Thinking about taking your first trip to the Big Island? Excellent choice. The Big Island is loaded with things to do, and has a variety of experiences and accommodations to offer.
Below, we run through everything you need to learn more about the Big Island and start planning your trip.
Table of contents
Table of Contents
- Getting there (and getting around)
- What is the Big Island like?
- Where to stay
- How many days is enough?
- The most popular activities and attractions
- 5 visitor tips to guide your visit
Great trips are properly planned, and pre-trip knowledge of the islands is essential. To help, we’ve created this “beginner series” that highlights everything you need to know before visiting each island.
Read on for an overview of the Big Island, or check out our beginner’s guide to Oʻahu here.
Related: If you are not sure yet on which (and how many) island to visit and when to go, see our guide “Planning a trip to Hawaiʻi for first timers: a 101 guide“.
Getting to the Big Island
The Big Island has two major airports: Kona International Airport (KOA) and Hilo Airport (ITO).
If you’re arriving from another Hawaiian Island, such as Oʻahu or Maui, you will find flights into both airports.
Most people traveling from international destinations or the mainland will arrive at Kona Airport (at the time of this writing, Hilo Airport does not support any flights from outside the Hawaiian Islands).
This is important to understand, as it will help you plan your trip itinerary. The drive time between Kona and Hilo is about 1.5 hours.
Getting around on the Big Island
The Big Island might be ‘BIG’ for Hawaiian standards but in absolute measure it is quite small. At the widest point, the island only measures 95 miles across. Regardless, it is still almost twice as big as all other Hawaiian Islands combined. If you want to be in control of your own transport there is only one viable option to navigate around the Big Island: renting a car.
If, for whatever good reason, renting a car is not an option, you can also make-do with the following options:
- With public transport (the bus)
- With shared rides / Uber / Lyft / taxi services
- Or using tours for sightseeing
Island hopping
4 out of every 10 people (2023 data) visiting the Big Island also visit another island during their trip. In fact, many people visiting Hawaiʻi choose to visit more than one island if at all possible. The most constraining factor here is time, but there are many more that can influence your plans.
In our definitive guide to island hopping in Hawaiʻi, we walk you through your options to help you decide what’s the best plan of action. We look at reasons for and against island hopping and offer some advice on the best way to plan your trip – including money-saving tips and a few suggestion on which islands to pair and why!
Approximate flight times between Hawaiian islands.
Big Island’s Natural Landscape
The Big Island is larger than all the other Hawaiian Islands combined, making it by far the biggest island – hence, the name. It contains 8 of the world’s 13 climate zones and is made up of five volcanoes, two of which are currently active, with a top elevation of nearly 14,000 feet.
In this way, the Big Island’s natural landscape offers an abundance of variety and chances for exploration, including lava fields, rainforests, high elevation forests, and, of course, coastal ecosystems.
Where to Stay on the Big Island
There are places to stay sprinkled all throughout the island, but the main areas are the town of Kailua-Kona, North Kona and the Kohala Coast, South Kona, Hilo, and the town of Volcano.
There are reasons to stay (and not stay) in each of these locations, as they all offer something just a little bit different. Depending on your personal interests, budget, and trip planning, one area may make more sense than others. The following list is a VERY condensed version of what type of travelers we think would enjoying where on the Big Island:
- Kailua-Kona: First-timers, Solo travelers, Families, Active Travelers.
- North Kona and the Kohala Coast: Beach bums, Families
- South Kona: Families
- Hilo: Active adventurers, Families, Budget travelers
- the town of Volcano: Active Adventurers
- Holualoa: Repeat visitors
- Puna: Active Adventurers, Budget travelers
See our guide to Big Island Accommodations for a deep dive in each of these regions, including good reasons on why (and why not!) to stay there.
Related: Our guide on where to stay on the Kona coast gives high-end, mid-range, and budget-friendly suggestions on where to stay for families, first timers, solo travelers, active travelers, beach bums, and repeat visitors.
How Long People Stay on the Big Island
Our recommended length of stay on the Big Island in order to explore it completely is 7 days (see our 7 day itinerary here).
However, you can of course visit on a shorter trip with the understanding that you won’t have time to fully explore the entire island. But, because of the drive times involved, we would recommend an absolute minimum stay of four days. This amount of time will allow you to take in an overview of the island and experience some of the highlights without feeling too rushed.
Anyone visiting for a shorter amount of time should focus their interests on one area of the island, such as Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park or the Kona Coast.
Big Island’s Notorious Attractions
What’s there to do on the Big Island? A lot! From surf to stargazing, there are myriad activities on the Big Island that will keep you busy day and night.
Below is a sampling of the most popular activities and attractions (in no specific order).
Kona Coffee Region
One of the Big Island’s major agricultural products (alongside macadamia nuts), coffee grows abundantly all over the island, but most famously in the Kona Coffee Belt on the hillsides above Kona. You can visit one of the small farms in this region for a tour and tasting.
For details see our list of Kona Coffee Tours.
Manta Ray Snorkel (and dive)
One of the most unique offerings in the world, the Kona side of the Big Island is one of the few places where you can snorkel with gigantic manta rays. Read more about the manta ray snorkel in Kona.
During the manta ray dive you are surrounded by Manta Rays, as seen here on a picture taken during a previous night dive. Image credit: Torpedo Tours.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Explore the youngest and most-active volcano on the island, Kīlauea, by visiting the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on the east side of the Big Island.
The Kilauea ʻiki caldera the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park hosts one of the most spectacular (and moderately easy) hikes on the Big Island.
Kailua-Kona
This small town on the Kona coast offers beautiful ocean views and an array of waterfront restaurants, shops, and bars.
Downtown Kona and Kailua Bay. Credit: Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Heather Goodman
Mauna Kea Summit
Go from the sunny beaches to the sometimes snowy top of the Mauna Kea volcano, whose summit sits at about 13,800 feet. At night, head to the Mauna Kea visitor center for some of the best stargazing in the world.
Telescopes on the Mauna Kea summit, Hawaii. Visible are the Subaru Telescope, the W. M. Keck Observatory, and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. Image credits: Alan L on Flickr
Kealakekua Bay
This marine sanctuary offers some of the best snorkeling on the Big Island and carries with it great historic significance as the place of death for famed western explorer James Cook. Read more on when and how to visit Kealakekua Bay in our guide.
One of the many Pristine coral formations within Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii. Photo by Sarah Lee on Unsplash
More popular destinations and things to do for the Big Island
See our following guides for more things to do:
- Our favorite sights and destinations
- Activity overview with 29 Things to Do
- Explore history and culture on the Big Island
Visitor Tips
Here are some tips when planning your first trip to the Big Island:
- Rent a car. You’ll absolutely want and need one to get around on the Big Island. Public transportation is available, but it is inefficient and will not get you off the beaten path.
- Plan your days on the water in Kona. The Kona side of the island is known for its beautiful blue waters, abundance of sea life, and myriad snorkeling/boating adventures. The Hilo side tends to have more rough waters, and you will not find many water options on this side of the island.
- Try to stay on both sides of the island. If you can, staying a few days on the Kona side and a few days on the Hilo side will bring to light the drastic differences between the two sides of the island, and also put you in better proximity to explore nearby attractions.
- Visit the volcanoes. The Big Island is unique for its two active volcanoes and five overall. Hiking, stargazing, and lava viewing are all possibilities.
- Beach Bumming? Head to the North Kona/Kohala Coast. The Big Island doesn’t have the same quantity of beaches like Oʻahu or Maui, but it does have some very nice white-sand beaches along its North Kona and Kohala Coast. If you plan to be a beach bum, definitely put down your roots in these areas.
Sunrise at Mauna Kea beach on the North Kona coast. Photo credit: Mike Neenan.