Hawaiʻi Island · Travel guide
The Big Island, done right
The youngest, largest, and wildest of the islands — an active volcano in a national park, manta rays under the lights off Kona, snow-capped Maunakea, and beaches in white, black, and green.
Fly into
Kona (KOA) or Hilo (ITO)
Getting around
Rent a car — sights are hours apart
Where to stay
Split Kona/Kohala and Hilo/Volcano
Ideal length
5–7 days to see both sides
Book these first
The experiences that define the island
These sell out first, and each one is the reason people fly here. Every guide compares the options side by side.
Manta Ray Night Snorkel
Float at the surface under the lights while reef mantas loop and barrel-roll beneath you. It’s the Big Island’s signature night out — here’s how to choose the boat.
Compare 5 tours
Volcano Tours
Kīlauea’s summit is about 4,000 feet up and a long drive from the Kona resorts. A guided tour handles the driving, the timing, and the park’s ever-changing list of closures.
Compare 7 tours
Maunakea Stargazing
Watch the sun set above the clouds beside some of the world’s largest telescopes, then stargaze through a telescope on the mountain astronomers chose for its skies.
Compare 6 tours
Captain Cook Snorkel
The most protected snorkeling on the Kona coast lies off the white obelisk of the Captain Cook Monument — and the easiest way to reach it is by boat.
Compare 7 tours
Big Island Luaus
Dinner, mai tais, hula, and a fire-knife finale at sunset — here’s how the island’s luaus actually differ, with honest ratings.
Compare 5 tours
Helicopter Tours
Kīlauea’s lava fields and the waterfall valleys of Kohala are easiest to see from the air. Where you take off decides what you’ll see.
Compare 6 toursTraveler favorites
The most-reviewed tours on the island
Ranked by Viator review count — the trips thousands of visitors have already vetted.
Know the island
One island, two very different coasts
Sunny, dry Kona and the resort coast on the west; green, rainy Hilo and the volcano on the east. Most trips should sleep on both sides.
Kona
The sunny, busy base for manta rays and boats
Good base
Kohala Coast
Resort coast with the island’s best white sand
Good base
South Kona
Coffee farms above the island’s best snorkeling
Good base
North Kohala
Old plantation towns at the end of the road
Waimea
Cool upcountry ranch country
Hamakua Coast
Waterfalls, gulches, and the Waipiʻo lookout
Hilo
Rainy, green, local — and closest to the volcano
Good base
Puna
Raw lava land and rain forest
Explore
Everything worth doing on the Big Island
Tours & Activities
Night snorkels with manta rays, volcano days, summit stargazing, snorkel sails, luaus, and helicopter flights — the bookings that define a Hawaiʻi trip.
ExploreBeaches
White-sand resort coves, young black-sand beaches, hike-in solitude, and the reefs worth bringing a mask for.
ExploreSights & Parks
National parks, sacred places, waterfalls, and valley lookouts — the sights to build your days around.
ExploreEat & Drink
Shave ice, malasadas, poke, loco moco, and Kona coffee at the farm — the island food worth planning a day around.
ExploreEditor’s picks
Places worth the drive
Swimming BeachesKohala Coast
Hāpuna Beach
Wide, soft, and watched by lifeguards, it's the easiest big-beach day on the Kohala Coast. Come early, when the water is calmest and the lot still has room.
Read moreSnorkel SpotsSouth Kona
Two Step (Hōnaunau Bay)
There's no sand and there are no facilities, yet this is some of the best shore snorkeling in Hawaiʻi. On a calm morning the visibility is remarkable.
Read more
National & State ParksVolcano
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
This is the island's essential day trip, with craters, lava flows, and rainforest all along one drive. Give it a full day, and check the USGS updates before you go, because a fountaining episode can be spectacular.
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Lookouts & Scenic PointsMauna Kea
Maunakea Summit & Visitor Information Station
Watch the sunset above the clouds, then take in a sky full of stars at the VIS. It's one of the island's great free experiences. Respect the mountain: stay on the roads and leave every rock where you found it.
Read moreLookouts & Scenic PointsHamakua Coast
Waipiʻo Valley Lookout
It may be the most dramatic view on the island, and it costs nothing but the drive. Take it in from the top. The valley floor is mostly private land and a living community.
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National & State ParksSouth Kona
Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park
It's the island's most moving cultural site, and the setting of palms, black lava, and turquoise water is as beautiful as it is sacred. Pair it with a snorkel at Two Step next door.
Read moreWhere to stay
Stays we’d book
Luxury resort Kohala Coast areaMauna Kea Beach Hotel
Beach purists who want the island's best resort beach
The hotel was built around the beach, and Kaunaʻoa is the best resort beach on the island. With more than 500 restored works from the Rockefeller art collection on the walls and a Manta Ray Moonlight Swim on the activity list, no other Kohala resort has this much history or soul.
Resort Kohala Coast areaHilton Waikoloa Village
Families with kids who want the resort itself to be the entertainment
For kids, this is a theme park in the best sense: a 175-foot waterslide, a protected lagoon and dolphins. It's huge and dated in places, so come for the fun, not the polish.
Boutique & lodge Kona areaPacific 19 Kona
Independent travelers who want style and walkability in Kona town
It's a smart, modern base in walkable Kona town, across the street from the Courtyard King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel and its Kamakahonu beach. The hotel is built for people who'll be out snorkeling by 8 a.m., not lounging by the pool all day.
Getting around
You’ll want a rental car.
Public transit is limited and the best sights are hours apart. Pick up at Kona (KOA) or Hilo (ITO) and compare every major company in one search.
Plan smarter
Big Island guides
Beaches · 5 min read
The Best Big Island Beaches (2026): White, Black & Green Sand
The Big Island beaches worth the drive — for swimming, snorkeling, black sand, and hike-in solitude — with 2026 fees, safety notes, and current closures.
Read the guide
Trip planning · 5 min read
Best Time to Visit the Big Island: Weather, Whales & Crowds
When to visit the Big Island for dry weather, humpback whales, calm beaches, and fewer crowds — plus the festival weeks and 2026 storm notes to plan around.
Read the guide
Trip planning · 5 min read
Big Island Itinerary: The Perfect 5 or 7 Days
A day-by-day Big Island itinerary that splits your nights between Kona, the volcano, and the Kohala Coast — with a 5-day version and the bookings to make first.
Read the guidePhoto: Cedric Letsch via Unsplash