Hilo Shore Excursion: Punaluu Black Sand Beach, Volcano, & Hilo

Our group of 8 had the best time in the Big Island!! Amanda was an excellent and knowledgeable tour guide! We had a great variety of sights and stops to stretch our legs on the 7 hour tour. We visited a coffee plantation, the black sand beach and saw two green turtles, the Volcano National Park, Rainbow Falls and a Japanese garden. I highly recommend this tour and would definitely do again

Holley was a wonderful tour guide. She was engaging, informative and fun. You could tell she loved the island and was excited to share it with us. Communicaction about when and where to meet for pickup was excellent. Holley accommodated our needs when we needed quick detours but still kept our trip on time. Not having to deal with finding parking, knowing when and where to go, and having passes taken care of was worth it.

This tour was fantastic. Amanda our guide was so knowledgeable and informative about the island. The bento box was so good for our lunch! Highly recommend this tour!

The tour was good, however, we felt a little rushed especially at Volcano National Park. Although not sure how much more there was to see and some of that could have been the rest of tour group. The driver could have give more background details during tour Overall good experience and got to see everything we wanted

We really enjoyed our Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park tour from Hilo. Everything was very well organized from the moment we got off the ship. Our guide was wonderful — she was both our driver and tour guide and did an excellent job. The bus was comfortable, the group was small, and the lunch was excellent. Unfortunately, the much-anticipated Episode 55 eruption didn’t happen during our visit, but we still saw and experienced so much. When the black sand beach became unavailable, the itinerary was adjusted to include Akaka Falls and Rainbow Falls instead, which was a great alternative. A very well-organized and enjoyable tour. We would definitely recommend it!

This tour was excellent! Holley was our guide. She was VERY knowledgeable and have a lot of information. She was very accommodating to the group and flexible with time and stops. I highly recommend this tour.

This was one of the best tours I have ever been on. My husband and I flew in from Oahu to Hawaii just for the day. The tour guide, Amanda, was incredible. She was waiting for us when we got off the plane and from the moment she picked us up was engaging and accommodating. She has so much knowledge of Hilo and the island of Hawaii and shares it in an understanding and very interesting manner. She took us everywhere and informed us of the best views and photo spots at the beach and waterfalls. She shared the history of the volcano, the current and past eruptions, the makeup of the volcano and the chemical reaction that is currently happening. She knows the landscape of Hilo, the vegetation and migration of the plants. She knows history of what country and people contributed to the development of Hawaii. She is so interesting and what she shares is fascinating. She is proud of her tours and loves the company she works for praising them for treating her so well and providing tours that people enjoy. The van was clean and comfortable. She is a great driver. The bento box lunch was delicious. She provided beverages and made the day very comfortable. This is a tour worth taking and I hope all of the guides are as enjoyable as Amanda. Working with Viator is very easy too.

Our guide Ken was very interesting and informative. He took the time to answer all questions and make sure that we were safe and aware of our surroundings. Good tour guide for all ages. Educated us on the culture, but didn't talk to excess.

This company goes above and beyond, excellent service. We were collected from the ship for tour, through no fault of Company Immigration held us up on boat so tour got severely delayed by 2half hours, plus the ship wanted us back by 3.30pm so instead of 9 to 11 hr tour it was crammed into a very short time. Because of shorter time this company also gave us a slight refund. Again brilliant. Nothing to much bother with this company. The lady guide whom drove was so brilliant trying to let us see all major areas to enjoy albeit shorter times.

Holly was a fantastic guide and driver. It was one of the highlights of our trip! So amazing to see a live volcano. And the black sand beach is truly different than the other black sand beaches we saw earlier.

Holley was absolutely amazing! We ended up being the only group on the trip and she took us everywhere we wanted to go. She was so personable and a great tour guide through the national park. She was able to provide great stories and facts about the history of the volcanoes and the islands. Highly recommend this tour!

This was a great tour with lots to see. Aaron was out tour guide and was very informative. We saw the volcanoes, waterfalls, and more. He answered any questions we had and was always very accommodating. Snacks and water provided throughout the tour.

I loved the beach it was similar to the HANA but better. The volcano was boring and not as exciting as I expected. My husband loved it. I wish the conversation from the driver was a bit more interesting, so many other tour guides give a TON of history and fun facts, I felt ours missed a lot and I zoned out because of it and it made the car ride feel even longer.

We had an absolutely amazing experience on our Big Island tour, and it honestly exceeded all expectations! Our tour guide was fantastic from start to finish—so knowledgeable, friendly, and genuinely caring. Since we were the only guests on the tour, everything felt extra special and personalized just for us. We were able to move at a comfortable pace and even finished earlier than planned. What truly stood out was how thoughtful our guide was. She suggested that we ask the airline agent about taking an earlier flight from the Big Island airport, which turned out to be the best advice! Because of her, we were able to leave much earlier and avoid waiting over 3.5 hours at the airport. That alone made our entire travel day so much easier and stress-free. We are so grateful for her care and attention to detail. She didn’t just guide us—she truly looked out for us and made our experience so smooth and enjoyable. Highly, highly recommend this tour and especially this wonderful guide. She made our Big Island trip unforgettable!

Great experience. Amanda, our tour guide was awesome.

This tour is still being talked about with my group. We had a big group so I was looking for tours that could be enjoyed by everyone. I found this company via suggestions on a Facebook group, and we were not disappointed. Holley was our tour operator, and when she picked us up, we knew we were in good hands. She received word that morning that Kilauea was likely to put on a show, so she was determined to get us there to see it. And boy did she. Her excitement got the group excited, and everyone enjoyed the entire day (and is still talking about how this tour was our highlight of the whole trip). We were able to see some of the Volcano National Park (and she was accommodating to everyone in the group to ensure everyone got to do what they came to see). We saw the highlights of Hilo, and she provided great stories and experiences in each place she took us. Would highly recommend looking into this company; you won't be disappointed.

Amanda was an absolute gem — a tremendous wealth of knowledge about the islands, their history, and the rich culture woven into every corner of the landscape. Her passion for sharing what she knows is infectious, and it's clear she doesn't just recite facts — she "lives" this history and makes it come alive for us on the tour. She is, without question, the sweetest and most cordial guide We've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Her warmth made us feel instantly welcome, and her genuine enthusiasm turned a great tour into an unforgettable experience. It's no surprise at all that this tour company has her as one of their guides — she is truly an asset and a reflection of their commitment to excellence. The sights we visited were absolutely breathtaking — the kind of beauty that stops you mid-sentence and reminds you why travel is so transformative. But what made each location even more special was Amanda's storytelling, which added layers of meaning and context that you simply can't get from a guidebook. The shopping was amazing. 😁 If you're considering this tour, stop considering and just book it. Ask for Amanda if you can. You will not be disappointed — I promise you that. YOU WONT REGRET IT.

Tour was perfect size (11), our guide (amanda) was super informative and fun! Plenty of time at each stop.

Our guide Dave C was amazing! He was educational, kind and helpful. The tour is a must see with the black sands and turtle, volcanoes, lava tubes and so much more. The walk to see the turtles was much easier than on our other tour. The beach is gorgeous! We weren’t able to see the volcano erupting but the steam vents were cool. It was an easy tour for those in our group with chronic pain and illness.

We originally were scheduled to go to the fissure 8 tour, unfortunately not enough people booked and we ended up doing Punalu’u Black Sand Beach Tour - Hilo Discovery and Volcanoes National Park Explorer instead. Our guide was Holley, she was great and full of knowledge, took her time, never felt rushed. My only wish is that they take you to Volcano house since the visitor center is closed, being on vacation would have liked to have gotten a souvenir. Book with Aloha Aina Tours, you won't be sorry!

This was a solid 4.5 out of 5 excursion. The good things about it were pretty darn good but the one negative was kind of a big deal. Let's start with the good. The company had great communication throughout, Good instructions, and we got what we thought we would. It rained the whole time but not there fault and they did their best to accommodate. Our tour guide Amanda was very personalable and had great info to share. We found it interesting and had some laughs along the way. The small lunch they provided was pretty good too. The one negative was that the vehicle that they use says that it has a maximum of 14 guests and it really should not be filled to capacity. I would say that the max should be 12. Thr back row of thr vehicle has seats that are obviously smaller than the rest of the seats AND on both sides the rear tire well makes it so you you dont have leg room. Me and my sons who are both over 6ft ended up there and it was noylt so nice having numb and aching legs/knees for several hours of riding. A couple of times the rides were around 45 min or so and im still sore from it. So I would say. Go ahead and book this tour but get there early for good seats or make sure it isn't sold out!

My wife and I took a tour with Aloha Aina Hawaii Tours in Hilo and couldn’t say enough good things about it. The price is very reasonable and everything is included. We went to the Punalu’u black sand beach, watched sea turtles; went to the Volcano National Park and watched Mount Kīlauea erupt; visited Rainbow Falls and Akaka Falls. All entrance fees were covered. Our really nice driver and tour guide, Amanda, who obviously enjoys her job, gave us very interesting descriptions and history of every place we visited. She is university educated and well versed in history, botany, biology, zoology, sociology, and everything you would want to know about Hawaii. She provided us sandwiches for lunch along with juice and bottled water. At the conclusion of the tour we visited a hand made candy factory where we tasted delicious candies and Kona coffee. All in all an excellent experience and I highly recommend Aloha Aina Hawaii Tours.

Amanda was a great tour guide and driver. She provided much information on the plants and animals on the island.

Best tour IMO in HIlo. We used Aloha Aina Tours through Viator. The tour was 7 - 8 hours long. Small group in a Van with A/C. A good sandwich lunch was provided. Our guide talked about island history and folklore. He answered our questions. A great tour!

We booked this Big Island tour through Viator with Aloha Aina Tours and had an amazing day exploring Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach (with turtles!), Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Hilo, Pāhoa/Keaʻau Lava Tube, Rainbow Falls, the King Kamehameha Statue, and beautiful Akaka Falls. Our guide Amanda was friendly, knowledgeable, and shared incredible insight into Hawaiian culture and nature throughout the trip. Lunch and drinks were included, making everything easy and stress-free. Highly recommend!

Booked this Big Island tour on Viator with Aloha Aina Tours and had an amazing day visiting Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach (with turtles!), Volcanoes National Park, Hilo, lava tubes, Rainbow Falls, King Kamehameha Statue, and Akaka Falls. Our guide Amanda was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the experience stress-free with lunch and drinks included. Highly recommend!

It was a small group of 6, which made it even better! Our guide was fantastic and knew so much about what we were seeing! She was outstanding! I would definitely recommend this tour! It was worth every penny!

This tour was great. Steven was a great host and gave us great information about all the stops. He also gave us lunch and waters. This was beautiful scenery! I would definitely recommend!

Wow—our tour with Amanda was the absolute highlight of our trip! We lucked out and ended up with a private tour, which made it even more special. Amanda was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and she tailored the experience perfectly to our interests. Couldn’t recommend her more! 👌

It was one of very few wheelchair accessible excursions. Our tour leader was so helpful getting my husband’s WC out and back in the van on every stop. She also was very knowledgeable about the area.

Steven was an amazing guide and went above and beyond what we expected! We learned about the history and current state of Hawaii all while ensuring our comfort

We had a great tour with Steve, he still ran the tour despite it only being my husband and I. Steve was waiting for us at the dock as promised. His vehicle is modern and clean. Steve is very knowledgeable of the Island, gave us lots of history and stories that added to our enjoyment of the day. Would highly recommend booking with him for a great day.

Steven was an absolute gem. He was kind, caring, and quite knowledgeable. The historical facts he gave to us were quite enlightening. The best part was we were practically neighbors prior to his relocation to Hilo. Literally just a few blocks.

Steve Wan was our tour guide and did a fantastic job. He was a wealth of knowledge. Aloha Aina tours was very accommodating with my mother's wheelchair throughout the tour. We could not have asked for more!

Had a wonderful full day shore excursion with Steve. He combined 2 tours into 1 for us. Went to Rainbow and Akaka Falls first, then headed to Punalu'u Black Sand Beach where 5 sea turtles were resting on the beach. We dined on sandwiches and Hawaiian Sun drinks on the beach. Then off to Volcanoes National Park. Unfortunately, Kilauea was smoldering and smoking, but not erupting.

Steve is amazing! The morning started off as a mess due to Norwegian’s terrible immigration process and we thought we were going to miss our excursion. Steve waited for us and 4 others so we wouldn’t miss the trip! He was very informative and helpful! Must do in Hilo!

My experience on aloha aina tours was excellent!! The driver has great customer service , driven safely to our destination, and always asked how we were feeling !! I would DEFINITELY GO ON THIS TOUR AGAIN ! BEST TOUR I EVER EXPERIENCED !!!!!!!!!!

This was an incredible experience!! Steven is so knowledgeable, friendly and genuinely interested in our having a great time! Would highly recommend!!

So much fun on this tour! Amanda was a funny knowledgeable guide. Told us about the Hawaiian culture and shared many insights about the island and Hawaii in general. We would definitely recommend this tour. Lunch was yummy

We went on another tour with a different company, but did not see a few things that we really didn’t want to miss and we really prefer a guide. We booked Aloha Aina Tours for Punalu’u! The volcano views were incredible, and Punaluu Black Sand Beach is so unique. We saw many turtles. :) The food truck hit the spot! Our guide made our day really enjoyable. A must-do on the Big Island!