Hilo Shore Excursion: Volcano Safari Lava Caves & Black Sand

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. This is the largest Japanese garden outside of Japan donated by Queen Liliʻuokalani in 1917. Throughout the gardens are stone lanterns, gazebos, and torii gates, recalling the Japanese immigrants who came to Hawaii.

   Passes by

2. Drive through the historical downtown Hilo as you will learn about the devastating tsunamis of the past

   Passes by

3. Breathtaking 80 ft waterfall, Rainbow Falls. These beautiful falls get their name from the rainbow that is often visible in the mist that rises as the water cascades to the rocks 80 feet below.

   20 minAdmission included

4. Time to explore lava caves is next! We walk you down into a lava cave through a skylight, also locally known as a lava tube. Kaumana Caves was created by one of our largest volcanoes, Mauna Loa. The guide will explain how molten lava makes these spectacular lava tubes and the fascinating colors inside.

   20 min

5. On our drive we will drive through a quaint town called Pahoa. Once a booming plantation town and now a laid-back hippie town with old school artistry charm and wood-plank boardwalks. You will see the current lava flow that nearly wiped this town off the map.

   Passes by

6. We will walk a trail among lava trees that looks somewhat of a petrified forest and look down into a deep fissure. This unusual volcanic sight is one stop that shouldn’t be missed.

   25 min

7. WALK ON THE NEWEST BLACK SAND BEACH IN HAWAII!! is truly an amazing creation by Kilauea’s lava flow. Let us show you the newest created black sand beach. Once in this location was the old boat harbor and ramp that you can still see and has now been cut off from the creation of a large black sand beach. There is no swimming at this location. If the beach is closed due to unforeseen circumstances, an alternate black sand beach will be substituted.

   20 min

8. Several earthquakes cracked open the roads, lava fountains started spewing lava 300 ft into the sky and nearly 2,000 residents we evacuated. This amazing force even evaporated Green Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake in Hawaii. We will be showing you areas of mass destruction from Kilauea Volcano. Note: The order of stops on this tour may be adjusted to help provide the best experience.

   10 min

9. Local Deli for a lunch stop or a local vendor ( depending on the day, we use a different vendors for our lunch stop) Note: The order of stops on this tour may be adjusted to help provide the best experience for customers.

   15 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 444 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Showing reviews written in English.

• 5Fantastic excursion!

  We had such a wonderful excursion with Ellen. It was a small group which is always so nice. The highlight was seeing the crater that is still active in the national park.

  Glenda_COctober 2026via Viator

• 4Hilo all day!

  Full day—6 1/2 hrs! Spacious, clean Mercedes van. Small group of twelve from ship and hotel. Beautiful Rainbow Falls—easy access but take the climb up to the banyan grove. Lava tube—challenging descent and even tougher to negotiate the uneven cave floor. Take the largest flashlight offered. Hurricanes had displaced the black sand of the beach well away from the parking lot and washed up a veritable reef of lava bombs. The succession of lava flows through the lush jungle was like a visit to Mordor. Awesome! The lava “trees” were a little underwhelming but the park was a very quiet and pleasant stroll and picnic site. Quaint old towns all long the way. Candy shop was obligatory but pricey. Be sure to try the coconut ice cream. Great Hilo tour overall.

  135greggaOctober 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Great day!

  Ellen was fantastic and SO knowledgeable about the history of the island!! Ask for her by name! You won’t be disappointed!

  Linda_JOctober 2026via Viator

• 5Had to Pivot!

  With a tropical storm, predicted to turn in to a hurricane headed to the big island, our tour guide had to pivot. Ellen provided an informative and fun tour making sure we went away with good memories and lots of information.

  Deanna_CSeptember 2026via Viator

• 5Hilo excursion

  Troy was awesome. So much fun even with the hurricane approaching. So accommodating and flexible. Learned a lot about the big island.

  tscottcfaSeptember 2026via Tripadvisor

• 510/10 great sight seeing and wonderful guide

  Troy was just lovely! Weather wasn’t great since hurricane is coming but Troy made up for it and we still got to do and see a lot! Highly recommend

  R572IGrebeccarSeptember 2026via Tripadvisor

Know before you go

How it compares in Big Island of Hawaii

• Its from-price is 53% below the median of the 150 day trips we list in Big Island of Hawaii.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 15 of 150.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Big Island of Hawaii

The Big Island of Hawaii is the largest and youngest of the main Hawaiian islands, with active volcanoes, black-sand beaches, coffee farms and clear skies.

The Big Island is larger than all the other Hawaiian islands combined and still being shaped by active volcanoes. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has steaming craters, lava fields and the Chain of Craters Road down to the sea. Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa both rise above 4,000 metres, and snow dusts their summits in winter.

Top-ranked sights in Big Island of Hawaii: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Rainbow Falls, Thurston Lava Tube (Nāhuku).

See all 565 experiences in Big Island of Hawaii