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Hilo: Volcanoes, Rainbow Falls & Black Sand Beach Tour

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.77 (2,965 reviews) 87% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/21

Duration6h

GroupUp to 29

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Steam vents, black sand, and laughter echoing in the lava tube

You’ll wander ancient banyan avenues in Hilo, breathe volcanic steam at Kilauea, taste fresh macadamias at Mauna Loa Farm, and watch for sea turtles on black sand beaches — all with a local guide who knows every shortcut and story. Expect small surprises, easy walks, and moments you’ll remember longer than you think.

Step-by-step itinerary

Drive down Banyan Drive
Visit Liliuokalani Japanese Garden
Pass through historic Hilo town
See Rainbow Falls waterfall
Stop at Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory
Explore Volcanoes National Park
Walk through Thurston Lava Tube
Visit Richardson Black Sand Beach
Lunch at local vendor

The Experience

“That’s where Babe Ruth planted his tree,” our guide said as we rolled slowly down Banyan Drive — I think I was still half-awake from jet lag, but the banyans looked like something out of a Miyazaki film. The air had that sweet, heavy smell after rain. Li (our guide) waved at an old uncle jogging by and told us about how these trees survived tsunami after tsunami. I tried to imagine water that high — hard to picture on such a calm morning.

Liliʻuokalani Gardens came next, all mossy stones and little red bridges. There were a few locals doing tai chi under the trees. I probably stared too long at one of the stone lanterns — it reminded me of my grandma’s garden back home, only with more birdsong and that salty breeze off Hilo Bay. We passed downtown (the King Kamehameha statue looks more serious in person), then stopped at Rainbow Falls. It’s loud up close; you can feel the spray on your face if you stand just right. No rainbow for us this time — maybe too cloudy? Still, there was something kind of hypnotic about watching all that water drop into the green below.

I didn’t expect to like the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Farm as much as I did. The smell inside was…well, I guess “nutty” is obvious, but there’s also this warm sugar thing going on from the roasting room. We tasted way too many samples (Li laughed when I tried to say “ma-ka-da-mia” in Hawaiian — pretty sure I butchered it). Then came Volcanoes National Park: steam hissing from cracks in the ground, sulfur banks making everything smell faintly like eggs (not my favorite part). Walking through Thurston Lava Tube was colder than I thought — wet stone under your hand and echoes bouncing off the walls when someone ahead coughed.

Richardson Black Sand Beach was last — or almost last; sometimes they swap stops if there’s construction or something with the cruise schedule. There were kids chasing each other near tide pools and a couple of green sea turtles just loafing on the sand like they owned the place. Lunch was from a local deli — nothing fancy but honestly hit the spot after all that walking. The whole day felt unhurried but full; not everything went perfectly smooth (someone forgot their jacket and had to borrow one), but maybe that’s what makes it stick in your mind later.

What’s included

Your day includes pickup directly from Hilo port or your hotel, bottled water throughout the trip, all required entry fees for Volcanoes National Park and other stops, plus a casual lunch from a local deli before returning you comfortably back to your starting point.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfants must sit on laps

Operated by C Big Island Tours