and good restaurant suggestions along the way. And for the price, you can't get any better way to see and learn about the island. Will definitely use them again in other parts of the country.
      Written 28 August 2024
    • carolevP2167PR
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Do it
      Must do 100% best Hawaii experience walking over the crater was amazing and seeing the steam vents we loved every stop we left in the dark at 8 pm cause so so much to see and we still didn’t get to see it all , only thing I want praise was the expensive volcano house food
      Written 15 August 2024
    • Passenger39382575096
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Absolutely worth it
      By far the most useful tool for exploring the big island on your own (without a tour group). There were so many sights to see and suggested spots that we never would have known about, and it seems to be timed well so that you end up in Hilo by early evening. The narration that explained what you were looking at was great, and we loved the mood music. Tip: Leave early. We started out from Kona at 9:30. We were done with Hilo by 6, and decided to have dinner there. But that meant driving back to Kona on dark, twisty mountain roads at night. Nerve wracking. If I were to do it again I’d listen to the apps recommendation and start by 8-8:30, finish with Hilo at 5. Pack a picnic dinner or get some kind of take out in Hilo, then continue on to Mauna Kea (which we had to skip.)
      Written 15 July 2024
    • sunil m
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Worth paying for audio directions
      Wonderful direction s very easy n helpful. Good stories n host of the volcano n Polynesians. Never missed anything in my way
      Written 12 May 2024
    • Steph C
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Save money and see more sights than expensive bus tours
      We enjoyed the tours on Kauai, Maui, Oahu, and the Big Island. We did not drink the twisted dangerous roads on Maui. Very much enjoyed both driving and walking tours. Highly recommend a big money saver over bus tours.
      Written 25 April 2024
    • David-from-CT
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Frustrating. We so wanted to love these apps, but...
      I wrote this review for the Kauai bundle, but it stands true for the Big Island bundle as well. First up, the concept is great and when it worked it was fantastic. Loads of useful information, interesting stories - just what you'd hope for from a first rate guide on a private tour. The Shaka Tours narrator is a little hokey (which took a little getting used to) and it was a relief when we figured out how to turn off the background music. There's only so much ukulele music you can take. I have nothing but praise for the information and tales provided. BUT using the apps was a fingers in the eyes, frustrating experience. 1 - Mostly the tours run only one way. So annoying. I feel that this is the makers cheaping out. The content would be the same, it just needs running as a pair of apps. (Manually running the buttons was awful because many steps are a leading on to the next stop so it gets confusing really quickly.) 2 - Where you have crossing or looping tours the app gets confused and will flip you between legs. Wildly confusing as right becomes left and as you are 'trusting' the app you can quickly be baffled. On day one we learned to run Google maps on our other phone so we knew when we'd been sent wrong. The method of previewing the route is awful. Hard to get into, and zooms in and out depending on your activity state. 3 - The turn instructions are really dicey. They rely purely on GPS location (it would seem) so you get something like 'Turn right here" - which if you are on a 50 mph road in busy traffic may not be safe or practical. And keep in mind it will at times flip left with right as it seems to lose track of your direction. And joining the tours (we used 8 in our two week vacation) never worked once. Both these issues would be easily solved by just adding a little more information - it knows where you are - so, saying "Turn right just ahead by the mailbox (or whatever)" or join the tour at a fixed place - "Start the tour outside Safeway (or whatever)" would be so much easier. So, it it worth it. Yes. Would we buy it again. Yes - we bought one as a trial, then the rest of the bundle for a week on Kauai, then bought the Big Island bundle for our second week. Could it be better - oh, boy, it sure could. Bring your patience.
      Written 11 April 2024
    • kennedylois1
      0 contributions
      2.0 of 5 bubbles
      Disappointed
      My phone didn't want to work well with the app. Couldn't get it to work with the vehicle. Didn't know where to turn until past the place to turn. May try again with the new phone.
      Written 22 February 2024
    • Trippin213
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Well worth it and never expires
      I have used the Shaka guide on Kauai and on the Big Island. I like that you get a little history, they never expire so you can keep them and use them when you go back and that take you to places you may miss if you are trying to explore on your own. You can jump on anywhere and go clockwise or counter clockwise and skip any stops that you are not interested in seeing. You can also pause and pick up at a later date or time. I highly recommend this driving tour.
      Written 22 February 2024
    • 280jacquelynh
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Awesome but would be even better with updates
      App is awesome when the timing is correct. We bought the bundle of 5 and seemed to have started a 10-12 hour tour when our intent was the 4-6 hour. Development should create it as a choose your own adventure style and put in your hours available and starting point then direction, and provide the stop options so it can be selected in advance. We have the bundle of 5 and they overlap so we didn’t have the most productive use of 12+ hours and missed many stops. These updates Would take it to the next level. Definitely worth the money but the bundle is confusing.
      Written 8 February 2024
    • Tdub0110
      0 contributions
      1.0 of 5 bubbles
      Would not Activate
      Code would not activate on the app. Called during business hours and message stated they were closed. Ended up successfully downloading in the Shaka app and liked the tour however it was twice as expensive.
      Written 2 February 2024
    • rommelf605
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      out of this world
      awesome tour and once in a lifetime experience. highly recommended for everyone to go and experience
      Written 15 December 2023
    • K530SRchristinec
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great Hawaii Adventures
      Loved these!!! We bought the 5 pack for the big island of Hawaii and used three as we had already driven two of the areas without the audio--sure wish I had ordered and downloaded earlier so we could have had the commentary for those as well. Really worth it!!
      Written 5 December 2023
    • P2969XFlisac
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      This helped us be efficient and see EVERYTHING!
      This was a fantastic way to see the sites, get lots of background knowledge, know where the bathroom stops are and all the "extras" such as recommended hikes, spots to eat, etc.
      Written 30 November 2023
    • rsmadj
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Worth the price but not perfect.
      This is our second set of a full bundle for a Hawaiian Island. This time the program worked much better than the last time. We were able to get the program to work through the car radio using Android Auto. Sometimes the dialog would repeat a few words and sometimes it would cut out but I would say 90% of the time it was a success. My guess is that they don't expect customers to download ALL the tours for this island. We found there was quite a lot of duplication or stories and such to the point that we just skipped 1 full tour and part of another. The price for the bundle is reasonable for what you get and I am still game to use this again for other travels. ***I had trouble downloading the programs on day 1 which was on a weekend. I tried to call in to get the info I needed to get started and because of the early timing and the weekend they were not open yet. We had to delay leaving on our first tour (which was a 8 to 12 hour tour) because I had to wait for them to open so we lost about 2 hours of touring time that day. However, in their defense... it was a weekend and early morning. Once they opened I was able to talk to someone that fixed our issue.
      Written 1 October 2023
    See all 95 reviews
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    5.0
    5.0 of 5 bubbles3 reviews
    Excellent
    3
    Very good
    0
    Average
    0
    Poor
    0
    Terrible
    0

    Richard Pollack
    Trenton, MI10 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dec 2021
    We used the app on both Hawaii and Maui and it worked extremely well on both islands. Loved the commentary, history, and Hawaiian mythology. Also the musical accompaniment. If you are doing a self-drive tour I highly recommend the app. Very easy to use.
    Written 3 January 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    MyTH
    Boston, MA4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2023
    This audio guide made our road trip around the Big Island with an SUV full of family more fun and memorable. We appreciated the detailed local knowledge including history (with social commentary), how climate variations with altitude affect coffee cultivation, and where to stop for lunch. Stopping at Big Island Bees was great, something we never would have done without the tour.

    These days, it's hard to keep teens and 20-somethings off their phones and engaged with the family on vacation. You have to "gamify" everything to get them looking out the window. This GPS-linked audio tour is a fine way to turn driving around into family entertainment.
    Written 1 February 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    We're very happy to hear we've helped you and your family enjoy your Hawaii vacation. We've recently launched tours on the mainland - you may want to check those out too and let us partner with you again in exploring more amazing places! Mahalo for your 5 star review! 🤙😍🤙
    Written 2 February 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    e-claiborne
    Rhode Island95 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic audio guide with lots of information, tips, and fascinating history of the island. They are very well put together, and easy to follow.
    Written 17 July 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Big Island - Kona Big Kahuna GPS Driving Tour provided by Shaka Guide: Big Island Audio Tours

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