You could do this excursions by driving your own car up to Haleakala and do these two trail hikes on your own. We had booked a hike with Maui hike company and did not regret that. We very much appreciated that Hike Maui picked us up at our resort, provided lots of snacks and lunch. If needed they also provide you with rain jackets and backpacks. As we are experienced hikers and hike a lot we had brought our own gear.
Our guide George was a very friendly and knowledgeable guide. George, urged us to drink plenty of water, kept a good pace, warned us about the altitude, reminded us about sunscreen and pointed out overlooks and flora. There were also plenty of bathroom breaks. This day we were a small group of 5 people which made it a very personalized trip. The hike consisted of two 2 mile hikes on different levels. Although we wouldn’t really call it hikes as we are used to much longer and tougher hikes with more considerable elevation we had a great day with spectacular views in a nice company and with a great guide.
Do consider bringing and wearing hiking boots or at least sturdy shoes. As it can get could and wet do dress in layers. We experienced the fog, not rainy but still very wet!
We had got the opportunity to choose our lunch ahead and I hade asked for a veggie-burger. It tasted good. George also treated us with snacks, bananas and pinapple during the hike. I appreciated the fruit very much as I am not used to eating snacks the way you americans do.
We had a wonderful time. The crater was spectacular. Maui hike is for sure a good choise if you want to do a tour.
Thank you George!