On this tour from Kona to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, experience some of the Big Island’s best sights in a small group capped at 14 people. In addition to stopping at Punalu’u Beach Park to walk down a black-sand beach, you have the chance to sip Kona coffee on the plantation right where it’s grown, as well as hike through a lava tube that was formed by Kilauea volcano.

Day trip to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park from Kona or Waikaloa
See turtles basking on the black sand of Punalu’u Beach
Enjoy a picnic lunch and taste freshly brewed Kona coffee
Small-group tour limited to 14 people ensures a more personalized experience

Why Travellers Choose This Tour

Potential to see active lava.

What's Included

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Fees included
Lunch, dinner, water, and snacks
Black sand beach with potential to see the green sea turtles
Two short optional hikes
Kona coffee farm tour
Transport by air-conditioned vehicle
Hotel pickup and drop-off from Kailua-Kona, Waikoloa, Kohala Coast (personal pick-up time varies)

Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

08:00 am

Pickup details

Your morning pick-up time depends on your hotel location, the volcanic conditions, and the time of the year. The booking system always shows 8 AM but your personal pick-up time varies. Please provide your hotel information at least 48 hours before the tour date. We will contact your party the day prior to the tour with a personalized pick-up time and instructions. Please do not book any other activities for your tour day.

What To Expect

This Kona volcano tour begins at your hotel in either Kona or Waikoloa, where you board a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle for the journey to Kilauea volcano.

Along the way, stop at the 'coffee belt' in the cool uplands above Kona, and enjoy a cup of Kona coffee on a plantation right where it’s grown. Enjoy a light snack in the cool mountain air, and, if you’d like to pick up some coffee for home or gifts to bring back from Hawaii, buying the coffee straight from the source is a great way to help local farmers.

The tour continues around the south end of the island, where you next stop at Punalu’u Beach Park for a walk down the black-sand beach. This scenic spot on the southeastern shore is known for its Hawaiian green sea turtles, which occasionally haul out and sun on the sands or bask in the shade of a palm.

Upon reaching Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, follow your guide on a short hike through a cavernous, naturally formed lava tube, which is created by the swelling and eventual cooling of an underground river of lava. When you approach the rim of Halema’uma’u Crater, you can see the steam as it rises from the Earth and the hiss of volcanic gas, and as the sunlight slowly fades into night, the crater emits an orange glow from the lava lake deep down inside. Since the temperature toward the volcano’s summit can be a bit chilly at night, enjoy a warm dinner of tasty soup that’s served with bread and then dessert.

Throughout this Kona volcano tour, every traveler has use of an iPad for reading more info about the sights, as well as scouring photos and videos or playing games in the car.

Finally, at the end of the fascinating Big Island adventure, return to your Kona or Waikoloa hotel.

Kailua-Kona (Pass By)

Greenwell Farms

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Captain Cook (Pass By)

Mauna Loa (Pass By)

Punalu'u Black Sand beach

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Steam Vents

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Halemaumau Trail

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Kilauea Volcano

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Nahuku - Thurston Lava Tube

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Chain of Craters Road (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 4 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
Minimum age is 6 years
Not wheelchair accessible
Please note that the tour may change due to weather, traffic, volcanic conditions, vehicles, and availability
A small amount of walking is involved (please bring comfortable walking shoes)

Operates in all weather conditions, please dress in layers and bring a rain jacket
Bring money if you would like to buy coffee or souvenirs
Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
Most travellers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Traveller Tips

Those interested in this tour should know that it is a long day and will involve a good deal of walking, however the physical activity is relatively short with driving breaks between.

It was nice they had raincoats just in case and the lunch spot provided very tasty food as well as beautiful scenery.

Reviews

5.0

298 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 298 reviews

Amazing experience....

Cristina_P, Sept 2023

Amazing experience. Dominik is the best guide we ever had on a tour, super prepared! He is able to explain complicated things in a very easy way and it never gets boring.

Awesome experience in Bing island

Margie_A, Aug 2023

Be in the area and personally see the lava rocks. Our guide Dominik is so knowledgeable. He has answer to any question. He talked about Hawaii history non stop, from the time we leave and from the time we went back. All the places we went are worth to see and was a nice experience. We experienced the hot and dry weather and wet and rain as well. A must see when you come to big island.

Awesome experience!

Marcelle_T, Aug 2023

This was an amazing experience!! I highly recommend this tour. The beautiful and fascinating sites, history, culture and extensive information made this such a wonderful day on the Big Island!

The tour is very long,...

Clarence_A, July 2023

The tour is very long, but our tour guide; Dominick made the time fly by. He was informative, factual and personable. Without his guidance we would not have seen the things we did and know the history behind each stop. Going in a lava tube and seeing the steam vents are most memorable, but the highlight of the trip was seeing one lone green turtle at the black sand beach . Dominick is qan asset to your organization and represents that true Hawaiian Ohana feeling. Thank you again to Dominick.

We learned so much!

MORA_P, July 2023

Dominick was awesome! He was very knowledgeable about Hawai’i. We learned so much visiting each site. He was prompt, polite, and professional. Thank you for an amazing day!

The Highlight of our family trip to Hawaii

Perry_T, June 2023

Our guide, Dominic, was extremely knowledgeable. His commentary and expertise is what made this day so special. We’ll always remember the Kona coffee farm, the guided tour in Volcano Park, and we learned much about the history of Hawaii.

Our tour guide was the...

Svannah_B, June 2023

Our tour guide was the best! We loved seeing the active volcano and black sand beach. 10/10 would recommend 😊

A great taste of the big island (volcano erupting, black sand beach, and coffee)

Sherry_Z, June 2023

Seeing the volcano erupting was absolutely amazing, a once in a lifetime experience for this mainlander. The black sand beach was beautiful and getting to see the Hawaiian green turtles was special. And I love coffee, Kona coffee is exceptional. Dominick, our tour guide, was one of the best tour guides I've had anywhere in the world. He was very knowledgeable about the island, including the flora and fauna, the volcanoes and topography and the history of the island, it's people and culture.

Circle the Island Tour

Lester_L, June 2023

The guide Dominik was awesome. The National Volcano Park and Lava Tubes were incredible. Highly recommend this tour.

What an amazing day

Tony_C, June 2023

This was an amazing experience. our guide Domink was friendly, professional and had more knowledge about Hawaii than I could ever imagine. The stops along the way were very cool and although 12 hours seems like a lot of time it actually flew by. It was a great experience and I would 100% recommend it to anyone who wants to see some hidden parts of the island OR to anyone who wants to learn about Hawaiian history and/or culture.

Thank you!

Patricia_C, Feb 2023

Hearing the many stories of the legends and lore of Hawaiian history being told by a very knowledgeable tour guide Katie. It was truly captivating especially while seeing the exact sights of where these incredible stories unfolded. Loved the Kona coffee farm and the people I met. To top it off we viewed an active volcano, black sand beach and walked through lava tubes at Volcanos National Park. A priceless dream come true!

Volcano Tour and Coffee

Pearla_M, Feb 2023

From the pick up to the drop off, it was an amazing time. Lots to see. She was very informative and so friendly. We were able to see 2 coffee farms, even with the pouring down rain. But because of the rain, the volcano that had just erupted 2 weeks prior did not have a lava flow, so we were unfortunate to not see it. Very comfortable bus and I love how it was a small group of people making it very personal.

A long day and worth every minute!

Jennifer_B, Jan 2023

What an amazing tour! We saw green sea turtles on Black Beach and watched molten lava from Mt. Kilauea bubble and flow. Wow! Both events of a life time. And Katie was excellent. Provided historical Info and great stories pertaining to where we were and what we were seeing. Highly recommend it!

Katie was an amazing tour...

Emily_W, Jan 2023

Katie was an amazing tour guide who was very knowledge of the history. She made the tour enjoyable and comfortable.

Take this Tour!

Mark_D, Jan 2023

The perfect way to experience Hawaii. We loved every stop and learned so much. Katie was outstanding. Her knowledge of all things Big Island truly made this a memorable tour. We would have missed so much if we tried to drive this ourselves.

Nice sightseeing

Jack_M, Nov 2022

Excellent tour guide was very informative Was able to see a great view of the volcano and when and went around the whole island

Incredible Views

JaniceR_Z, Nov 2022

We had an excellent view of the lava flow. Katie,our guide, took excellent videos for us. She also arranged for our handicapped member to have an excellent place to watch from the Volcano House.

Kona Beauty and Exceptional Guide.

Lorraine_S, Nov 2022

Our wonderful tour guide was Katie. In addition to bringing us safely and comfortably to all the planned stops, she shared many Hawaiian legends, and island history stories. There were a few long stretches of driving (it IS a big island), but we were never bored. We had water available at all times and frequent access to restrooms. It was a long but memorable day and we are so happy we took this tour.

BIG ISLAND TOUR

Luis_B, Nov 2022

Visiting and actual viewing of the eruption and flow of lava from Kilauea Volcano within the Halena’uma’u crater. And the green turtles at Black Sandman Beach.

Big island tour day

Lynne_P, Nov 2022

Husband & I had amazing day with Katie our tour guide …sharing Hawaiian legend stories, coffee farm tour, black sand beach with 8 resting turtles, , and viewing active lava @ Kilauea caldera …she provides lots of rstrrom stops, food & water…

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