A Circle Island Tour + Volcanoes + Farm Tour + National Park visit tour by Hawaii Forest and Trail. Back to all tours.
Tour Summary: Full day small group circle-island adventure featuring many of the Big Island's must-see sights and natural landmarks with a certified naturalist guide. Explore an active volcano, visit a local coffee farm, experience a private cave system, and look for for sea turtles on a black-sand beach.
Large photoThis tour takes you to a private viewing platform of the Rainbow Falls. Image credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail
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Learn how lava fields get colonized by the local plants. Image credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail
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Punalu'u black sand beach is known for its turtle sightings. Image credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail
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The tour guides are expert natural interpreters, and will teach you many interesting things about the volcanoes. Image credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail
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Learn how lava fields get colonized by the local plants. Image credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail
Tour Highlights:
- Explore an active volcano and all the must see sights of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
- Search for sea turtles as you stroll the black sands of Punaluu.
- Explore a private cave system and learn how lava tubes are formed.
- Enjoy a private Kona Coffee Farm tour
- Explore a 1,000 acre Tropical fruit farm and see Rainbow Falls from a private viewing deck.
- A small group trip, min 4 / max 12 persons
Important: The minimum age to participate in this tour is 8 years. Participants should be able to walk on uneven or rocky terrain as this tour involves short walks from 0.5 mile to 1 mile in length. Wear closed-toed shoes and wear/bring long pants and a light jacket as it can be chilly, wet and foggy.
Tour Information:
| Price: | Adult | Youth |
|---|---|---|
| (excluding booking fee) | $225 | $200 |
Tour Provider: Hawaii Forest and Trail
Activity: Circle Island Tour + Volcanoes + Farm Tour + National Park visit
Tour start time: 7:30 am
Duration: 11.5 hours
Departure from: Kailua Kona
Pick-up available? Yes! From several locations between the Hawaii Forest & Trail headquarters in Kona and the Waikoloa resorts. More details available during the booking process during the "Where are you staying" step.
Included: Over $30 per person in entry fees, savory island breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, souvenir Kona coffee mug, beverages, and use of daypacks, walking staffs, rain gear, and warm wear.
Cancellations: Customers will receive a full refund with 48 hours notice of cancellation. Private tours: Customers will receive a full refund with 72 hours notice of cancellation. Cancellations within the cancellation period and “no-shows” will be charged the FULL AMOUNT of the tour.
Hawaii Forest & Trail takes the following steps to prioritize the health and safety of their visitors and staff:
Guest Protocols:
Based on guidance and requirements by the State of Hawaii and CDC the following health and safety requirements will need to be met in order to join any Hawaii Forest & Trail tour:
- Proof of a negative COVID-19 test through the Hawaii Safe Travel Program or proof of 14 day quarantine (airline generated flight itinerary) Test results must be presented upon check-in.
- Health Questionnaire and temperature check with contactless infrared thermometer completed prior to your participation
- Face masks are required at all times in our vehicles and wherever social distancing is not possible. Guests agree to follow guide instructions.
- Small groups: Group sizes are limited to 9 guests.
- Guest time in the van has been minimized wherever possible. Pickup points closer to tour destinations have been added and are actively encouraged.
- Additional options for private family experiences have been added at a reduced rate.
Staff Protocols
- All vehicles and gear are sanitized following every tour using commercial grease sanitizing equipment with CDC approved sanitizers.
- All staff are required to complete a daily health screening and temperature check before starting their shift
- Face Masks are worn at all times in the vans and on the HF&T facility.
- Protocols to reduce contact between employees have been put in place
- Access to free COVID-19 testing is made available through the state of Hawaii.
This full day tour covers many of the “must do” experiences on the Big Island, including a visit to:
- A lava tube,
- Punalu’u black sand beach (renowned for the turtles, more info)
- The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park,
- The Rainbow Falls (from a private viewing spot)
- A Kona Coffee farm, and
- A tropical fruit farm.
A certified naturalist guide talks story and teaches you about the places you visit in a great blend of history and culture.
The tour starts and ends from the Kona headquarters of Hawaii Forest & Trail, but pickup (and drop off) from select hotels is possible with prior arrangements.
Typical itinerary:
(the following is a typical itinerary and deviations from it are possible when required by circumstances)
The day starts with a provided breakfast and a tour of a Kona Coffee farm + mill, after which you will visit a lava tube where you learn how lava tubes are formed. The next stop is at the famous Punalu’u black sand beach where you will look for sea turtles and take in the views before driving up to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Here you’ll hike an active volcano (note: Guests on this tour should not be physically challenged or unable to walk short distances of 0.5 to 1 mile on uneven terrain) and explore many of the impressive marks left on the landscape by the many recent eruptions.
Before the day is over you also visit a 1,000 acre tropical fruit farm and get to see the Rainbow Falls in Hilo from a private viewing deck.The tour ends either at your original departure point or with a drop-off at select hotels.
Hawaii Forest & Trail is a highly respected local tour company that has operated on the Big Island since 1993. They have gained access to private and restricted lands and are widely recognized as a tour company that has passionate and knowledgeable interpretative guides, all of which translates into consistent stellar reviews from their past guests.
Hawaii Forest & Trail is fully certified by the Sustainable Tourism Association of Hawai’i. This means that their tours are eco-friendly, culturally educational and operate as sustainable as possible.
Knowledgeable Staff
The HFT staff are picked to have strong academic backgrounds in biology, geology, Hawaiian culture and history, and extensive natural history field experience. It’s not enough for the guides to simply “know things”, they must also have a real passion for Hawaii’s natural world and enthusiasm for sharing it.
Giving back to the community
The vision of Hawaii Forest & Trail is to share the splendor of Hawai’i and inspire a deep connection with our natural world. They donate a small amount ($1 per guest) to a fund that makes donations to non-profit organizations whose mission and work aligns with at least one of the following criteria:
- benefits the conservation of Hawaii’s native ecosystems, species and landscapes.
- promulgates the understanding and practise of Hawaiian culture and the dissemination and understanding of Hawaii’s natural and cultural history.
- promotes and facilitates an appreciation and interaction with nature, especially programs that are youth oriented.
It is the intent of the fund to give preference to entities who are based or whose work is performed in the communities where they operate tours.
We are affiliate partners with Hawaii Forest and Trail meaning that we receive a percentage for each successful booking made through our website. This happens without any additional charge to you! (read more on the use of those links on our website here).
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