Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

The morning is filled with guided visits to some of the most majestic waterfalls on the Big Island. The views stop you in your tracks at the Waipio Valley lookout, where a dramatic backdrop of lush cliffs drops into the sparkling blue ocean. Continue riding along the Hamakua coast as more postcard-worthy views pass by your window before visiting Akaka Falls and the famous Rainbow Falls. Take a short walk through the rainforest for an up-close view and plenty of photo opportunities. In the afternoon, explore the wonders of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, including steam vents, the Halema’uma’u, and Kilauea Iki crater lookouts, and take a short hike along the crater rim trail.  From here, relax and take it all in at Punalu’u Beach, a great place to spot marine life from the black-sand shore. On the leisurely drive back around sunset, you’ll see views of South Point, the southernmost point of the United States, and Kealakekua Bay.  Finally, enjoy a visit to Kona Coffee Farm. Stroll through the orchards with your guide and learn about the harvesting and milling process while sampling a warm cup of Kona-grown coffee.

Take a helicopter ride over ever-changing scenery at Volcano National Park with this tour from Hilo. Journey over black sand beaches where lava once flowed into the sea. Take off from Hilo and fly directly to Volcano National Park. See the caldera of the Kilauea volcano. Admire the Pu'uo'o' volcanic cone. Snap pictures of the massive volcanos Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa in the distance. Discover new lava fields that are forming and go over old lava fields. View how waterfalls create a deep blue pools amid jungle greenery. All site specific areas are weather dependent

Step aboard and step back in time. Hop aboard a sunset dinner cruise in Kona for an enchanting Hawaiian history lesson from the experts. This family adventure departs from the Kailua Pier and is narrated by a local historian tour guide, who will reveal secrets, tell stories, and share legends related to the numerous landmarks along the 12 miles of magnificent Kona coastline. Unwind while you admire Captain Cook’s Monument at Historical Kealakekua Bay (only accessible by boat or hiking) with a complimentary cocktail from a fully stocked, premium bar. Begin your delicious dinner starting with an appetizer of Mauna Loa Big Island Macadamia Nuts (Vegan/GF). Enjoy a Starter: Mauna Loa Big Island Macadamia nuts (Vegan/GF) and salad of local baby spinach, Rincon farms strawberries, Big Island feta cheese, and Candied Macadamia nuts with served with a house-made Waimea Strawberry Vinaigrette (GF). For your main course: Kona Coffee braised short rib with creamy mashed potatoes featuring a Kona Coffee Red Eye Demi-Glace; Island Baked Coconut dinner rolls served with butter (vegetarian) and island-baked coconut dinner rolls served with butter (vegetarian). Your dessert is a chocolate torte with strawberry coulis (vegetarian/GF). Keep an eye out for dolphins, turtles, manta rays, and seasonal humpback whales throughout the evening. Enjoy live music from some of the Big Island's best entertainers performing slack-key Hawaiian Style music. Catch the sunset on the water and make sure to look for the famous Green Flash, a fleeting glimmer of intense emerald light that appears on the horizon just after sunset. Other highlights include the Ahu’ena Heiau, the Holua Slide, and the famous Kuamo’o Battlefield, just to name a few.

Join a half-day adventure tour exploring the Big Island from summit to sea. Take a captivating journey through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, home to the world's most active volcano, Kilauea. Travel from the visitor center to Kilauea crater for panoramic views of the smoking caldera and steaming volcanic vents. Walk inside ancient Nahuku (Thurston Lava Tube) and enjoy an island-infused lunch at the historic Kilauea Lodge & Restaurant. Afterward, visit Punaluʻu Beach—a beautiful black sand beach frequently visited by green sea turtles On the final leg of your journey, drive through Liliuokalani Gardens (the largest authentic Edo-style ornamental garden outside of Japan) and Downtown Hilo before seeing the picture-perfect scenery of Rainbow Falls.

Discover the Big Island in Hawaii on a guided tour of its highlights including the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park at twilight. Enjoy the scenic views of the area, admire the starry night sky, learn about local history and wildlife, and enjoy some dinner. Start with pickup from one of the meeting points on the island. Set off on your adventure, beginning with a stop at a Kona coffee farm. Walk through a lava tube and orchards with your guide to learn about the harvesting and milling process while sampling a warm cup of Kona-grown coffee. Continue the tour through scenic landscapes, including a stop to admire the view of Kealakekua Bay and South Point, the southernmost point of the United States. Relax at Punalu’u Black Sand Beach and look out for Hawaii’s green sea turtles, from the shore. Next, head to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park as you travel along the Chain of Craters Road. Learn about volcanic eruptions and current and past lava flow sites. Visit the Kilauea Iki Lookout, Lava Tube, steam vents, Halema’uma’u Crater, and the crater rim trail. After enjoying dinner at a nearby café, return to the park to view the lava flows at night and stargaze. Depending on weather conditions, observe stars, planets, galaxies, and more, before heading back to your pickup point.

Get the most of your time in Hilo. Have a local driver get you to the most popular attractions on Hawai'i Island. See the best scenes of Hawai’i’s active volcano. Ask any questions and have a new friend by the end of the day. Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is a blockbuster sight on the Big Island, but reaching the park from the Hilo port on your own can be time consuming. With this driving tour, save hours with port pickup and head straight to the park’s highlights, including the steam vents and Kilauea Caldera overlook. Later, visit the Liliuokalani Gardens, Rainbow Falls, and Big Island Candies flagship store.

Immerse yourself in the best of the Big Island’s sights, microclimates, and traditions as well as gourmet food and beverages on this full-day all-inclusive tour. Allow us to take care of all your needs from hotel pickup and drop-off and catered meals to a carefully planned route with thoughtfully curated stops. This is the Big Island you’ve been dreaming of — a destination where breathtaking landscapes and millennia of culture combine to create a day of connection with land and people. Welcome to paradise.

For an out-of-this-world experience, check out Maunakea Stellar Explorer. The in-house stellar explorers are the best and most experienced in Hawaii, with one having created the Mauna Kea Visitor’s Center and operated it for a decade. Staff have written noted articles and reviews for well-known astronomy magazines and have worked at world-class observatories. Next, you’ll travel across Saddle Road between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, two of the tallest and most massive volcanoes on Earth. Your National Park Service trained guide will discuss the volcanology, geology, and history of these monstrous wonders, as well as providing in-depth narration on the various lava flows and flora and fauna that you’ll be passing by. While you’re taking in the breathtaking terrestrial views, your guide will prepare some heavenly views just as stunning. Setting up a state of the art solar telescope for your viewing pleasure, your specially trained guide will let you safely watch the sun come alive in true color with vibrant solar flares, sunspots, prominences, and any other current activity, weather permitting. Lastly, your guide will take you to one of the preferred locations on Mauna Kea for nighttime stargazing. You’ll observe deep sky and planetary objects through a large aperture Dobsonian telescope under one of the darkest and most pristine skies on planet Earth. The Dobsonian telescopes are a true purist’s experience to view the night sky. Their fast focal ratio enables you to see sprawling wide field views of objects that simply aren’t possible with the types of telescopes used by other tours. Depending on what is visible in the current sky and weather permitting, you’ll observe galaxies, nebula, star clusters, planets, double star systems, the moon, and much more; all the highlights and showpiece objects like you’ve never seen before. 

Take a journey of discovery and witness the awe-inspiring power of nature on an afternoon hike in Volcanoes National Park. Join me as I guide you on a 4 mile loop adventure through Hawaiian native forests and around a hardened lava lake. Relax in the serene surroundings of this special place and take in all the sights and sounds of one of Hawaii’s most spectacular national parks. With my experienced guidance, you’ll have a unique opportunity to explore and appreciate this majestic environment. So don’t miss out – book your afternoon hike today! The hike will end at the Volcano hose restaurant and bar, guests are encouraged to book a relaxing meal at Volcano House restaurant and bar. If interested I will supply you with all information upon booking. Lava viewing is subject to weather and Kilauea volcano.

See it all on a Big Island day tour exploring volcanoes, beaches, and coffee. Visit a Kona coffee farm and bakery to sample local delights. Walk through Thurston Lava Tube on Kilauea Volcano and look for turtles at Punalu'u Black Sand Beach. Begin with a visit to a Kona coffee farm. Breathe in the fresh mountain air while sampling a wide selection of Kona coffees. The Kona coffee belt produces exceptional coffee due to volcanic soil and a mild climate. At the coffee farm, enjoy a deli-style lunch in the heart of Kona coffee country. Continue to the famous Punalu’u Bake Shop. Here you can peruse the southernmost bakery in the United States and enjoy fresh Hawaiian sweet bread and malasadas—a Portuguese donut and favorite local treat. Visit the world-famous Punalu’u Black Sand beach. This incredible stretch of black sand beach is home to nesting Hawaiian sea turtles and is also a favorite spot for locals to fish and BBQ on the weekends. Traverse the Big Island of Hawaii and see Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, traveling over the wild and varied landscapes of the active Kilauea Volcano. Experience the heat of steam vents rising up from cracks in the earth, and take a short hike through Thurston Lava Tube. Enjoy a three-course restaurant dinner at Kilauea Lodge. If the lava is flowing, venture back into the park after dinner to view the magnificent glow of the lava lake in Halema’uma’u crater.