Day Trip from Oahu to Hilo: Volcano Adventure
Oahu, USA
- 12 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Embark on an unforgettable day trip from Oahu to the Big Island of Hawaii for a Volcano Adventure Tour. Visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, explore Hilo’s charming town, and witness stunning sights like Kilauea Volcano, Steam Vents, and the Thurston Lava Tube. With an expert guide this tour offers a comprehensive experience of Hawaii’s volcanic wonders. Lunch and inter-island flights are included for a smooth, exciting journey.
- Explore Hilo’s quaint town and the famous Banyan tree-lined streets
- See stunning Akaka Falls and spot rainbows at Rainbow Falls
- Drive along the Chain of Craters Road for scenic views of lava fields
- Visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, home to active volcanoes Kilauea & Mauna Loa
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Tour narration by a professional driver/guide
- Lunch
- Interisland R/T airfare (airfare overage charge may apply)
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park admission fee
- Gratuities
- Transportation to and from Honolulu Airport
- Airline flight overage charges
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Start your experience from Honolulu airport to catch your flight bound for the Big Island. Spend the day learning about the geology and history of the island from your local guide.
First, witness the affect volcanoes have had and continue to have on the island at Volcano National Park. Overlook the volcanoes while you enjoy breakfast at your own expense at Volcano House Restaurant. See the Steam Vents, travel the Chain of Craters Road and Devastation Trail.
Feel the cool spray of not one, but two of the island's beautiful waterfalls, as you visit Rainbow and Akaka Falls. Take a scenic tour though Hilo, then relax as you are returned to your departure point.
First, witness the affect volcanoes have had and continue to have on the island at Volcano National Park. Overlook the volcanoes while you enjoy breakfast at your own expense at Volcano House Restaurant. See the Steam Vents, travel the Chain of Craters Road and Devastation Trail.
Feel the cool spray of not one, but two of the island's beautiful waterfalls, as you visit Rainbow and Akaka Falls. Take a scenic tour though Hilo, then relax as you are returned to your departure point.
Banyan Drive (Pass By)
1
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Chain of Craters Road (Pass By)
2
Kilauea
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Steam Vents
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Nahuku - Thurston Lava Tube
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
5
Akaka Falls State Park
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Hilo (Pass By)
Lili'uokalani Gardens (Pass By)
6
Rainbow Falls
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infants must sit on laps
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- Passengers must provide date of birth and gender at the time of booking per TSA requirements
- Once reservation is made, tour is non-refundable and non-changeable
- The interisland airfare may fluctuate based on flight availability. Additional fees may be required to be paid by the customer in these cases.
- Passengers with asthma and other respiratory problems should please consider other tour offerings to avoid potential health problems resulting from exposure to fumes
- Lava sightings not guaranteed
- IMPORTANT: The name you enter at the time of booking must exactly match what appears on your valid government-issued I.D. photo I.D. that you will use during travel. This is a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and FAA requirement and there is no flexibility with this policy. A valid government-issued ID (passport for non-US citizens) is required on the day of travel. If a passenger is denied boarding, there will be no refund.
- Special Needs requests must be called in to the local supplier AT LEAST 1 week prior to tour date.
- Interisland flight times and routes are subject to change
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 23 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Paige_Q
What an amazing day! The tour from start to finish was great. JT, our tour guide was friendly, actually hilarious, and very knowledgeable. As JT drove us around he gave us great tid bits about the area, the culture, the food etc. I would highly recommend this tour and JT as a guide.
Reviews
4.1
based on 577 reviews
Margery_R, Jan 2026
The one day trip from Honolulu to the island of Hawai'i was good in the sense that we got to see Hilo, Kilauea, a couple of waterfalls, and King Kamehameha's statue. We had to be at the Honolulu airport at 6 am, which meant being picked up at our hotel at 5 am. There were 12 people on this tour so we had a small van-like bus that offered a rather rough ride. When we stopped at several spots, we were given a small amount of time at most stops. Most of the time that was adequate. However, there was no plan for a lunch break; the driver offered chicken wraps, but even those would have to be eaten while traveling. It was great to see what we saw, but it felt a bit rushed to me. For the price I paid, the day was not worth it.
William_J, Nov 2025
They lied about the itinerary. They changed it last minute. then tried to charge us more for a helicopter ride That we already paid for. Did not go in trip. Waiting for refund.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
We’re sorry this experience left you disappointed. Your reservation came through as the land-only version of the tour, which doesn’t include the helicopter portion, and we understand how frustrating that was. Since you chose not to continue with the tour, a full refund was approved and is being processed. Mahalo.
Laurence_B, Sep 2025
Definitely worth doing, full day catered too. Our Guide Dexter made the Tour.
He was very knowledgeable and nothing was a problem.
Shelly_G, Aug 2025
Great day tour with good stops and great guide. The day was not rushed yet we made excellent use of the time. Calvin was a great guide. Volcanoes National park was the highlight but it was nice to see other spots on the island.
DEBRA_H, Jul 2025
Guide was very informative. Steve went out of his way to accommodate us. He went to each stop with us to take our pictures and gave us on site information.
Jane_D, Dec 2024
Our tour guide Dexter was great, very knowledgeable, sweet and accommodating. The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of of five was because of the lunch and the condition of the van. For what we paid I would expect a better lunch than a soggy chicken wrap. I would expect a sit down lunch in a nice, scenic restaurant. The PA system in the system was problematic and should be upgraded. It gave a lot of loud obnoxious feed and kept going in and out on poor Dexter. Overall, I would recommend and believe it was a good value, especially if these things are corrected going forward.
Jade_Z, Nov 2024
My tour with Dexter was amazing. I went on my birthday and it was so magical . Voclanos,waterfalls ,black sand beaches and more . Everything went according to plan and exceeded my expectations. I learned so much about Big Island. Dexter was kind and so informative. Couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my birthday, well worth the price!
Mike_H, Oct 2024
Akaka Falls was pretty spectacular. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was good, but not really great for photos. Rainbow Falls is under-rated.
Vicki_F, Sep 2024
While the weather didn’t quite cooperate, our tour guide Dexter was great. And the people I met made the trip that much more memorable.
Jose_A, Jul 2024
I liked how kind/patient dexter was but i DONT like to book these kind of things with viator. I Specifically told thr lady a helicopter ride and she gave me a bus ride it was really upsetting because we flew from honolulu to hilo for a helicopter but we had to book a different tour that same day cuz the lady booked the wrong one. I asked her multiple times “are you sure its a helicopter ride” and she always said yes. But apart from that the bus ride was great they offered us lunch and drinks, and i learned alot.
Jessica_S, Jun 2024
My family of six, ranging in age from 10-64 years, thoroughly enjoyed this one day tour of the Big Island. Our favorite parts include the phenomenal view of Kīlauea as well as the amazing waterfalls. Our guide, Dexter, was wonderful. He was super kind and very knowledgeable. We would highly recommend this tour.
ANTHONY_R, May 2023
The entire tour was great! Dexter was a super guide. I was a bit sad because the recent rains had crusted the lava, so no actual lava sightings, but plenty of steam coming through. The lava fields were great, as well as the waterfall. A bit pricey for what we did. It is a big island, so most of the time was spent driving.
Charles_P, Mar 2023
Volcano National Park was great but not enough time spent there. Too much time in Hilo. Tour guide Dexter was very informative.
Response from Host, Mar 2023
Glad that you enjoyed your driver, Dexter. Thank you for the feedback about the tour itinerary. Mahalo!
Donald_B, May 2022
It was a rainy day but that didn't diminish anything in this tour. Dexter was our guide and he was very knowledgeable and helpful. He made the day better than it otherwise would have been with his stories and information. There was so much beauty to be seen and enjoyed. We didn't get to see any actual lava but with the eruption in 2018 it's more difficult to see. Walking on a solidified lava bed was awesome! We had a great day and highly recommend this tour.
James_F, Nov 2021
Got to see turtles at the black beach. Good adventure. Viator did a good job in organizing the trip from Oahu to Hilo.
Luciana_L, Aug 2021
We had an marvelous day with Hugh as our guide. He has great expertise and brought us to the most amazing places in Hilo. I totally recommend this day trip. When I’m Hawaii you simply can’t miss the Volcanoes Park and all the beautiful waterfalls and lava beach sightings… You must see it all!
Kathryn_H, Mar 2020
This was a full day of fun. It was rainy and windy in the morning when we were at the Volcano House and lava fields but it was still wonderful. Then the sun came out in time for us to visit the waterfalls and black sand beach.
michnc0le, Dec 2019
Have to contact the travel agent after payment. Only being told to wait at 5am, no any details of the flight, pick up vehicle, driver contact, destination weather, appropriate clothes etc. It was raining at the big island and chill, not enough clothes for all of us. No proper meal for over 8 hrs after the breakfast buffet finished at 10am. Cold and starving for the whole trip. Amazing volcano scene could not compensate poor service.
DanielJohn_M, Dec 2019
Booked this pre travels as part of our trip to Hawaii, keen to get to the Big Island during our stay. The tour was excellent and the guide, Rob was enthusiastic and so knowledgeable. If doing this, prepare for a long day and potential of wet weather (albeit it still warm). Don't make the mistake I did of wearing a summer dress as when you get out onto the volcano you don't want to be skirt fighting! Trainers also recommended, as flip flops weren't quite cutting it. Would highly recommend and definitely do again. Thanks for a great trip
Bernadett_S, Jul 2019
Anthony our tour guide was very engaged and excited to teach us about the Big Island and Hawaii's history. The tour was well organized and we say many things around the Island and the volcano. Fully recommend it!
Clair S, May 2019
Great day-such diversity of experience and landscape. Favourites were the old lava flows and black sand beach where Jane our informative guide found turtles. Well planned, easy day
timothy_J, Jul 2018
was a great trip driver was really infomative and would recomment it to anyone was well worth the money
Clinton_G, Jul 2018
The airline trips/tour was well organized. I didn't particularly enjoy the orchid farm stop or the Macadamia farm stop but was more than impressed with Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. We enjoyed our bus tour with plenty of stops, we were able to see hot springs, walk on a trail through the hot springs, we were able to see lava at Kilauea as well. Overall, worth the trip from Oahu.
Anushila M, Jun 2018
We visited Big Island in April this year. Wonderful tour of all the key attractions on Big Island with Polynesian Adventures Tours. Hotel pickup/drop off from / to the airport and Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu to Hilo on Big Island was well very well organized and on time. This gave us full 12 hours to cover the itinerary. The trip to Rainbow Falls, Akatsuka Orchid Gardens, Mauna Loa factory and Liluokalani Gardens were delightful. Volcanoes National Park, chain of craters, lava fields and an up close view of the Kilauea caldera at Pahoa was simply spectacular and breathtaking. Our local tour guide Leroy was very knowledgable and regaled us with interesting facts and local native Hawaiian stories. This will be a very memorable trip for us as after 3 weeks of our visit the Kilauea volcano erupted and due to extreme volcanic activity and lava flows Pahoa and neighboring areas have been evacuated and closed to visitors.
Walter_M, Apr 2018
Very informative and helpful guide. Appreciated his expertise and knowledge of the sights. It was unfortunate the weather was not favorable during the time at Volcano National Park.
Paige_Q, Mar 2018
What an amazing day! The tour from start to finish was great. JT, our tour guide was friendly, actually hilarious, and very knowledgeable. As JT drove us around he gave us great tid bits about the area, the culture, the food etc. I would highly recommend this tour and JT as a guide.
Susie_J, Mar 2018
Had an amazing trip with John as our tour guide. He has been doing this for many years and was very knowledgeable and interactive. Only thing I would change is the dinner options. It was strange to be dropped off at a mall and get dinner at the food court which did not have many good options. Aside from that, the tour was great!
Tat A, Mar 2018
Had a great time. It was a little long since the pick up in Honolulu for the airport was 4:30 a.m. and did not get back to my hotel in Honolulu until close to 10:00 p.m. Hiwever,, it was worth it. The guide, Captain Rob, is so knowledgeable about Hawaiian culture, history, and volcanology. I learned a lot and the Big Island is so beautiful. It was worth the effort getting up so early in the morning for the tour,
David L, Feb 2018
Loved the many stops and the generous time allowed at each. Bus driver / tour guide very knowledgeable about Hawaii culture and language. The only thing keeping me from a 5 star was the fact that it was a rain filled day and that we couldn't see the red hot lava at Volcanoes Park.
Indrani_B, Feb 2018
took an early flight from Oahu. came back late. it was a great tour. saw the Air force One in the Airport. that was an extra treat
From $654.46
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Day Trip from Oahu to Hilo: Volcano Adventure
577
12 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$654.46
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Attractions in Oahu, USA
- Kahuku Farms Tours & Tickets
- Byodo-In Temple Tours & Tickets
- Bishop Museum Tours & Tickets
- Waikele Center Tours & Tickets
- Ali'iolani Hale Tours & Tickets
- Eternity Beach Tours & Tickets
- Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Tours & Tickets
- He'eia State Park Tours & Tickets
- Kaneohe Bay Tours & Tickets
- USS Oklahoma Memorial Tours & Tickets
- Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum Tours & Tickets
- Iolani Palace Tours & Tickets
- Koʻolau Range Tours & Tickets
- Banzai Pipeline Tours & Tickets
- Sandy Beach Park Tours & Tickets
- Diamond Head Tours & Tickets
- Kailua Beach Park Tours & Tickets
- Oahu North Shore Tours & Tickets