Hawaii By Storm's Pīpīwai Trail guided hike reaches Waimoku Falls via the Kaupō back road, not the Hāna Highway: 8–9 hours, a 4-mile round-trip hike with 800 ft of elevation change, park entry included, $1,399.95 per vehicle for up to 7. It suits fit groups wanting the bamboo forest without Hāna traffic. The drawback is the cost for small parties.
Highlights
Reaches Kīpahulu through upcountry Kula, ʻUlupalakua and the remote Kaupō road, not the Hāna Highway, so the drive is a different experience from a standard Hana tour
Pīpīwai Trail: about 4 miles out and back, 800 ft of elevation change, 3–4 hours; Makahiku Falls overlook at 0.5 mile, bamboo forest at 1 mile, Waimoku Falls at 2 miles
Haleakalā National Park entry, a Yeti cooler with drinks, door-to-door pickup and a fruit sampling at Laulima Organic Farm are included
Flat rate of $1,399.95 per Luxury Expedition SUV (up to 7) plus 4.712% tax; guests who do not finish the hike can wait at the visitor center
Operator-wide ratings of 4.9 from 456 Google reviews and 5.0 from 369 TripAdvisor reviews as of October 2026
What to Expect
Get picked up at your Maui lodging or cruise-port meeting point at a time the office confirms beforehand.
Stop at Safeway in Kahului to provision, then drive upcountry through Kula and past MauiWine at ʻUlupalakua, with an optional honey bee sanctuary stop.
Cross the remote Kaupō district with photo pullouts and historic churches, then sample fruit at Laulima Organic Farm.
View Wailua Falls from the roadside if traffic and access allow; no swimming is promised.
Hike the Pīpīwai Trail in Haleakalā National Park's Kīpahulu district for 3–4 hours: Makahiku Falls overlook, the bamboo forest and the Waimoku Falls viewing area at about 2 miles.
Make a local food stop on the return and get dropped at your pickup point, 8–9 hours after the start.
What's Included
Private Luxury Expedition SUV and local guide
Door-to-door pickup
Haleakalā National Park entry
Yeti cooler with ice and drinks
Fruit sampling at Laulima Organic Farm
What's Not Included
Food purchases
Gratuity
4.712% GE tax, added at booking
What to Bring
Sturdy shoes with grip for the hike; sections are slick even in dry weather
Warm layers and rain protection
Water and snacks for the trail
Swimwear, change of clothes and towels (optional)
Reef-safe sunscreen, charge card and cash for stops
Restrictions and Requirements
Moderate hike; the National Park Service rates Pīpīwai 'moderately strenuous' and the operator recommends physical fitness
The Pools of ʻOheʻo are closed to entry; stay on marked trails and respect closures
Guests who do not complete the hike wait at the Kīpahulu visitor center
Route, stop order and access may change with weather, road or park conditions
Cancellation Policy
Full refund or credit with 7 or more days' notice; 50% with 4–6 days' notice; no refund with 3 days or less. No-shows are charged in full. Rescheduling is allowed subject to availability; cancellations must be made by phone. Checked October 2026 on hawaiibystorm.com.
Door-to-door pickup at Maui resorts, hotels, condos or the cruise-port meeting point
Check-In
Pickup time confirmed by the office before the tour
Ratings from every source we could find
Google
4.9
456 reviews
TripAdvisor
5.0
369 reviews
Yelp
4.9
47 reviews
Google Maps — Summarized by Our Team
The Pipiwai Trail to Waimoku Falls is consistently ranked among Maui's top hikes across independent travel resources, specifically praised for the bamboo forest section and the payoff waterfall.
Last checked 2026-09-15
Ratings and review counts are checked periodically and may not reflect same-day changes on each platform.
What the Reviews Say
We read 10 undated operator-selected testimonials on hawaiibystorm.com and 1 dated Google review on Greetwell (August 2026), collected October 2026; none is specific to the Waimoku Falls hike. Scores below are operator-wide.
What Reviewers Praise
Guides with strong natural-history knowledge(8 of 11 reviews we read)
Reviewers name their guides and cite knowledge of geology, plants, birds and history, which matters on a hike through native forest and bamboo.
— TripAdvisor via operator site, 5★, undated: guide explained history, geology, flora and fauna throughout
Days feel tailored to the group(2 of 11 reviews we read)
Two testimonials say the itinerary felt designed around their party, consistent with the operator's customizable-pace promise.
— TripAdvisor via operator site, 5★, undated: "the day felt designed for our group"
What Reviewers Complain About
Aggressive driving mentioned in platform summary(1 report (Greetwell summary, not a review we could read) · operator issue · described as recent, October 2026)
Greetwell's generated summary of the operator's Google reviews says a couple of recent reviews mention aggressive driving; unverified by us.
— Greetwell review summary, October 2026: "a couple of recent reviews mention aggressive driving"
Long days in the vehicle(1 of 11 reviews we read · outside operator's control · undated)
Greetwell's summary reports full-day tours at 12–13 hours; the Kaupō route to Kīpahulu is remote and slow.
— Greetwell review summary, October 2026: full-day tours run about 12–13 hours
About the Operator in General
Hawaii By Storm's own site reports 4.9 on Google (456), 5.0 on TripAdvisor (369), 4.9 on Yelp (47) and 100% recommend on Facebook (53), verified October 15, 2026.
Our Verdict
Tripreviewall's Take
This tour is worth $1,399.95 plus tax for a group of 5–7 fit hikers who want the bamboo forest and Waimoku Falls with a guide and no Hāna Highway driving; at full capacity it is roughly $200–$280 per person. For two people it costs about $700 each, which is hard to justify for a trail that self-drivers can hike with only the park entry fee. The back-road route is the real differentiator, so book it for the Kaupō drive as much as the hike.
Book This Tour If…
Your group of 4–7 can all hike 4 miles with 800 ft of climbing on slick boardwalks
You want to avoid the Hāna Highway and see the dry Kaupō side of Maui instead
You do not have a rental car or do not want to drive the unpaved sections of the back road
You can commit 7 days ahead; the full-refund window closes then
Skip This Tour If…
You are a couple or solo; the per-vehicle price makes small groups expensive
Anyone in your party has knee or balance issues; the trail is rated moderately strenuous with wet sections
You expect to swim at ʻOheʻo or Wailua Falls; the pools are closed and no swims are promised
You also want the Hāna Highway stops; this route skips them
Tips From Reviewers and Operator Notes
Wear shoes with grip; the operator warns that boardwalks and footbridges are slick even when the coast is dry
Pack water and snacks for 3–4 hours on the trail; the cooler stays in the vehicle
Apply promo code ALOHAVIBES for $100 off, advertised on the operator's site
Bring cash for Laulima Organic Farm and the food stop
Ask the office for an early pickup; the Kaupō road is slow and the hike takes 3–4 hours
Assessed by the Tripreviewall editorial team, last reviewed October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the Pīpīwai Trail guided hike with Hawaii By Storm?
The Pīpīwai Trail guided hike tour lasts 8 to 9 hours door to door, with 3 to 4 hours on the trail itself, per the operator's page. The trail is about 4 miles out and back with roughly 800 feet of elevation change, ending at the Waimoku Falls viewing area 2 miles from the visitor center.
How much does the Waimoku Falls tour cost?
The Waimoku Falls tour costs a flat $1,399.95 per Luxury Expedition SUV for up to 7 guests, plus 4.712% Hawaii GE tax, on hawaiibystorm.com as of October 2026. The price is per vehicle, not per person, so a full vehicle brings it to about $200 per guest before tax.
Which road does the tour take to Waimoku Falls?
The tour reaches Waimoku Falls via Maui's southern back road through Kula, ʻUlupalakua and Kaupō rather than the Hāna Highway, per the operator's itinerary. Stops along the way include Laulima Organic Farm for fruit sampling and a roadside view of Wailua Falls if access allows.
Is the Pīpīwai Trail hike hard?
The Pīpīwai Trail is rated moderately strenuous by the National Park Service, and Hawaii By Storm recommends physical fitness. It covers about 4 miles round trip with 800 feet of elevation change, including a bamboo forest boardwalk that can be slick. Guests who stop early can wait at the visitor center.
Can you swim at the Pools of ʻOheʻo on this tour?
No, the Pools of ʻOheʻo (Seven Sacred Pools) are closed to entry, and the operator's page says so directly. The tour also makes no promise of swimming at Wailua Falls, which is viewed from the roadside only when traffic and access permit.
What is the cancellation policy for the Waimoku Falls tour?
Hawaii By Storm refunds in full with 7 or more days' notice, 50% with 4 to 6 days' notice, and nothing with 3 days or less, per its policy page checked in October 2026. No-shows are charged in full. Cancellations are made by phone at (808) 444-3770.
Contact
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TripReviewAll is an independent review site and does not operate this tour. For changes to an existing booking, contact Hawaii By Storm Tours, LLC directly.
