Spectacular volcanoes, craters and steam vents are waiting to be explored at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park that has recently reopened after a period of tumultuous volcanic activity. The landscape of Volcanoes Park has dramatically changed as the floor of the Kilauea crater sunk over 1,500 feet and the overall caldera quadrupled in size and widened by over a square mile. Today, the explosive eruptions, earthquakes and ash clouds have been replaced by remarkable changes in the summit area. The highlights of this exciting tour include visits at each of the following destinations in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park while riding to each stop in comfort on a deluxe motor coach. Walk through the Kilauea Visitors Center to receive information on the Park’s current conditions, view educational exhibits and interact with park rangers. Enjoy unforgettable views of Kilauea from Volcano House, just a short walk across the street. Kilauea’s massive size and scale is realized from this vantage point. Then you’ll be engulfed in rising steam as ground water seeps down to the hot volcanic rocks at the Steam Vents. The area between the edge of Kilauea’s caldera and the outer cliffs are treeless because the extreme heat destroys their roots; only shallow-rooted grasses and other hearty plants survive here. On you return to the pier, visit the Big Island Candies Store. Established in 1977, each of its delectable candies and cookies are hand-crafted in this factory store. View the production process and see what goes into making these world famous Hawaiian treats. All products are made from only freshly roasted Big Island macadamia nuts and pure Kona and Ka‘u coffee from farms on the Big Island. Since its founding, Big Island Candies has continuously introduced new and imaginative products that "wow" both the eyes and taste buds of its growing legion of fans. The Volcanoes National Park Tour is not to be missed and includes round-trip transportation from the pier by deluxe motorcoach.

Start your tour with a leisurely drive through the "Hilo Walk of Fame” known for all the banyan trees that have been planted by celebrities. Drive by Liliuokalani Gardens, the largest ornamental Japanese garden outside of Japan. Your experienced guide will provide commentary of Hilo Town as you make your way to Wailuku State Park and Rainbow Falls.

While visiting Akaka State Park, you can see two gorgeous waterfalls- 100 foot Kahuna Falls and towering Akaka Falls which plummets 422 feet into an eroded gorge. Stop at Pana’ewa Zoo the only naturally occurring rainforest zoo in the United States. Next, visit Mauna Loa Mac Nut Factory as well as the Big Island Candies Store. Established in 1977, each of its delectable candies and cookies are hand-crafted in this factory store. View the production process and see what goes into making these world-famous Hawaiian treats. All products are made from only freshly roasted Big Island macadamia nuts and pure Kona and Ka‘u coffee from farms on the Big Island. Since its founding, Big Island Candies has continuously introduced new and imaginative products that "wow" both the eyes and taste buds of its growing legion of fans.

OVERVIEW

Delve into the world of volcanoes at a national park that contains active ones and see how volcanoes have shaped the Hawaiian landscape, sometimes in a positive manner. The terrain and natural diversity within the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is so unique that UNESCO deemed it both a World Biosphere site and a World Heritage site. You will walk among steaming vents in the earth’s surface. Other highlights include seeing the active Halema’uma’u pit crater within the Kilauea summit caldera and driving along the winding road, which passes old lava flows and other reminders of past eruptions. The island’s volcanic soil is exceptionally fertile as you will discover by strolling through Lili’uokalani Gardens, a wonderland of native plants that was once the favorite picnic grounds of Queen Lili’uokala, Hawaii’s last monarch. Volcanic activity also created the black lava rock on many of the island’s beaches.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Visit stunning Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• View an active volcano, craters and steam vents releasing hot water vapor into the air.
• Meander through a botanical garden that thrives in the island’s volcanically formed soil.
• See a coastline made of black rock made of volcanic materials and lava fragments.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Become immersed on how the eruption of the Kilauea volcano dramatically changed the landscape of the Big Island and pause along the way to sample iconic Hawaiian products. Rainbow Falls will serve as an introduction to the island’s natural beauty, which is even more spectacular at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii’s only UNESCO World Heritage site. There, you will enjoy a close-up view of how the volcanic eruption expanded the Halemaumau pit crater with a billion cubic yards of lava. As you walk across the now hardened lava field, you will notice new greenery that will eventually become rainforest. The island’s fertile volcanic soil is ideal for growing products such as macadamia nuts. You will be offered tastings of them – perhaps honey-roasted or dipped in chocolate – at the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Farm. A Hawaiian-style lunch follows at Volcano Gardens Arts. Confections and coffee are available at Big Island Candies.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Behold Rainbow Falls, which is named for the rainbows that often form in its mist.
• See how a volcanic eruption changed the terrain in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
• Walk across a hardened lava field from the eruption, where plants are now growing.
• Enjoy a lunch of traditional Hawaiian cuisine and sample iconic Hawaiian products.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Your experienced guide will provide information and narration as you drive through the "Hilo Walk of Fame" known for all the banyan trees planted by celebrities. Visit Liliuokalani Gardens, the largest ornamental Japanese garden outside of Japan. Your experienced guide will provide commentary of Hilo Town as you make your way to Wailuku State Park and Rainbow Falls.

While visiting Akaka State Park, you can see two gorgeous waterfalls- 100 foot Kahuna Falls and towering Akaka Falls which plummets 422 feet into an eroded gorge. Stop at Big Island Candies, home of the famous diagonally dipped shortbread cookies. You have a chance to purchase your Big Island souvenirs that are beautifully packaged. A true Hawaiian Classic!

Board your tour vehicle and drive along the northeast shore to Akaka Falls State Park. An approximately one-mile trail leads through the rainforest and offers views of the Big Island's most beautiful waterfall, the free-falling Akaka Falls. Here Kolekole Creek plummets 442 feet into a densely forested gorge. Return to your tour vehicle to continue your adventure with stops at two icons of Hilo, Rainbow Falls and the King Kamehameha statue, enjoying views of Onomea Bay along the way. At your Rainbow Falls destination, the Wailuku River plunges 100 feet past a large lava cave into a turquoise pool. View the river through stands of orchid, bamboo and wild ginger as you return to your tour vehicle. Take a quick stop to view the 14- foot statue of King Kamehameha before ending your day with a stop to shop for Hawaiian macadamia nuts, local crafts and products, Kona coffee and more on your way back to the port.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Walk the rainforest trail to Akaka Falls
• See King Kamehameha Statue
• Shop local products and Kona coffee

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Closed-toe shoes are mandatory.

See the island’s most spectacular natural wonders, starting with magnificent Rainbow Falls, which is named for the rainbows that often form in the surrounding mist. Travel to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park where you will begin your hike to Kilauea. The setting is so extraordinary that UNESCO deemed the park both a World Biosphere and a World Heritage site designation. To reach the crater, you will hike three miles roundtrip through parts of Halemaumau Crater. The volcano has been steadily erupting since 1983 and the surrounding. countryside is dramatic. A stop in at Volcano House with food for purchase and a gift shop and Steaming Bluff complete the visit. Returning to Hilo enjoy a local shopping stop with Hawaiian macadamia nuts, local crafts and products, Kona coffee and more before returning to the port.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Hike through the dramatic countryside to a volcanic crater that continues to erupt.
• Enjoy photo opportunities at Rainbow Falls.
• Enjoy a local shopping stop and sample Hawaii macadamia nuts.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Closed-toe shoes are mandatory.

Discover the power of Madame Pele through recent history on this tour highlighting the stark beauty of Hawaii Island. See how volcanoes like Kilauea create both destruction and renewal, which is spectacularly on display in the lower east rift zone that experienced the 2014 and 2018 eruptions firsthand. First stop is Kalapana, an ancient Hawaiian fishing village which today has been completely reshaped by lava. Stop at one of Kalapana's most iconic landmarks, the Star of the Sea Painted Church, and hear about the heroic efforts to pick up and move this beloved decommissioned church out of the line of the lava flows not once, but twice! Next stop is another historic location, Kapoho town. First destroyed by lava in 1960 and slowly rebuilt over the decades only to be destroyed again in 2018. More than 700 homes were destroyed, Green Lake was completely filled in with molten rock, and the coastline was moved more than a mile further obliterating the famed Kapoho Tide Pools and Champagne Pond. Drive up to Lava Tree State Monument where your guide will explain the iconic trees on display here in their natural forest. Finally make a quick stop on the way back to the port to shop for Hawaiian macadamia nuts, Kona coffee, local crafts and more.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Behold the devastation of past volcanic eruptions and the natural beauty left in their wakes.
• See the Painted Church that congregants moved to save it from a nearby lava flow.
• Walk on a gorgeous black-sand beach that a volcanic eruption created.
• Shop for locally made merchandise in and around Hilo.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Closed-toe shoes are mandatory.

Exploring Hawaii Island’s explosive side is what this tour is all about. Walk Kilauea’s most recent lava flows along the East Rift Zone, including the historic flows of 2018. Start with a drive through quaint Hilo town where you’ll drive along the historic waterfront past Liliuokalani Japanese Gardens before heading out to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Your National Park Service certified guide will discuss the volcanology, geology, and history of Hawaii, as well as providing in-depth narration on the various lava flows and flora and fauna that you’ll be passing by. Visit the Kilauea Visitor’s Center, take a short hike through the Thurston Lava Tube, visit Kilauea Iki, the Volcano House, and steaming bluff. Leaving the park the next stop is quaint Pahoa town where there is some shopping and food for purchase. Lava entered the town in 2018 destroying the main road and several homes here. Take a look around parts of the rebuilt town before heading to Kapoho town. This town was destroyed by lava in 1960 and again overrun by lava in 2018. See where lava rivers traveling highway speeds completely destroyed everything in their paths. Lava filled in Green Lake, added more than 100 feet of elevation to the lava field, filled in Kapoho Bay, and moved the coastline out one mile further than it was before! Explore the famed lava trees at Lava Tree State Monument then make a stop to pick up fresh roasted Kona coffee, Hawaiian macadamia nuts, and other local products and crafts before heading back to the port.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Walk recent Kilauea lava flows, including 2018 eruption sites
• Visit Thurston Lava Tube, Kilauea Iki, and Steam Vents
• Stop at Lava Tree State Monument and local shop

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Closed-toe shoes are mandatory.

Imagine yourself flying through a tropical rainforest canopy over splashing streams and waterfalls on a seven-stage zipline course with a view of the crystal blue Pacific Ocean in the distance.

You’ll be surrounded by natural beauty as you hike from one line to the next. A portion of the hike is on a suspension bridge that cuts through the jungle with several small waterfalls below. This course was created to provide a safe and fun environment for the entire family. All lines are ground-to-ground making it easier for all to participate.

After your zip line adventure, enjoy a relaxing stroll through the World Botanical Gardens and the soothing view of a cascading waterfall.

Explore the famed Hamakua Coast, home to magnificent country reminiscent of “old Hawaii”. Sparsely populated Hamakua is studded with breathtaking waterfalls, stunning valleys, and eccentric towns. First stop at Tex Drive-In on the north coast, famous for their homemade fried Portuguese sweet treats made-to- order Portuguese sweet treats called malasadas and resembling a filled donut. Known as the Valley of the Kings, Waipio Valley is a place of impossibly steep cliffs carved by plunging waterfalls cascading more than a thousand feet to the valley floor below. Still home to taro farmers and wild horses today. Turning off the highway we descend into Laupahoehoe. Laupahoehoe village and elementary school was located here until the destruction left behind the 1946 tsunami forced the town to move to higher ground. Look for the monument erected in the names of those who lost their lives here. Next stop is Akaka Falls State Park to enjoy a beautiful trail to view the falls choosing either the longer or shorter route. On the way to Hilo stop in Honomu with food for purchase. Continue your adventure with a stop at the iconic King Kamehameha statue. Complete the day with a final stop to pick up Hawaiian macadamia nuts, Hawaii Island crafts, local products, Kona coffee and more before returning to the port.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Visit Waipio Valley with dramatic cliffs
• See Laupahoehoe tsunami memorial
• Visit Akaka Falls and Honomu town.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Closed-toe shoes are mandatory.

Browse the fields and orchards of O.K. Farms and enjoy a sampling of its produce before heading deeper into the tropical environs to view two breathtaking waterfalls. Although remarkably close to Hilo, the family-owned farm feels as if it’s light-years away. Fruit and nut trees flourish, coffee plants blanket the hills and the aroma of spices wafts through the air. As you will discover, sweet lychees and longans are by far the most prevalent fruits grown there. You will likely sample them along with rambutans and hearts of palm. You will also learn a trick for cracking the rock-hard shells of macadamia nuts without damaging the meat inside. The Wailuku River winds through the 1,000-acre farm, creating Kaimukanaka Falls, which will be quite the sight to behold. You will view equally magnificent Rainbow Falls from a private vantage point that highlights the iridescent rainbows that typically form in the mist.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Tour a family-owned farm that grows tropical fruits and nuts within its 1,000 acres.
• Sample iconic Hawaiian fruits such as lychees, longans and rambutans.
• View two absolutely gorgeous cascades: Kaimukanaka Falls and Rainbow Falls.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.