I picked this whole island tour for the beginning of my trip so I could get a local guide’s knowledge of the whole island! Fortunately, we ended up with Drew who is one of the islands top guides, and very knowledgeable about the culture, environment, history, and everything Big Island! You can see the island on your own driving around, but to learn about how things came to be, how the Polynesian people inhabited and essentially created the Hawaii we enjoy today, and how it’s changed since, is where Drew comes in with the expertise that info boards cannot. I was just planning to use the tour as a one stop shop to see all the must-see spots, but what we got was so much better. Experience Big Island in the most immersive way on this tour! I had a friend join our trip late and missed the tour, but thanks to Drew, I could identify various plants and rocks etc and explain their uses, along with fun stories and history behind them all while exploring the island for the rest of my trip. It is one thing to see a place, and it is another to really experience it.
It does take a lot of energy to follow along with everything and take in all the information and sights for 11 hours, but consider that the tour guide is also providing constant entertainment while taking a group of people around the biggest island in Hawaii for an entire day. We lucked out on this tour, highly recommend! I do think it is more practical to do this tour earlier in your trip than later.