Has anyone driven up Haleakala in the wee hours of the morning for the sunrise? I have heard mixed reaction about driving up myself with the rental car.

If a tour is advisable, does anyone know of any good tours that you can recommend. By the way, we don't want to bike ride down Haleakala, we would much more prefer a tour of the volcano as we descend.

Any help will be appreciated.

We drove to the top of Haleakala for the sunrise and it takes quite a bit of time to get up to the top because road is winding so make sure you leave early enough. Even though the sun was shining when we got to the bottom, the sunrise and the whole way down was rainy and foggy. And the people on bicycles looked absolutely miserable. If you're thinking about doing it, I think you can get a Haleakala weather report, maybe from the National Park Service?

We drove up during the day and it was a difficult trip. Visibility is very poor when you get to toward the top. I would not recommend driving up yourself in the wee hours of the morning. There are plenty of tours that go at sunrise -- you don't have to bicycle back down. Check with whatever hotel you're staying at, or do a search on hawaii on the internet.

I definitely recommend taking a bike tour...let someone else do the driving. I've done both - driven myself and bike tour. I prefer the latter. The bike tour stops for breakfast too...fun time! You get back early enough to enjoy the rest of the day. It was so dark out when I drove up, you practically had to pry my fingers off the steering wheel, I was so nervous. Check the weather first. And be sure to bring something warm - it gets FREEZING up there! Enjoy!!

We drove up on our honeymoon..leaving the hotel at something like 2 a.m. !! We actually didn't have any problem...though when we were driving back down, we were a little freaked because we didn't realize how freaked we SHOULD have been driving up in the dark -- steep cliffs, etc. But, the one advantage is that you can breakfast on the way down at the Kula Lodge. It was wonderful! Just make sure you leave plenty of time and you will enjoy it. We did. jeff

Can anyone recommend a tour company, that will take you up for sunrise and then drive you down as well. Are there any tours that stop at the Kula Lodge for breakfast?

Hi Cal,
First of all, you should have no trouble getting up Haleakala; I've done it plenty of times. But let me suggest something else to you. I've gone up for the sunrise and it was beautiful. But later I talked to the owner of a company called Hike Maui and he told me the best sunset at Haleakala beats the best sunrise any day. Well, I then went up for the sunset and it was INCREDIBLE! Plus, the whole way down we kept getting dfferent, awesome views. It looked like the sky was on fire. Just beautiful. If you have time, do both. Otherwise, you might want to go up early in the afternoon and go in the visitor's centers and hike around a little...then sit and watch the sunset. You can have a late dinner or just enjoy a dessert at Kula Lodge afterwards at the bottom. Just remember: A good sunset (or a good sunrise) is all dependent on the weather!

Haleakala is beautiful at sunrise, sunset, and mid-day. Each time is a different beautiful view. I have driven up several times and have taken the tour up and back for sunrise. I do not recommend driving yourself up there in the dark before sunrise, because it is a difficult winding very long drive if you are not familiar with it. Your hotel, or Tom's Barefoot Cashback Tours, can sell you any of several tours that drive you up for sunrise and drive you back down.
LOTS more Maui info, restaurants, sights, activities, hotels, etc, is in the 30-page paper you can print from this web site:
http://members.aol.com/Derm1/index.html