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

“The operator, Rusty, was very knowledgeable and did all she could for us to have a good time. The volcano though was only letting off noctious steam and the ground was covered with lava chunks from the day before. Still it was awesome to be…”

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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 the guide you want for a native's view, insight, history & ability to make your tour informative, educational & entertaining! I could go on about each of the things we saw from the inspirational volcano to the humbling and serene waterfall, but it's…”

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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

“Great day in Kona with Kelvin. He was very knowledgeable. Loved the coffee farm. Great food at the Poke stop. Yum! And ended seeing the turtles. Lovely day!”

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7.Hilo: Sea Turtle Lagoon and Black Sand Beach Snorkel

Experience Hawaii’s marine wonders with a guided snorkel tour in Hilo, including turtle encounters, coral reefs, and small groups for an authentic adventure.

★ 4.5

“The 2 snorkeling spots were very good. Guide was very knowledgeable of wildlife and underwater features. With us being the only 2 felt like a private tour. Well worth the time for the Hilo side of the island.”

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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

“Our experience on the Big Island tour was absolutely fantastic! Anthony and Desmond were incredible guides. They taught us so much about the volcanoes, the unique history, and the rich culture of the Big Island. We really appreciated how flexible and attentive they were, always…”

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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

“Don was an excellent communicator from the moment I booked the tour. Our tour was amazing! Don made a point of showing us all the extras, places that weren’t on the itinerary but that we had time to see in between stops around Hilo. He…”

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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

“This was an incredible journey that my wife and I could not recommend more highly. Our pilot was friendly and knowledgeable and the flight provided a unique view of the island!”

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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

“Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and really made the experience wonderful. We really enjoyed making some stops before we went star gazing.”

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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 amazing. She went on all the excursions with us and gave us a lot of information. It felt like a private tour even though we were in a group. We got lucky and there were only 5 people in the group which helped…”

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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

“What can I say about our Hilo Tsunami Adventure?! Desmond and Anthony were fantastic guides, sharing history, customs, information about local vegetation, etc. They were well prepared to show and tell us about so many different things. Every stop was educational and enjoyable. Lunch was…”

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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 place this activity is located at is incredibly beautiful and really unique - wish we would have stayed there longer! The activity itself was fun. You can tell the guides are very passionate about rappelling. There was a lot more standing around and waiting…”

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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