Is The Haleakala Sunrise Bike Ride On Maui Worth It?
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If you are looking for the best things to do in Maui, this sunrise bike tour down Haleakala is likely one in a long list of best Maui activities from Google. While it is an incredible experience, we would recommend for experienced riders only. Many more Maui travel guide activities can be found in our travel section.
My husband and I have a large map of the United States in our house that has specific pins for all of the National Parks that we have visited—some together, some separate. So, it seemed to reason that visiting Haleakala National Park while we were on the island of Maui in Hawaii would be high on the list of things to do. Both of us consider ourselves to be fit, able-bodied individuals, who generally avoid “tourist” activities. This especially includes group trips. But, a frequent search of Maui continually brought up the sunrise at the top of Haleakala as a “must-do” activity in Maui. Consider us intrigued. The logistics of actually reaching the summit in time for the 6:45am sunrise? That was slightly more murky.
We stumbled upon a guided sunrise tour from Bike Maui, which included a shuttle to the top of now-dormant Haleakala and a thrilling 26-mile bike ride back down. As with all group excursions, I was highly skeptical. But, after reading numerous reviews of this specific guided trip on Trip Advisor and other travel sites, the consensus was that this tour was worth it. “The highlight of our entire trip!” one reviewer even wrote. Fine. I’m sold.
The Morning of the Haleakala Sunrise Tour
Many of the reviews mentioned planning this tour as early into the trip as possible since subsequent jet lag and travel excitement would render sleep rather useless. Plus, with a 2:45am pickup time from our shuttle, we knew that we were going to be in for a long morning. The shuttle arrived to pick us up from our hotel at 2:45am on the dot. We picked up several other couples for the same tour and one woman who was incredible boisterous for a 3:00am trip. Go figure, group trips.
We arrived at the bike shop and were quickly outfitted in winter clothes for the sunrise summit. They encouraged us to grab extra layers to avoid the cold and wind gear for the strong winds at the top. They were right. Definitely grab the extra layers.
Everyone was divided up and put into shuttles to take us to the top. For those that get easily sick, this ride is very slow and winding, taking approximately 2 1/2 hours from Kahului as the bus makes its way along the 37 miles of Haleakala Highway, also known as Crater Road. Even though it’s dark and impossible to see, the swaying motion may cause those prone to motion sickness (me) to feel extra nauseous. I would suggest bringing Dramamine with you for the bus ride, if necessary.
The tour guide was full of interesting facts about the island of Maui, Haleakala and the surrounding areas. I found myself listening to many of the stories and facts that he retold and making mental notes. However, our particular guide deviated from the tour “script” numerous times to make callous remarks and often inappropriate jokes.
Once you reach the top of Haleakala, you have approximately 45 minutes before the sunrise. Tourists from numerous shuttles all line the guardrail into the canyon so finding a spot was difficult. We were told that the temperature decreases approximately 5 degrees for every 1,000 feet you rise in elevation. It was 45 degrees at the top in December, but very windy and I was immediately glad I had taken all of the layers with me on the bus.
The sunrise was easily one of the best parts of the tour. It’s hard to describe its beauty, but as the sun began to crest through the clouds, the 2am wakeup call suddenly became worth it. We were able to stay and take in the sunrise before heading back to the bus to see the canyon from several other vantage points. Even though it was cold, as soon as the sun came up, the temperatures started to rise and it was a truly beautiful morning.
According to our guide, several years ago, the bike tours had to move their downhill ride start to outside the National Park’s boundaries. (Only later did we find out that the reason for this was from the danger and deaths of several tourists.) We made one last stop at the park’s bathrooms before heading to grab our bikes and start our tour. We were outfitted with motorcycle helmets (dirt bike style) and matched up with our mountain bikes (which had been selected for us based on size when we booked the tour). The guides did last minute adjustments to make sure that everyone was appropriately fitted to their bikes and we were off.
The Downhill Bike From Haleakala
But this is where our tour took a turn for the worst.
While reading Trip Advisor reviews, one of the recurring themes in many comments was that the bike tour would be at the mercy of the worst rider. I read this repeatedly in my research, but I erroneously assumed that, due to multiple disclaimers stating this was not a tour for those who were uncomfortable on a bike, people would simply self-select. I was wrong. We, unfortunately, were on one of these tours.
The ride itself is a challenging descent, featuring an overall grade of 6%. A van rides behind the group of riders, radioing with the guide to block traffic from behind and guide oncoming traffic. With so many blind corners and sharp turns, this was an almost necessity.
Our group totaled 12, with eight of the members being on a group trip themselves. Before we started our journey, our guides reiterated numerous times to treat the ride like that of a motorcycle—lean into corners and allow the bike to steer you. Do not attempt to oversteer your bike. Do not brake quickly.
Almost immediately into the ride, one of the women started creating a large gap in our peloton, causing the guide to stop the tour and place her at the head. While the scenery was beautiful, I felt I was unable to look away from the road for even a second because I was constantly watching the woman in front of me. She was riding skittishly, holding down the brakes on the bike hard enough that I could smell the friction. Whenever she would gain speed, she would immediately clench down on both disc brakes and I would catch up to her dangerously fast.
The Downhill Bike Tour Gets Dangerous
Approximately four or five miles into the ride, we pulled off onto a scenic lookout point where we were able to take pictures. We rearranged peloton riders and started to fall into a good groove. The hairpin turns were tight and required concentration, but the ride was fun and exhilarating. We were rolling down through an area the guide referred to as a wildflower growing area. It was beautiful and I closed my eyes to take in the fragrant scent when suddenly…
I heard a panicked shout from the back of our tour. One of men, likely in his late 40s, had stopped quickly and ridden into the back of another. A pile of limbs and bikes ensued and, we all stopped on the side of the road to make sure everyone was okay. Aside from hurt pride and some minor bruising, everyone appeared to be okay.
As we made a turn into some farm lands, I began to relax a bit behind the handlebars as I could tell the woman in front of me was getting more comfortable and the steep descent had leveled out. However, after only a short time of riding, I heard another shout from behind. The same man who had fallen earlier had fallen again. This time he collided with the pavement much harder.
He was helped to his feet where he wavered slightly. The guide asked if he was okay and before he could answer, he had fainted, collapsing to the ground. A nurse in our group rushed over to help. An ambulance was called and we waited by the roadside while medics attended to the man (it was later determined to be low blood sugar).
When we finally started our ride again, our peloton had shrunk as many people had chosen to discontinue the ride and get into the van. As we neared one of the smaller towns at the end of our ride, a car filled with locals catcalled another of the riders, causing her to panic. On the next sharp turn, she slammed on her brakes and careened across the roadway, hitting the guardrail on the other side and flying over her handlebars. Luckily, there were no cars coming and she walked away with only minor scrapes and bruises.
While safety can never be ascertained on any of these trips, our group finished with only 5 of the original 12 riders still on their bikes. I don’t think that the guides were to blame for the lack of riding skill, but I think this tour needs to seriously reconsider the requirements for riding. Our guide said that he has went years without any accidents, but our group seemed plagued with them.
While the sunrise portion of the tour was amazing, it’s hard to give an adequate appraisal of the bike ride. The process for pairing riders needs to be more thorough, since the overall tour experience depends on collaborative riding skill. I’m glad that everyone left our tour without serious injuries, but this should be something that is wholly without question. If you’re considering this tour for yourself, I would suggest heading down the mountain on a self-guided tour (although you will be without the van to aid with traffic — a scary thought) or with friends and family you feel comfortable riding alongside.
Do:
Plan the excursion early into your vacation (if possible)
Bring Dramamine if you’re prone to motion sickness.
Take more warm clothes than you think you need before the trip starts.
Plan on taking photos at the top. The sunrise is incredible!
Bring snacks and drinks. None are provided.
Listen to your guide for all instructions.
Know your limits.
Don’t:
Go on this tour if you are uncomfortable or nervous on a bike.
Go on this tour if you are under 18.
Ride aggressively or “showboat.”
Brake quickly or ride too closely to another rider.
Still interested in the Haleakala Sunrise Tour that we booked with Bike Maui? Click here for more details.