Big Island Volcano Tour

A big island volcano tour at Kilauea volcano Iki crater

See the Iki Crater on a Big Island volcano tour

Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, is located on Hawaii’s Big Island. For anyone visiting the island to experience its natural beauty and geological wonders, a big island volcano tour is a must. The best way to view the volcano up close and learn about its past and current activity is to take a van trip to the park.

You can anticipate to be picked up from your hotel or a prearranged meeting place and driven to the park in a cozy, air-conditioned car when you reserve a van tour to Volcanoes National Park. Your tour guide will inform you and make comments as you go about the geography, history, and culture of the island as well as the current volcanic activity.

Each big island volcano tour has a different itinerary. On some tours, you can go inside the volcano’s crater and view the shimmering

 lava at night. Some tours stop at the museum and visitor center of the park, where you may study interactive exhibits and programs run by rangers to learn about the volcano’s past and present activity.

The Kilauea Iki Trail, which provides a fantastic perspective of the volcano’s crater, and the Thurston Lava Tube, a sizable tube created by flowing lava, are two of the park’s most well-known attractions. Additionally, most tours stop at sulfur banks, steam vents, and other attractions within Volcanoes National Park.

The best way to experience the volcano up close, learn about its past and present activity, and discover the park’s numerous other geological treasures is on a van tour. Don’t pass up this once-in-a-lifetime chance to view one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

We’ve carefully curated a list of the best Big Island volcano tours, and you can book the tours directly from the tour providers below.

Take in expansive views of the Kona coastline on your way to a premium coffee farm for lunch followed by a sweet treat at the Punalu’u Bakery. Then, dip your feet in a black sand beach before your tour climbs 4,000 feet to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park where you’ll see some of the world’s most unique geological landscapes. End the day with a 3-course dinner, then head back to Kona over Saddle Road under the stars of the Milky Way. Catered meals, park fees, and private access to some of the island’s treasures are included. National Park certified guides invite you to relax, put away your GPS, and enjoy the scenery of the Big Island.

This tour is for guests 5 years and older. It does not include lengthy hikes but there are a few short walks to and from our points of interest. Passengers traveling with a wheelchair or walker are more than welcome to join our tour. Spacious Mercedes passenger vans provide the ultimate in comfort for guests hoping to avoid large 50 passenger vans and want a more personal and authentic Hawaiian Experience. This tour is designed to give guests an affordable first-class tour while experiencing all that the Big Island has to offer!

Witness an active volcanic eruption as you journey through Hawaii Island’s incredible range of ecosystems and climate zones with your Hawaii Volcanoes National Park certified guide. This in-depth experience will take you off-the-beaten path to explore sites unknown to most visitors, including private access to an exclusive lava tube.

You’ll visit must-see spots within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, home of Pelehonuamea, the Hawaiian deity of volcanoes, as your interpretive guide illuminates historical events that have changed the landscape of the Park forever.

Your certified Park guide will share with you the geology and natural and cultural history that makes Hawaii Volcanoes National Park one of the most fascinating places on earth for residents, scientists, and visitors alike.

Venture down Chain of Craters Road through rainforests, lava flows, and cinder fields. Get up close and personal with volcanic formations such as lava tubes, steam vents and craters.

The original volcano lovers tour. Start with a drive through quaint Hilo town where you’ll drive along the historic waterfront before heading out to the old fishing village of Kalapana. Your National Park Service certified guide will discuss the volcanology, geology, and history of Kilauea volcano, as well as provide in-depth narration on the various lava flows and flora and fauna that you’ll be passing by. Kalapana was destroyed by lava, as was the adjacent beach, Kaimu. Hike out across the lava flow to the new black sand beach. Stop by Star of the Sea Painted Church. Moved by the community twice to save it from advancing lava flows in 1990, this decommissioned church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Next travel to the crown jewel of Hawaii, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Visit the Kilauea Visitor’s Center, the Kilauea Iki Crater Overlook, and Steaming Bluffs. Stop in at the famous Volcano House for incredible views of Kilauea Caldera, and hike to the cracks and sinkholes in the paved roads left behind by the historic eruption of 2018. Dinner included.

If you want to see the entire island in a day, including Volcanoes National Park, this is the tour you’re looking for. This full-day nature tour offers an in-depth look at Hawaii’s youngest and largest island. From desert to rainforest, pasture to dry forest, discover diverse landscapes and 8 out of 13 climate zones in the world as you explore the active volcanoes of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, walk through rainforests to cascading waterfalls, and stroll black-sand beaches as you scan the horizon for green sea turtles.

You’ll experience a diverse range of ecosystems and climate zones of the island. Visit the most dramatic waterfalls and scenic valleys on the island, including Akaka and Rainbow Falls, and Waipio Valley. You’ll learn how the island was formed as you explore active craters, steam vents and lava tubes of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Make frequent stops for photos to take in the lush scenery, and spot green sea turtles at Punalu’u Black Sand Beach.

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