Maui Online Guide

In Part 2 of our article we discussed how the commercial bike tour companies have adjusted to the National Park Services ban on commercial bike tours within Haleakala National Park by offering van tours to the summit and starting the bike portion of the tour outside the park. Today we’ll introduce you to those companies.

There are eight tour companies in business today. We took a close look at each of their websites. Here’s list of who they are and a synopsis of what they offer:

Self-Paced Tours

Haleakala Bike Co.- Offers three self guided Haleakala bike tours. Optionally includes hotel or cruise ship pickup, otherwise meet at their store in Haiku. Sunrise or morning van tour of national park, then self-paced bike tour from the 6500′ to Haiku. Express tour does not go to summit.

Maui Sunriders - Offers three self guided Haleakala bike tours. Clients meet at their store in Pa’ia. Sunrise or morning van tour of park, then self-paced bike tour from the 6500′ to Pa’ia. Express tour does not go to summit. Riders must return to Pa’ia by 4:30 pm. Also provide daily and weekly bike rental.

Aloha Bike Tours - Offers 3 self-guided bike tours down Haleakala. No hotel or cruise ship pickup is available. Riders meet in Pa’ia and will be transported from there up Haleakala. Tours are offered at sunrise, later in the morning and an express tour that doesn’t go all the way to the top.

Escorted Tours

Cruiser Phil’s Volcano Riders - Two Escorted Haleakala tours, and one self-guided ride. Tours Include hotel pickup and drop off, guided van tour of the summit of Haleakala with bike ride beginning outside of the National Park at the 6,500 foot elevation ending in Paia Town.

Maui Mountain Riders - Escorted and self-paced Haleakala bike tours from 6500′ to Pa’ia. Hotel pickup included in the escorted tours. Escorted tours include van trip to summit then start just outside the park and go to Kula then to Pa’ia, 28 miles. Self-paced tour starts at the 6500′ level and ends in Pa’ia by 3 pm.

Maui Mountain Cruisers - Two escorted bike tours down Haleakala. Hotel pickup, sunrise at the crater (van transportation to top) or midday trip to summit, bike tour from park entrance to Pa’ia or to Makawao then van to wine tasting. Continental breakfast and lunch stop at restaurant where rider can purchase food.

Bike It Maui - Guided sunrise bicycle tours down Haleakala. Hotel or cruise ship pickup, sunrise at top of Haleakala (van transportation to top), bike tour from park entrance to Pa’ia. As an added treat they throw in a full breakfast at Charley’s in Pa’ia after the tour for a great end to the morning.

Maui Downhill - Escorted Haleakala Bike Safaris from just outside the Park entrance to Kula. Offers 7 different tour packages: Your choice of hotel pickup or not, leaving before sunrise or later in the day, and whether to go all the way to the top of the mountain or only to the 6500′ elevation (just outside the park entrance)

For a more complete listing of each companies tours and links to their websites please see the “bike tours” category of our sister publication, MauiDir.Com (and please pardon us, it’s under construction, but this sections’s complete)

Reading the tour descriptions of each company can be a bit mind numbing. The table below lists each company’s basic offerings along with the online price for each if you book directly with them:

Please note that Cruiser Phil’s and Maui Mountain Riders are listed twice since they offer both escorted and self-paced tours.

Tomorrow we’ll introduce you to one of bike tour operators. Join us as we interview “Cruiser Phil” in Part 4 of our article