The Big Island of Hawai'i

A Few Things to Do Now

You have booked your tour — now there are a few things that will help us get everything ready for you.

Complete your Guest Questionnaire. We use this information to arrange your bicycle, dietary needs, airport transfers and other tour details.

Guest Questionnaire: secure.pedalers.travel/guestQuestions.php

You will need your Booking ID from your confirmation email and the passphrase you selected when booking.

Check the identification and entry documents that apply to you.

U.S. citizens traveling domestically to Hawai'i do not need a passport, but adults flying within the United States need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or another form of identification accepted by TSA, such as a U.S. passport.

International travelers need a valid passport to enter the United States. Depending on nationality, you may need an approved ESTA under the Visa Waiver Program or a visitor visa. Each traveler is responsible for confirming the requirements that apply to their journey.

Official ESTA applications are handled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at esta.cbp.dhs.gov.

Get Some Riding In

You do not need to train like a serious cyclist for this tour, but spending some time on a bike before you arrive will make the riding considerably more enjoyable.

The most useful preparation is simply regular riding. Try to get out two or three times during the week, even if those rides are fairly short, and gradually add a longer ride on the weekend. The goal is not speed — it is becoming comfortable pedaling for a few hours and getting your legs, shoulders and backside accustomed to time on a bicycle.

If there is a recreational cycling group or local bike club near home, joining one of their easier rides can be a fun way to build confidence and spend a little longer on the bike without having to plan the route yourself.

The goal is to arrive with enough bicycle time that the riding feels familiar, leaving you free to enjoy where you are rather than thinking about the saddle.

Your Guide Team

Your Pedalers guides lead the riding and provide route, cultural and logistical support throughout the trip.

A support van carries luggage between accommodations, provides easy lifts when needed and lets us skip sections that make more sense by vehicle.

We will send guide names and contact information shortly before departure.

Arriving in Kailua Kona

The tour begins at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA).

Guides meet arriving flights between 09:00 and 15:00 on Day 1. Plan to arrive before 15:00 (3 pm) so there is time to transfer to the hotel and settle in before orientation and dinner.

Your final pre-tour message will include guide contact information and any departure-specific meeting details.

Local time: GMT-10

Leaving Kona

The tour returns to Kailua Kona on Day 7.

Plan departing flights for after 10:00 am. Airport transfers are included within the tour's departure arrangements.

Sometimes better fares are available into Honolulu with a separately purchased inter-island flight to Kona. If you book those tickets separately, allow plenty of connecting time; we recommend at least three hours.

Money, Cards & ATMs

Hawai'i uses U.S. dollars (USD).

Credit and debit cards are widely accepted, and ATMs are readily available. It is still useful to carry a little cash for small purchases, tips or places where a card is inconvenient.

Phones, Data & Wi-Fi

U.S. mobile service works normally for domestic travelers whose plans include Hawai'i. International guests should check roaming arrangements with their carrier before travel or consider a travel eSIM.

Coverage is generally good around the populated parts of the island, although service can be less consistent in remote areas and parts of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

Wi-Fi is available at our accommodations.

Electricity & Power Outlets

Hawai'i uses standard U.S. 120-volt, 60 Hz electricity with Type A and Type B outlets.

Travelers from countries using other plug styles will need an adapter. Most modern phones, cameras and laptop chargers marked 100-240V do not require a voltage converter.

Weather Around the Big Island

The Big Island can be ridden year round, but the weather changes considerably as we move around the island.

Kona is generally warmer, sunnier and drier. The Hamakua and Hilo side is greener and wetter. The surprise for many guests is the night near Volcano, where the higher elevation can make evenings genuinely cool.

Bring mostly warm-weather cycling clothing, but include a light sweater or fleece for Volcano. A long-sleeve jersey, arm warmers or another light layer can also be useful for the morning descent from the higher country.

Rain is always possible on the wetter side of the island, so a lightweight rain jacket belongs in your riding gear.

A note about sun and staying cool: long tropical riding days are not the best time to work on a tan. Heavy waterproof or sweatproof sunscreen over large areas can make evaporative cooling less effective and leave you feeling hotter. Lightweight sun-protective clothing often works better on the bicycle; save the tanning for the pool or beach.

Roads, Traffic & Trade Winds

Road conditions vary around the island.

Many main riding sections are nicely paved with good shoulders. Parts of the historic Mamalahoa Highway have little or no shoulder, but traffic there is also very light.

Trade winds frequently blow across the island. Our direction of travel generally reduces their impact, with most riding either helped by the wind or crossing it rather than pushing directly into a headwind.

Your Bicycle

Pedalers provides your bicycle for the tour.

Your Guest Questionnaire asks for your height and inseam so we can select the correct frame size. Please provide an actual inseam measurement rather than the inseam printed on a pair of pants.

To measure it, stand barefoot against a wall with your feet about 15 cm / 6 inches apart. Place a book firmly between your legs as though it were a bicycle saddle and measure from the top of the book straight down to the floor. Measuring two or three times helps ensure an accurate result.

If you regularly ride with clip-in pedals or have a favorite saddle, feel free to bring them and ask us in advance about fitting them to your Pedalers bicycle.

Your Helmet & Water Bottle

Please bring your own bicycle helmet and water bottle.

We ask guests to bring their own helmets because helmet padding absorbs sweat and skin oils, and we do not feel shared helmets can be cleaned thoroughly enough between users.

We also skip the souvenir water bottles many tour companies hand out. Most are used briefly and then become unnecessary plastic, so we would rather you bring a bottle you already use and like.

Our support vehicle carries drinking water for refills throughout the riding day.

Food & Dietary Needs

Food around the island ranges from casual local favorites to fresh seafood, with tropical fruit, macadamia nuts and Kona coffee appearing along the way.

You may encounter island staples such as loco moco, kalbi ribs, ahi poke and fresh local fish. The day-by-day itinerary shows which meals are included, and several stops leave room to explore local restaurants on your own.

If you have allergies or dietary requirements, give us complete details in your Guest Questionnaire so the guides can plan ahead.

A Day on Foot at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

One day gives the bicycles a rest while we explore lava tubes, rainforest and volcanic landscapes on foot.

Bring comfortable walking shoes with enough grip for several miles of walking on uneven and sometimes damp surfaces. This is not technical hiking, but ordinary cycling shoes are not necessarily the best choice for the day.

The higher elevation also makes this the day when a light layer and rain protection are most useful.

A small daypack or waist pack is handy for carrying your water bottle, phone, camera, light layer and rain jacket during the walk.

What to Bring

Most of the trip calls for warm-weather cycling gear, with one cooler night and a walking day near Volcano.

For riding

• Bicycle helmet
• Large water bottle
• Cycling shorts or comfortable riding bottoms
• Lightweight jerseys or breathable shirts
• Cycling gloves, if you normally use them
• Comfortable cycling shoes
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Lightweight rain jacket
• Lightweight long-sleeve layer or arm warmers
• Your own pedals or saddle, if desired

For after riding & walking

• Lightweight casual clothing
• Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
• Light sweater or fleece for Volcano
• Swimsuit
• Comfortable sandals or casual shoes

Useful extras

• Prescription medications
• Personal toiletries
• Mosquito repellent
• Phone and charging cables
• Plug adapter if needed
• Small power bank
• Small daypack
• Favorite riding snack, if desired

There is no need for formal clothing on the tour.

Tipping Your Guide Team

Tipping traditions differ around the world, and many of our guests come from places where gratuities are not an everyday custom. A multi-day guided journey is a little different. Your guides and drivers spend the trip looking after the group, sharing their country, solving the small problems that inevitably arise and helping make the journey run smoothly.

For that reason, Pedalers encourages guests to consider a gratuity as a personal thank-you to the people who have looked after them throughout the tour.

As a guideline, we suggest $150 to $200 per guest for each guide. Gratuities are best given directly to each person at the end of the tour.

Questions Before You Leave?

If you are uncertain about flights, identification, bicycles, clothing or what to pack, ask us before you travel.

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