FAQs

• If you are driving to the meetup location, or walking from one of the hotels along W. Kaahumanu Avenue (Maui Beach, Maui Seaside, Hampden Inn), please meet in the Ka’ahumanu Mall parking lot (275 W Kaahumanu Ave, Kahului, HI 96732). We will meet near the southwest corner of W. Ka’ahumanu Avenue and S. Kane Street. You may park your car there. Look for the red Kia Soul.
• For those who are walking from a cruise ship please meet in the Long’s Drugstore  (70 E Kaahumanu Ave, Kahului, HI 96732)  parking lot. We will meet in the section of the parking lot west of Warf Street, toward the O’Reilly Auto Parts store. Look for the red Kia Soul.

• Yes! Tony’s Tropical Tours is licensed to conduct business by the State of Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, and carries commercial automobile insurance.

• Due to insurance requirements, all participants are required to sign a waiver at the beginning of the tour. Please read the waiver before arriving for the tour to save time.
• Click to view waiver

• We can modify the itinerary to accommodate changes to site access, weather, timing, or your personal interests.

• Water and light snacks are provided. Restroom breaks are available. Informational resources and photographs are provided for your use during the tour. Please leave these in the car when the tour concludes.

• Well, this seems a bit self-serving, but here goes: Basic tipping etiquette says yes, you should tip your tour guide. Outside Magazine has a Tipping Guide suggesting a tour guide should receive a tip of 10% to 20% of the tour cost. But the guide still needs to earn his or her tip. Just as with any other profession, the tip should match the level of service.  There are exceptions: if there were significant problems, or unprofessional behaviors, or if you simply didn’t have a good time, but in general, tipping your guide at the end of the tour is customary in the U.S. and Europe.
• Another nice way to express your appreciation is to leave a positive review about your experience. Always address any dissatisfaction with your proprietor and give them the chance to make it right, rather than posting a negative review online.

• Fees are fully refundable before 72 hours of the tour time. Within 72 hours of your tour time, payment will only be refunded if the tour slot is re-booked by another party.
• If you are running late for your tour, please call to make arrangements. We will try to give you a full three-hour tour if there is not another tour booked after you. If there is another tour scheduled, we will shorten the length of your tour as necessary. No partial refunds are provided.
• If you are more than thirty minutes late and have not called, we will consider you a no-show and cancel your reservation without a refund.

• Yes. Tony is available for most groups. Please contact us to discuss.

• Yes, Tony has lots of experience teaching in a wide variety of higher education settings, so please contact him!

• Wear comfortable clothes, a hat for the sun, sunglasses and sunscreen if desired. Wear closed-toes shoes (such as running /walking shoes, hiking boots) to protect your feet on uneven terrain, mud or water.

• Please bring only what will easily fit on your lap, or on the floor of the car. Please do not bring any large, bulky packages, baggage, luggage, etc.; these cannot be accommodated. Please do not bring valuables–if you do, you must keep them on your person. We do lock the car during stops, and theft on Maui is rare, but it is best to not bring valuables.  TTT is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

• Not very strenuous. Most of the walking portions are along flat ground, mostly paved, though there are some steps, rocks, curbs, grass, and irregularities to negotiate.  Most distances at the stops are a few hundred feet of walking. The most strenuous is an .15-mile uphill walk to the remains of a Hawaiian temple, and then back down, about a third of a mile total. (We walk slowly!)

This is possible, depending upon liability issues. Please call to discuss.

• The vehicle we use is a Red Kia Soul with a panoramic glass roof for sightseeing. There are seatbelts for all passengers. It can comfortably carry three adult passengers.
• The center back seat will be used for a fourth passenger, so it is most comfortable if that person is of a smaller stature.

• Please contact TTT for rates and arrangements.

• It is a private tour so the only passengers in your car will be the people in your group.

• Absolutely!  All children over ten years old, or those over four years old and taller than four feet ten inches are welcome. This is because the Tour cannot accommodate child/infant safety or car seats. Keep in mind that the content of the tour is geared toward people who appreciate high school and college level history.

• A video camera records interior and exterior activity in case it is needed for insurance, legal or liability purposes.

• Yes, but please contact us for arrangements. All participants will still be required to sign a liability waiver.

Because of the Lahaina fire in 2024, which caused the loss of so many historical collections and archeological sites, Tony’s Tropical Tours is committed to donating a portion of its sales to the Maui Historical Society, to assist with the preservation of Maui’s history.

The Maui Historical Society preserves and shares Maui’s History with residents and visitors to Maui They promote community involvement by collaborating with organizations that share and support their vision. They host cultural events throughout the year including Moonlight Mele a benefit concert series dedicated to preserving Hawaiian Music and Lei Day Heritage Festival celebrating the traditional art of lei making. They work with individuals and organizations to create special exhibitions highlighing Maui’s culture and history.  You can visit their website here: Maui Historical Society (mauimuseum.org)

• The weather on Maui can change quickly, and brief periods of rain won’t dissuade us!  Actually, taking a tour of Maui by car is a pretty good rainy-day activity.
• Unless there is a National Weather Service Warning or Advisory for rain, wind or local flooding, we will still go!  Dress for the weather, and bring rain jackets/poncho, umbrella, etc.  Remember most of the tour is by car, and the walking portions are short-  we will adjust based on the weather.
• If there are weather Warnings or Advisories in effect two hours before the Tour start time, Tony will email or text you to let you know if the tour is cancelled; if so, your money will be refunded.
• If there are no National Weather Service Warnings or Advisories in effect two hours before the Tour start time then the Tour will happen as scheduled, and the usual cancellation / refund policy remains in place.