Not all Big Island ATV tours are the same. One runs through a working ranch with fruit orchards and tilapia ponds. One ends with a waterfall swim in a private pond after driving through a mud pit called “the Pit.” Two are on the Kona side; the rest are near Hilo, along the Hāmākua coast, and in Kohala. Prices range from $109 to $380, and the vehicle type varies too: some are solo ATVs, others are side-by-side UTVs that anyone in your group can ride without driving.
This page covers six active operators. The comparison table and map are at the top; full descriptions with booking links are below.
Table of contents
- Map + Comparison Table
- ATV tours (list + description)
- Best ATV tours for: value, adventures, families, waterfalls, and more.
- What happens on an ATV tour (+ what to bring)
Looking at other islands? See our separate guides to ATV tours on Oʻahu, ATV tours on Kauaʻi, and ATV tours on Maui.
Big Island ATV and UTV Tours: Map and Comparison
The six tours are spread across the island: two on the Kona side, two on the Hāmākua coast north of Hilo, one between Hilo and Volcano in Mountain View, and one in Kohala. The map helps if you are already based somewhere or want to combine a tour with other plans on that side.
The table below pulls price, duration, and best-fit tags into one place.
Prices, details, and map locations below last verified July 2026.
| Name | Duration | Starting price* | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Ohana Ranch (Details ↓) | 2 hours | From $119/person | Families, Farm experience |
| 2Hoʻomau Ranch (Details ↓) | 2 hours | $159/person | Conservation & Ecology |
| 3All About the Views (Details ↓) | 2.5 hours | From $175/vehicle (~$150/person) | Value |
| 4Aloha Adventure Farms (Details ↓) | 2 hours | $220/person | Families, Cultural experience |
| 5Umauma Deluxe ATV Tour + Waterfall swim (Details ↓) | 1.5 hours | From $229/vehicle ($175/person) | Adventure seekers, Waterfall Swim |
| 6Kohala UTV Adventure (Details ↓) | 2.5 hours | From $380/vehicle (~$190/person) | Scenery |
| * Prices shown are for self-drive options. Vehicle-priced tours are charged per vehicle regardless of group size. Per-person estimates based on 2 riders. | |||
ATV Tours on the Big Island
There are 6 companies offering ATV tours on the island of Hawaiʻi. We describe all these companies below:
- Umauma deluxe ATV tours (Hakalau)
- Aloha Adventure Farms (Holualoa, just south of Kailua Kona)
- All about the views (AATV) (Hamakua Coast)
- Ohana Ranch (Mountain view)
- Kohala UTV Adventure (Kohala)
- Hoʻomau Ranch (south Kona)
Umauma Deluxe ATV Tour + Waterfall swim (Hakalau / north of Hilo)
This is the tour for people who want to come back wet and filthy. The 5.5-mile course runs the private grounds of the former Umauma Botanical Gardens on the Hāmākua coast, built around two things: a deep mud section called the Pit that there is no way around, and a 20-minute stop at a private waterfall and pond where you can swim. You ride individual ATVs, so everyone in the group drives. It is the most physically active tour on this list. Full details, current price, and booking are on the Umauma Deluxe ATV Waterfall and Swim tour page
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.We have ridden this one. The Pit section is short but the mud is real, and the waterfall stop is long enough to actually get in the water. Wear clothes you are willing to lose.
Aloha Adventure Farms (Holualoa, 15 minutes from Kailua-Kona)
If you are staying on the Kona or Kohala side, this is the one ATV tour you can reach without crossing the island. Aloha Adventure Farms sits in Holualoa, about 15 minutes upslope from Kailua-Kona, on a working coffee farm. The route connects four Polynesian village stops with hands-on activities: poi tasting in Hawaiʻi, blindfolded pineapple smashing and spear throwing in Fiji, drumming in Tonga, coconut cracking and fire-starting in Samoa. Guides are fluent in the traditions they demonstrate, so the cultural content is substantial rather than a photo stop with a signboard.
Polynesian Cultural ATV Tour at Aloha Adventure Farms
The only ATV tour on the Kona side of the island, 15 minutes from Kailua-Kona. Four Polynesian village stops with hands-on activities: poi tasting, spear throwing, coconut cracking. Kids from age 3 in a guide-driven UTV.
from:
$220
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.It runs both solo ATVs and guide-driven UTVs. Children as young as 3 ride in the guide-driven UTV, so families with mixed ages do not have to split into separate vehicles. Expect roughly 30 to 45 minutes of actual riding across the two hours: the ATVs are the vehicle, not the point. Full itinerary, age and weight limits, youth pricing, and booking are on the Polynesian Cultural ATV Tour at our Aloha Adventure Farms page.
Explore the lush jungle of Holualoa on an ATV or UTV while experiencing cultures from Hawaii, Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa through 4 stops at figurative islands. Image credit: Aloha Adventure Farms.
All About the View (Hāmākua coast, near Waipiʻo Valley)
This is the gentlest ride on the list and the most educational. It is less an ATV adventure than a farm tour that happens to use a UTV. The 2.5-hour route crosses a full ahupuaʻa, a traditional land division running from the mountain to the ocean, on the working Waipiʻo on Horseback Ranch. Stops cover the 1906 Hāmākua ditch, fishponds stocked with Hāmākua sunfish, a rescued herd of Kona Nightingale donkeys, and groves where ʻio and pueo, the Hawaiian hawk and owl, still nest. Guides lean hard into ranch history and current planting projects.
No mud pit, no speed. Ages 7 and up, all riders under 275 lbs. Everyone rides without driving, which makes it workable for older travelers and mixed-age groups who want scenery and context over adrenaline. Full itinerary and booking are on the All About the View UTV Farm Tour page.
All About the View UTV Farm Tour near Waipiʻo Valley
The gentlest tour on the Big Island ATV list: a guide-led UTV ride across a working Hāmākua ranch with fruit sampling, tilapia ponds, and a cliff-top ocean stop. No mud pit, no speed.
from:
$175
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 farm tour explores the grounds of the Waipiʻo on Horseback Ranch. From this ranch you can also explore Waipiʻo valley on horseback on a tour that also includes transport down into the valley. Read more about that horseback riding tour in Waipiʻo Valley.
The All About the View UTV tour takes you on a scenic drive of a working Ranch that includes horses.
Ohana Ranch (Mountain View, near Hilo)
The only tour on this list where part of the experience is picking fruit off the plant and eating it. Ohana Ranch runs a 2-hour guided tour on a working farm in Mountain View, about 20 minutes southeast of Hilo. The trail passes active taro, Hawaiian coffee, and guava cultivation, and guides cover Hawaiian agricultural history and farming practice as you go. Both solo ATVs and side-by-side UTVs are available, and the UTVs take passengers from age 3.
At $109 it is the cheapest tour here and the most agricultural in character. The tradeoff is that Mountain View is interior Puna: no ocean views, no valley-rim drama. It fits east-side itineraries, specifically a day split between Hilo and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and families who want young kids genuinely involved rather than just along for the ride. Full details and booking are on the Ohana Ranch ATV Farm Tour page.
Ohana Ranch ATV Farm Tour
ATV ride through a working Hawaiian farm in Mountain View, with fruit picking and cultural commentary on taro, coffee, and farming history. From $119 for 2 hours; no experience needed, ages 3 and up.
from:
$119
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.Kohala UTV adventure
The Kohala UTV Adventure is a guided off-road tour along the rim of Pololū Valley, the northernmost of Kohala’s seven iconic valleys. It’s a leisurely, educational ride through private land, blending natural beauty with Hawaiian history.
This tour is a good fit for families and groups looking for a scenic and muddy (but not extreme) experience. No speeding, stunts, or rough terrain. Short walks and seasonal waterfall stops are included.
Read more about the Kohala UTV Adventure here.
Note: pricing is per vehicle, not per person. One vehicle holds one driver plus up to three passengers. Solo or two riders: $380. Three riders: $555 ($185 per person). Four riders: $705 ($176 per person). If you’re traveling with family or friends, book together and the per-person cost drops to an amount average for most Big Island tours.
Hoʻomau Ranch (Captain Cook / South Kona district)
Hoʻomau Ranch runs a 2-hour UTV tour through native dry forest on the South Kona coast, about 20 miles south of Kailua-Kona near Captain Cook. The focus is conservation and ecology: guides cover native species, land restoration, and the ranch’s history. Read more about this UTV tour on the Hoʻomau Ranch website.
No online booking; reservations by call, text, or email directly through the ranch.
Best ATV Tours for:
Before we start, here are our recommendations for ATV tours on the Big Island for value, people wanting to get muddy (adventure), families, and scenery.
Q: What is the difference between an ATV and a UTV tour?
ATVs are individual quad bikes: each rider straddles their own vehicle and steers with handlebars. They require you to actively drive, and most operators set a minimum age or height for solo riders. UTVs (also called side-by-sides) seat two to four people next to each other in a cab with a steering wheel, seatbelts, and a roll cage. Passengers can ride along without driving, which makes UTVs the more accessible option for young children, older travelers, or anyone who doesn’t want to be behind the wheel.
On this list: Umauma runs ATVs only. Aloha Adventure Farms offers both. All About the View, Ho’omau Ranch, and Kohala UTV Adventure use UTVs.
Q: Which ATV tours are on the Kona side?
Two. Aloha Adventure Farms is in Holualoa, about 15 minutes upslope from Kailua-Kona, and is the only ATV tour close to where most Kona and Kohala visitors stay. It runs both solo ATVs and guide-driven UTVs, with four Polynesian village stops along the route. Hoʻomau Ranch is further south near Captain Cook, about 20 miles down the coast,and focuses on native dry forest and conservation rather than mud or speed. Hoʻomau takes bookings by phone or email only, not online. Every other tour on this list is on the Hilo, Hāmākua, or Kohala side, a 90-minute-plus drive from Kona.
Q: Which Big Island UTV tour offers the best value?
All about the views is the cheapest option on this list, so passengers of any age can ride along without driving. The route follows an ahupuaʻa track from mountain to ocean across a working ranch, with stops at fruit orchards, tilapia ponds, and animals including horses, cows, and donkeys. Guides lean educational. Reviews from families with kids 7 and up are consistently positive. If your group isn’t looking for mud and speed, this is the one.
Q: Which ATV tour is best for thrill-seekers who want to get muddy?
That’s the Umauma deluxe ATV tour. The route runs ATVs through a section called “the Pit” (deep mud, no avoiding it) and ends with a swim at a waterfall. It’s the most physically active tour on this list and the one most reviews describe as flat-out fun. Come prepared to get dirty.
Q: Which Big Island ATV tour is best for families with young kids?
Aloha Adventures Farms gets the most family praise on this list. It offers both ATVs and UTVs, so you can choose based on your group. The route connects four Polynesian village stops: drumming in Tonga, spear-throwing in Fiji, poi tasting in Hawaiʻi, and a fire knife show in Samoa. Reviews mention groups spanning four generations, with kids as young as 5 along for the ride. It also sits closest to Kona. Ratings hold near-perfect across nearly 200 Google reviews.
Q: Which ATV tour includes a waterfall swim?
The Umauma deluxe ATV tour is built around two things: a swim at a waterfall partway through, and a section called “the Pit” where you drive through deep mud. You ride individual ATVs, so everyone in your group needs to drive. Experienced riders note the course isn’t technical, but that’s not the draw. You come back wet and dirty. Solid 4.6/5 across roughly 188 reviews.
Q: Which Big Island ATV tour has the best scenery?
Kohala UTV Adventure runs along the rim of Pololū Valley across former Kohala Sugar Company land that’s otherwise off-limits. The views are the main event: the valley drop, the coastline, and the scale of the landscape. Pricing is per vehicle (up to 4 guests), so the per-person cost works out to around $95 for a full group. Works for kids 5 and up.
Big Island ATV tours that have closed
Five operators that still show up in older guides and search results no longer run tours:
- ATV Outfitters in North Kohala (closed 2021),
- Ride the Rim on the Waipiʻo Valley rim (closed 2018),
- Kahua Ranch between Waimea and Hawi,
- Paʻani Ranch in Mountain View near Hilo, and the
- KapohoKine Maunakea-trail RZR tour.
If a tour you found elsewhere is not in the comparison above, it has almost certainly stopped operating. The six active operators are the full current list.
What to expect on a Big Island ATV Tour
ATV tours take between 1.5 and 3.5 hours. At the start of the tour you will receive a safety briefing and a short crash course (pun intended) on how to drive an ATV. The drive itself is controlled and easy to do, even without previous experience. To drive an ATV you need to be at least 16 years old, children can often be brought along with the tour in ATV buggies.
After the introduction the real tour will start. You will follow the tour guide in your ATV and stop at several scenic points along the way. During some of these stops you will be provided with snacks, get an explanation about relevant Hawaiian history, and sometimes it is even possible to take a quick swim at a waterfall.
Check the weather forecast before you go. Afternoon rains are common where the ATV tours take place and it is always better to be prepared!
What to bring on an ATV tour?
The tours themselves provide safety equipment such as helmets but you should make sure to bring the following items yourself:
- Closed-toe shoes (essential!)
- Long pants
- Sun glasses (to keep the mud out of your eyes)
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
- Swimming gear (some tours include swimming at a waterfall!)
- A clean change of clothes for after the tour (you may get dirty and/or rained on)
What is an ATV?
An ATV (All Terrain Vehicle, wikipedia) is a small 4WD vehicle that handles like a motorcycle, but the extra wheels and weight give it more stability at slower speeds. ATVs are also known as a quad or quad bike and are very well suited to navigate difficult terrains for drivers with little to no experience.
ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) come in many forms and shapes. The ones used for ATV tours are stable, automatic and have 4 wheels