Delve into Hawaii’s history and prepare to get wet on this full-day waterfall adventure tour of the Big Island’s Kohala coast. Begin with a drive up the Kona coastline past lava flows, and take in sweeping views along the way. Admire the several Kohala waterfalls and cool off with a dip under the final cascade, a picnic lunch is included.

Small group off-road walking tour on Hawaii
Travel up the North Kona and Kohala coastlines past traditional villages and famous landmarks
Moderate hike past waterfalls and rock formations
Learn about the history of Hawaii through water, waterfalls and diverse ecosystems

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

Take in coastal views and see beautiful waterfalls; you'll even get the chance to take a dip!

What's Included

Guide
Bottled water
Walking sticks, daypacks and rain gear
Lunch
Local taxes
Central Meeting Locations for Pick-up & Drop off

Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

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End point

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What To Expect

Explore highlights of Kohala, the Big Island’s northwestern coast, on a full-day adventure. The tour starts as you'll pass through the charming plantation towns of Hawi and Kapaau, and keep an eye out for large marine life offshore, including spinner dolphins and humpback whales (in the winter).

Take in spectacular views, and then off road in your 4x4 touring van for brief, bumpy off-road ride along the cliffs. Your destination is the Kohala Ditch Trail, built in the early 1900s to irrigate the surrounding former sugar plantation. Hike approximately 2 miles (3.2 km), passing blasted-out tunnels, ditches and an old aqueduct while your guide shares the history of the plantation and the construction of its impressive irrigation system. Take a break and recharge with a picnic lunch among the beautiful mountainous scenery.

Throughout the relaxed guided walk, see several Kohala waterfalls that dot the lush and diverse landscape Stop at the last fall for a chance to jump into the refreshing pool and cool off under the cascade. Relax on the ride home as we take you back to town.

Hawaii Forest and Trail

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Kohala Coast

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Kohala Zipline

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Kohala Waterfalls Adventure

4 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 3 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Infant seats available
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate

We require that guests wear closed-toe walking shoes, boots, sneakers, reef walkers or sport sandals. We recommend wearing bathing suits under clothes, short sleeved shirt, and bring a light sweatshirt or jacket and a towel
Infants under 3 must be carried in a backpack carrier
Children under 4 must ride in a car seat
Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
A maximum number of 12 people per van
**We are unable to accommodate cruise ship guests on this adventure, due to timing restrictions**
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

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.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Diana_B

Eugene was very knowledgeable regarding the island, he made the excursion interesting. He was patient and kept his group together.

Reviews

5.0

278 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 278 reviews

Best hike and guided tour

Efrain_Z, Sep 2023

Best guided tour I’ve gone on. Nick was awesome, made time to interact and just a great experience overall.

A must see!

Ashley_J, Sep 2023

We had so much fun on this tour. Mark was informative, professional, and generally a fun guy all around. They had everything we needed to have a great time and they clearly cared that we did. The waterfall pool we swam in was a little cool but I imagine in the height of summer it would feel even more heavenly.

Eugene was very...

Diana_B, Aug 2023

Eugene was very knowledgeable regarding the island, he made the excursion interesting. He was patient and kept his group together.

Lots of fun

Connie_C, Aug 2023

We had a great tour guide, Mateo. He was very nice and friendly and very knowledgeable about Hawaii and it’s history. The falls and views were excellent! This was a great adventure!

Recommend

Yaritza_G, Aug 2023

Trip was absolutely amazing, short walking trail roughly a mile round trip. Beautiful waterfalls, the end of our trip had one of the most beautiful sites with a nice breeze. Our tour guide Mateo was very friendly, knowledgeable, and patient (our four year old kiddo made it through the walk and swim). Would definitely book again.

Great guide fun but a bit expensive

Thomas_H, Jul 2023

The trail guide was amazing. Mike was knowledgeable, fun, and had fabulous stories to share. Views were beautiful but did not even get close to a sweat. Very easy trial. Was a bit expensive too.

Highlight of our trip!

amy_h, Jul 2023

Matteo was an amazing guide. We learned so much about the history of Hawaii and also had a great time hiking and eating lunch at a stunning overlook. I’m more of an indoor girl but the hike was completely doable. My teenagers loved it as well, the highlight obviously being the swim under the falls.

Thank you Gary for an amazing experience.

Jairo_A, Jul 2023

Gary was an amazing guide. Gary made us feel like family and helped us make it easier with our two young children. I would recommend this hike anyone. Best money spent in Hawaii.

Meh

michael_j, Jul 2023

The positive Our guide Guinevere was darling and very friendly. The van is also very nice as is their facility. The meh The lunch was a very dry simple meal. The location for eating the lunch was fantastic. The not so great. The private land where the hike and nature experience was the most mediocre hike we experienced on the big island. It is a 2.5 out of 10 from an excitement level. The waterfalls had a smaller amount of water which depends on the rainfall of corse but we were there in the rainy season. The commitment to going to a private estate IS the reason for the lame content of the experience. The value was not there. This is an adventure for someone who doesn’t want excitement but wants to say they did. Found a trail on All trails which was 20 min away from their office and it was MUCH better.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Aloha Michael, Mahalo for sharing your recent experience with us. We're sorry you were disappointed with your Kohala Waterfalls Adventure. We do try our best to communicate the type and level of activity, and what our guests can expect on this specific excursion. It seems there was a miscommunication and misunderstanding on the type of hike you were anticipating. You are correct, this adventure only hikes approximately 1 mile on private property and we do rate it as easy and a relaxed, guided walk. We do offer another adventure with more vigorous hiking of approximately 4 miles on private property on Hualalai Volcano. We apologize for any misunderstanding. Feel free to reach to me directly if you have any additional feedback or recommendations at 808.331.3624. Mahalo, Jonathan, Director of Sales & Marketing

Great Adventure!

Bruce_P, Jul 2023

The adventure was great and incredible. Mark was extremely knowledgeable of the island and it’s history that made the experience even better.

Great Hike

Geri_V, Jul 2023

It was a wonderful experience and we had such a great time with Garry our guide. We would do it again.

Short and easy but nice.

donald_g, Jun 2023

Easy hike, shorter than hoped for. Great dip in the waterfall pool. Beautiful view at lunch. Plenty of history and knowledge from our guide (Nic?).

Best tour ever

lydiarowley1, Jun 2023

Our guide was very friendly and informative. It’s very refreshing to run across someone in the service industry who gives great service. She was awesome!

Excellent Adventure

Teresa_F, Jun 2023

What a fabulous adventure with Hawaii Forest & Trail Kona. From the moment we arrived at the headquarters to the return, this was by far one of the best adventures we have ever had. Our private tour guide, Mark, welcomed us with open arms and whimsical narration. He made it clear that this was OUR adventure. On the way up to the falls, he educated us on the land, lava flows and historical significance of every town we passed by. The transportation vehicle was very comfortable, even on the rugged off-road portion of the ride. The hike up to the falls was fun and not too strenuous. Mark provided us all the gear needed for the hike and recommendations for perfect spots for picture taking and swimming. We had these spots to ourselves most of the time. Two of the waterfalls spots were perfect for swimming. The sandwiches for lunch were delicious and included vegan options. Mark took us to a spot for lunch where the views of the island were breathtaking. Last, but not the least, Mark is an excellent photographer. Throughout the adventure, he was thoughtful and creative with us learning our interests and making great suggestions on the best spots and the best poses for lifetime memories. The trip, with Hawaii’s beauty and Mark’s thoughtful insight, was a family favorite adventure whose memories will last a lifetime.

Waterfall tour

Roxanne_C, Jun 2023

The waterfall adventure was everything I had hoped for and more. Mateo was an incredible tour guide. He had numerous historical stories throughout the tour and gave us extensive botany/animal education as well. This is the waterfall tour to pick, I promise!

So good I would do it again!

Nancy_T, Jun 2023

Our guide, Nick, was very knowledgeable and approachable. He was constantly checking to see if everyone was comfortable and enjoying themselves. Everyone we met in our experience with Hawaii Forest and Trails were extremely friendly and helpful.

25th Anniversary Trip

Michael_W, Jun 2023

We had a wonderful time on this trip. Dane was a great tour guide. We would highly recommend this trip.

Perfect Hawaiian adventure

nbdg22mtkm, Jun 2023

We had an absolutely amazing trip with Taro. He was so much fun and provided us with great information.

We loved our time!

Donna_H, May 2023

Such a great tour to start our visit to the big island! We were able to take our 1 year old and they provided a carseat and carrier for them with an accommodating lunch! Highly recommended!!!

Wonderful adventure

Rebecca_M, May 2023

Wonderful adventure. There were 10 in our van plus the driver/ guide Mark who did a great job. Beautiful scenery and the swim in the waterfall was lovely. Lunch was good too overlooking the cliffs and the ocean.

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