Big Island of Hawaii

15 Best Hilo Shore Excursions

The cruise-day circuits from Hilo’s pier: the volcano, Rainbow Falls and lava caves, timed against the ship’s whistle. Guaranteed-return policies are standard; read them anyway.

1.Hilo Shore Excursion: Volcanoes National Park and Rainbow Falls

Discover Hawaii’s volcanic wonders and waterfalls on this 6-hour shore excursion exploring Volcanoes National Park, Rainbow Falls, black sand beaches, and more.

Most Popular★ 4.5

“We enjoyed this tour very much. Shevon, our guide provided abundant informative narration and treated us with lots of Aloha. Plenty of photo ops along the tour but no photo could do justice to the actual views we enjoyed at the volcano national park. We…”

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2.Hawaii Volcanoes, Waterfalls, Beaches & Hilo Highlights Day Tour

Discover Hawaii’s volcanic landscapes, waterfalls, beaches, and local culture on this full-day guided tour of the Big Island’s top highlights with a native Hawaiian guide.

★ 5.0

“Justin is such a personable and cultivated guide. His Makaio Tours of Hilo takes you to the must sees and it’s just overall a fun day with him and your group. Learned more about the Big Island and had a lot of wholesome moments on…”

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3.Hilo Shore Excursion: Safari Lava Caves, Falls and Highlights

Experience Hawaii’s volcanoes, waterfalls, and black sand beaches on this 6-hour guided tour from Hilo, exploring lava caves, hot pools, and lush waterfalls.

★ 4.5

“Ellen was a phenomenal tour guide! I loved all the stops we made, specially the cave & waterfall. If you are going to explore the cave, I definitely recommend that you bring sneakers so you can explore as the rocks are slippery.”

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4.Kona Shore Excursion: Sea Turtles, Historic Kona & Coffee

Discover Kona’s natural beauty, history, and culture with this 5-hour tour featuring sea turtles, coffee, beaches, and archaeological sites on Hawaii’s Big Island.

★ 4.5

“The tour pick up from the cruise ship was easy. Our guide, Rusty, was knowledgeable and took good care of us. The tour delivered everything it promised. All of the stops were good, and the highlight of our tour was getting to see the sea…”

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6.Hilo Cruise Ship Excursion: Volcanoes National Park Rainbow Falls

Explore Hawaii's Big Island with this 4.5-hour Hilo shore excursion to Rainbow Falls and Volcanoes National Park, guided by knowledgeable locals.

“Poor communication and mediocre service. All the other experiences we booked contacted us ahead with what to expect, where to meet, etc. This tour was about $150 a person, and we had 4 people in our group. They literally took us around to the Rainbow…”

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8.Big Island: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Hilo Tour

Discover Hawaii's Big Island on a 7-hour guided tour visiting Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea, lava tubes, black sand beaches, and waterfalls.

★ 5.0

“This was absolutely the best day of our trip to the big island!!! Desmond and Anthony picked us up from our Airbnb, and were so friendly, right from the start! We visit Rainbow Falls-just breathtaking! We take a short hike to the top, and get…”

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9.Hawaii Volcano National Park Shore Excursion

Explore Hawaii's Big Island with a full-day tour visiting waterfalls, volcanoes, lava fields, and local spots, guided by an experienced and friendly guide.

★ 5.0

“It is an action packed itinerary. You certainly see more than expected. The bus was comfortable and the tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the area.”

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10.Discover Hilo Helicopter Tour

Experience Hawaii’s volcanoes and waterfalls from the air with this 50-minute helicopter tour, featuring expert guides, stunning views, and small-group intimacy.

★ 4.5

“I was hoping to at least see the crater at Kilauea volcano. I would have gladly given up 60% of the tour to fly there. A longer flight would have been great to see more. Pilot was awesome and very knowledgeable”

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11.Maunakea Stellar Explorer HILO

Experience Hawaii’s cosmic wonders on this 7-hour Maunakea tour, with solar viewing, stargazing, and natural beauty, guided by expert storytellers.

★ 4.5

“It was great! Beautiful site seeing on the way to the mountains. Very entertaining and kind tourguide for kids and adults alike. Interesting facts and stories about the area and the night sky.”

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12.Hawaii Big Island Circle Small Group Tour: Waterfalls – Hilo – Volcano – Black Sand Beach

Discover Hawaii's Big Island with this small-group tour, exploring waterfalls, volcanoes, black sand beaches, and charming towns—all with expert guides and included meals.

★ 5.0

“Katie was our tour guide and she was knowledgeable and responsive to our questions. We stopped at several sites such as volcanoes, parks, waterfalls, black sand, sea turtles and more. You won’t regret this tour!”

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13.Hilo Shore Excursion: Visit Volcano, Waterfall, Beach with Lunch

Discover Hawaii’s highlights on this full-day Hilo shore excursion, visiting volcanoes, waterfalls, beaches, with expert guides and local lunch included.

★ 5.0

“Fantastic tour! Desmond and Antony are the best! So knowledgeable and fun! We got to see the volcano erupting and had a wonderful lunch at the volcano village. Black sand beach was awesome too, as was the bowl of fruit they gave us. I loved…”

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14.Waterfall Rappelling at Kulaniapia Falls: 120 Foot Drop, 15 Minutes from Hilo

Experience a thrilling 120-foot waterfall rappel near Hilo, guided by friendly experts. Perfect for adventure lovers seeking a unique, memorable activity on Big Island.

★ 5.0

“The guides Eric and Sasha were extremely knowledgeable and experienced. She’s ranged from 13 to 50 and we all had a great time. The activity was so memorable- a highlight of the trip!”

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15.Kona Shore Excursion: Wild Dolphin Reefs Snorkel and Sea Caves

Experience the Big Island’s marine wonders with this 3-hour snorkeling tour visiting Kealakekua Bay, Captain Cook Monument, and sea caves, with dolphins and turtles.

★ 4.5

“It was good but it lists sea caves on the title and we did not go see any sea caves. Someone needs to correct the excursion name”

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More Hilo Shore Excursions

4.5Evening Volcano Explorer from Hilo6 hours (approx.)$252.25 4.5Mauna Kea: Stellar Explorer Tour from Hilo7 hours$189 4.6Hilo: Volcanoes National Park & Black Sand Beach6 hours$145 4.9Hawaii: Big Island Hilo Zipline Tour2.5 hours$235 4.1Hilo: Discover Hilo Helicopter Tour50 min$439 4.0Cruise Ship Shore Excursion of Historic Kona3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)$79.00 4.7Big Island: Evening Volcano Explorer from Hilo8 hours$169 5.0Port of Hilo to Volcano Tour4 hours (approx.)$229.00 4.5Hilo Highlights: Waterfall & Local Secrets on a Short Excursion6 hours (approx.)$189.99 4.5Historic Hilo Bay and Coconut Island Guided Kayak Adventure2 hours (approx.)$160.00 4.8Hilo: Akaka Falls, Volcanoes, and Rainbow Falls Guided Tour8 hours$187 5.0Private Tour from Hilo to Hawaii Volcanoes Natl Park Mercedes Van6 hours (approx.)$1,900.00 4.5Hilo: Wailoa River to King Kamehameha Guided Kayaking Tour1 hour$125 5.0Punaluu Black Sand Beach Tour – Volcanoes National Park & Hilo7 to 8 hours (approx.)$179.00 5.0Hilo-6 Hour Private Tour-Volcanoes NP, Rainbow Falls and more.6 hours (approx.)$1,299.00 4.0Big Island Surf Lesson from Hilo1 hour (approx.)$120.00 4.5Hilo Excursion Volcanoes Akaka Falls And Black Sand Beach7 to 8 hours (approx.)$299.00 4.5Historic Hilo Bay Waterfalls by Kayak2 hours (approx.)$160.10 4.7Hilo: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Hilo Highlights5.5 hours$195 4.52-Hour Hilo Ghost Walks Tour2 hours (approx.)$59.00 4.0Volcano Adventure Tour & Waterfall – Shore Excursion from Hilo Harbor6 hours (approx.)$199.99 5.0Private Hilo Shore Excursion to Volcano Waterfall and Black Sand6 to 7 hours (approx.)$1,359.20 2.4From Hilo: Kilauea Lava Flow Tour with Lunch and Dinner9 hours$189 4.8Hilo: Elite Volcano Hike8.5 hours$189