The Big Island of Hawaii is an absolute gem for anyone craving adventure. From active volcanoes and black sand beaches to manta rays and lush waterfalls, this island has something unforgettable around every corner.
While living and working on the Big Island, we explored as much as possible. Here are the best stops, hidden gems, and must-see sights to add to your Big Island road trip itinerary.
How Many Days Do You Need to Road Trip the Big Island?
I recommend spending at least 2–3 days, ideally 4-5, road-tripping the island. Of course, you could easily stay much longer, but even a few days allows you to experience some of the island’s highlights.
If you are short on time, consider focusing on either the Kona side or Hilo side of the island.
The two main hubs for accommodations are:
- Kona (Leeward/Western/Dry side)
- Hilo (Windward/Rainy Eastern side)
A great option is to stay in or near one of these cities and road-trip between them, following the loop around the island, and stopping at attractions along the way.
Making Hilo and Kona your main lodging stays allows you to explore the North and South sides of the island in a road trip style.
Kona: The Sunny Side of the Big Island
Most visitors fly into Kona International Airport, the island’s largest airport. It’s a charming open-air airport and a perfect introduction to Hawaii.
As you fly in, you’ll notice that the Big Island just looks like a massive lump of black volcanic rock. Kona is known as the dry side of the island, especially when compared to rainy Hilo.
Best Things to Do in Kona
Plan to spend at least 1–3 days here.
Swim With Manta Rays
One of the most unforgettable experiences on the Big Island. Book a nighttime manta ray snorkeling tour for an incredible up-close encounter. It is actually adrenaline-inducing as the large sea creatures come up close enough to touch you. Resist the urge to touch them, for it is not allowed and will give the manta rays a rash. Don’t worry, these are different from Sting Rays. These Manta Rays are harmless.
Tour the Farms of the Big Island
- Kona Coffee Tour: Visit local coffee plantations and learn how famous Kona coffee is grown and roasted.
- Kona Salt Tour: Learn the traditional way of harvesting salt. More info here...
- Cacao Tour: Some of the most popular coffee tours are combined with a cacao tour. Also the famous Puna Chocolate offers
- a tour with samples.
- Beekeeping tour: This is located closer to the Captain Cook side of Kona (the south). Learn More here…
- Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm: Interactive seahorse farm tour. Learn more here…
Other Fun Kona Activities
- Atlantic submarine tour: Explore undersea life in a submarine adventure.
- Glass Bottom Boat Tour: Enjoy the reef from the comfort of a Glass Bottomed Boat.
- Underwater scooter tour: Ride Underwater scooters in a scuba diving-like fashion.
- Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary: Relax and Rejuvenate in a wellness retreat in nature, yoga, and sound bath.
- Whale watching (December–April)
Best Beaches & Snorkeling Spots Near Kona
Two Step
Enjoy world-class snorkeling with crystal-clear water and abundant marine life. It is named two step because that is literally how you enter the water- there are 2 steps and then you are swimming and snorkeling. Most places here you can’t touch the ground under hte water, do need to be able to swim.
Kealakekua Bay and Captain Cook Monument
Known as some of the best snorkeling on The Big Island, and after visiting, I agree!
Accessible by boat tour or hiking trail. This is one of the best snorkeling spots on the island.
- Hike to Kealakekua Bay/Captain Cook Monument: 6.1 mile roundtrip, moderate hike, Bring water and Snorkeling Gear. It can get hot and second half is not shaded.
- Boat Tour to KealakekuaBay/Captain Cook Monument: Lot’s of different tours offered, Check Viator, Groupon, and Get your Guide.
We snorkeled with a large pod of dolphins here. Watching them breach above the water before disappearing deep below us was unforgettable.
The underwater drop-off creates an incredible effect while snorkeling — it almost feels like standing on the edge of a skyscraper looking down into the deep ocean.
North Big Island Road Trip Stops
Here is a layout of the top sights on the North Side Road Trip of the Big Island.
With no stops, the drive takes about 5 hours.
1. Waikoloa Village
A resort-heavy, tourist-friendly area with beautiful beaches and shopping.
This could also be a fun place to stay a few nights as it is very close to Kona.
Things to Do:
–Ancient petroglyph trails: Starting near the King’s shops on Waikoloa Drive, just north is the 0.9 mile trail of the Waikoloa Petroglyph Preserve.
–Resort day passes: Some of the Most Popular are the Waikoloa Beach Marriott or the Waikoloa Village Hilton. These are also fun places to stay a night or 2. To check for more Day-use Resort Passes, check out this website Resort Pass.
–Beach Hopping white Sandy beaches:
– Hapuna Beach,
-Waialea Beach,
-Anaeho’omalu Beach (A Bay Beach).
–Shopping: Check out King’s Shops or Queens Marketplace, both are outlet style shopping malls.
-Queen’s Marketplace has Island Gourmet Markets (which is a really big and Fancy ABC store, both under the same parent company). Fantastic for Hawaii-themed souvenirs. Save your receipts (including ABC Store Receipts). Once you spend $100 and show receipts, you qualify for a prize.
–Food: There are tons of restaurants, but these are the ones that we loved…
–Tommy Bahama’s: Located in The Queen’s Marketplace. We loved the vibe, they offer a happy hour deal for food, and their corn dip and fried shrimp were …Chef’s Kiss…
–Island Gourmet Markets: Pretty much a large ABC store, offers a great selection of Hawaiian-themed treats:Macadamia nut Chocolates, Chocolate Covered Pineapple Gummy bears, Hawaiian Potato chips and fresh Malasadas. They also have a poke deli and a refrigerated section of Grab and Go food: Listen Carefully…. You need to try the Papaya with Lemon, it will simply,,, Change your life. We also liked their wraps and egg salad sandwiches.
–Smash Daddy’s 808: This was about a 15-minute drive into the more residential area, but the burgers and fries here were definitely worth it.
Which Route?
Starting in Waikola Village and Ending in/near Hilo, (Of course any of these could be done as day trips from Kona/Waikola).
Depending on whether you want to take certain tours, like the Waipio Valley tour or the Hawaiian vanilla tour, most tour times are in the early to midday range. Therefore, if looking for something to cut out for another day, Pololu Lookout/hike could be done as a day trip from Waikola or even Kona. It adds on an extra 2 hours of driving and about 1.5-3 hours for the actual hike.
Waikoloa – via 270 – Pololu Lookout-Waimea – Tex Drive in – Waipio Lookout.
–Waikoloa via 270- Pololu Lookout : About a 1 hour drive
-Pololu Lookout to Waimea: 52 minutes
–Waimea to Tex drive inn:19 minutes
-Tex Drive Inn to Waipio Valley Lookout: 17 minutes
This Route takes you up the coastline where the scenery changes from volcanic rocks to rolling hills.
2. Pololu Lookout/Hike
Pololu Lookout/Hike:
Enjoy the view from the lookout or take the Awini Trail –1.5-mile round-trip hike to a beautiful Black Sand beach and offers a stunning view of the Koholoa Mountains. During whale watching season (December- March), this is a great place to spot Humpback Whales.
- Dog Friendly Hike: Yes
- Caution: Dangerous waves and ripcurrents. Not safe to swim here.
A Side Quest
Kohala Ziplines are on the way to Pololu Valley, check it out for an adventure.
Which Route?
If you don’t have time for the Pololu Lookout or Hike, take 190 instead of the coastal 270 it will save you about an hour drive.
Waikoloa – via190 – Waimea – Tex Drive in – Waipio Lookout.
–Waikoloa via 170- Waimea : 28 minutes
–Waimea to Tex drive inn:19 minutes
-Tex Drive Inn to Waipio Valley Lookout: 17 minutes
3. Waimea: Hawaii’s Cowboy Town
Waimea offers a completely different landscape with rolling green hills and mountain views.
Checkout Parker Ranch: Offers self guided tours to historic homes, and horseback tours of the area.
This charming town is known for Hawaiian cowboy culture and cooler weather.
4. Tex Drive-In
Famous for their malasadas! The gift shop was also surprisingly great and reasonably priced. Quick stop before one of the heavy hitters…. Waipio Valley.
5. Waipio Valley Lookout
If you are short on time, the lookout alone is worth visiting.
If you have more time, book a local tour into the valley since access restrictions have changed.
Nearby stops include:
- Fruit stands: Keep an eye out for these cute and delicious tropical fruit stands foudn on the side of the road near Waipio Valley.
- Waipio Valley food trucks: The locals told us this was one of the best places ot get a huge hawaiian plate to share,
- Vanilla farm tours: We booked the Vanilla Farm Lunch tour. It included a meal with vanilla-infused everything (was delicious) and a tour of the Vanilla growing site. There are often deals for a both Waipio Valley and the Hawaiian Vanilla Farm Tour.
Check out my Guide to Visiting Waipio Valley: Tour, History, Tips, and Hidden Gems.
6. From Waipio to Hilo
The drive from Waipio to Big Island’s Hilo is about 1 hour.
Along the way you could stop at…
- Akaka Falls: a 442 foot tall waterfall that can be reached by a 0.4 mile paved loop, Does involve some stairs.
- Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden: A stunning area packed with tropical, vibrant plants, a tiered waterfall, and stunning beach and ocean cliff views.
These could also be done as half-day activities while staying near Hilo.
Hilo: The Lush, Rainy Side of the Island
Hilo is located on the wetter side of the island and truly lives up to its rainy reputation. During our stay, it sometimes rained for over a week straight.
But all that rain creates incredibly lush scenery filled with waterfalls, tropical forests, and vibrant greenery.
Be prepared with rain gear and flexible plans.
Despite being one of the island’s larger towns, Hilo still has a laid-back small-town Hawaiian feel.
Best Things to Do in Hilo
Waterfall Chasing
Some of the best waterfalls on the Big Island are near Hilo, including:
- Akaka Falls: About 19 minutes North of Hilo is a 442-foot-tall waterfall that can be reached by a 0.4 mile paved loop, Does involve some stairs.
- Rainbow Falls: Rainbow Falls is known for sunny days you can see a rainbow in the spray of the waterfall. Is just down the road of the Hilo Benioff Hospital.
- Boiling Pots: Up the Road from the hospital is Boiling Pots. It feeds into Rainbow Falls. Swimming here is highly discouraged due to unpredictable water flows and past deaths that have occurred.
- Kulaniapia Falls: Book a tour to literally Repel down the side of this 120 foot Waterfall.
Kaumana Caves State Park : Lava Tubes
Something Straight out of Jurassic Park, After walking down the steep stairs, 2 large openings to the lava tubes are decorated with lush vines and greenery. You can hike into these lava tube caves quite a ways.
Explore fascinating lava tubes formed by ancient volcanic activity. The caves were formed by molten lava running through while the surrounding area hardened. While hiking in the caves, you can see the hardened lava flow.
The Left Smaller Cave: goes on for 0.3 miles.
The Right Larger Cave: goes on for 2 Miles!-
- We hiked about a mile in.
- Bring Head lamps
- Sturdy shoes, the ground is sharp volcanic rock at some points
- A Jacket, it gets cooler the further back you venture into the cave.
Explore the town of Hilo
Hilo’s Farmers Market
Hilo’s Farmers Market offers a wide range of tropical fruit, and Hawaiian crafts from local vendors.
- I recommend trying some new fruits…
- Ice cream Bean Fruit: Has a hint of vanilla ice cream Flavor
- Soursop: Very sweet and delicious prickly pear.
- Papayas: Try with Lemon or lime juice
- Abiu: tastes like Caramel
- Rambutan: Lychee-like flavor and consistency
Hilo’s Friday Night Market:
-local food, crafts, and live music.
Hilo’s Downtown: shops and food
- Shop till you Drop: Lot’s of fun window displays, Hawaiian trinkets and souvenirs.
- Do an Escape Room: My fellow travel nurse friend and I signed up for this and had a blast, we failed, but had fun.
- Favorite Food Resturaunts in Downtown Hilo:
- Night Market Vendors (can’t go wrong there):
- Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine: Everything we have tried here was good, Get their Pineapple Pow: A fruity drink served in a cored out pineapple.
- Puna Chocolate Company and cafe: Try the Iced hot Chocolate- we were hooked.
- Poke and Sides: Right across the street from the Farmer’s market is what I think is some of the Best Poke ever. Located right next to Kula Ice shave.
- Kula Shave Ice: A real Hawaiian treat, behind is a pavilion that sometimes has live performers.
- Saucy Dogs: Satisfying and loaded hot dogs. If you bring your dog, you get a free bag of chips
- Loved By the Sun: Right next to Saucy dogs, is a delicious healthy option, Juices, acai bowls, and huge tasty salads.
- Makani’s Magic Pineapple Shack: Delicious acai, ube ice cream, and Hawaiian ice shave.
Best Beaches in Hilo
The beaches around Hilo are rockier and often feature black sand, but they are excellent for snorkeling.
Popular Beach Parks
- Carlsmith Beach Park
- Has a Grassy area and a picnic pavilion nearby.
- Has railings that allow you to enter the water.
- Great Snorkeling and swimming with turtles area.
- Richardson Ocean Park
- Has a black sand beach area and black volcanic rock coves.
- Common to see Turtles on the rocks and in the water.
- While snorkeling saw many bright colored fish.
- Onekahakaha Beach Park
- Family-friendly beach park, the swimming area is protected by a retainer rock wall which allows shallow water and calm waves.
- Honoli’i Beach:
- A famous surfing beach.
- Stairs to get to beach
- Lot’s of Sea Glass, which you are allowed to collect. Remember: never take rocks or shells from Hawaii.
The water on this side of the island is cooler due to freshwater runoff from frequent rain.
More Hilo Attractions
- Hilo Planetarium
- The planetarium is especially great for kids and teaches how ancient Hawaiians navigated using the stars.
- Merrie Monarch Festival
- Annual World Hula Competition held the week of Easter.
- Shipman Beach
- Round trip 5 mile hike on an ancient lava path to a secluded turtle-spotted beach.
- Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Farm
- Free short tour of Mauna Loa Factory, outdoor trail, and Yummy samples.
Saddle Road Drive: Kona to Hilo
The two cities of Kona and Hilo are connected by Saddle Road (Daniel K. Inouye Highway), a roughly 2-hour drive through the middle of the island. This is the fastest route from Kona to Hilo.
Saddle Back is the road to take to the volcano Mauna Kea, the tallest point on The Big Island.
Saddle back drive is beautiful and constantly changing:
- Lava rock fields
- Green forests
- Mountain landscapes
- Wild goats roaming volcanic terrain
At night, if Kīlauea Volcano is active, you may even see the lava glow reflecting off the clouds.
Mauna Kea could be done as a day trip from either Hilo or Kona.
Mauna Kea
Want to visit the Tallest Mountain in the world?
Measured from the base of the mountain at the ocean floor to the summit, Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain, at 13,803 feet.
Mauna Kea is know for it’s spectacular star gazing, with it’s lack of light pollution, there are telexcopes operated by 11 different countries at the top.
Snow in Hawaii?
Yes Mauna kea is often snow capped due to the cooler temperatures and high altitude.
This Dormant volcano can be reached by Saddle Back road, so this is a good day trip form either Kona or Hilo.
- Drive to the Visitor’s Center: If continuing on to the Summit, it is recommended to acclimate here for 30-45 minutes. Nobody wants altitude sickness.
- Bring Warm Clothes: It is chilly and temperatures drop as the sun goes down.
- Star Gazing: Try to go when there isn’t a full moon to get the best conditions.
- To drive to the summit, Four Wheel Drive is required. There are only a few car rental companies on the island that allow their cars to be taken all the way up to the summit. It’s a big no-no if the car rental doesn’t permit. We could not find one car rental in Hilo that allowed trekking to the summit. But Big Island Jeep Rental, located in Kona, does allow it.
- If you can’t find a rental car that is permitted up to the summit
- Book a tour to the summit.
- Find a Local friend who will drive you up.
- This is what we ended up doing, Star gaze and hang out at the Visitors Center. There is a small hike from here that still gives beautiful sunset views and eventually a star spotted sky.
South Big Island Road Trip Stop
Hilo – Hawaii Volcano National Park – Punalu’u Black Sand Beach – Punalu’u Bakery – Green Sand Beach – South Point – Paradise Meadows and Bee Farm – Pu’uhonua O Haunonau Historic Park – Kona.
Hilo to Hawaii Volcano National Park
On your way up to Hawaii Volcano National Park
- Stop at Mountain View Bakery- A quick stop off the main road on the way up to Volcano. They sell out pretty quickly, so go in the morning for some of the best freshly cooked donuts and danishes
- Volcano Farmer’s Market: Held Thursdays andSundays at the Cooper Center, local vendors gather. Make sure to try anything from Walter’s Farm: They specialize inSourdough, including Pretzels, Pecan shortbread pastries, and Sourdough Jalapeno and cheese bread (very delicious).
- Pohoiki Warm Springs (Isaac Hale Beach Park): This will be a bit of a detour or could be a day trip from Hilo or Volcano National Park, but these natural beachfront hot springs, created by the 2018 Kilauea eruption, are worth the visit. The drive is beautiful, the road winds through dense Hawaiian jungle vines, next to the huge path of hardened lava flow from the 2018 eruption.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
This is one of the most incredible places on the island and absolutely worth visiting.
You could easily spend several days here hiking and exploring.
Also a fun place to stay is at the Volcano House in the Park, if wanting to spend more time in the park.
Must-See Spots
- Kīlauea Volcano- Goes off about every 2 weeks.
- Devastation Trail
- Lava fields
- Crater viewpoints
- Lava Tubes
Check the National Park Service website for current volcanic activity updates.
Check out The Ultimate Guide to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach
One of the most famous black sand beaches in Hawaii.
You’ll often spot sea turtles resting on the shore.
Nearby is a beautiful beach park popular for walking and running.
Punaluʻu Bake Shop
Known as the southernmost bakery in the United States.
Famous for:
- Hawaiian sweet bread
- Taro bread
- Guava treats
- Malasadas
- Sandwiches
Green Sand Papakolea Beach
One of the four green sand beaches in the world.
- The beach it’s green color from a mineral called olivine, and comes from being an ancient volcanic cone.
You can either:
- Hike to the beach: Takes about 2 hours round trip of hiking. Can be hot if it’s sunny, or muddy if it is rainy.
- Pay for a truck ride: Ride in the back of a truck and hold on while you off road to the volcanic cone beach.
The unique olive-green sand mixed with the tall remains of the volcanic cone standing next to the blue ocean makes this stop unforgettable.
Paradise Meadows Orchard & Bee Farm
A hidden gem known for:
- Freeze-dried macadamia nuts: Most mac nuts are roasted, Freeze drying keeps some of their nutritional value and their flavor.
- Hawaiian chocolate: Voted the best in
Hawaii in a Yelp poll. We loved the dried fruit chocolate mix.- Local art
- Farm animals
The freeze-dried macadamia nuts were some of the best we’ve ever had. We loved the sweet hickory flavor. They offer free samplings.
This was an underrated stop, we had fun exploring and talking with the workers.
These were our favorite Flavors! Check out more info here.
Southernmost Point in the United States
This is the southernmost tip of the US. It was mind boggling to stand and look out to the ocean thinking how far you would have to go until hitting land again.
A dramatic cliffside viewpoint popular for:
- Fishing: Locals have fishing rigs set up form atop the cliffs.
- Cliff jumping: On certain days people will cliff jump into the water, but Caution the waves are very unpredictable and even locals warn against this.
- Scenic ocean views: Stunning views.
Be careful here. Strong currents and dangerous wave conditions have caused fatalities.
We visited during stormy weather, and the waves were choppy but so interesting to watch.
Pu’uhonua O Haunonau Historic Park
This is a Hawaii state Park, an ancient sacred place that was a space of refuge. Lawbreakers, fallen warriors, and citizens seeking safety from war, retreated to this protected community, believing the God Lona would protect.
This area has ancient ruins and relics that can be seen.
Final Thoughts
The Big Island feels like several islands combined into one. You can experience black lava deserts, rainforests, waterfalls, mountains, beaches, and active volcanoes all in a single road trip.
Whether you stay in Kona, Hilo, or explore the entire island, the Big Island offers endless adventure and unforgettable scenery.
If you love nature, road trips, snorkeling, waterfalls, and volcanoes, this island deserves a spot at the top of your Hawaii bucket list.
