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Things to Do on Hawaiʻi Island

Things to Do on Hawaiʻi Island

Active volcanoes, manta ray dives, black sand beaches and Kona coffee — more variety than any other island in the state.

Sarah Burchard
By Sarah BurchardLast verified: July 2026Expert verified

I like to visit Hawaiʻi Island in sections. With more than 75 miles between Kona on the west side and Hilo on the east, covering the whole island in one trip is impossible — especially if you want meaningful time anywhere. The internet loves to tell you that here you can see an active volcano, play in the snow atop Mauna Kea and swim with manta rays on the Kona coast all in one day. Technically true, if you wake at 4 a.m. and spend five hours driving — but who wants that on vacation? What those sites are really getting at is the sheer range of landscapes on the largest island in the archipelago, often simply called the Big Island. It is not an island you visit for one thing; because of its size, pick an area to focus on and save the rest for another trip. Most first-timers base in Kona or on the Kohala Coast, where it is sunnier and there are hotels in every price range, plus preserved heritage sites, exceptional snorkeling, sandy beaches and resort life. The tradeoff is the two-hour drive to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, the Hāmākua Coast and the waterfall hikes near Hilo. Seven days or longer, split your time — half west side, half Hilo. Anything less, stick to one side: the west side and south shore on one trip, the east side and Hāmākua Coast on a return.

SB
Sarah Burchard
Editor
Best ForHilo & East HawaiʻiKona & West HawaiʻiKnow Before You GoFAQ

Best For

Best for first-timers

Spend a full day at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park hiking and watching a live volcano, then drive to the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station at 9,200 feet for sunset above the clouds. You do not need the summit to feel Mauna Kea's full impact — these two experiences alone cover the island's top highlights.

Best for adventure

Take a doors-off helicopter tour from Hilo or Kona. You will fly over places you cannot reach on land — active lava flows, the cliffs of the Waipiʻo and Waimanu Valleys, the green sand beach and the snow-capped summit of Mauna Kea.

Best for families

Punaluʻu black sand beach for turtle watching with zero hiking, Hāpuna Beach for the safest, most swimmable water on the island, and the Kona manta ray night snorkel (about $120–180 per person) — comfortable for kids at ease in the water, and the kind of thing they talk about for years.

Best for culture

Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park — the Place of Refuge, $20 per vehicle — where the kapu system and the idea of redemption are interpreted on a beautifully preserved coastal site. Add the Kaʻūpūlehu petroglyph field, hundreds of images carved into lava and visible from a short boardwalk.

Best for water

The Kona and Kohala manta night dive (an experience found nowhere else in Hawaiʻi), Two-Step at Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau (the best shore snorkel on the island), or a snorkel tour to the Captain Cook Monument in Kealakekua Bay (from $50 per person).

Best for coffee & food

Tour a working Kona coffee farm (about $20–40 per person) to taste why the beans command their price. Cruise the Hilo Farmers Market for tropical fruit and grab shave ice downtown, and for the best dinner on the island, book a table at Moon & Turtle.

Hilo & East Hawaiʻi

The east side runs from the volcanic landscape of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park in the south to the waterfall-lined Hāmākua Coast stretching north toward Waipiʻo Valley. The park's eastern entrance is closer to Hilo than to Kona, making this the best base for that excursion.

  • Best for first-timers: Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park — Crater Rim Drive, the Kīlauea Visitor Center, and a hike or two. $30 per vehicle.
  • Best for waterfalls: the easily accessible Rainbow Falls and 442-foot Akaka Falls State Park, an easy 0.4-mile paved loop ($5 non-resident parking).
  • Best East Side road trip: the Hāmākua Coast north of Hilo, ending at the Waipiʻo Valley Overlook and its 2,000-foot view down to a black sand beach. Rental companies prohibit driving the valley road; the overlook more than suffices.
  • Best for local culture: a day in Hilo town — gardens, locally-made apparel, decades-old family restaurants, and the free, underrated Panaʻewa Rainforest Zoo. What you will not find here is swimmable beaches or reliable sun.
  • Best East Side adventure: Mauna Kea. The Visitor Information Station at 9,200 feet is open 9 a.m.–9 p.m. and reachable by any car; above it the road is unpaved, 4WD-only, and off-limits to most rentals — go with a tour for the summit. Always acclimatize at the station for 30 minutes first.
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Kona & West Hawaiʻi

The Kona Coast is the opposite of the east side — drier, sunnier, warmer and built for resort stays. Aliʻi Drive runs the historic waterfront, lined with restaurants, coffee shops and bars. Snorkeling, coffee-farm tours, cultural sightseeing and the evening manta ray dive are the things to do here.

  • Best unique experience: the Kona manta ray night dive — the most singular thing to do in all of Hawaiʻi. Year-round; $120–180 per person.
  • Best for coffee: Greenwell Farms — free tours, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., about an hour, no reservation needed.
  • Best for snorkeling: Two-Step at Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, the island's best shore snorkel. $20 per vehicle.
  • Best beach: Hāpuna Beach State Park — soft white sand, swimming, a lifeguard and restrooms. $5 non-resident parking.
  • Best upcountry escape: Waimea town — cooler, pastoral paniolo country 45 minutes from Kona. Take Kohala Mountain Road for farmland on one side and ocean views on the other.
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Featured Tours

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Book Things to Do

Private Kealakekua Bay Captain Cook SnorkelingHawaiʻi IslandFree cancellation

Private Kealakekua Bay Captain Cook Snorkeling

There is no better way to explore Hawaii’s #1 snorkel destination than with an affordable private charter from HAWAII MARINE LIFE CHARTERS. Vessel Designed for Exploration: We operate a 31’ Ocean Craft RHIB—This design offers stability, maneuverability and a faster, smoother ride to Kona’s remote coastal gems. Size Matters: With a max 10-passengers, our private charters are more economical than the competition’s 14 or 18-pack boats. All-Inclusive VIP Amenities:Other operators will nickel and dime their customers, but at HMLC all of the extras are included in your tour price. Personal Concierge Experience: As private charter, our crew focuses solely on you, making this the perfect tour for beginner snorkelers and families with children. Local Expertise: A family-owned business, Captain Brian and his crew leverage 30+ years of local knowledge to share Hawaiian history and "hidden gems" other tour operators may miss. Your journey to Hawaii’s top snorkel destination starts here.

5.0(39)3 hr 30 min
From $1541.11Book Now
Kona Night Manta Ray Snorkel | Small Group ExperienceHawaiʻi IslandSells out fastFree cancellation

Kona Night Manta Ray Snorkel | Small Group Experience

Join us for an unforgettable evening as we take you up close to Kona’s incredible manta rays—without the big crowds. Our Night Manta Snorkel is designed to be personal, relaxed, and unforgettable. With just 12 guests max, you’ll enjoy plenty of space, personalized attention, and unbeatable front-row views of the manta action. Once in the water, you’ll float effortlessly on the surface for 30–40 minutes while holding onto our custom light board. Its powerful lights attract plankton, which in turn draws the mantas in close. Before long, you’ll be watching these graceful giants glide and loop below you—an encounter you’ll never forget. Requirements: To join, you must be comfortable in the water and able to float on the surface with the assistance of a waist flotation device. You don’t need to be an expert swimmer, but you should feel confident using a mask and snorkel.

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Sarah Burchard

Editor's Pick

Kona (West)

The driest, sunniest side. The historic Aliʻi Drive waterfront is a strip of restaurants, dive bars and shops geared to visitors, and above town the Kona coffee belt runs through Holualoa, Kealakekua and Captain Cook — more than 70 farms, several offering tours and tastings. The coast holds Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau (the Place of Refuge), the Captain Cook Monument and preserved heiau; Two-Step and Kahaluʻu are premier day snorkels, and by night you can snorkel with manta rays off Keauhou. Best for first-time visitors who want culture and sightseeing.

Kohala (North)

Home to the island's luxury resorts — Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Mauna Lani, Fairmont Orchid — and its best swimming beaches along a long, sheltered shoreline. Hāpuna Beach has soft white sand and calm water, ideal for families and less-confident swimmers. Thirty minutes uphill, Waimea is cool, green paniolo ranch country with farmers markets and small-town intimacy, and the Kohala Mountain Road between them is one of the island's most quietly spectacular drives.

Hilo & Hāmākua (East)

The island's largest, least touristy town. Over 130 inches of rain a year make this the wet side — and give it lush rainforest and towering waterfalls like ʻAkaka and Rainbow Falls. The daily Hilo Farmers Market brims with tropical fruit, the Hāmākua Coast to the north is a scenic drive past historic towns and world-class chocolate, and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is under an hour away. Hilo is for visitors who would rather be out on excursions than in a resort, and who are charmed by old storefronts, family-run restaurants and nature.

Volcanoes & Kaʻū (South)

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park sits 30 miles southwest of Hilo and 96 southeast of Kona, open year-round, 24 hours, $30 per vehicle for seven days. This is where Kīlauea has erupted on and off for decades, where you drive the 22-mile Chain of Craters Road from summit to sea and watch sunset over Halemaʻumaʻu. The surrounding Kaʻū district adds Punaluʻu black sand beach (with frequent sea turtles) and Kaʻū coffee farms whose beans often rival Kona's.

— Sarah Burchard

Know Before You Go

Hawaiʻi Island is huge — 4,028 square miles, nearly twice the combined area of all the other islands. Kona to Hilo is over two hours; Kona to the national park the same; Kona to the Mauna Kea Visitor Station about 45 minutes. You cannot do both Hilo and the park as a Kona day trip without sacrificing one. Five days is the minimum to see the island, seven is what it really takes to move at an unhurried pace. April–May and September–October are the best windows for weather, fewer crowds and lower hotel prices, and if you can, give the national park an overnight — Kīlauea Lodge or Volcano House.

The one thing many visitors do not know about is vog. Kīlauea's sulfur-dioxide emissions drift west to the Kona coast on windy days. It is not always present or severe, but it is a real condition on the leeward side — on heavy days the horizon disappears, the air carries a faint chemical smell, and anyone with asthma notices immediately. Check the forecast at vog.hi.gov before planning outdoor time on the Kona coast.

Plan Your Visit

Start here

When to Visit

The Big Island is a year-round destination. Whale watching peaks December through April off the Kohala coast. Mauna Kea stargazing is best October through March. Volcano activity is ongoing — check nps.gov/havo for current conditions before visiting.

Getting Around

Rent a car — the island is too large for shuttles or public transit to be practical. For Waipiʻo Valley or the Mauna Kea summit road, you will need 4WD. Most standard rental agreements prohibit driving above the 9,300-foot visitor center on the summit access road.

Where to Base

First-timers: base in Kona for sunshine, snorkeling, and resort infrastructure. Return visitors or those who want a local experience: Hilo gives faster access to the national park, waterfalls, and the farmers market.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sarah Burchard

Sarah Burchard

Editor · Oʻahu

Sarah Burchard has called Oʻahu home since 2017. A Honolulu-based freelance writer and editor, she covers food, culture and travel for publications including Hawaii.com, Hana Hou, FLUX Hawaiʻi, Forbes, Hawaiʻi Magazine and Honolulu Magazine. What keeps her rooted here goes beyond the balance of city life and sunny beaches — it is the people, the values and the culture of aloha that make her stay. Sarah is also a devout yogi and regularly volunteers with ʻāina-based organizations across the island. Read more of her work at sarahburchard.com.

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