Things to do in Big Island of Hawaii
The unmissables
Most booked
Big Island: Volcanoes, Waterfalls & Black Sand Day Trip★ 4.92 (7,066) · 11h
Top rated
Night Snorkeling with Manta Rays in Manta★ 4.84 (6,294) · 2h 30m
Best value
Hilo: Volcanoes, Rainbow Falls & Black Sand Beach Tour★ 4.77 (3,016) · 6h
Recommended (7)
Kona Manta Ray Night Snorkel: FREE re-ride if no sightings★ 4.87 (2,689) · 1h 20mUS$ 30View ›
Kona: Night Manta Ray Snorkel Small Group & Light Board★ 4.68 (2,578) · 1h 30mUS$ 15View ›
Kealakekua Bay snorkeling: Cruise, caves & lunch★ 4.91 (2,498) · 4hUS$ 85View ›
Manta Ray Night Snorkel at Kona: 30 minutes in the water★ 4.75 (2,050) · 1h 30mUS$ 30View ›
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stars: View Black Hole Telescopes★ 4.80 (1,870) · 7h–8hUS$ 289View ›
Mauna Kea Summit Tour with Stargazing: Free Night Sky Photos★ 4.80 (1,764) · 8hUS$ 290View ›
Big Island Volcano & Stargazing Tour with Kona Coffee★ 4.90 (1,739) · 12hUS$ 309View ›Top rated (10)
Big Island Hawaii: Volcanoes, Waterfalls & Black Sand Beach Day TourYou spend most of the morning inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park with a Native Hawaiian guide covering the crater overlooks, steam vents, and lava tubes. After lunch at Hilo Farmers Market, you visit Rainbow Falls, a botanical garden with tide pools, a local candy factory with free samples, and Richardson Ocean Park to see Hawaiian green sea turtles. Hotel or airport pickup and drop-off in Hilo are included, along with the national park fee, bottled water, and an umbrella for the mist.Is it for me?Pick this tour if you want to see the Big Island's most famous natural landmarks—volcanoes, waterfalls, tide pools, and sea turtles—in a single day without renting a car or planning the route yourself. The Native Hawaiian guide and fixed schedule handle the logistics, and the van's reclining seats mean you're not exhausted by the driving between stops.
Big Island: Hilo Craft Chocolate Farm Tour & Tasting RoomYou’ll walk through living cacao orchards near Hilo with local guides who know every tree’s story. Taste fresh cacao pulp right off the branch, then sample over ten craft chocolates in a breezy tasting room overlooking green valleys and distant ocean. Expect real conversations, plenty of laughs, and sensory surprises you’ll remember long after leaving Hawaii.
Big Island: Volcanoes, Waterfalls & Black Sand Beach Day TripYou’ll circle Hawaii’s Big Island in one packed day—tasting fresh Kona coffee on a working farm, feeling black sand under your feet at Punaluʻu Beach, walking rainforest trails to Akaka Falls, and seeing steam rise from Kīlauea’s crater. With local stories woven throughout and snacks (plus lunch) included, it’s more than sightseeing—it sticks with you.
Big Island: VW Buggy Rental for Self-Guided Island DriveYou’ll feel pure freedom driving an open-air VW buggy around Hawaii’s Big Island. Choose your route with help from local tips, stop at beaches or coffee farms, and enjoy beach gear included in your rental. It’s less about seeing everything and more about feeling every mile—windows down, playlist up.
Hawaiian Imu Cooking Experience Big Island: Build & Feast UndergroundYou’ll help build an authentic Hawaiian imu oven with native hosts on Oahu, learn to prepare traditional dishes side by side with locals, and share a backyard feast featuring kalua pork and kalo vegetables. Expect laughter over imperfect folding techniques, honest conversation around the table, and a taste of true island hospitality you’ll remember long after you leave.
Hilo: Volcano, Black Sand Beach & Rainbow Falls Day TripYou’ll feel volcanic heat rising at Kilauea’s rim, taste island flavors over lunch in Volcano Village, and watch green sea turtles resting on Punaluʻu’s black sand beach. With pickup in Hilo and a local guide sharing stories along every stop—from Rainbow Falls’ misty roar to walking through ancient lava tubes—you’ll come home with more than photos.
Big Island Hawaii Volcanoes: Kīlauea & Crater Hikes Private TourYou descend into Kilauea Iki crater, walk through a 500-year-old lava tube, and explore Chain of Craters Road with a professional guide trained in geology and Hawaiian culture. The tour includes National Park entry, flexible departure timing, and small-group access to areas most visitors miss. You arrange your preferred start time and itinerary details directly with the operator after booking.Is it for me?Choose this tour if you want to understand the volcano's geology and Hawaiian culture rather than just see it from a bus window — the small-group format and professional guide are what make the crater walks and lava tube exploration possible without the crowds.
South Kona snorkeling tour: 3 remote locations, small groupA small-group snorkeling tour on the South Kona Coast that visits three remote locations—Kealakekua Bay, Pu'uhonua O Honaunau, and a private black sand beach accessible only by boat—with all snorkeling gear, lunch, snacks and drinks included. The custom vessels are built to navigate sea caves and lava tubes, and the captain shares the cultural history of each stop. Children from age 5 are welcome; swimming and snorkeling experience are recommended, and you'll need to be able to climb a short pool ladder.Is it for me?If you're staying without a car or arriving for a free afternoon, the boat picks you up from a public transportation-accessible location and handles the entire route—no driving, no planning the stops, no figuring out which beaches are reachable. The small group and custom boat mean you'll reach places and see wildlife that larger tours and land-based snorkeling cannot access.
Kealakekua Bay: Kayak & Snorkel with Dolphin SightingsYou paddle a kayak into Kealakekua Bay, one of Hawaii's most protected and culturally significant spots, then snorkel a coral reef teeming with tropical fish and the occasional spinner dolphin. Gear, water, and a fresh breakfast from a local coffee roastery are included. The tour runs in the morning and takes about half a day, with pickup and drop-off at the launch site.Is it for me?Book this if you want to snorkel one of Hawaii's best reefs without arranging your own kayak, gear, or breakfast — the small group size and local operator knowledge are what make the experience feel less crowded than the bigger tour boats that also visit the bay.
Hawaii Volcanoes: Private Tour with Local Guide & Custom StopsYou’ll walk through ancient lava tubes in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park with a local guide who adapts every stop for your group’s pace and curiosity. Feel steam rising from Kilauea’s vents, see rare rainforest plants up close, and ride along Chain of Craters Road past dramatic eruption sites. You’ll leave with new stories—and maybe a bit of volcanic grit under your shoes.
Lowest price (10)
Kona Coffee Farm Tour: Tree to Cup with Tasting RoomYou walk through a working Kona coffee farm on the Big Island, see the wet processing, hulling, and roasting methods in action, and taste freshly roasted 100% Kona coffee in the tasting room. A $5 voucher is included, and the pace suits all fitness levels, so you're not rushed or left behind.Is it for me?Right for anyone curious about how coffee actually gets made, from soil to cup, without needing a car or guide service arranged separately. The walk covers the full process on one farm, so you're not jumping between locations.
Hala Tree Coffee Farm Tour in Hawaii: Kona Coffee TastingHala Tree Coffee Farm Tour is a guided walk through a working Kona coffee farm in Hawaii where you see the red cherries on the trees, learn about harvesting and roasting, and end with a tasting of three coffees you choose from the menu, served in French presses on the lanai overlooking the ocean. The tour runs about an hour and includes a complimentary helicopter flight for groups of four or fewer.Is it for me?You're here to understand coffee from the ground up, not just taste it—the orchards, the roasting and the tasting all connect, so you leave knowing why this coffee tastes the way it does. If you prefer to watch a demonstration rather than be hands-on with the roasting, ask about what the guide's role is before you book.
Big Island Hawaii: Self-Guided Audio Tour Full Loop DriveYou’ll set your own pace around Hawaii’s Big Island with an audio tour that cues up stories right as you reach each landmark—from steaming volcano craters to lush waterfalls and old plantation towns. You’ll get directions, local tips, and cultural context automatically as you drive—even offline. It’s freedom mixed with discovery—and maybe a little rain on your windshield.
Kona Salt Farm Tour: Hand-Harvested Hawaiian Paʻakai & TastingYou walk through a working salt farm on the Big Island, learn how water from 2,200 feet below the surface becomes hand-harvested Hawaiian salt, and taste pure, flavored, and smoked varieties. Optional deep ocean water foot soaks cool you down between stops. The tour takes you through the whole solar-evaporation process and the cultural significance of paʻakai, and your Salt Farm Manager is there the whole time to answer questions.Is it for me?Pick this if you want to understand where Hawaiian salt actually comes from and taste the difference it makes, without arranging transport or hunting for a working farm—the location is minutes from the airport and the manager walks you through the whole operation in one visit.
Beekeeping Tour & Honey Tasting in Hawaii: View live hives from screened areaA beekeeping tour and honey farm visit in Hawaii where you enter a screened area to observe live hives up close, then taste raw organic honey in the museum tasting room. The beekeeping tour requires advance reservation; the museum, tasting room and store are open without one. Tea and snacks are available alongside free honey samples. Persons allergic to bee stings should visit the museum only, not the hive tour.Is it for me?The farm sits at Kealakekua Bay without requiring a car to get there or a guide to lead you through the museum and tasting room — you move at your own pace, and the beekeeping tour (if you book it) is the only part with a fixed time. That setup works whether you're staying nearby or renting a car is more hassle than it's worth.
Kona Coffee Farm Tour: Walk the Trees, Taste Five PicksA guided tour of a working coffee farm in Hawaii's Kona Coffee region where you walk among the trees, learn how 100% Kona coffee is cultivated and processed, and taste five of the farm's top picks on the lanai. The tour runs about an hour and includes three candy samples; mobility assistance is available on request.Is it for me?If you have a free morning or afternoon on your first day in Kona, this tour fills the time without rushing and leaves you with a real understanding of what makes the coffee here different—plus five tastes to compare and a gift shop to browse before you leave.
Soaring Over Hawaii: 8K motion theater in KonaYou experience Hawaii's iconic landscapes—valleys, waterfalls, ocean cliffs—from a motion seat surrounded by 8K visuals, wind, mist, and scent. The ride weaves in Hawaiian cultural stories and music, making the experience about connection to the islands, not just the thrill. It takes thirty to forty minutes, is wheelchair accessible, and works for all ages. Choose the standard ride or VIP double feature with printed photo and pin.Is it for me?Right for families, cruise passengers with limited time in port, and anyone who wants to see the Big Island's full landscape without the cost or physical demands of a helicopter tour. The motion is smooth and seated, so it works across ages and fitness levels—plan for 30–40 minutes, which is what makes fitting a full island experience into a short stop possible.
Big Island: Abalone Farm Tour & Tasting with SeaweedYou’ll step behind the scenes at Hawaii’s largest abalone farm on the Big Island, meet passionate locals, touch live shellfish, and taste freshly grilled abalone plus seaweed—all with plenty of time for questions or laughs along the way. This tour leaves you thinking differently about seafood—and maybe craving more.
Kailua-Kona farm tour: Coffee, chocolate and soap productionA 3-hour guided farm tour in Kailua-Kona covers coffee roasting, chocolate production from cacao pods, and a soap factory using farm-grown botanicals. The tour starts at 9am, sits at 1,200 feet above the coast with views of the Pacific and Hualālai volcano, and includes tastings of fresh coffee and gourmet chocolate. Children under 12 must be ticketed and supervised; the soap factory has a small step but is otherwise wheelchair accessible.Is it for me?The guide speaks English throughout, so you follow the commentary without translation. This works for anyone comfortable with a standard pace through three working factories and their production lines—not a hike or a hands-on class, but a walk-through with stops to taste and learn.
Waikoloa: Glass-Bottom Boat Cruise Anaeho'omalu Bay ViewsYou’ll step right into Anaeho’omalu Bay’s clear waters for a glass-bottom boat cruise from Waikoloa, spotting sea turtles and bright reef fish with a local guide who knows every corner of these reefs. Kids will love peering through the windows while adults get caught up in stories about Hawaiian marine life. It’s peaceful, easygoing — you might even forget about your phone for a while.
