Top Big Island of Hawaii Cooking Classes

For travelers seeking more than surface-level activities, this immersive, small-group cacao farm experience at Honoli‘i Orchards offers a rare opportunity to go beyond the typical tasting tour and truly understand Hawaiian chocolate from the ground up. Led by a craft chocolate expert, this guided experience walks you through every step of the process—from harvest to fermentation to drying—answering all your questions along the way. It culminates in the most extensive craft chocolate tasting in the state, featuring 10 or more of Hawai‘i’s best single-origin bars, including award-winning selections. It's an authentic, educational, and flavorful way to connect with Hawaiian agriculture.

If you’re looking for a fun experience that fuses fresh food and the passion of farm-to-fork practices, this Hilo Farm-to-Table Half-Day Cooking Class at Kulaniapia Falls is easy to fit into any day during your trip. Harvest your own food from the area’s grounds, and then prepare your meal in a barn overlooking Hilo Bay and Mauna Kea. Then, sit down to lunch and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Discover and savor Hawaiian grown and produced craft chocolate on the Big Island of Hawaii. Taste fresh cacao fruit and nectar, learn how cacao is grown and chocolate is produced from the seed, sample more than 10 different single-origin chocolate bars. Honoli‘i Orchards’ open-air tasting room has scenic views of the Honolii River Valley and Pacific Ocean to enjoy while you learn all about chocolate.

Head out to Kealakekua Bay for a snorkeling and cruising adventure from Kona, ideal for travelers who want to get up close to some of the Big Island’s most interesting marine species. Keep an eye out for dolphins as you head along the coast to the bay, then hop into the waters to swim and snorkel among coral and fish before climbing back on board for an included lunch.

Stop wasting money on expensive cafe drinks or settling for mediocre home brews. With this hands-on workshop at a working coffee farm, you'll learn to make professional-quality coffee at home with minimal equipment. An experienced barista teaches you three different brewing methods using the same beans, so you'll taste the dramatic differences technique makes. At the end, you'll walk away brewing better coffee than your local shop.

This Hawaii-meets-Germany cooking class is a three-in-one experience: You’ll leave with a new skill, a new flavor experience, and new knowledge. In a garden-like setting, you’ll bake a baumstriezel, aka chimney cake, over an open campfire. Learning about Hawaii’s relationship with Germany as the baumstriezels rise, you’ll bust out the butter and cinnamon-sugar to feast on your creations—an only-in-Hawaii experience.

Journey back in time — when ancient, powerful Kings ruled the rugged, fertile land of the Hawaiian Islands — on this half-day dinner cruise to Kealakekua Bay. Travel 12 miles (19 kilometers) down the Kona Coast to the Captain Cook monument. Learn the many secrets of the Big Island as a local historian points out numerous points of interest along the way, and enjoy dinner and live entertainment onboard.

Sail up the scenic Kona coastline, getting views of ancient lava flows and verdant cliffs, and stopping at the Captain Cook Monument, on this afternoon sail in Kealakekua Bay. Slip into the water using the provided snorkeling gear to see vibrant schools of fish, living coral, and even pods of spinner dolphins. Learn about the area's underwater flora, fauna, and ecosystem through guided commentary.

Discover the rich handicraft traditions of Hawaii as you take part in a wood carving workshop in Holualoa. Learn the ancient art of carving from a 4th generation Master Carver, and try your hand at carving your own Tiki under his expert guidance. Best of all, you get to take home your hand-crafted Tiki as a unique souvenir of your Hawaii vacation.

Explore the world of coffee flavors in an interactive cupping workshop at Hala Tree. This engaging session invites you to smell, taste, and compare a variety of freshly brewed coffees, guided by our knowledgeable team. Discover how factors like roast level and origin influence unique flavor profiles, allowing you to identify the tasting notes that resonate with your preferences. By the end of the workshop, you'll have the skills to select beans that transform every cup into a delightful experience.

Kona’s famous coffee can technically be tasted from anywhere, but you can only roast it yourself on the island of Hawaii. This private coffee-roasting experience takes you to one of Kona's largest certified organic coffee farms, where you learn about these beans and try roasting your own—with complimentary tastes to complement your new skill.