• Kilauea Iki Trail - The group will gather at the Kilauea Iki Trailhead and hike half a mile to reach the lava tube. The entire hike covers just over a mile.

Name Meaning: In Hawaiian, Kīlauea Iki translates to “little Kīlauea,” referring to a smaller crater adjacent to the main Kīlauea summit caldera.

Size: The crater stretches about a mile in length, 3,000 feet in width, with its floor approximately 400 feet below the rim, large enough to accommodate a lava lake!

The Legendary 1959 Eruption

Spectacular Lava Fountains: In 1959, Kīlauea Iki became one of the most remarkable eruptive sites of the 20th century, with lava fountains soaring up to 1,900 feet (580 m) into the air.

Lava Lake Formation: Over several weeks, eruptions filled the crater with molten lava, forming a deep lake about 400 feet thick, making it one of the most studied lava lakes in history.

• Nahuku - Thurston Lava Tube - The walk along the edge of Kilauea Iki Crater leads to a 500-year-old lava tube in a temperate rainforest.

This is a genuine lava tunnel, formed when molten lava flowed beneath the surface during a volcanic eruption. Once the liquid lava drained away, it left a hollow tube to walk through.

The lava that carved out Nāhuku was over 2,000 °F (1,093 °C) while it flowed — incredibly hot!

This lava tube is about 500 years old, geologically quite recent.

The tunnel is approximately 600 feet long, with ceilings reaching 20 feet high or more in some areas.

Rainforest Entrance

The trail to the tube winds through a lush native rainforest, alive with native birdsong and large ferns.

Visitors transition from jungle into the heart of what was once a river of fire!

• Luamanu Crater - A July 1974 eruption partially filled this crater as lava oozed from nearby vents.
• Puhimau Crater - This area features a crater, but its most unusual aspect is the large thermal area that has killed trees and grass. The thermal area began around 1939 and continues to slowly engulf the surrounding forest. The future remains to be seen.
• Mauna Ulu - Mauna Ulu means “growing mountain” in Hawaiian, and the name is quite literal. It formed as a new volcanic shield during a prolonged eruption on Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone.

It is not a single cone but a broad lava shield, built layer by layer as lava repeatedly spilled out and spread gently across the land.

A Historic Long-Lasting Eruption
Eruption dates: 1969–1974 — nearly five years, making it one of the longest eruptions of Kīlauea in modern history.

During this time, Mauna Ulu erupted almost continuously, significantly reshaping the landscape along Chain of Craters Road.

• Holei Sea Arch - Natural Sea Arch: Hōlei Sea Arch is a massive natural rock bridge formed by the relentless power of the Pacific Ocean eroding ancient lava cliffs. Waves gradually hollowed out softer and fractured parts of the basalt until an arch remained.

Size: The arch stands about 90 feet (27 m) high, taller than a 7-story building!

Erosion at Work: The arch was carved from a lava flow approximately 550 years old. Ocean waves pounded at cracks and weak spots between hard and soft lava layers — a process called differential erosion — gradually sculpting the arch seen today.

• Pauahi Crater - Pauahi derives from the Hawaiian words “pau” (finished/done) and “ahi” (fire), meaning “destroyed by fire” — a fitting name for a crater shaped by volcanic fire.

It is a large volcanic pit crater — a deep, steep-sided depression formed mostly by the collapse of the surface as magma moves underground, rather than by explosive activity.

Pauahi is quite large: approximately 1,600–2,000 feet (about 500–610 m) long, up to about 300–500 feet (90–150 m) deep, and about 300 feet (90 m) wide.

Eruptive History

Pauahi has experienced multiple volcanic events in recent (geologic) history, making it more than just a static hole in the ground:

May 1973: A fissure opened and erupted briefly on the crater floor.

November 1973: A longer eruption (about 31 days) created lava flows and dramatic features on the crater floor.

November 1979: The most recent eruption was brief (one day) and left the lava surface visible today.

• Private transportation
• Bottled water
• Snacks
• In-vehicle air conditioning
• Photography of the Tour

• Entrance fees

Exciting New Tour Launching in 2026! Spend 2.5 hours with us and become a lava detective! Discover the history of eruption events, explore lava formations, and understand their origins. The adventure begins with a 1-mile hike from the edge of a pit crater to a lava tube. Following this, enjoy a drive to the end of Chain of Craters Road, where expert narration will enhance your experience.

Uncover insights and sights you wouldn’t find on your own! In just 3 hours, gain a deeper understanding of volcanoes, Hawaii’s unique landscape, native flora and fauna, and Hawaiian culture. While it’s impossible to cover the entire Park in 3 hours, we provide several stops to enrich your knowledge and engage your senses.

After your tour, the formations on the Big Island and throughout Hawaii will become clear.

• Dress Code: Wear layers and bring raincoats; mountain weather can vary by 20 degrees. Closed-toe shoes are recommended. *

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.