A Circle Island Tour + Volcanoes + Farm Tour + National Park visit experience by Wasabi Tours. Back to all Big Island tours.
Tour Summary: A great way to see Big Island highlights if you are short on time! Walk through rainforests to soaring waterfalls, stroll a black-sand beach, and explore our dry forests.
Large photoA short stop at the Waipi'o Valley overlook to see one of the most scenic valleys on the island. Image credit: Wasabi Tours
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A short hike to the towering 'Akaka falls through lush tropical forests. Image credit: Wasabi Tours
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The 2nd waterfall this tour visits are the Rainbow Falls in Hilo. Image credit: Wasabi Tours
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Visit the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Shown here the main crater in the park: Halema'uma'u. Image credit: Wasabi Tours
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A visit to the Thurston Lava Tube is an easy way to explore these caves forged by lava. Image credit: Wasabi Tours
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The Kilauea'iki overlook offers great views over a crater floor made of red-hot lava only 60 years ago. Image credit: Wasabi Tours
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You can feel the heat and smell the volcano at the steam vents stop in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Image credit: Wasabi Tours
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Punalu'u beach is famous for its black sand and turtles. Great photo opportunities! Image credit: Wasabi Tours
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Walk through the orchards of a working Kona Coffee farm, learn about the harvesting and milling process, and sample a warm cup of Kona-grown java. Image credit: Wasabi Tours
Tour Highlights:
- A tour of Hawaii’s biggest island highlighting its natural wonders. Experience the diverse range of ecosystems and climate zones of the island
- Walk through an ancient lava tube and take a tour of a historical Kona Coffee Farm
- Visit the beautiful 'Akaka and Rainbow Falls
- See Waipio Valley from the lookout
- Explore craters, steam vents, the crater rim trail, and scenic lookouts of Volcanoes National Park
- Spot green sea turtles at Punalu’u Black Sand Beach
- Frequent stops for photos to take in the lush scenery
- Professional guide sharing knowledge of the history, cultures, and geology of the island
Important: Wear comfortable clothing in layers as temperatures vary from warm to cool. Covered walking shoes are required.
Tour Information:
| Price: | Adult | Youth |
|---|---|---|
| (excluding taxes & fees) | $219 | $209 |
Tour Provider: Wasabi Tours
Activity: Circle Island Tour + Volcanoes + Farm Tour + National Park visit
Tour start time: 7 am
Duration: 11 hours
Departure from: Kailua Kona
Pick-up available? Yes! Pick up is possible from all resorts and hotels in Keauhou, Kona, Waikoloa, and Kohala area between 7 am to 8 am. Get in touch for possible Kona airport pickup.
Included: Bento lunch (teriyaki chicken, fish, vegetables, and steamed rice with assorted juices, snacks and bottled water).. All park entrance fees.. Jackets and rain gear (when needed).
Cancellations: Minimum 24 hours notice for groups of 1-5, 48 hours notice for groups of 6 or more, and 72 hour notice for private groups to receive a full refund
This full day tour covers many of the “must do” experiences on the Big Island, including a visit to:
- Waipiʻo Valley overlook
- The Rainbow Falls (from a private viewing spot) and ʻAkaka Falls
- The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park,
- Punaluʻu black sand beach (renowned for seeing turtles)
- A Kona Coffee farm
An experienced park ranger trained guide narrates this day-trip and teaches you about the places you visit in a great blend of history and culture. The tour starts and ends from Kailua Kona, but pickup (and drop off) from select hotels on the Kohala coast is possible.
Typical itinerary:
This full day nature tour offers an in-depth look at Hawaiʻi’s youngest and largest island. From desert to rainforest, pasture to dry forest, discover diverse landscapes and 8 out of 13 climate zones in the world as you traverse the island, walk through rainforests to soaring waterfalls, and stroll black-sand beaches as you scan the horizon for green sea turtles.
Your day starts with a scenic drive passing the stark black lava fields of the Kohala coast heading past the Parker Ranch and through Waimea to the Waipiʻo valley overlook. The landscape here has changed to tropical forests at our first stop at the Waipiʻo Valley lookout for some photo ops and an explanation by your guide about this valley and King Kamehameha.
The drive continues along the lush Hamakua Coast where many more postcard-worthy views pass by your window until we arrive at our next destination: ʻAkaka Falls. This towering 442-foot (135-meter) waterfall plummets into a lush ravine at the center of a state park. To get to the falls you need to take a short walk through the beautiful and lush tropical vegetation with plenty of photo opportunities. The next stop is at a waterfall that is small by comparison, but not by beauty: the Rainbow Falls.
In the afternoon we explore the wonders of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Our visit to the park takes about 1.5 ours and includes a stop at the steam vents, driving past lava flow sites, the Halema’uma’u and Kilauea Iki crater lookouts, and a short hike along the crater rim trail.
After leaving the park you will have time to relax and take it all in at Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach, a great place to spot marine life from the black-sand shore.
On the leisurely drive back around sunset, you’ll see views of South Point, the southernmost point of the United States, and Kealakekua Bay. If time permits, we will stop at a Kona Coffee Farm for some coffee tasting or the famous Punaluʻu Bakery to conclude the day.
Frequently asked questions about the Big Island Grand Circle Island Tour:
Q: How much hiking do we do during the day?
A: There are some short and easy hikes, with a total hike distance of about a mile.
Q: Do we get to swim (at the black sand beach, at the waterfalls) on this tour?
A: Unfortunately you won’t be able to swim on this tour due to time constraints. Check out our “swim at waterfall” tour options for tours that include waterfall swims.
Q: How long do we stop at the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park?
A: We spend about 2 hours in the park to stop at multiple attractions.
Video showing tour highlights:
The following video shows selected tour highlights (Waipiʻo Valley overlook, the ʻAkaka Falls state park, the Rainbow falls, the Thurston Lava tube and the Halemaʻuma’u crater overlook in the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and the black sand beach at Punaluʻu).
Wasabi Tours is a locally owned and operated company specialize in guided small group tours on the Big Island. Their multilingual guides (speaking English, Chinese, and Spanish) are all park ranger trained with years of experience guiding fully narrated tours on the island. They have a wealth of knowledge about the history, cultures, geography, wildlife and botany of Hawaii.
They proudly supports the sustainable tourism tenets of the Sustainable Tourism of Hawaii Association. In accordance with these values they maintain an ongoing commitment in the areas of environmental preservation, interpretive training for staff, and guest relationship management.
Wasabi Tours has been in business since 2006 and strives to create tours that allow guests to not only discover highlights of the island, but also to explore off the beaten paths. They receive consistent stellar reviews both for the content of their tours and for their professional and knowledgeable tour guides, and we are confident you will be in capable hands with them.
We are affiliate partners with Wasabi Tours and any booking on this page you make is made directly with Wasabi Tours. We receive a percentage from the activity provider for each successful booking made through our website but this happens without any additional charge to you. (read more on the use of those links on our website here).
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