Hilo: Hawaii Volcanoes & Kilauea with Waterfall Stops

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/7

Duration10h 30m

GroupUp to 46

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Kilauea & Hilo's Waterfalls in One Day from Your Hotel

You get picked up from your Hilo hotel and spend the day moving between Kilauea's craters, steam vents, and the Thurston Lava Tube inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, then stop at Akaka Falls and Rainbow Falls on the way back. Lunch and all park entry are included. The driver-guide narrates the geology and local history the whole time, and you're back at your hotel by late afternoon.

10h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Hilo and Volcanoes National Park

Drive through Banyan Drive in Hilo
Visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Drive along Chain of Craters Road
See Kilauea Volcano summit crater
Visit steam vents at volcano
Walk through Thurston Lava Tube
View Akaka Falls waterfall
Drive through historic Hilo Town
Pass by Liliʻuokalani Gardens
See Rainbow Falls waterfall

The Experience

You're picked up from your Hilo hotel and driven straight into Banyan Drive, where massive century-old trees line the coast. The town itself has a quiet, rebuilt feel — it was flattened by tsunamis in 1946 and 1960, and you can still see the wooden storefronts and the way locals have chosen to keep things low-key instead of turning it into something else. Your driver-guide starts talking about the island's history right away, and you realize this isn't just a ride to the volcano; it's a conversation about what happened here.

The drive to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park takes you through changing landscape. Once you're inside the park, you stop at the steam vents first — the ground is warm under your feet, and you can feel the power of what's underneath. Then comes the Thurston Lava Tube, a tunnel carved by lava centuries ago, now wrapped in tropical forest so thick it feels like you've stepped into another world. The air changes. After that, Chain of Craters Road, a 19-mile winding descent through the East Rift, opens up views of crater after crater. Some sections are closed depending on volcanic activity, so what you see shifts with conditions, but the scale of it — the raw geology — doesn't change. Kilauea itself is the centerpiece. The volcano last erupted in June 2023, and while lava sightings aren't guaranteed, the crater and the vents are always there, always active in some way.

On the way back to Hilo, you stop at two waterfalls. Akaka Falls drops into a jungle so green it almost doesn't look real, and you view it from a lookout without a long hike. Rainbow Falls comes next, and if the light hits right, you'll see why it has that name — mist catches the sun and the whole waterfall glows. Then there's Liliʻuokalani Gardens, a Japanese garden in town with stone lanterns and manicured paths, a quiet place to stretch your legs before heading back. Lunch is included somewhere in the day, and the whole thing runs about eight hours from pickup to drop-off.

One thing to know: bring a light sweater for the volcano area — it's cooler up there — and wear sturdy walking shoes. If you have asthma or respiratory issues, check with the operator first, because volcanic fumes can be a real problem. The tour only picks up from Hilo hotels, not Kona, so make sure you're staying on this side of the island.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off in the Hilo area, professional driver-guide narration throughout, lunch, all Hawaii Volcanoes National Park admission fees, and an air-conditioned vehicle. You'll visit Banyan Drive in Hilo Town, the steam vents and craters inside the national park, Thurston Lava Tube, Chain of Craters Road, Kilauea Volcano, Akaka Falls, Rainbow Falls, and Liliʻuokalani Gardens.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomeNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Polynesian Adventure Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Kilauea and Hilo's main waterfalls in one day without renting a car or figuring out the park roads yourself — the fixed itinerary and included lunch mean you show up at your hotel and the rest is arranged.