A Bit of History
We also took the same tour in April 2026 and still highly recommend!
The tour begins on the Hāmākua Coast. The sacred Waipiʻo Valley was the boyhood home of King Kamehameha I and served as an important center for political and religious life in Hawaiʻi. Not only is “The Valley of the Kings” an important site for Hawaiian history and culture, it’s also a place of dramatic tropical beauty.
This fertile valley is about one mile across and over five miles deep, surrounded by cliffs up to 2000 feet high. Waipiʻo Valley was once the home of thousands of Native Hawaiians. Today, fewer than 100 residents live among the waterfalls, taro fields, and rivers that permeate the valley.
Non-Hawaiians are not permitted to tour the valley without a professional guide, such as the one we had.
An excellent tour operator is Waipi’o Valley Shuttle Tours. The tour guide, Forest, does an incredible job. For Hawaii, the prices are reasonable.
Links to Molokai, Oahu, Big Island,
Big Island 2, Big Island 3, & Big Island 5
