Hilo Shore Excursion: Volcanoes National Park and Rainbow Falls
Overview
Available languages
6 hours
Mobile ticket
Cruise Ship Guests: We have special permits to pick up directly from Hilo port of call. Departure times may be adjusted to fit your ships arrival & departure.
Hilo Hotel Guests: Meeting location is Hilo Hawaiian Hotel
Tour grade: Easy
Highlights of this tour include Black Sand Beach, Rainbow Falls, Liliuokalani Japanese Garden, Drive through Down Town Hilo, Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Farm
Volcanoes National Park - Steam Vents, Sulfur Banks Thurston Lava Tube, Kilauea Visitor Center & Exhibits Kilauea Crater lookout.
The visitor center in National Park is currently closed for renovation.
Lunch: Stop will be made by a local vendor
Additional Info
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Vehicle: 12-14 passenger van or mini bus max 25 pass mini bus
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HOTEL : You can meet us at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel to join this tour.
CRUISE PASSENGERS : We have special permits to pick up directly from Hilo port
We will ensure your timely return back to the ship in Hilo Pier for this activity. If your ship does not come into port , your money will be refunded. If is is delayed we will adjust our departure time to the ships itenerary. See our terms and conditions for full details
DEPARTURE TIMES: Because we are a shore excursion company we schedule our departure times around a ships arrival and departure.
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Easy tour - Involves walking over relatively level terrain, possible gravel or uneven ground in some areas. Lava tube is .4 of mile long with descending and ascending steps. Comfortable walking shoes & light jacket recommended
WHEELCHAIR / WALKER or SCOOTER ? We must know prior to the tour date if you are bringing a mobility device in order to accommodate. (Please add note to comments box) The mobility unit must not exceed 45 lbs. For various reasons our guides cannot assist with mobility units. Guests must have someone with them to move the mobility device in and out of the vehicle. Our vehicles do not have a lift, so any mobility device must be collapsible to fit through the mini bus doors which is 32” wide.
Mobility Restrictions: Mobility devices cannot go into the lava tube, a trail to the crater is dirt path. Trail to black sand beach in ok but the beach is sand. Customers can stay in the vehicle at any time if they wish. Call us if you have further questions.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Professional guide
Bottled water
National Park fees
Port / Hilo Hotel pickup and drop-off
What to bring/wear: Walking shoes, light sweater, camera, hat, sunglasses
Souvenirs
Gratuities
Stop is made to purchase food
What To Expect
Banyan Drive
Our first path drives us down Banyan Drive known as the "Hilo Walk of Fame" for the banyan trees planted by celebrities, such as Babe Ruth and Franklin Roosevelt and many others. These trees have withstood several tsunamis that have devastated the town of Hilo
Lili'uokalani Gardens
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.
Options
11:30 am MS REGATTA
11:30 am departure. All customers will be arriving off the same ship. This is a departure time for MS REGATTA
Lunch stop: There will be a stop to purchase lunch to go
Duration: 6 hours
Starting point:
Port of Hilo, 80 Kuhio St, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
Hilo Cruise Ship Passenger
We are a SHORE EXCURSION company. We have permits to pick you up directly from the Hilo port.
Accessibility : If you have a walker or wheelchair you need to contact us before your arrival in order to accommodate you
BOREALIS 2:00 pm
Special Departure time : Check in time 15-20 prior to departure. Customers will be able to start walking off the ship at 1:30 pm
Starting point:
Port of Hilo, 80 Kuhio St, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
Hilo Hawaiian Hotel Meeting
Hilo Hawaiian Hotel: Meeting location lobby of Hilo Hawaiian Hotel 71 Banyan Dr. Hilo, HI 96720
Starting point:
Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, 71 Banyan Dr, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
Disney Wonder 8:30 am -1:30 pm
Duration: 5 hours
No lunch stop
Disney : 5 hr tour will only include the Volcanoes National Park and Black Sand Beach.There will not be a lunch stop
Starting point:
Port of Hilo, 80 Kuhio St, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
Norwegian Spirit 12:45 pm
Customers will be able to start walking off the ship at 12:00 noon.
Tour Adjustments: Lilioukalani Garden will be Drive by only and Big Island Candies will be removed
Duration: 5 hours
Starting point:
Port of Hilo, 80 Kuhio St, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
Disney Wonder 9:30 am - 3 pm
Duration: 5 hours: Due to the ship's time in port. This tour will be 5.5 hrs
Coral Princess - 11:00 am
Duration: 6 hours
Coral Princess: Coral Princess pick up cruise ship guests 11:00 am departure check in 15-20 min prior
Starting point:
Port of Hilo, 80 Kuhio St, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
Reviews
1,798 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great tour guide - we...
Mark G,
Jun 29, 2025
- Viator
5.00Great tour guide - we really enjoyed our experience. We never felt rushed at any stop. She was very informative along the way on what we'd be seeing.
Hannibal made the tour
Shawn S,
Jun 29, 2025
- Viator
5.00Our guide (Hannibal) kept us entertained throughout the tour. We were able to see the volcano erupting over 1000 feet in the air. Once in a lifetime experience.
This was such a Great...
Estefania B,
Jun 28, 2025
- Viator
5.00This was such a Great tour , kind tour guide , amazing places , unique experience. A most do when in Hilo
More than volcanoes
Jodie M,
Jun 26, 2025
- Viator
5.00Despite the disappointment of Kilauea Volcano not spewing lava, our guide, Hannibal, made up for it by being a fount of knowledge! He was delightful and made the tour pass quickly but not hurriedly. I would have liked more photo stops to capture all the info he was giving us, but I know that would have extended the day. C Big Island Tours has a great itinerary for this tour.
Don’t waste your money, very uncomfortable experience.
Sasha S,
Jun 25, 2025
- Viator
1.00Our tour guide, Ellen, kept talking about other people in the tour group to other people in a nasty way behind their backs. She also kept talking about things that weren’t relevant to the tour and were personal. She was also stating how she didn’t like tourists visiting hawaii, which made everyone in the group very uncomfortable. The tour also was completely mixed up and we didn’t even do one of the things on the list. The tour also ended up feeling like a chore at about 1/3 of the way through, which is a shame as we’re a group who loves volcanos and exploring the culture of where we visit. It’s a huge shame as we came to the big island for one day specifically for this and it was really not pleasant. The stops at each destination were also extremely short and then you were berated if you were a minute late. Would highly not recommend, which is a shame as we would have loved to support a small business but don’t want people to waste their money.
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Operated by C Big Island Tours