Top Hilo Day Trips

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is famous for its ever-flowing lava and the planet’s most massive active volcano. This tour journeys to top natural landmarks in and around the park. Visit Rainbow Falls, Richardson black sand beach, Historic Banyan Drive, Liliuokalani Gardens, Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory, Akatsuka Orchid Nursery, and the active volcano of Kilauea. You also get the opportunity to walk through a lava tube.

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. This leaves enough time to visit the Akatsuka Orchid Gardens, Hilo Coffee Mill, and Mauna Loa macadamia farm.

This fully narrated tour is ideal for families and small groups, thanks to a maximum size of 11 people. Explore Volcanoes National Park with an expert guide and experience the excitement of the number one tour on the Big Island. You'll make stops at Jaggar Museum, Kilauea Crater and Thurston Lave Tube, plus Rainbow Falls and several other Hawaii highlights. Whether you're a first time visitor or returning to the Big Island for another look, this tour is right for you!

Embark on an epic adventure on this Volcanoes National Park tour from Hilo. Journey into the largest and most active volcano on earth with your friendly, professional guide, and pay a visit to the Richardson Blacksand Beach. Learn about the incredible landscapes that roll out before you and gain insight into the geological and ecological implications of Mother Nature on this stunning park. See the Akatsuka Orchid Nursery, Rainbow Falls, the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory and so much more on this memorable tour that hits so many of Hawaii's hot spots.

The dramatic volcanoes, lava lakes, and craters of the Volcanoes National Park lie just a short drive from Hilo. On this tour, travel in the comfort of a private vehicle and take in the highlights with a customized itinerary, spending as you long as you like at each stop. Along the way, choose to visit regional attractions such as Rainbow Falls, the black sand beach at Richardson, and the Akatsuka Orchid Gardens.

Immerse yourself in Hawaii’s explosive scenery on this guided excursion. After a convenient hotel pickup, enjoy experiences that include trekking Kilauea’s historic 2018 lava flow, marveling at the steam vents and sulfur banks of Volcano National Park, and stopping by Star of the Sea Painted Church in Kalapana.

Private tour. Go when you want and come back when you want. Perfect for guests who want to have a day of their own.

Check off a second island on your trip to Maui: the Big Island. With this tour, you’ll meet your driver after an island-hopper flight to set out on a whirlwind adventure. You’ll explore waterfalls, gardens, black-sand beaches, and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. You’ll witness steaming vents, walk through lava tubes, gawk at craters, and wander across the slopes of an active volcano. And you’ll be back in Maui same day.

Hawaii's most sought after views. Cultural differences and history. Past and present knowledge of the "Big Island".

Discover Hawaii's highest point as you trek up to the 13,803-foot (4,207.3-meter) summit of Mauna Kea. Travel by road to the Onizuka Astronomy Complex, then enjoy a scenic guided hike to the summit, passing international telescopes and panoramic viewpoints. Arrive at the top of the volcano in time to watch the sunset, then return to Onizuka for a guided star-gazing experience (no telescopes provided).

When your ship docks in Hilo, use your time in port to get acquainted with Kilauea, the most active volcano on earth. Embark on a tour through the Nanawale Rainforest, a lush, tropical landscape in the Eastern Rift Zone. Explore lava caves; stroll along the most recently formed black-sand beaches; feel the warmth from volcanic hot pools, and discover Rainbow Falls. Travel trough Hawaiian back roads and discover the destructive path of the volcano's most recent eruption. Round-trip transport from the port or hotel is included.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is unlike anywhere else on the planet, where one of the world’s most active volcanoes sends lava dripping towards the sea, and a towering mountain lies dormant and ready to pop. On this tour of the National Park, hear the legends of Madame Pele, the mythical Hawaiian fire goddess, a tour from Hilo to the eastern coastline and climb to the rim of Kilauea volcano. On this small group tour, your guide will customize the pace and number of sights.

Experience some of the Big Island’s top attractions during this day trip to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the sights around Hilo. Learn all about volcanoes as you marvel at Halema'uma'u crater and explore the massive Kilauea Volcano. Immerse your senses in the beauty of Hilo including a visit to Rainbow Falls and a stop to indulge in local chocolates and island fresh coffee.

Hawaii’s natural wonders aren’t only on land and in the sea—the Big Island is also a prime spot from which to admire the wonders of the solar system. This tour is the only one that includes both afternoon solar viewing and nighttime stargazing, accompanied by astronomy experts. Visit Rainbow Falls and the Kaumana lava caves, then explore the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and use a state-of-the-art solar telescope and Dobsonian telescope to spot solar flares, galaxies, star clusters, and planets.

Explore the fascinating world of active volcanism, biological diversity and past and present Hawaiian culture at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Visit Kalapana, a village destroyed by advancing lava, and the black sand beach on the island. Learn about everything from active volcanic craters and steam vents to the historic Jagger Museum. Watch for current activity at Kilauea Volcano, the most active of the five volcanoes in Hawaii. Hotel pickup and drop-off provide for a seamless experience.

Treat yourself to an exclusive private tour of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Hilo's tropical beauty. Travel to the summit of Hawaii Island's youngest and most active volcano, Kilauea. If the timing is right you may witness the incredible show of an eruption! Experience the steaming Kilauea caldera, misty rainforest of Nahuku (Thurston lava tube), and the Chain of Craters Road. Enjoy short hikes along the way as you learn about past and present volcanic eruptions, different lava formations, and the history and Hawaiian culture of the area. As a private tour, you will have the option of spending the duration of your tour in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park with optional hiking or heading down to Hilo with stops at the majestic Rainbow Falls, Liliuokalani Gardens and a local chocolate factory.