Page 38) Things to Do in Big Island in 2026 – Tours & Activities

Kailua-Kona Sunset Cocktail with Free Drinks - Honi Olani Catamaran

Pricey But Enjoyable Cruise

For what it is, the cruise seemed pricey to us. You board the boat and then sail along the coast for about 45 minutes before heading back in. We were relieved to find that though our cruise was scheduled to end at 6:30, we stayed out on the water long enough to watch the actual sunset—the whole point of the cruise for us!

The crew is small but nice. We were a bit dismayed to arrive and see a large number of young children booked on the same cruise. Maybe it's just us, but who drags infants and toddlers onto a sunset cocktail cruise?!? Predictably, a number of the children wound up getting sick (gee, who didn't see that coming?), and many puke buckets were passed out. While I can't fault the company for that, I wish they would limit the sunset cocktail cruises to adults only (or at least offer it on a number of nights). There are plenty of other boats that parents can drag their children onto in Hawaii. And if you can afford to bring your kids to Hawaii on vacation, you can afford a sitter for a few hours while the adults go have fun. (Note to the crew: Unless every passenger on the boat is puking their guts out, don't suggest heading back early just because some parent decided to introduce their 2 year old to sailing on the open ocean and the kid got sick. I'm sorry the kid is sick, but I paid for a 1.5 hour cruise and I expect to get what I paid for.)

The snack offering was decent; cocktail options were more limited and (of course) watered down, but I think that's expected on something like this.

All in all, we enjoyed ourselves but overall felt it was overpriced and saw many areas for improvement.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Sunset Cocktail Cruise
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/04/12
Activity Date:	2022/03/27

Kona Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour - Small-Group Adventure from Keauhou Bay

Amazing, unique experience.

Reviewed by: Sesame family

The Manta Discovery tour was overall, super cool and a definite must-do if you’re planning to visit Hawaii’s big island. Depending on the day, the number of mantas will differ, so don’t expect to see ten of them when you go. If there are rays around, they will do flips and aren’t afraid to swim right up to you, which is an AMAZING experience. The mantas are really friendly, and make the activity almost magical. The crews are very informative and friendly.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Night Manta Discovery Adventure
Attended as:	Families with Young Children
Posted on:	2022/04/11
Activity Date:	2022/04/09

Evening Volcano Tour from Hilo - Kalapana Village, Black Sand Beach & Dinner

Could have spent a few days here!

Reviewed by: Robin

This was a great tour - really educational and fun. Be prepared for rain, you are in the rainforest and it rains a lot. Our guide cam prepared with umbrellas and rain jackets, which was really appreciated.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Evening Volcano Explorer
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/04/10
Activity Date:	2022/04/07

Hawaii Zipline Tours - Big Island Waterfall & Rainforest Zip Adventure

The last 2 lines are great!

Reviewed by: Robin

This was a fun experience. If you zipped before, you may find the first few lines not very exciting - they're shorter and mostly traveling over farm field without much in the way of scenery. But....the last 2 lines are really great and offer some fabulous views! The staff is also really great!

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Zipline Tour (7-Line Course)
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/04/10
Activity Date:	2022/04/08

Deluxe Captain Cook Snorkeling Tour at Kealakekua Bay - Fair Wind Cruises

Fun Time in a Historic Setting

Reviewed by: Okiman60

The Fairwind crew is very professional, for they stress safety and they are helpful. In addition, the captain highlighted dolphin sightings and the historical information regarding ancient Hawaiian culture. He also gave facts about the Captain Cook Memorial.

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Rating:
Packages:	Afternoon Kealakekua Snorkel Tour [3.5 hours]
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/04/09
Activity Date:	2022/04/07

Hawaii Manta Ray Sunset & Night Time Snorkel Experience from Kona - Iruka

Amazing experience

Reviewed by: Eric

We booked our tour not knowing quite what to expect. We were absolutely blown away. The staff was knowledgeable, professional, and hilarious. I was new to snorkeling and nervous (i had approximately 1 hour practice messing around on a local beach) but i immediately knew i was in good hands with the crew and there was always a crew member close enough so i could relax. Words cannot explain seeing these amazing creature swim inches from you. The rays were super active the night we went and put on quite a show. I think the topper for me was a few days after our tour we saw a crew member at a local farmers market and he remembered us and came up and spoke to us about our experience. I absolutely recommend doing this because we will do it again next trip.

Reply from activity provider

Aloha Eric!

We love to hear all the positive feedback about our captain and crew! Mahalo for joining us and we hope to see you again soon, we offer a 20% discount for repeating customers.

Best,
Team Iruka Hawaii

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Manta Ray Night Snorkel with Sunset Cruise
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/04/09
Activity Date:	2022/03/18

Kona 2-Stop Snorkel Tour & Premium Ocean Raft Dolphin Watch Safari with Lunch

Fun in the sun!

Reviewed by: June

We had a great time swimming with the dolphins. Wish we had not gotten sea sick and enjoyed the trip more but we did have fun!

Reply from activity provider

Aloha June! We are so happy that you enjoyed our Kona dolphin watch tour. Thank you so much for joining us. We hope to see you again soon. Mahalo!

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Snorkel Cruise & Dolphin Watch Experience
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/04/09
Activity Date:	2021/05/16

Oceanfront Royal Kona Resort Luau Voyagers of the Pacific Show - Dinner, Drinks & Fire Knife Dance

Fantastic Experience

Reviewed by: Selina

Had a fabulous experience at the Luau with my family. It was the first luau experience for my daughter and she enjoyed it. Thank you.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Royal Kona Resort - Standard Luau Package
Attended as:	Families with Young Children
Posted on:	2022/04/07
Activity Date:	2022/03/29

Twilight Volcano Tour with Stargazing, Black Sand Beach & Coffee Farm

Awesome!

Reviewed by: Oscareen

This trip was awesome! Beautiful scenery and lots of information from Dreu.
Dreu is a man of many hats, he’s hilarious and you have to hear it to believe the incredible lungs he has! (Have to join his tour to know what that means )

Many stops we made, random people would join us just to listen to Dreu. And they would remark how funny he is.

We had a coffee farm tour, saw many highlights of volcanoes National park, and did stargazing! It was amazing!

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Standard Tour
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/04/07
Activity Date:	2022/03/30

Paradise Helicopters - Volcano, Lava & Waterfalls Flight from Hilo

Great lava views!

Reviewed by: Oscareen

There was some AC issue that needed fixing, and caused a 2hr delay. However, the views from the helicopter were amazing! We were able to see a bunch of waterfalls, a natural arch, and of course… LAVA!
It was a great experience, and we’ll always remember the memories!

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	60-min Flight
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/04/07
Activity Date:	2022/03/31

Kona Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour - Small-Group Adventure from Keauhou Bay

Big Bertha!

Reviewed by: Oscareen

Better than expected! We saw Big Bertha, and 4 other Rays. They were putting on such a show for us, barrel rolling and feeding right in our faces. Was an incredible and unforgettable experience.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Night Manta Discovery Adventure
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/04/07
Activity Date:	2022/03/29

Kona Kayaking & Snorkeling Sea Cave Adventure at Keauhou Bay - Ocean Safari's

Great experience

Reviewed by: Oscareen

That was a workout making our way back after the wind picked up, but it made it more exciting and fun.
Lava cave was great! Skipped Cliff jumping, but looked pretty awesome!
Very relaxing just floating while having a drink and some snacks.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Standard Package
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/04/07
Activity Date:	2022/03/28

Hawaii Horseback Riding Tour with Waterfall Swim at Umauma Falls

Waterfall swim!

Reviewed by: Oscareen

This was great! Well trained horses, beautiful scenery, and a swim in the waterfall!
Was very relaxing, and enjoyed seeing the pineapples, bananas and mangoes growing along the trail.
Great memories, thanks Jamie and Julie.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	9:00 AM Morning Ride
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/04/07
Activity Date:	2022/03/26

Hawaii Loa Kohala Luau & Dinner Show with Open Bar at Fairmont Orchid Waikoloa

Great experience!

Reviewed by: Oscareen

The food was great, the dancers were good and very entertaining.
Bar tender was very friendly.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Standard Luau Package
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/04/07
Activity Date:	2022/03/26

Sea Quest Kealakekua Bay Snorkel Tour & Rafting Sea Cave Expedition

So many beautiful creatures

Reviewed by: Robin

This was a great snorkel adventure. We made 3 stops and saw tons of beautiful coral and underwater creatures. It was a long half-day, but it went by so quickly. Would definitely do this again.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	5-hour South Kona Expedition with Lunch (3 Snorkel Stops)
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/04/06
Activity Date:	2022/04/02

Kohala Valleys & Waterfalls Helicopter Tour with Landing Upgrade [Not Operating]

Fantastic experience

Reviewed by: Robin

Our pilot was fantastic and knowledgeable - he literally seemed to know the answered to every question we had and he did this all while flying with impeccable grace. Love!

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Standard Package
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/04/06
Activity Date:	2022/04/03

Luxury Private Boat Charters from Kona - Daytime & Sunset Cruises aboard No Wiki

Great Crew

Reviewed by: Robin

We had so much fun hanging out on board with the captain and his first mate. Interesting people with interesting stories. Great service and a beautiful boat!

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Private Charter: Sunset Sail Cruise
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/04/06
Activity Date:	2022/04/04

Twilight Volcano Tour with Stargazing, Black Sand Beach & Coffee Farm

Bucket List Tour

Reviewed by: Kecia

Best day ever! I've always wanted to go to a coffee farm and it was a delicious way to start the day. Driving around the island, stopping at the black sand beach and the bakery was super fun. By far the best part though was seeing the volcano at night and the stars. Highly recommend this trip. Our driver/guide was very knowledgeable and made a long day super fun.

Coffee Farm
Best Sweetbread!
Black Sand Beach
Volcano at night

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Twilight Volcano & Stargazing Tour
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/04/06
Activity Date:	2021/10/19

Guided Waipio Valley Horseback Riding & Waterfall Tour [Closed]

Relaxing Adventure

Reviewed by: Forrest Family

The tour was very nice and relaxing. Listening to the wind and the ocean views was wonderful. The guides were very helpful and told us about the land here and there while we rode. Over all experience was delightful.

Reply from activity provider

Thank you! We are so happy you enjoyed the tour!

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Morning Ride
Attended as:	Families with Young Children
Posted on:	2022/04/06
Activity Date:	2022/04/04

Kona Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour - Small-Group Adventure from Keauhou Bay

Absolutely amazing!

Reviewed by: Keller Family

Would you like to make amazing memories in Kona? Our family had such an unforgettable experience with Dolphin Discoveries swimming with several enormous manta rays! Wow! Just wow! We planned our trip to Kona because we wanted to experience snorkeling with Manta Rays, so we had high expectations and hopes! We selected Dolphin Discoveries from reviews online and because it was the best deal around. All of the companies were in the same location - but we really enjoyed the experience with Shelly and crew! Eagerly attentive to all of the guests, they made sure everyone was getting the most out of their experience! In true Aloha fashion, they even helped out another company nearby while we were on the water! Book with Dolphin Discoveries and you will be so glad you did!!

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Night Manta Discovery Adventure
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/04/06
Activity Date:	2022/04/03

Deluxe Volcanoes National Park Experience, Black Sand Beach & Restaurant Dinner

Volcano Experience

Reviewed by: Donna McCurdy-Wolke

It is a long day but that is due to the distance of volcano from hotel. PJ was a great host and VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE. Loved the volcano area. Something I have never experienced!

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Deluxe Volcano Tour
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/04/04
Activity Date:	2022/04/01

Kona Sunset Dinner Cruise to Kealakekua Bay with Live Entertainment | Body Glove

This is the best excursion

Reviewed by: Kathy

We travel to Kona every other year. We discovered the dinner cruise the last time we went and loved it so we definitely booked it again last week. This year was even better. The crew were ready to help anyone needing help. We were waited on and spoiled. The food was tasty. The historian did a great job as did the music entertainment. We took the cruise at the end of March which should have been too late to view a whale. One popped up right beside the boat. The captain steered the boat to try to follow the whale so we could get another view. It started raining later and once again the captain did what he could to take us out away from the rain. We will definitely do this the next time we return to Hawaii.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Dinner Cruise
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/04/03
Activity Date:	2022/03/31

Ocean Encounters Manta Ray Snorkel Tour - Sunset & Moonlight Cruise from Kona

One of the coolest things we have ever done!

Reviewed by: Michele

Such an awesome experience! We were surrounded by Manta Rays! So very cool, and the crew were helpful, very good at their jobs! Would love to do it again if we are ever back in Kona.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Standard Package: Sunset Manta Snorkel
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/04/03
Activity Date:	2022/03/09

4.5-Hour Deluxe Kona Snorkel Tour & Dolphin Watch with Lunch - Body Glove Cruise

Beautiful cruise

Reviewed by: rvaldovinos

The staff is wonderful and provide top notch service. Unfortunately, the day we went out we saw no dolphins.

Reply from activity provider

Aloha,

Mahalo for taking the time to leave such a kind review.
We agree that it's unfortunate that you did not see dolphins; we sure wish you did!
Thank you for joining us! We hope you can join us again in the future.

Best wishes,

Margie Park
Sales & Marketing Manager
Body Glove Cruises

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Deluxe Snorkel & Dolphin Watch Cruise
Attended as:	Friends
Posted on:	2022/04/02
Activity Date:	2021/06/08

Kona Sunset Dinner Cruise to Kealakekua Bay with Live Entertainment | Body Glove

Amazing cruise!

Reviewed by: Winnie

We had such a good time on this dinner cruise. The food was good, the DJ and our tour guide was excellent. We ate, danced and enjoying the beautiful views from the ocean of the Big Island. The sunset view is a most see!!

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Dinner Cruise
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/04/01
Activity Date:	2022/03/17

Elite Volcano Hiking Tour - Explore Kilauea’s Most Recent Eruption & Lava Flows

Awesome Day

Reviewed by: Mitchell Goff

Marcus was the best tour guide I’ve ever had. I usually don’t like this sort of activity, but he was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We all learned a lot about the forests and volcanoes of Hawaii and had a lot of laughs on the way. He modified appropriately between kids and adults. He was even training someone else and he still made everyone feel like a priority. There was a mixup with the food and he went way out of his way to make it right. I was very impressed. My whole family had a really great day.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Elite Volcano Hike from Kohala / Waikoloa Hotels
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/04/01
Activity Date:	2022/03/30

Deluxe Volcano Unveiled Tour and Golden Lava Cave Expedition [Not Available]

Great trip but a long trip!

Reviewed by: Karen

A great day trip but a long day. I would recommend that this trip is done ex Hilo as opposed to ex Kona. The lava tube was excellent and exciting to get close to a live volcano. We had a great glow going on the evening we were there. Tour guide was informative and knowledgeable.

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Rating:
Packages:	Twilight Standard Package with Night Lava Viewing [Temporarily Not Available]
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/03/31
Activity Date:	2022/03/29

Sea Quest Kealakekua Bay Snorkel Tour & Rafting Sea Cave Expedition

A 3 hour tour.

Reviewed by: Shelly

The crew was great, helpful and fun. The little bit of history was enjoyable. We loved seeing the different marine life. The water wasn't too cold either. Our ride back was fantastic, Thanks Loren 1, 2 and Alex.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	3-hour Captain Cook Cruise (1 Snorkel Stop)
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/03/30
Activity Date:	2022/03/28

Big Island Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour Adventure on a Hawaiian Sailing Canoe

Within inches of manta rays!

Reviewed by: Nancy

Pros: You will get as close as possible to many Manta rays, completely safe, even for kids, very informative guides.

Cons: They don't yet have an option to buy underwater photos or GoPro video of your experience, so bring your own.

Overall a great experience, highly recommend!

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Standard Package
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/03/28
Activity Date:	2022/03/24

Deluxe Volcanoes National Park Experience, Black Sand Beach & Restaurant Dinner

Big Trip

Reviewed by: Mike

Bryce our guide is who made the trip extra special. Great and intelligent conversations. Very informative, and it didn’t hurt that the volcano was fantastic.
For sure your tour will be recommended to anyone that asks!
Good job.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Deluxe Volcano Tour
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/03/28
Activity Date:	2022/03/26

Things to Do in Big Island in 2026 – Tours & Activities | HawaiiActivities.com

All Reviews for Kids Friendly: Browse by Age in Big Island

Overall Rating

Reviews

Pricey But Enjoyable Cruise

Amazing, unique experience.

Could have spent a few days here!

The last 2 lines are great!

Fun Time in a Historic Setting

Amazing experience

Fun in the sun!

Fantastic Experience

Awesome!

Great lava views!

Big Bertha!

Great experience

Waterfall swim!

Great experience!

So many beautiful creatures

Fantastic experience

Great Crew

Bucket List Tour

Relaxing Adventure

Absolutely amazing!

Volcano Experience

This is the best excursion

One of the coolest things we have ever done!

Beautiful cruise

Amazing cruise!

Awesome Day

Great trip but a long trip!

A 3 hour tour.

Within inches of manta rays!

Big Trip

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