• Kilauea Iki Trail - The group will gather at the Kilauea Iki Trailhead and hike just half a mile along the trail to reach the lava tube, for a total hike of just over one mile.

Name Meaning: Kīlauea Iki translates to “little Kīlauea” in Hawaiian — a smaller crater situated right beside the main Kīlauea summit caldera.

Size: The crater spans about a mile in length, is roughly 3,000 feet wide, and its floor sits approximately 400 feet below the rim — spacious enough to hold an entire lava lake!

The Legendary 1959 Eruption

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

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

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

This is a genuine lava tunnel, formed when molten lava once flowed beneath the surface during a volcanic eruption. After the liquid lava drained away, it left behind a hollow tube that visitors can walk through.

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

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

The tunnel stretches roughly 600 feet long, and in some places the ceiling soars 20 feet high or more.

Rainforest Entrance

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

Visitors literally travel from the 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 characteristic 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. Only time will tell what the future holds.

• Mauna Ulu - Mauna Ulu means “growing mountain” in Hawaiian — and the name is quite literal. It formed as a brand-new volcanic shield during a long-lasting eruption on Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone.

It is not a single cone, but rather 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.

Over that time, Mauna Ulu erupted almost continuously, fundamentally reshaping the landscape along Chain of Craters Road.

• Pauahi Crater - Pauahi comes 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 bombardment.

Pauahi is quite large: roughly 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
• In-vehicle air conditioning

• Entrance fees

New for 2026—become a lava detective with Big Island VIP! In just two hours, visitors will never look at Hawaiʻi’s volcanic landscape the same way again. This immersive experience goes beyond simply touring Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park—it teaches guests how to read the landscape. The adventure begins with an approximately one-mile hike from the edge of a dramatic pit crater through native Hawaiian rainforest to a lava tube. Along the way, the operator highlights different lava formations, explains how and when they were created, and reveals fascinating features most visitors would drive or walk right past. Guests will also discover how volcanoes created the Hawaiian Islands and shaped their wildlife, ecosystems, and culture. While the entire National Park cannot be covered in just two hours, the experience can change the way visitors see it. After exploring with Big Island VIP, the craters and volcanic formations encountered throughout the Big Island will begin to make sense. Don’t just visit a volcano—learn how to read one.

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