Spend day one on the Kona coast and day two at Kīlauea and in the Puna district. You start at Kailua-Kona with a swim, then drive south to snorkel and watch the sunset at Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau. Sleep that night in Volcano Village, beside the national park.
For first-timers with one night to spare, two days is enough to see a lot, but expect to spend much of it driving. Day one ends with a long night drive up to the park; day two ends with the drive back across the island to fly out of Kona.
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Seeing all of this in two days means long days, and trying to fit in everything can make a short trip stressful. If you’d rather slow down, pick the one thing you most want to see and build the trip around it. For a first trip, we’d make that Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, especially if you’re also visiting another Hawaiian island.
That evening drive to Volcano Village is long and dark, so plan on a late arrival. We suggest it anyway because Volcano Village is next to the park, so you can start early the next morning. As of September 2026, Kīlauea erupts in short episodes, with pauses of two or more weeks between them, so check current lava viewing conditions before you count on a glow after dark. If you’re not up for the night drive, or you’ve already caught a Hawaiian sunset on another island, drive to the park in daylight instead.
Day 1: Kona and the beach
Pick up your rental car at Kona airport and drive the short distance into Kailua-Kona. The town sits right on the water and is the easiest place to get your bearings before you head down the coast.
King Kam beach in downtown Kona is a good place to take a quick dip in between activities. There’s decent snorkeling on the other side of the pier.
From there, drive south down the Kona coast to Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, also called the city of refuge or Hōnaunau bay, one of the best snorkeling spots on the island. Pick up food along the way and snorkel the bay in the afternoon. Stay for the sunset.
In the evening, follow the highway up to Volcano Village. Book your rental in advance, since you’ll get in late (our list of Volcano Village vacation rentals, with what they cost). If you still have energy after checking in, the park entrance and its overlooks are only a few minutes away.
Day 2: The volcano and Pāhoa
The red glow from Halemaʻumaʻu crater at night, visible only when an eruptive episode is active.
Get up early and drive into the park, where entry is $30 per vehicle. Stop at the Welcome Center for the day’s weather and lava-viewing update, then spend the morning and early afternoon on the classic short walks: the Nāhuku lava tube, the sulfur banks, and the steam vents near the caldera.
With more time, drive down Highway 11 toward Hilo and take the Highway 130 exit at Keaʻau into the Puna district, the island’s eastern edge. Walk the short loop through Lava Tree State Monument and follow the palm-lined back roads of the lower coast down to Pāhoa, a good spot for an early dinner. The 2018 eruption reshaped this coast: the old lava-field hikes are gone, and the newest coastal land is still settling and closed, so there’s no lava to walk out to here anymore.
Leave enough time to drive back to the Kona airport for your flight. If you fly out earlier in the day, skip the Puna loop and spend the extra hours in the park instead, driving Chain of Craters Road down to where the old lava flows meet the sea.
The Red Road (Highway 137) runs up the Puna coast under overhanging palms. Since the 2018 flow it dead-ends at Pohoiki, which has the island’s last easy-to-reach warm pond.