TourTruth score 9.8 out of 10
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Hilo Volcano, Waterfall and Punaluʻu Beach Tour
ExcellentTop 1% in Big Island of Hawaii
229 reviews · Rated on 2 providers · How we score
- Big Island of Hawaii
- Updated November 2, 2026
See Rainbow Falls, Kīlauea, an ancient lava tube, and Punaluʻu’s black sand beach on a scenic Hilo day trip with lunch.
About this tour
Explore Hilo’s waterfalls, volcanic landscapes, and black sand shoreline on a day trip rich with island scenery and stories. Your Hilo Volcano, Waterfall and Punaluʻu Beach Tour begins with a drive through historic Downtown Hilo and Liliʻuokalani Gardens, followed by a visit to picture-perfect Rainbow Falls.
Continue to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park to take in views of Kīlauea’s crater and steaming volcanic vents, then walk inside an ancient lava tube. Along the way, your guide shares historical insights and cultural stories, with hands-on artifacts adding context to the landscapes. A locally owned restaurant serves an island-inspired lunch, with vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options available, and you’ll also sample fresh fruit.
The scenic drive continues past lava fields, coffee farms, and macadamia nut farms to Punaluʻu, where green sea turtles come to rest on the black sand beach. The Hilo Volcano, Waterfall and Punaluʻu Beach Tour includes about 2.5 hours of driving between destinations and moderate walking, including roughly 15 stairs at the lava tube. Pickup and drop-off are limited to the Hilo area. Join the journey to experience some of the island’s most memorable natural sights in one day.
Highlights
- Admire Rainbow Falls and explore historic Downtown Hilo
- See Kīlauea’s crater and steaming volcanic vents
- Walk through an ancient lava tube
- Enjoy lunch at a locally owned restaurant
- Look for green sea turtles at Punaluʻu black sand beach
What's included
Included
- Fresh fruit samples
- Pickup and drop-off in the Hilo area
- Guide
- Lunch at a locally owned restaurant
- Vegetarian meal options
Not included
- Alcoholic beverages
Ratings on each provider
The ratings and review counts each booking site shows for this tour.
-
View on Viator
Viator
4.98 / 5 · 44 reviews
-
View on GetYourGuide
GetYourGuide
4.96 / 5 · 185 reviews
What reviewers mention
Themes that come up most in this tour's reviews.
Often praised
Important information
- Bring your Hawaii Volcanoes National Park pass if you already have one
- Pickup and drop-off are available in the Hilo area only
- Meet in the parking lot beside Kamehameha Avenue at Hilo Bayfront Beach Park
- About 2.5 hours of driving between destinations
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- Moderate walking, including about 15 stairs during the lava tube visit
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Service animals are allowed
- Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free meal options are available
How this score is calculated
This tour scores 4.98 on Viator and 4.96 on GetYourGuide. Ratings on these sites cluster near the top of the 5-star scale, so we compare each one with all other ratings on the same site before combining them.
How the score works and rating distribution in Big Island of Hawaii
- Each provider rating is turned into a percentile: the share of that provider's ratings it beats, weighted by review counts.
- Listings on different providers are combined in proportion to their review counts.
- Tours with few reviews are pulled toward the average until more reviews come in, so a handful of perfect reviews can't top the list.
- The result is shown from 0 to 10: this tour scores 9.4. Top 1% in Big Island of Hawaii means it ranks in the top 1% of tours in Big Island of Hawaii by this score.
Provider rating distribution in Big Island of Hawaii
How many tours in Big Island of Hawaii have a provider rating at or below each value. The dashed line is this tour.
- GetYourGuide
- Viator
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