Oahu to Big Island: Kilauea Volcano & Hilo Waterfalls Day Trip

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Free cancellation

1/6

Duration12h

GroupUp to 23

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

One Day, Two Islands: Kilauea & Three Waterfalls from Honolulu

You fly from Honolulu to Hilo, spend the day with a driver-guide moving through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, walk the Thurston Lava Tube, drive Chain of Craters Road, see Kilauea's steam vents, stop at Akaka Falls and Rainbow Falls, tour Liliʻuokalani Gardens, and eat lunch — all included. The return flight gets you back to Oahu by late afternoon.

12h

Step-by-step itinerary

Volcano Adventure and Hilo Town Tour

Fly from Oahu to Hilo
Drive through Hilo Town and Banyan Drive
Visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Explore Kilauea Volcano
See steam vents at volcano
Walk through Thurston Lava Tube
Drive along Chain of Craters Road
View Akaka Falls waterfall
Visit Rainbow Falls waterfall
Drive through historic Hilo Town
Pass by Liliʻuokalani Gardens
Fly back to Oahu

The Experience

So you're on Oahu and someone says, "You should see Kilauea while you're here" — and you think, how, it's on another island? That's the whole thing about this tour. You catch a morning flight from Honolulu to Hilo on the Big Island, and by mid-morning you're rolling through Banyan Drive, this tree-lined coastal road that feels like you've stepped into another era. Your driver-guide handles the narration, pointing out the history — how Hilo rebuilt itself after tsunamis in 1946 and 1960 flattened the waterfront, how the town kept its country vibe anyway. It's the kind of detail that makes the place stick with you, not just pass by the window.

Then you're into Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and it gets real. The park sits on top of Kilauea, an active shield volcano that last erupted in 2021, and you can feel that. There are steam vents where groundwater seeps into volcanic rock — actual heat coming up from the earth. You walk through Thurston Lava Tube, this subterranean cave carved out by ancient lava flows, surrounded by tropical forest so thick it's almost dark inside. The 19-mile Chain of Craters Road winds through the East Rift, and some sections are closed depending on conditions, but your guide knows what's accessible that day and moves you through the best of it. Lunch is included, so you're not hunting for food in the middle of nowhere.

After the park, you hit the waterfalls. Akaka Falls first — it's viewable from a lookout, no scrambling required, and the jungle around it is so green it almost hurts to look at. Then Rainbow Falls, where the mist catches the light just right and you see why it got its name. Liliʻuokalani Gardens comes next, these lush Japanese gardens in Hilo Town where you can actually breathe for a minute. The whole day moves — you're not sitting on a bus for hours, you're seeing things, walking a bit, then moving to the next one. The interisland airfare is included, though flight times can shift depending on availability, so there's some flexibility built in. You're back on Oahu by evening.

What’s included

Interisland round-trip airfare from Honolulu to Hilo.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park admission fee.
professional driver-guide narration.
lunch.
air-conditioned vehicle transportation throughout the day.

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?This works best if you're staying on Oahu but want to see Kilauea and the Big Island's waterfalls in one day without renting a car or figuring out flights yourself — the tour handles the airfare, timing, and all the stops, so you just show up at the airport in Honolulu.