Discover the Secrets of Volcanoes National Park

5.0 (2 reviews) Big Island of Hawaii, USA
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Duration2h
Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before
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TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted
LanguagesEnglish
Group sizeUp to 11 travelers

Overview

New for 2026—Become a Lava Detective with Big Island VIP! Give us just two hours, and you’ll never look at Hawaiʻi’s volcanic landscape the same way again. This immersive experience goes beyond simply seeing Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park—we’ll teach you how to read the landscape. Begin with an approximately one-mile hike from the edge of a dramatic pit crater through native Hawaiian rainforest to a lava tube. You will different lava formations, explain how and when they were created, and reveal fascinating features most visitors would drive or walk right past. You’ll also discover how volcanoes created the Hawaiian Islands and shaped their wildlife, ecosystems, and culture. We can’t show you the entire National Park in only two hours—but we can change the way you see it. After exploring with Big Island VIP, the craters, and volcanic formations you encounter throughout the Big Island will begin to make sense. Don’t just visit a volcano—learn how to read one.

What's included

  • Private transportation
  • Bottled water
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Entrance to the National Park is $30/per car, it is good for 7 days.

What to expect

  1. Kilauea Iki Trail
    10m
    We are meeting at the Kilauea Iki Trailhead and will only hike half a mile on the trail to the lava tube. The total hike is just over one mile.

    Name Meaning: Kīlauea Iki means “little Kīlauea” in Hawaiian — it’s a smaller crater right next to the main Kīlauea summit caldera.

    Size: The crater is about a mile long, 3,000 feet wide, and the floor lies ~400 feet below the rim — big enough to house an entire lava lake!

    The Legendary 1959 Eruption

    Spectacular Lava Fountains: In 1959, Kīlauea Iki became one of the most dramatic eruptive sites of the 20th century, with lava fountains shooting up to 1,900 feet (580 m) into the sky.

    Lava Lake Formation: Over several weeks of eruptions, molten lava filled the crater to form a deep lake — about 400 feet thick — one of the most studied lava lakes in history.
  2. Nahuku - Lava Tube
    30m
    We walk along the edge of Kilauea Iki Crater to a 500-year-old lava tube in a temperate rainforest.

    It’s a real lava tunnel formed when molten lava once flowed beneath the surface during a volcanic eruption. Once the liquid lava drained away, it left behind a hollow tube you can walk through.

    The lava that carved out Nāhuku was over 2,000 °F (1,093 °C) while it flowed — crazy hot!
    ️
    This lava tube is about 500 years old, geologically quite recent.

    The tunnel you walk through is roughly 600 feet long and in some places the ceiling soars 20 feet high or more.

    Rainforest Entrance

    The trail to get into the tube winds through a lush native rainforest, alive with native birdsong and big ferns.

    You’re literally going from jungle into the heart of what used to be a river of fire!
  3. Luamanu Crater
    Pass by
    A July 1974 eruption partially filled in this crater as it oozed from vents nearby.
  4. Puhimau Crater
    Pass by
    This area has a crater, but the most unusual feature of this area is the large thermal area that has killed trees and grass. The thermal area started around 1939, and it continues to slowly engulf the forest around it. We will have to wait and see what the future hold.
  5. Mauna Ulu
    Pass by
    Mauna Ulu means “growing mountain” in Hawaiian — and the name is literal. It formed as a brand-new volcanic shield during a long-lasting eruption on Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone.

    It isn’t a single cone, but a broad lava shield, built layer by layer as lava repeatedly spilled out and spread gently across the land.

    A Historic Long-Lasting Eruption
    Eruption dates: 1969–1974 — nearly five years, making it one of the longest eruptions of Kīlauea in modern history.

    Over that time, Mauna Ulu erupted almost continuously, fundamentally reshaping the landscape along Chain of Craters Road.
  6. Pauahi Crater
    15m
    Pauahi comes from the Hawaiian words “pau” (finished/done) and “ahi” (fire), meaning “destroyed by fire” — a fitting name for a crater shaped by volcanic fire.

    It’s a large volcanic pit crater — a deep, steep-sided depression formed mostly by the collapse of the surface as magma moves underground, rather than by explosive bombardment.

    Pauahi is quite big: roughly 1,600–2,000 feet (about 500–610 m) long, up to about 300–500 feet (90–150 m) deep, and about 300 feet (90 m) wide.

    Eruptive History

    Pauahi has had multiple volcanic events in recent (geologic) history, making it more than just a static hole in the ground:

    May 1973: A fissure opened and erupted briefly on the crater floor.

    November 1973: A longer eruption (about 31 days) created lava flows and dramatic features on the crater floor.

    November 1979: The most recent eruption was brief (one day) and left the lava surface you see today.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

Kilauea Iki Trailhead in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Once you pass the Ranger Stations at the entrance, head towards the signs that say lava tube.

End point

Kilauea Iki Trailhead in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Once you pass the Ranger Stations at the entrance, head towards the signs that say lava tube.

Additional information

  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Reviews

5.0 (2)
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