About Activity
Join BIG HAWAI'I TOURS captivating exploration of the Big Island's lush and volcanic windward side!
-Luxury van not a 25–60 passenger coach
-Pickup at the ship when disembarking allowed and return for a late, on-board lunch
-Owner-guided (Fred & Maryna)
-Itinerary flexed for weather/closures/eruptions
-Water, island drinks, and homegrown snacks included
-Suitable for all fitness levels
During active eruptions, witness the mighty Kīlauea - the world’s most active volcano. On dormant days, we'll skip the long drive to the crowded park to enjoy black sand coastlines with playful dolphin pods and unique lava formations hidden from tourists. See cavernous lava tubes, majestic waterfalls, and tropical jungles, and savor locally-raised macadamia sweets.
BIG HAWAII TOURS are daily curated to maximize your limited time in Hilo. This 5.5-hour morning tour can be bundled with our BIG HAWAII TOURS afternoon TROPICAL ESCAPE for a full, memorable day with guaranteed "all-aboard" for cruisers.
Includes
- Your booking includes admission/parking fees to all sites on tour
- We Work With Ship Arrival/Departure Times
- We pickup/drop-off inside Hilo Port (right next to ship)
- We provide complimentary drinks (Hawaii-special soft drinks) and home-grown snacks (often including fresh fruit!), and will return cruisers to ship by 1:30PM for their on-board lunch
Departure Point
- Luxurious van picks up Hilo Port cruisers right at the port (we will greet you in the terminal pavilion right next to the ship about 45 minutes after ship docks). For Hilo vacationers we can pickup right across the harbor from dock at Reeds Bay Beach Park gravel parking lot. If you're arriving via cruise ship, please provide the names of everyone in your group for port authority passenger manifest. We work with each cruise line on their specific disembarking times so don't worry about being late, and we guarantee "all aboard" return.
Stop At: Hilo On this unforgettable excursion, you will have the rare opportunity to see a live volcano during active eruptions and walk through an incredible underground lava tube. Your journey continues with a perfect photo opportunity where you can take a selfie by the most iconic waterfalls in Hawai'i, followed by a delicious stop to enjoy locally grown and packaged Big Island sweets right in Hilo. Designed with cruise passengers in mind, the tour ensures you will be safely returned to your ship with plenty of time for an on-board lunch and an opportunity to freshen up before your afternoon activities begin. We will only pass through Hilo Town and catch a glimpse of King Kamehameha the Great.
Stop At: Lili'uokalani Gardens Take-in the tropical beauty of this ocean-side Japanese garden and take a quick picture of Hilo Town across the harbor with Mauna Kea staring down from it's 14,000 foot elevation.
Stop At: Boiling Pots Admission Ticket:
Tickets are included We will catch a couple picturesque waterfalls as we explore the lush, green windward side of the Big Island.
Stop At: Rainbow Falls Admission Ticket:
Tickets are included This beautiful waterfall is usually one of our first stops, depending on traffic and weather.
Stop At: Kaumana Caves Park On days the Kilaeau is dormant, we will avoid the long drive to the crowded Nat'l Park and experience more peaceful but equally "volcanic" wonders, including this off-the-beaten path lava tube surrounded by lush jungle (does have steep steps down into the lava tube, so less adventurous travelers can enjoy the view from the top).
Stop At: On dormant volcano days, travelers will get to see the unique "lava trees" caused by a fast-moving lava flow, adding to the "volcanic experience" of our tour.
Stop At: Leilani Estates See what a massive volcanic fissure in 2018 did to a residential neighborhood. A good reminder that the Big Island continues to add to its mass through fire and molten lava.
Stop At: Isaac Hale Beach Park Admission Ticket:
Tickets are included Black sand beach with natural thermal heated pools. See how the lava flow reached the ocean, eventually creating black sand beaches.
Stop At: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park On days that Kilauea is erupting with Pele's wrath, we will prioritize heading straight to the Nat'l Park. On dormant days, we will save the long drive to the crowded park and experience the impact of past eruptions, including recent lava flows that took out entire neighborhoods and added to the size of the BIG Island.
Stop At: Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Visitor Center Time permitting, you will have the opportunity to enjoy some free samples and possibly purchase a box of two of our favorite, locally raised/packaged macadamia nut sweets.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Public transportation options are available nearby Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health Suitable for all physical fitness levels Operated by Big Hawai'i Tours For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
Worth ItCulture25684782822
Fred was an incredible tour guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the island and answered all our questions. Unfortunately, we missed the volcano because it wasn’t erupting at the time, but that didn’t dampen Fred’s enthusiasm for making our experience the best possible. At almost every stop, there was a bathroom for us to use. I highly recommend this tour for anyone seeking a truly laid-back and personalized experience.
Excellent basically personalized tour of the big Island. Fred is very knowledgeable and accommodating, taking us to out of the way beautiful spots.
BigHawaiiTours Delivered As Promised!123samantaa
We had an amazing, full day with BigHawaiiTours. Fred was the best guide and Maryna a perfect hostess. This married couple have put a lot into their tours, and it shows. We bundled both their morning Volcano/Waterfalls (this tour) and their Tropical Escape (will review separately). Because they are fairly new, they asked that we provide a TA review, even though we booked direct with them. We highly recommedn BigHawaiiTours!
Great tour with wonderful guides!92erinnj
Fred and Marina provide a great tour and are wonderful guides. It’s a great way to explore the island and see the sights. I highly recommend booking with them.
Excellent, fantastic, brilliant, phenomenal, best guided tourEsdodge
Excellent, fantastic, brilliant, phenomenal, best guided tour .. very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful... I highly recommend Fred and his wonderful wife , 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Outstanding TourAmanInjoy
Great experience, really enjoyed the lava tour and going through jungle.
Fred is amazing and gave lots of info on the island. Water falls were good too
Highly recommend doing tour with Fred.
Top notch tour and guides!trinam639
We had an excellent experience with Big Hawai’i Tours.
Fred and Maryna were excellent hosts and very knowledgeable guides!
Checking in on weather conditions to ensure the best views, and seeing so many beautiful places!
We traveled very comfortably in their mini bus and they checked on us often to make sure we were comfortable or if anyone needed a bathroom break or a snack!
I love supporting local businesses because they are the most invested in making sure you have a great experience or service and this held true with Big Hawai’i tours and at great prices too!
Thanks for helping us make awesome memories in Hawaii and we will definitely book again when back on the Big Island 🌺🌴🌸
Trina Miller
Best Big Island Tourloganj959
Fantastic tour and was a perfect way to see a lot of the big island. The volcano and lava tubes were amazing.
Moving Experience ... Highly Recommend727ernies
Aug 26, 2026, 12:28:33 AM We really enjoyed the off the beaten sites that Fred took us to, and appreciated the great selfies and pix that Maryna helped orchestrate. While we missed Kilaeua's eruption, we saw the real world effects of this lively volcano. Moving experience.
Aug 19, 2026, 10:03:30 PM It was an amazing tour with good vibes and an incredible view of all the places. The information was amazing and we all learned so much. Also the food/drinks provided were excellent and the gift given at the very end was a sweet gift that made me so happy. And the length of the tour was perfect length as they were considerate of the time spent idle. Overall this tour was the best tour I have been on, in Hawaii and in my previous travel trips.
BHT Knows Hilo!FrancisRex
By far the best day of our two weeks on the Big Island. Thank you Big Hawaii Tours. Only regret is that we didn't book Fred and Maryna's bundle tours our first day, as it was such an insightful introduction to the windward side. From the morning volcanic experience to the afternoon waterfalls and black sand beaches, BHT covered it all. Mahalo!
Hilo's Beauty & Big Hawaii Tours' Professionalism Were TopsBeckyTravelGirl
Our family of 5 had an incredible, all-day experience from Hilo with Fred & Marina (Big Hawaii Tours). Every stop was picturesque, the drive was smooth and in their premium tour van, and Marina even provided us local soft drinks, cold water bottles, and local snacks. Hilo is gorgeous and Big Hawaii Tours is spectacular. 5 stars!
Hilo is Picturesque and Big Hawaii Tours Was Perfectbobettebond
Wow, Hilo was beautiful! The Big Island was incredibly diverse (we visited both sides on our POA cruise). We are so pleased we picked Big Hawaii Tours (didn't even realize which company we had chosen, as we went through TA). They picked us up and dropped us back right at our ship. They knew exactly where to drive to maximize our experience without feeling rushed. Will upload photo's when we get back to "the mainland."
Big Hawaii Tours Was AWESOME!JalenRat
Awesome half-day tour. Met us at port and returned us directly to ship in time for us to save money and enjoy onboard lunch buffet. Big Hawaii Tours was top flight, even having their own theme song and a relaxing Hawaiin soundtrack for our trip. And Hilo was simply gorgeous!
Aloha Spirit pours through Big Hawaii ToursMufasaJamel
I was asked by Fred and Marina, the owners of Big Hawaii Tours, to provide my candid review of their Hilo shore excursion and here it is: AWESOME! Their price, their service, their cool bus, their willingness to alter their itinerary based on Mother Nature (and the Pele god), and their passion for Hawaii all shone through. Mahalo, guys!
Our Favorite Hawaii Shore Excursion was Big Hawaii ToursBeverlyFin
Hubbie and I really enjoyed our 7-day POA cruise of the Hawaiin islands, and the best port of call was Hilo, thanks in no small part to Big Hawai'i Tours. Fred and Marina were so accommodating, meeting us right off the ship's exit with the nicest tour van we've ever ridden in (and we've been in our fair share). We were actually honored to be among their first passengers and because of the great experience we had with them, we felt we just had to provide a 5-star review here. Of course the sites, sounds, smells and climate of the Big Island's windward side were amazing, but I'm sure all of our ship-mates saw many of the same things we did. What made our day extra special was the comfort, safety, communication, assistance and special treatment of Big Hawaii Tours. Mahalo, Fred and Marina!
Easy, friendly, and fun!545jeffryj
Fred met us right at the pier - so nice!! - and the Volcanic Experience delivered. The thundering waterfalls on the windward side were pure magic, and sampling those locally raised Hilo chocolates and macadamia nuts was the perfect sweet finish. Easy drop-off back at the ship. Picked up at the cruise port for the maiden run of the Volcanic Experience—what a treat. The walkable dried-up craters next to the caldera and the Avatar-like banyan trees stood out most. Comfortable van, personal touches, and right back to the dock.
Met at the port, returned to the port—flawless. We joined Big Hawai’i tours on their maiden voyage of their so-called Volcanic Experience, and we’re so glad we did! We saved a lot going through Trip Advisor rather than NCL. Our 5.5-hour adventure in their cool, high-end van with easy steps in/out seemed like our own private tour of the eastern side of the Big Island (which is huge, as was reinforced the next day when visiting Kona on the dryer, hotter side). Fred and Marina drove us through a seaside, tropical garden, then up to a couple of incredible waterfalls just steps from the parking lots, We then were able to step Joan into a portion of a huge lava tube that once threatened Hilo. We also walked through unique volcanic formations, before enjoying a picturesque coastal drive alternating between tropical jungles and barren lava fields, ending in a black sand beach. Our final stop before being returned to POA’s on-board (read: FREE!) lunch buffet was Mauna Loa’s macadamia nut farm, where we enjoyed tasty samples and grabbed a box (or three!) to enjoy later on our cruise (sorry kids, we didn’t bring any home!). And here’s the best part: Big Hawaii Tours was the cheapest shore excursion we found in Hilo, which had my wife a little nervous but it sure paid off for us. Incredible!
