Private Tour: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Eco Tour
Description
Explore the worlds most active volcano with one of our professional, award winning guides - get away from the big bus and van tours and get out into the field to visit areas that few visitors get to see while visiting Hawai'i island! No gift shops, no restaurants, no long drives around the island in a van to visit areas you can explore on your own. No gimmicks and no frills - all of our time is spent exploring the amazing active volcanoes of Hawai'i island! We offer only active, education based explorations that focus on topics such as Geology, native flora and fauna, and the amazing Hawaiian culture that still thrives on the volcano today. Our tours are family friendly, easy to book and leave our guests with a deepened understanding of the science and the culture of Kīlauea. See the best of the volcano with several moderate walks throughout the day. Our National Park tours allow guests the convenience of using their own vehicle as opposed to a large bus or van.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your private tour starts at the historic Volcano House hotel, located inside the National Park. Walk to the steam vents and sulphur banks to feel the heat of the volcano coming out of the ground. Walk thru the native rainforest to the devastation trail. Explore the Chain of Craters road to find volcanic landscapes of the past and rare rock formations.
Explore a 500 year old lava tube with detailed discussion on how lava tubes are formed and the features inside. Walk thru a old growth native forest to get to the tube!
Walk along the historic Halemaumau trail with one of our professional guides for excellent views of the summit caldrea! Along the way enjoy in-depth discussion on native plants, native birds, geology specific to Hawaii and the amazing Hawaiian culture that still thrives on the volcano today.
Explore the steam vents inside the National Park with one of our professional guides and feel the geothermal heat! Great photo opportunities!
Walk thru this unique area with one of our professional guides with in-depth discuss of geochemistry. And learn about the unique adaptations of native plants to resist the volcanic gases! This area is safe to explore due to low concentration of gas.
Hike the most popular trail in the National Park with a professional guide and discuss the 1959 eruption, which included the highest lava fountaining event in recorded history. This hike feels like walking on the moon!
Explore this unique area where the native rainforest was buried in volcanic debris in 1959. Find Peles tears, olivine crystals and other unique rock formations!
Explore the incredible Chain of Craters road with one of our professional guides! With stops like Lua Manu, discuss pit craters and their significance on Kilauea volcano.
The best location to see the active summit eruption when lava is visible! Get an up close look with your professional guides binoculars and/or spotting scopes.
If you prefer, take a quick stop at the Visitors Center for the chance to get some Hawaii Volcanoes National Park or a great local book on the volcano or Hawaiian culture. This is also where we pick up the Junior Ranger programs for our guests with younger children. Your guide will help your child complete the program and get an official Junior Ranger badge at the end of the tour!
Take a easy walk along the coastal areas of the volcano for a great photo of the Holei Sea Arch! Also, discuss native sea birds.
Check out this unique art gallery, and see the original Volcano House Hotel - the oldest hotel in the state!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- A minimum of 2 person per booking is required
- A maximum of 25 people per booking
- Flexible departure time means that after creating your booking, you will have to contact the local operator to inform them of your preferred departure time. At this time you may also discuss your preferred tour itinerary with them
- Summit eruption viewing dependent on current eruption conditions
Reviews(309)
Absolute must do when on the big island. Exploring Kilauea volcano with a guide makes the experience all the more rewarding. Our Guide John was exceptional and very knowledgeable. Highly recommend.
Jay is extremely knowledgeable about the Big Island. He gave us an extensive tutorial of Kīlauea and volcanoes. Knows Hawaiian culture and language. And kept us updated on the episode 50 eruption of Kīlauea, down to the length of the eruption. Highly recommend. Cannot express how wonderful a guide Jay is. If youre going to visit the volcano — make sure you go with Jay!
Michelle was marvelous. Very knowledgeable and interacted great wth the entire group. Was a pleasure spending time with her
Our guide John took us on a three hour tour down the forest to the lava rock area and back up again. We enjoyed seeing Kilauea volcano the day after eruption #50, and learn about volcanic activity in the area, some Hawaiian history and legends, some botanical facts and about the forest formation that happens years/decades after. The sights were nothing like we’ve ever seen and would be lovely memories for a lifetime. Thank you John for being that host who can read his audience and relate with his audience very well.
Our guide Jay Robinson was extremely knowledgeable about volcano science, the park itself, and Hawaiian history and culture. As a result we saw many things we never would have if we had just gone around the park on our own.
This 6 hour tour was the highlight of our 2 weeks trip to Polynesia. Chris our guide was a park ranger, an archeologist at the park, a teacher of Hawaiian culture, a family man with deep roots in Hawaii and the preservation of the ecosystem at the park. We listened, laughed, chanted and took in the full park from mauka to makai and all in between. Tremendous individual that my wife and I were lucky to have been allowed to share 6 hours at the park yesterday. One of best guides I have ever been associated with.
Such an amazing experience--on the verge of unbelievable. To take in the enormity, beauty and power of Nature in this one-of-a-kind setting was a privilege. Our guide, John, had so much to share. He is a master interpreter and was just an all-around nice guy to spend time with. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us, John!
Our private tour of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park with Jay was nothing short of amazing. His extensive experience as a retired park ranger was evident in the depth of knowledge he shared about Kīlauea’s geology, native flora and fauna, Hawaiian culture, and the remarkable bird communities surrounding the volcano. Beyond his expertise, Jay was extraordinarily kind, thoughtful, and generous in spirit. He shared his knowledge with genuine enthusiasm and made every part of the experience feel personal, engaging, and meaningful. His warmth and attentiveness allowed us to fully appreciate the beauty, history, and sacredness of the park. Our day at the park was truly unforgettable, and Jay made it even more special. We cannot recommend him and Kīlauea EcoGuides highly enough. Mahalo, Jay, for an incredible experience that my husband and I will treasure for years to come!
Great guide wish we had more time did not get to complete everything very informative guide with explanations
We absolutely loved our volcano and eco tour with Chris. He was so knowledgable. We learned so much! The volcano was very active the day of our tour but unfortunately missed the eruption by one day. Walking across the old lava fields was an incredible experience too, unlike anything we had ever done before. Absolutely loved all of it!
