Private Shore Excursion Hilo Volcanoes National Park up to 10 PPL
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Big Island of Hawaii, USA
- 6 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
This fully narrated tour is ideal for families and small groups, thanks to a maximum size of 11 people. Explore Volcanoes National Park with an expert guide and experience the excitement of the number one tour on the Big Island. You'll make stops at the Liliuokalani Japanese Gardens, Hilo town, Thurston Lave Tube, plus Rainbow Falls, and several other Hawaii highlights. Whether you're a first-time visitor or returning to the Big Island for another look, this tour is right for you!
- Private Tour: Volcanoes National Park and Waterfall VIP Mercedes Tour
- Visit Halema’uma’s Crater, steam vents, Thurston Lava Tube and Rainbow Falls State Park
- Enjoy a fully-narrated adventure
- Experience the number one tour in Hawaii
What's Included
- Mercedes Benz Sprinter van 10 Passenger Dual Air Conditioning
- Water & Snacks
- Umbrellas
- Park Fees for Volcanoes National Park
- Private transportation
- Entrance fee - Entrance fee
- No riding in a van/bus with people you don't know.
- Meals
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
- We pick up in the Hilo Port for cruise ship passengers. - For hotel pick up we pick up in Hilo ONLY. If meeting us in Hilo and driving over from Kona/Waikoloa we meet at the Hilo Target/Safeway. - If staying in Puna/HPP/Pahoa/Hawaiian Beaches/Kapoho or anywhere in that general area, we meet at the Keaau Foodland, 16-586 Old Volcano Rd #102, Keaau, HI 96749. - We no longer PICKUP at the HIlo Airport (ITO) but we CAN DROP OFF. You must take a cab/Uber to Hilo Target/Safeway, we will pick you up there. We can drop off at the airport, we just cannot pick up at the airport and the paperwork is not worth the hassle. The earlier your flight the better. Please be aware this tour is 6 hours, and there is nothing to do in the Hilo airport after we drop you off.
Itinerary
1
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
3 hours • Admission Ticket Included
2
Nahuku - Thurston Lava Tube
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Chain of Craters Road
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Steam Vents
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Lili'uokalani Gardens (Pass By)
5
Big Island Candies
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- We must follow Hawaii State law, children under 8 must be in a proper seat. We can provide seats for 5-years-old and over upon request 24 hours in advance.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 37 reviews
Rick_M, Feb 2026
The tour takes you to all of the best spots in VNP. Rob showed us the sites, managed time perfectly, and educated us during the adventure. He knows so much about it that it truly enriched the experience. The vehicle is modern, comfortable, and easy to see out of. We had an excellent lunch at the lodge before returning to the pier. Lots if photos too, which I haven’t yet been able to see. But, I’m confident there are many keepers. This is a top notch experience when in Hilo.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience, Rick. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the tour and that Rob made it an educational and enjoyable adventure. We hope the photos bring back fond memories of your trip.
Kristine_E, Jan 2026
My family of 9 was traveling together (age 2 - age 91) to Hilo for a day stop. Rob, our Big Island VIP guide, picked us up at the port and we got an early start to the day. We missed seeing the lava flow by about 9 hours, but still had a full day of touring around Volcanoes National Park. It is a very large park and one could probably spend several days touring, but Rob condensed the must see sights for us. He is an encyclopedia of knowledge about the park and took lots of photos for us so all 9 of us would be in them. We had good weather that day, but Rob was prepared with umbrellas and lots of snacks. We stopped for lunch in the park and were returned back to the ship on time.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you, Kristine, for sharing your experience! We’re thrilled Rob helped make your day special and accommodated everyone in your group so well. Your kind words mean a lot, and we hope to welcome you back someday!
Paul_S, Jul 2025
Amazing day with Rob. Everything was top notch. Highly recommend booking with VIP. Super comfortable van. Videos on board were a nice touch as well.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you, Paul! We're thrilled you enjoyed your experience with Rob and the comfy van. Your recommendation means a lot to us!
amidewar, Jun 2025
Fantastic day trip. We were met at the cruise port & had the most enjoyable day. Would highly recommend
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you, Amidewar! We're delighted you had such an enjoyable day with us. Your recommendation means a lot, and we hope you enjoyed your cruise on the Pride of America. Mahalo and a hui hou!
Cheri_H, Apr 2025
Wow!!! Exceptional tour of Volcano National Park. Jodi was very knowledgeable about all aspects of the park, volcanos, lava, vegetation…. Just about any topic. She took photos for us along the way which made it easier for us to just focus on what we were seeing. They were provided to us at the end via email.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Aloha Cheri! Thank you so much for the kind words! I am so glad you were able to see lava as well. I won't forget your little "Ohio" on the beach, that was adorable! Mahalo nui loa!
Julie_M, Feb 2025
The best trip ever. Rob was great , very knowledgeable . Supplied snacks , water, rain jackets etc. thank you to his wife for letting us know the volcano is erupting and he turned around.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you so much Julie! You saw some great lava! The volcano lava fountain stopped yesterday morning. 3 Tuesdays in a row it has erupted, we will have to see if the trend keeps going. Thank you for allowing us to show you and your Ohana some of the Big Island!
Ed_B, Jan 2025
Ron was a great guide! Very knowledgeable and personable. The vehicle was top notch and saw all the highlights including an eruption. Highly recommend the services of Big Island VIP!
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Aloha Ed! Rob said you all had visited more volcanoes than nearly ALL our customers. You all had great questions and are now volcano detectives! Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review.
Kenny_R, Jan 2025
Our van ride was very convenient and comfortable. Mr Rob was very friendly and knowledgeable of our surroundings and covered a lot of sights. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you, Kenny! We enjoyed showing you some of the Big Island and the National Park. If you ever come back to the Big Island please feel free to reach out to us! Mahalo!
MEALICE, Oct 2024
We visited Volcanoes National Park on a cruise port call. The four of us rode in a clean comfortable Mercedes Van. Our guide, Skylar, was well spoken and very knowledable about the local geology, flora and fauna . He was very flexible in our itinerary. The van played an interesting movie about the eruption history of the area and pleasantly filled the ride. We were very spacious with 4 and I’d say 8 would be fine. The lunch at the lodge overlooking a crater was great. The local fish and chips was very tasty and service quick. Overall, a fantastic tour with a fantastic guide.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thank you so much Alice! Your pictures are adorable! Thank you so much for allowing us to share our island with you. Mahalo nui!
Val_R, Jul 2024
We had the private tour in Mercedes van. Skylar was a great tour guide. They had the best snacks, the tour was spot on. It was fabulous.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Aloha Valerie! Thank you so much! It was our pleasure.
Sarah_D, Jun 2024
Skylar drives, photographs, and guides all day! He makes it look easy, but it is a lot of work. After some great photos with our cruise ship and banyan trees in the background, we headed straight up to the national park. During the ride, there's an option to watch a Nova episode about a massive eruption that occurred in 2018 which illustrates how powerful and complex Kīlauea can be and how challenging it can be for the people who coexist with it. Once at the park, Skylar helps you take in so much. The volcanoes are stunning, but there are so many other things to see in the park. There's an option to eat lunch overlooking Kīlauea's crater which is so memorable. Keep in mind, Skylar is photographing and explaining the whole time, so you can devote your attention to the scale of what's around you. After the park, you head down to Hilo. While we were there, we saw a stunning waterfall, a gorgeous black sand beach, and a candy factory! We happened to arrive at the beach when members of one of the canoe clubs were present. Skylar had prepped us to respectfully steer clear of the canoes because they are very valuable and culturally significant, but the club members invited us to look at their canoe, and they explained a lot about the canoe and their races. Skylar was so flexible and let the paddlers take the lead. It was a really special moment in an already amazing day!
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Thank you so much Sarah! What an amazing review! We appreciate you so much! It was our pleasure, for sure!
I hope your mother-in-law has recovered.
Mahalo nui! Thank you so much!
Tanya_P, May 2024
Skylar is a fantastic guide. Our group thoroughly enjoyed our excursion and would highly recommend!! We had a great day learning about the volcanoes and the big island!
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Thank you so much Tanya! It was our pleasure to show you and your ohana some of the National Park!
Melissa_F, Apr 2024
Very professional, well prepared, comfortable ride! Skylar was very knowledgeable, interesting and patient with our group of six. Well worth the time and $$.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you, Melissa! Mahalo nui to you and your family!
Joshua_S, Apr 2024
Skylar was an amazing tour guide. Super knowledgeable and was super nice and helpful! The van was super clean and spacious which was a nice bonus. 10/10 would recommend to anyone coming to Hilo!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you Joshua! We appreciate you booking us so we can show you some of the Big Island!
Phyllis_S, Mar 2024
Skylar was a wealth of information. He also knew good timing to avoid crowds so we saw a lot. We are excited to see all the photos he took.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Aloha Phyllis! Thank you so much! I will send those photo links right now. Mahalo!
Ellen_M, Feb 2024
Skylar was an amazing guide
There were 10 of us and we all enjoyed his explanations, bring all together in one vehicle alone (private)
And his laid back vibe
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Mahalo Ellen! We are glad you saw some of the wonders of the Big Island!
Lori_N, Nov 2023
Big island VIP gave us an amazing personalized tour through the park along with other beautiful stops along the way. The driver was a photographer and took many amazing photos at each spot. So much more than we ever expected! I highly recommend them!
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thank you so much Lori! The Volcano has not started erupting. I hope you all had a great time in Kona and on the rest of your cruise! Mahalo!
Jong_L, Nov 2023
Skylar was great. The detailed explanation he provided made the whole experience fulfilling and even more interesting. The photos he took was great; something we would not have been able to do ourselves.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thank you so much! It was our pleasure! Mahalo and a hui hou!
TriciaN_C, Oct 2023
A cool experience in Hilo. Skylar was our guide & he was very kind, knowledgable & professional. We enjoyed our time Volcanos National Park (volcanic craters, steam vents & lava tubes!), Rainbow Falls, then a stop at Mauna Loa macademia nut factory (yummy ice cream). Skylar took photos of us the entire day with his nice camera then we got access to them for free.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you so much! We hope you enjoyed your cruise!
Traci_M, Sep 2023
What a memorable experience with our tour guide, Skylar. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable about the island, the tour was truly custom, and we got to see lava!! We were ages 47 - 80 years old. It was just the right mix of experience, history, activity, education, and fun. This was truly one of my favorite excursions! We will definitely be back to Hilo.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Thank you so much Traci! You were so lucky! That eruption was very short. There is so much to see in the National Park.
Amy_O, Jul 2023
We had a wonderful day yesterday and felt we couldn’t have chosen a better tour. Skylar, our guide, was friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. He exudes the spirit of aloha! The van was clean and well kept. We thoroughly enjoyed learning about volcano national park, seeing fissure cracks, pit craters, and lava bombs. Highlights were rainbow falls and walking through the lava tube. All our tour needs were met: Skylar offered snacks and water at just the right times, provided bathroom breaks as necessary, shared binoculars and flashlights as needed, and suggested a perfect lunch recommendation. Stops at the nut shop and candy store were icing on the cake and no problems returning to the ship on time. The unexpected value-add was that Skylar had his camera and told us not to worry about taking pictures throughout the day. He uploaded hundreds of amazing pictures for us by the time we went to bed. Hilo was our first stop on this cruise and this tour is going be hard to beat! Thank you Skylar!
Response from Host, Jul 2023
Aloha Amy! Thank you so much!
BRUCE_H, Jul 2023
Our family of 8 including 4 young children had 1 day in Hilo and we spent it with Rob touring Rainbow Falls and Volcanoes National Park. Rob was absolutely fantastic with his knowledge, friendliness, and insight for a great day. He was really good with the children and this is by far the best experience I've ever had touring Volcanoes National Park in all my times going there. Well done Rob! I highly recommend this tour for anyone...couples, families, friends, everyone!!
Response from Host, Jul 2023
Thank you so much Bruce! I'm so glad you had a great time!
MICHAEL_M, May 2023
The day was fantastic. Jodi, our tour guide and driver, was waiting to whisk the six of us off to the volcano. She shared her knowledge of the island in a fun and very enjoyable way. The van was extremely comfortable. In addition to the volcano area, we visited Rainbow Falls, drove through Liliʻuokalani Gardens, named after Hawaiʻi's last reigning monarch.
Response from Host, May 2023
Aloha Michael! It was MY pleasure! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review while you are still on your cruise. Mahalo and a hui hou!
Gary_L, Apr 2023
Dash was the best! He knew the island that He had grown up on with local insight and love. He made our day memorable.
Response from Host, May 2023
Thank you so much Gary! I hope you enjoyed your time on the Big Island!
Robert_M, Apr 2023
Our tour guide, Dash, was an excellent tour guide. He had a passion for the volcano national park that was very evident. His humor, insights, and overall knowledge made for a memorable tour for our entire family.
Response from Host, Apr 2023
Thank you so much! Mahalo!
Maurice F, Feb 2017
I have gone on several Viator tours and have been extremely happy with them all. Shorter lines, things you could not find on your own etc...I thought this tour could have been better, but there were also some great things about it.
The van van was extremely comfortable and not having to drive was great. Rob, our guide did a nice job with the history of the island, which I thought was very informative. We went to the waterfall first. Very nice, had a great time, but I thought we might get closer with a guide. We went in the normal entrance and walked the exact path all others did. Rob brought a camera and took pictures for us. he also gave me the camera and let me take as many as I wanted. The pictures were uploaded at the end for us to view/download.
After that we went to lunch at a local place in Hilo Suisan and had a local dish Pokebowl. Amazing!!! We ate our lunch at a nearby cove where turtles were swimming. Also amazing!
Next the volcano. As this was not my first volcano sighting and the fact that we only got as close as all others tourists I was a little underwhelmed. The lava flowing into the ocean is a must see, although it is hard to get to that area.
In my opinion we could have done this ourselves in our own car but there are some good perks with the tour.
Response from Host, Sep 2019
I tell you what, when we can invent new openings to National Parks that get over a million visitors a year I guess we will be in business! LOL! Right now we can't invent openings to places that don't exist. Thankfully most of our customers are well informed and fantastic and don't expect things that don't exist. In all the years Rob has done tours thankfully we have so many great customers. Really, you think anyone can invent a new place to see stuff? You learned more than most ever get to see. If you want to go somewhere new back then you should of booked an active lava tour, it would of meant hiking a few miles each way. We used to do a lot of active lava tours and they were our favorite, the lava will be back someday.
We have gone over the things in the Park and so far NO one has ever learned everything on their own, this is 6 years now. We have even had people say, "Oh we saw everything in there" and we walked them in anyway and they were blown away, do don't think you would of picked up all the nuances on your own. Big mistake. I'm so glad you are so confident. For everyone else we can help.
From $1,834.00
per group (up to 10)up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Private Shore Excursion Hilo Volcanoes National Park up to 10 PPL
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