ʻAkaka Falls drops 422 feet, a short walk from the parking lot, and it sets the tone for Hilo: the wet, green, rainforest side of the Big Island where waterfalls run year-round and a light raincoat is a real packing item, not a precaution. Helicopter tours leave Hilo Airport and reach the windward falls, plus the eruption site when Kīlauea is active, in under an hour, for less than the same flight from Kona.
What you do here comes down to how far you want to drive. The downtown sights, the bayfront gardens, and the farmers market sit close together; the waterfalls, the coast drives, and the lava country spread out from there. Start near downtown and work outward as the day allows.
Table of contents
- Sights and destinations that are specific to Hilo.
- Outdoor activities that you can enjoy around Hilo, and also at other places on the Big Island.
Table of Contents
- Sights and destinations that are specific to Hilo.
- Outdoor activities that you can enjoy around Hilo, and also at other places on the Big Island.
Have a look at what we think are the highlights for Hilo if you think the choices we give are overwhelming.
Sights and destinations in and around Hilo
The sights in and around town lean cultural and easygoing. You can take in Hawaiian culture and astronomy at the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center, island history at the Lyman Museum and Mission House, rainforest animals at the only tropical zoo in the country, and local produce and crafts at the Hilo Farmers Market. None of it sits far apart, so this side of Hilo is easy to cover in a relaxed half day.
- Marvel at the 422 ft. ʻAkaka Falls
- Get culinary with coffee, tea, chocolate, and other farm tours
- Take a break at Coconut Island
- Explore the incredibly scenic Hamakua Coast
- Get geeky at the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center
- Walk where once rivers of lava created the Kaumana Caves lava tube
- Catch an early morning rainbow at the Rainbow Falls
- Visit the only tropical zoo in the United States (for free!)
- Sample a local beer at the Hilo Brewing Company tasting room
- Go shopping at one of the MANY farmers markets
- Take a step back in history with a visit to the Lyman House
‘Akaka Falls
The 422 ft tall ʻAkaka falls are part of the ʻAkaka falls state park, a few miles north of Hilo. These are the most famous waterfalls on the Big Island and very accessible through a short hike.
The 422 ft. tall ʻAkaka falls on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi are a pleasant stop on your way to or from Hilo
Read more about the ‘Akaka Falls.
Coffee, tea, chocolate, and other farm tours (and tastings!)
In the Hilo district you can find e.g. coffee, vanilla, tea, and chocolate farms/producers that organize tours. These tours typically last between 1 and 2 hours and include a tasting.
Vanilla Experience Luncheon & Farm Tour
Experience a delicious vanilla inspired luncheon and walking tour through a Hawaiian vineyard with vanilla vines. Learn about the vanilla cultivation process and rich history while enjoying homemade vanilla offerings.
from:
$90
What is a suggested tour?Our suggested tours are hand-picked tours that receive consistent good reviews, give back to the community, and work hard to minimize their impact on the environment. Read more about these tours on our website.Read more about the Farm Tours near Hilo.
Coconut Island
Update (2025): the pedestrian bridge to Coconut Island collapsed on November 14, 2025, and access is currently not possible. Repair estimates put a reopening at late 2027, so plan around it for now.
Coconut Island (Mokuola) in Hilo Bay is normally a relaxed place to swim for a few hours, with clean restrooms, two small beaches, a grassy area, picnic tables, and a 20 ft tower to jump from.
Learn more about Coconut Island.
Mokuola (Coconut island) is a small park in Hilo just offshore from Liliʻuokalani Park and Gardens. There is a beach, a tower to jump from into the ocean, and picnic tables
Hamakua Coast scenic drive
The Hamakua Coast is a 40-mile scenic stretch that connects Hilo to Waipiʻo Valley. Waterfalls and deep canyons lined with rainforest come one after another, enough that you will keep saying “Let’s stop there!” the whole way. Don’t forget your camera!
Read more about exploring the Hamakua Coast.
Lots of rain and tropical weather make the Hamakua coast north of Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi a striking place to explore
Imiloa Astronomy Center
The ʻImiloa Astronomy Center is a good pick if you (or your kids) want to learn about Hawaiian culture and astronomy. The ʻImiloa center offers educational and cultural programs for visitors, students, and local residents through exhibits, activities and a full-dome planetarium.
Read more about visiting the Imiloa Astronomy Center.
The ʻImiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaiʻi in Hilo, the Big Island. Photo credits: Brewbooks on Flickr under a CC BY-SA 2.0 licence
Kaumana Caves
Kaumana Caves Park is a skylight in a 25-mile long lava tube that was created by the 1881 flow from Mauna Loa. You can explore the lava tube a short way in both directions before the lava tube enters private property.
Climb down a steep ladder to get to the lava tube entrance of the Kaumana Caves
Read more about exploring the Kaumana Caves.
Rainbow Falls
The Rainbow Falls within Hilo are a perfect place to visit early in the morning for a picnic or perhaps even before breakfast. It falls over a lava-cave that is home to the ancient Hawaiian goddess Hina, the goddess of the moon.
The volume of the rainbow falls (or Waianuenue) changes on a daily basis. This is what the falls look like after a good rain upstream
Read more about the Rainbow Falls.
Panaʻewa Rainforest Zoo
The Panaʻewa Rainforest Zoo is the only tropical zoo in the United States. You can visit a variety of rainforest animals and endangered Hawaiian animals, such as spider monkeys, lemurs, nene geese (the Hawaiian State bird), and over 80 other animal species.
Learn more about visiting the Panaʻewa Rainforest Zoo.
Hilo Brewing Company
The Hilo Brewing Company is Hawaiʻi’s largest independently-owned craft brewer. Their tasting room and gift shop are open from noon on most days. Read more on our website about the Hilo Brewing Company or see a current listing of the opening hours on their website.
Farmers markets (7!)
The Hilo Farmers Market is a must-visit if you are in town on a Wednesday or Saturday. Over 200 local farmers and artists sell their produce, crafts, gift items and tropical flowers in a festive outdoor atmosphere that recalls back to the old “plantation” days of early Hilo.
Read more about the Hilo Farmers Market (+6 others) in and close to Hilo.
Market day at the Farmers Market in Hilo, Hawaii.
Lyman museum and mission house
The Lyman Museum gives a bite-sized history of the island of Hawaii and its culture. The staff is well educated, and there is a good selection of videos. The Lyman family home next door has the story of Hawaii’s education and is included in the museum ticket. Read more about the Lyman Museum and Mission House.
Outdoor Activities in and around Hilo
Beyond the town itself, the activities spread across the wet windward coast and into the districts next door. Close by you can hike and take scenic drives, reach the waterfalls of ʻAkaka Falls State Park and Rainbow Falls, and find snorkeling spots toward Pahoa. The neighboring areas worth a detour are Pahoa, for lava viewing and hot ponds, and Volcano Village, for lava viewing and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
- Go fast and get muddy with an ATV ride
- Explore the black sand beaches of Hilo
- Take in local plants and flowers at the Botanical Gardens
- Jump on a bike to explore the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
- Go Camping
- Take to the sky on a Helicopter Tour
- Go out and experience nature with these wonderful hikes
- Soak in a volcanically heated hot pond
- Stay up late to go lava viewing
- Rappel down waterfalls and splash through rivers
- Road trip! Get out and explore one of our extremely scenic drives
- Snorkel in the warm and tropical waters of Hawaiʻi
- Visit Mauna Kea to go stargazing
- Stand Up and Paddle along the scenic coast (SUP)
- Ride a wave at the birthplace of Surfing
- Check out even more waterfalls!
- Zip at 40 mph and zipline through tropical treetops
ATV Tours
ATV tours are a fun way to reach scenic spots that are otherwise hard to get to. Tours typically take you on a 10+ mile drive through private lands with stops on the way at scenic points and historic sites. Close to Hilo you can take an ATV tour + swim under a private waterfall at the triple-tiered Umauma Falls.
Umauma Deluxe ATV Waterfall and Swim Experience
Five and a half miles of private ATV trail on the Hamakua coast, muddy by design, with ocean views and a waterfall swim to finish. Good for mixed groups: the Side x Side UTVs seat up to four.
from:
$229
What is a suggested tour?Our suggested tours are hand-picked tours that receive consistent good reviews, give back to the community, and work hard to minimize their impact on the environment. Read more about these tours on our website.Read more about ATV Tours on the Big Island.
Umauma Falls on the Big Island. Image credit: Anirudh Rao
. Shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 licence.
Beaches
There are no picture-perfect white sand beaches on this side of the island but there are plenty of black sand beaches and beach parks. When the sun is out they are great to relax, snorkel and spend a good few hours.
Read more about the Beaches in and around Hilo.
Carlsmith beach park in Hilo with its protected bay is a great place to visit for families
Botanical Gardens
The Hilo and Hamakua coasts are filled with rainforests, waterfalls, and tropical flowers. These natural treasures can be most easily seen in one of the botanical gardens close to Hilo. Our favorite botanical garden in the whole state, the Hawaiʻi Tropical Botanical Garden, is for example just a few miles above Hilo.
Read more about Botanical Gardens close to Hilo.
The Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve & Gardens near Hilo are our favorite garden on the island.
Biking
If you want to use two wheels to explore the surroundings of Hilo that is also possible. You can find a bike sharing program in downtown Hilo if you just want to take a spin through town, or join a GPS + Audio Guided E-bike Tours through Hilo or the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Put on your helmet and read more about Biking on the Big Island.
Camping
There are a few campsites and beach parks in and around Hilo where you can pitch your tent and “really” be outdoors. Plan ahead because most campsites need to be reserved ahead of time – especially those in and around the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
Read more about Camping on the Big Island.
The Namakanipaio Campground in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park contains cabins and campsites (not shown).
Helicopter Tours
Hilo is the most popular departure point for helicopter tours for a good reason: tours departing from Hilo Airport can reach the tropical waterfalls, and the eruption site when Kīlauea is active, in under an hour. This short flight-time makes the tours that depart from Hilo cheaper than the lava helicopter tours from the west (Kona) coast of the Big Island.
The following 2 companies organize tours from the Hilo airport:
If the lava is flowing a helicopter tour is a safe and simple way to see it from a front-row seat
Read more about Helicopter tours from Hilo.
Hiking
The green, wet country around Hilo makes for some excellent hikes. From a short 30 minute hike through botanical gardens up to a waterfall to the crossing of a recently solidified crater floor to hour long hikes to see red-hot lava.
Read more about Hiking in the Hilo vicinity.
Good to know: 2 of our favorite short hikes on the Big Island are close to Hilo: The stroll through the Hawaiʻi Bioreserve and Garden and the hike into the Kīlauea Iki crater (see image below).
Overview of the Kilauea Iki caldera, This caldera hosts one of the best (and moderately easy) hikes on the island
Hot Ponds
After several recent volcanic eruptions there remains but one easily accessible hot pond in the Puna district that is publicly accessible. If you are staying more than 7 days on the Big Island this makes a great addition to your itinerary!
Learn more about hot ponds in Puna (close to Hilo).
The 5 hot springs at Pohoiki. In this aerial picture of the new black sand beach at the Isaac Hale Park taken on 21 January 2020 you can see that the basaltic sand from the 2018 lava delta (right) continues to accumulate, both widening and elongating the beach in Pohoiki Bay. Image credit: USGS (public domain)
Lava Viewing
Both Hilo and Volcano Village are well suited to use as a base when you want to go and see the lava. Hilo is closer to lava flows if they happen in the Puna district, while Volcano Village is right next to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and good for viewing the lava lake in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater. Eruptions come and go, so check the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory status before you plan around seeing lava.
Read more about lava viewing.
You can visit the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park at night to see the glow over the halemaʻumaʻu crater at the (now closed) jaggar museum.
Rappel down waterfalls and splash through rivers
This is a family-friendly experience geared for the adventurous traveler. Image: Island Mountain Guides.
Somewhere between ziplining and rock climbing, waterfall rappelling is an outdoor adventure that combines the thrill of descending cliffs with the beauty of cascading waterfalls. On the Big Island there are 2 waterfalls that you can rappel down from. In addition you also get to scramble over rocks, wade through the fast-flowing river, and jump down a small waterfall!
Rappel down the Triple-Tier Umauma Waterfall and swim the pools between
Great for adventurous families: navigate 5 waterfalls and swim the pools between. Includes 4 rappels, a down climb, and jump off a waterfall
from:
$399
What is a suggested tour?Our suggested tours are hand-picked tours that receive consistent good reviews, give back to the community, and work hard to minimize their impact on the environment. Read more about these tours on our website.Scenic drives
A small detour to your destination can often open up a whole new face of the Big Island. Scenic drives close to Hilo are the Onomea scenic drive and the Kapoho Kalapana road scenic drive – numbers 2 and 3 in the list linked below.
Read more about Scenic drives in and around Hilo.
The Kalapana – Kapoho road (also known as red road) is one of the most scenic drives on the Big Island
Snorkeling
If you really want to snorkel in the waters around Hilo that is possible (and interesting) if you go to some of the beach parks north of Hilo and along the Puna coast. The best Big Island snorkeling however, is found on the Kona (west) coast.
Your best option is Richardsons – read more this beach park in our article on Hilo snorkeling spots.
Richardson’s Beach Park, in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii. This beach is one of the best places to snorkel on the Hilo side
Stargazing
Hilo is well suited for stargazing. It is home to the wonderful Imiloa astronomy center and you are just a short (50 minute) drive away from the astronomy visitor center on Mauna Kea which is one of the best stargazing spots on the island and hosts both free and paid stargazing tours.
Maunakea Summit, Sunset, and Stargazing Tour
A small-group tour from Kona to the 13,796-foot summit of Maunakea: dinner at 9,200 feet, sunset above the cloud layer, and a private star show with an 11-inch telescope. Saturn, Jupiter, and the Milky Way on a clear night. 8 to 9 hours.
from:
$315
What is a suggested tour?Our suggested tours are hand-picked tours that receive consistent good reviews, give back to the community, and work hard to minimize their impact on the environment. Read more about these tours on our website.
The sunsets from Mauna Kea are out of this world, making a trip to the summit even more attractive
Read more about Stargazing on the Maunakea summit
Stand Up Paddle boarding (SUP)
Stand up paddle surfing (SUP), or in the Hawaiian language Hoe heʻe nalu, is an emerging global sport with a Hawaiian heritage. Hilo has SUP board rentals and lessons available and is a great place to try out SUPping.
Read more about SUP on the Big Island.
Surfing
As goes for most water based activities, Surfing also is nicer on the west coast. If you really want though, you can find some good surf spots in and around Hilo. Be modest though, and treat the ocean and locals with respect.
Read more about surfing in and around Hilo.
Waterfalls
The lush and tropical north and east coast of the Big Island are filled with waterfalls. 4 of our 5 favorite, most easily accessible, biggest and most popular waterfalls are close to Hilo!
Read more about waterfalls close to Hilo.
Ziplining
Ziplining is an activity where you are attached with a harness to a rope that is strung between a high and a low point. The ziplines are built high above scenic areas and features such ravines, jungles, meadows, and forests, and there are plenty of those around Hilo.
Umauma Falls 9-Line Waterfall Zipline Tour
Nine lines and 2 miles of ziplining above 14 waterfalls on the Hamakua Coast, with a guest-only viewpoint above Umauma Falls that no public trail reaches.
from:
$249
What is a suggested tour?Our suggested tours are hand-picked tours that receive consistent good reviews, give back to the community, and work hard to minimize their impact on the environment. Read more about these tours on our website.
The Umauma eXperience zipline course takes you over the famous triple-tiered Umauma Falls.
Read more about Ziplining in Hilo.