Recently Viewed
Hilo Adventure: Hidden Surf Spots & Lava Fields
4.8
141 Ratings
Hilo
Explore hidden gems of Hawaii Volcano National Park. Enjoy unique stops, local treats, and captivating stories. Book now for an unforgettable adventure.
Explore hidden gems of Hawaii Volcano National Park. Enjoy unique stops, local treats, and captivating stories. Book now for an unforgettable adventure.
Duration:
7 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Liliʻuokalani Gardens - The operator drives to the Ice Pond and gets out to show turtles and fish. At Liliʻuokalani Garden, the operator looks for nene geese and identifies plants. The sign with the local fish will be shown, and the operator will tell about them. The operator does not work for NCL!
- Rainbow Falls - At Rainbow Falls, the county…
- Liliʻuokalani Gardens - The operator drives to the Ice Pond and gets out to show turtles and fish. At Liliʻuokalani Garden, the operator looks for nene geese and identifies plants. The sign with the local fish will be shown, and the operator will tell about them. The operator does not work for NCL!
- Rainbow Falls - At Rainbow Falls, the county charges $5. The operator will take photos and show an optical illusion for 20 minutes. There will be a stop for iced coconuts if the vendor is there, for 15 minutes, and a stop for whipped ice cream for 30 minutes. Then there is a stop to look for wild pigs to feed in one area for 10 minutes.
- Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Visitor Center - The operator will get food to go at the Macadamia Nut Farm and sample macadamia nuts. The processing of macadamia nuts will be explained, and there will be time to shop.
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - Hawaiian music will be played on the way up to Volcano Village, which is a 35-minute drive. About 45 minutes will be spent there. The first stop in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the Crater Overlook, where the operator will tell about Hawaiian mythology. The next stop is Steam Vents, where the operator will show how to make the vent steam a lot more. Next, the Volcano House will be visited for shopping. After that, the group will go to a Lava Field with a fissure, where they will look for Peacock Lava, and the operator will take pictures of guests standing inside a fissure. The last stop in the park is a Lava Tube. Photos will be taken, and the operator will tell about native birds and plants. Two hours will be spent in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Then it is a 35-minute drive to the Macadamia Nut Farm.
- Big Island Candies - The group heads to Big Island Candies to sample chocolate, candies, and Kona coffee. Guests can watch them make chocolate behind the glass. Drinks and food are available.
- Richardson Beach Park - The group will go to a black sand beach to take photos and look for turtles, fish, and nene geese. Then it is back to the cruise ship.
What's Included
- Hawaii Volcano National Park fees
- English Speaking Guide
- Hawaii Volcano National Park fees
- English Speaking Guide
What's Not Included
- Entrance fees
- Entrance fees
Additional Information
The operator works every Tuesday when the Pride Of America or any ship is docked in Hilo.
The journey begins by driving north of Hilo to explore the surf spots, where the operator will drive slowly down a narrow road, narrating stories about the surfers catching waves.
The route includes crossing old bridges through a lush jungle, offering views of…
The operator works every Tuesday when the Pride Of America or any ship is docked in Hilo.
The journey begins by driving north of Hilo to explore the surf spots, where the operator will drive slowly down a narrow road, narrating stories about the surfers catching waves.
The route includes crossing old bridges through a lush jungle, offering views of numerous waterfalls. The operator will share insights about the local plants, history, and real estate.
There is a stop for iced coconuts if the vendor is available, followed by a stop for whipped ice cream.
In one area, there is an opportunity to feed wild pigs if they are present. The tour includes shopping at the Volcano Village for Hawaiian-made items at the gift shop, and visitors can purchase food to go from the store.
At the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the group will walk through a lava field to search for peacock lava, and the operator will take photos of participants inside a fissure. Photos will be taken at all stops, and the operator will share Hawaiian mythology stories.
The operator will provide fruit samples from their farm or stop at a fruit stand for participants to purchase fruit.
- The total duration of the tour includes the travel time
- It is a requirement for travelers to sign a release agreement.
Location
Hilo Harbor
I will meet you in the center of the building on the left side after you come off the ship at 8:30 am at Hilo Harbor.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(141 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Tonynv425pt
Jul 18, 2026
Great Excursion. Highly recommended. - This tour is highly recommended. It is a full day of seeing the sights. Don the tour guide is extremely knowledgeable and knows all the interesting places to go. As far as Hawaii goes, this excursion is very reasonably priced. You will not be disappointed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Balu_n
Jul 18, 2026
Great guide with a commitment - We had an amazing experience on this tour! Even though there were fewer bookings than expected, our guide Dun chose not to cancel the trip and made sure we still had a fantastic experience. We really appreciated that level of commitment and professionalism.
Dun was incredibly patient, knowledgeable, and never made us feel rushed. We visited every destination on the itinerary, and he took the time to explain the history, local culture, and interesting facts at each stop while answering all of our questions.
His friendly attitude, flexibility, and dedication made the entire day enjoyable and stress-free. It’s rare to find someone who genuinely cares about giving guests the best possible experience regardless of the group size.
Highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a memorable and well-organized experience. Thank you for going above and beyond—we would definitely book with you again!
Review provided by Viator
Sue_m
Jul 15, 2026
Great day! - Tour was great and Don did everything he could to make sure everyone was enjoying themselves. We saw things we wouldn’t typically get to on in a larger tour group.
Review provided by Viator
369richt
Jun 24, 2026
Meaningful day! - The Hawaii Volcanoes NP and Hilo tour was really fun. Our host, Don, was knowledgeable about the NP park, trees & plants, Hilo, and HI culture AND very friendly and flexible throughout the day. I usually don't but even enjoyed stops at Big Island Candies and Mauna Loa Nuts stops - great appreciation of how these businesses are run. This was an awsome snapshot of Hawaii island.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nancy_p
Jun 10, 2026
Great tour - Don was a wonderful guide, knowledgeable, friendly, accommodating to all on the trip. Could not have asked for a more enjoyable trip. Saw way more than expected. Would highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Roseann_r
May 17, 2026
I would definately reccomend this tour with Don he was awesome. He went out of his way to ensure that we got to see all - Don was amazing and ensured that we got to the volcanoes in time to see it erupt. He allowed planty of time to spend there.
Review provided by Viator
Disneyfan326
Apr 29, 2026
Amazing volcanoes and guide - This tour was amazing! Don was an excellent guide and took us to the less busy beautiful parts of Volcano National Park and all of Hilo. We saw amazing waterfalls and rainforests. I talked to some other folks who booked through the cruise line and we had a much better experience booking ourselves and really got lucky finding Don who is so knowledgeable about Hilo and the surrounding area and even gave us a couple of tips for our next port Kona.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
117valerieh
May 18, 2026
Shocking Driver, but good tour otherwise. - Where do I start.... We were to meet at the cruise ship terminal at 10am (he - Don - advised he had a doctor's appointment at 9, but would be there at 10am), he would to be holding a sign with the tour name on it. We went down 20mins early to find no one there with our tour sign. We saw this man standing up near the door madly waving a white paper or something similar and guess what, that was him. Apparently we weren't notified of an earlier time as we were the last 2 on the bus. My husband was squeezed into a seat at the back of the bus with 4 other people. When we got to our first stop my husband approached Don about how tight the seating was and this was what followed.... He reached up to the luggage holder above the seats and pulled down a Camping Chair (no joke a camping chair) and said, "this is exactly what I have this for". He told my husband to set it up in the aisle of the bus when all the other passengers were in and sit there. I can't begin the think this was in any way legal..... and it certainly wasn't safe. Many times the camp chair wasn't even folded out and my husband seated before he started driving. It became a habit where all the other passengers would grab onto my husband and steady him while he set up his chair as the bus took off. The driver drove rather erratically as well taking chances instead of waiting for the traffic. At one point he was tailgating a car and telling us to watch how he could make it take the first turnoff to get out of his way. The tour itself was good and we were there one day after an eruption so got to see all the debris on the rooves and all over the ground from the day before. At the lava tunnel the driver sat in the bus as it was raining and just pointed us in the direction of the tunnel and said he wasn't going out in the rain. We did it on our own and just had to meet back at the bus. We did this tour because it said we would go to places others didn't go because Don knew the area so well. Funny thing, but everywhere we went there were always lots of other tours. Overall, loved the tour, but seriously..... get rid of that driver!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gloria_h
May 3, 2026
Must see Volcano National Park. - Volcano National Park was awesome. Guide was very helpful pointing out different lava types in the lava field. Took us to several stops in the park. Tour includes multiple stops in the Hilo area of Hawaii- some are strictly a gift shop stop (Mauna Loa and Big Island Candy) . Our bus was full and sitting in the back row of the bus became very cramped for five average size adults. We left the tour early in part because the weather deteriorated and because we couldn't fathom sitting in the back seats so uncomfortably for three more hours.
Review provided by Viator
Micheleb_k
Apr 13, 2026
Disappointed - I could not give it a 5 star because the trip was booked to see the National park and we never made it into the park!
Our tour guide brought us to other sites first and then by the time we headed to the park … we were in a line of traffic and the park had closed its gates… my only concern was that his office never contacted him to let him know the Volcano was erupting and that the park was closed.
He did take us to other sites but we were never offered any refund for the entrance fee to the park that was included in the price of our excursion.
Review provided by Viator
