Things to do in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

The itinerary itself was well-planned and included many attractions. Unfortunately, the weather suddenly turned very bad on the day we participated. The roads we planned to take were flooded, which meant we couldn't visit three of the planned destinations. When we reached the volcano, the weather was so poor that visibility was too low to see anything. It rained continuously along the way, and walking the paths near the volcano in the rain was quite difficult. The tour guide was excellent, making every effort to ensure our comfort. He even hoped we would see stars until the very last moment and provided very detailed explanations about them. He also made a special trip back up the volcano after dinner to try our luck one last time. However, I feel this activity is highly dependent on the weather. It would be better if the tour agency had a backup plan, allowing guests to participate in other activities when the weather is bad.

Highly recommend this Big‑Island guided tour! Our guide Mr. Kawika D is witty and humorous, making every explanation lively and engaging. Far beyond superficial sightseeing and spot‑checking landmarks, he possesses profound expertise in Hawaii’s volcanic geology, indigenous history and local culture. Travelling through rainforests, coastlines and volcanic zones, we learned plenty of lesser‑known facts outside textbooks and gained an in‑depth understanding of the Big Island’s unique natural and cultural heritage. The tour has a well‑paced schedule packed with detailed commentary. It is perfect for travellers who seek an in‑depth exploration of Hawaii rather than just photo‑op stops, and absolutely worth the trip!

Unfortunately, our helicopter flight got canceled due to bad weather. The other group that was flying with us did not want to go ahead as we could not fly over the volcano despite us being able to.