All Reviews for Kilauea Volcano, Big Island

Most of the tour was a long bus ride. The scenery was quite lovely, but we didn’t stop very much. The lighthouse was so far away that it was not easy to get a truly good photo. The movie site portion was showing us videos on the bus but hardly seeing the actual sights. Saw Princeville from the bus. Chocolate factory was, in my opinion, a waste of time. Hanalei was a cute town, but once lunch was done, it was just another shopping center.
Sorry.

We really enjoyed this tour. Our guide Marc Hughes was really a great guide. He explained so much history of the Hawaiian people and ancestors. Marc is an avid diver and knows the marine life around Hawaii. He can explain a lot about the marine life. He knows the Hawaiian words for so many things. Marc knows a tremendous amount of history. We enjoyed trying great Kona coffee, Volcano national park, black sand beach where Turtles come up, the valley of the kings and so many other sights.

Had an absolutely wonderful time was a little apprehensive about whether or not to do this tour. It is a long tour all day however I wouldn’t change a thing. It absolutely was awesome didn’t even feel like it was 13 hours and it was learned more about the island and the history of the big island that I could possibly have learned anywhere else in a day.

Our driver, Felix was extremely informed patient and of course, a very good driver. To be honest, the driver makes the trip extremely value added. Our driver, Felix takes personal pride and knowing an enormous amount of history and details to be able to not only deliver a good tour guide informational delivery while you’re driving, but is able to answer most questions and yes, even when some of the other clients did some fact checking Felix was spot on on everything that he told us.

This tour is long, but I don’t know of another way that you can actually see so much and learn so much. We went to a coffee farm pastry shop several waterfalls Lookout point a black sand beach so sea turtles saw multiple other wildlife goats, hogs, chickens, ferrets, and the recommendations on things to do places to eat trails to hike. We very much so appreciated.

I would highly recommend this to her to anyone the greatest part about it if you’re writing and not driving, you actually get to see all the beauty that you’re passing up as you drive when you drive you missing an awful lot so let Felix do the driving

Meixai was very fun & knowledgeable.
Bummed we missed the eruption by just over a day, but that's nature.
Saw many craters & went in a Lava tube.
Again nature thwarted us for the stargazing as the moon was too bright.

After researching several options, we chose the Ultimate Hawaii Circle Island Sightseeing tour from Veltra for our mid-April 2026 trip, and it did not disappoint. Our guide, Marcus, was total pro, wWith 15 years of experience, his knowledge and storytelling made the 10-hour journey fly by.

The Highlights:

1) Coffee Farm: Stunning views and a great tasting session in the gift shop.

2) Punaluu Black Sand Beach: We were lucky enough to see sea turtles basking on the sand!

3) Volcanoes National Park: Seeing the steam vents and the scale of the active volcano was easily the highlight of the day.

4) Rainbow Falls: The best panoramic view is actually from the side of the park; the hike to the top isn't strictly necessary for the best photos.

5) Waipio Valley Lookout: Absolutely breathtaking photo opportunities.

The logistics were seamless with a prompt pickup at 7:20 am from the Fairmont Orchid. While it is a long day covering 2/3 of the island, Marcus kept us entertained throughout. Lunch, dinner, snacks, and water were all provided, making for a stress-free experience. Highly recommended!

Wow just wow, Shane was our pilot and boy he had a lot of knowledge of the island and for him to give a good answer to everyone's questions was exceptional. The ride was smooth, we felt safe and it was longer than I expected. The views are amazing and beautiful. My grandkids and I truly loved this experience. Shane even let Liam shut the helicopter down once we landed.

Terrific experience! Derek was a wonderful guide! Knowledgeable, friendly, and professional! Gave a preview of events, a timeline, and kept to the schedule.
The tour took us to places we probably wouldn't have gone to on our own. We saw turtles on the beautiful black sand beach, enjoyed a walk around the coffee farm with delicious samples. Spent time at Rainbow Falls. Enjoyed cookies at a local bakery. Plenty of opportunities along the way to pickup meaningful, local souvenirs.
But my favorite stops were in Volcano National Park. The caldera was amazing. No spouting lava but lots of smoking vents. The steam vents were amazing as well. Lunch at the cafe was well organized and tasty. The view from the restaurant was great. Beautiful vistas along the route. What more could you ask for???

We had an awesome experience with Blue Hawaiian. We weren't able to experience the complete experience because of poor weather over Volcano National Park but Blue Hawaiian did an excellent job of working with us to create an alternative tour for us. Dale was great as our pilot and tour guide.

Unfortunately, the weather on the day was not great, and we couldn't do the planned flight over the volcano, which was disappointing. However, the alternative suggested was a landing plan at the waterfall. When I signed up, I thought it was a bit pricey, so I didn't include the waterfall landing, but adding that option turned out to be a great decision!

The view of the waterfall from above and the experience of landing right next to it are completely different in terms of impact. Walking through the tropical rainforest after descending was refreshing, and it was fascinating to see various fruits along the way. Since we could land in places that only a helicopter can reach, I highly recommend the waterfall landing!

We had the helicopter to ourselves as there were five of us in the family. The seating arrangement is determined by weight, so those who got to sit in the front row or on the ends were lucky.

当日はあいにくのお天気で予定していた火山上空へのフライトは出来ず残念でしたが、代わりに提案いただいたのが滝の着陸プラン。
申し込んだときはちょっとお高いので滝への着陸はつけていなかったのですが、オプション付けて大正解！！
上から見たと滝と着陸して間近に見る滝とでは迫力が全然違うし、滝を降りての熱帯雨林のお散歩は気持ちよく、様々なフルーツも見れてとても興味深かったです。ヘリじゃなくちゃいけないところに着陸できるので、滝の着陸、おススメ！！
家族5人で乗ったので貸しきりでした。
体重などによって乗る場所が決まるので、最前列や両端に載れた人はラッキー。

The tour was super well organized, with a guide who shared interesting insights along the way!

Loved this tour - our tour guide was very accommodating and knowledgeable and we saw some beautiful spots of the island. Definitely recommend this trip as you get to see a lot in one day. My favourite places were the black sand beach with the sea turtles and the Volcanoes National Park (but to be honest, I loved all the sites).

Loved this tour! We saw so much of the Big Island in a single day. And the guide shared really interesting facts along the way.

A fantastic way to see the islands highlights in one day like the Volcanoes National Park, Waipio Valley (our favorite), black sand beaches, and gorgeous waterfalls.

The tour guide was super knowledgeable and kept a smooth pace, making it easy to enjoy every stop. Highly recommend for a comprehensive island experience.

Such a great day - from the black sand beach to the Waipio Valley lookout and multiple waterfalls, of course with visiting Volcanoes National Park as the standout!!

Saw everything from volcanos to waterfalls and both sides of the island

The good: Black Sand Beach and Volcanoes National Park are as good as they can be. Halema'uma'u Crater is amazing.

The average: The Coffee Farm we visited is a small one. We saw the coffee plants, but didn't see much about how the coffee is produced as the machines are taken apart and stored. Food is ok-ish, lunch is fast-food bento, dinner is at a small restaurant.

The unfortunate: We didn't see any star due to the cloudy weather. If you want to do stargazing, join a stargazing group as they will have better planning and equipment.

So many gorgeous stops along this tour, and the guides are so funny and make a long day seem like a breeze.

My wife was initially scared to board, but it wasn't too bumpy, and while receiving explanations in Japanese, we were able to see various mountains, volcanic craters, and waterfalls from the helicopter, which was moving. The price was a bit high, but we created wonderful memories that were worth it.

家内は最初乗車するのが怖がっていましたが、
たいして揺れることもなく、日本語での説明をしてもらいながら
色々な山や火口付近・滝などをヘリコプターから見られて
感動しました。
お値段はちょっと高額ですが、それ以上に良い思い出が出来ました。

We were really lucky with our tour because Kilauea started erupting in the morning of our tour day and we had a helicopter tour at 9:00 AM. We were able to see unbelievable sights from the helicopter as we were flying over the caldera.

The downside of it was that everyone else also knew about the eruption and wanted to get to the volcano park so we were stuck in the traffic for hours with others queuing to get into the park. This affected slightly the schedule of our tour, but we still managed to see the main things, and as I had visited the park before, it didn't matter so much to me. The thing I hoped and expected from the tour most was seeing lava spouting up in the air, and that came true!

Just as a reminder, you don't always get to see lava flowing, but the sights overall are still amazing and definitely worth the trip.

Participating as a family of four was truly a courageous choice, especially considering the impact of the exchange rate, but I'm so glad we decided to go for it! It was my first time on a helicopter, and thanks to the thoughtful care of the staff and pilot, I was able to enjoy it without any worries. I wanted to see the Kilauea volcano erupting magma, and I was able to capture that on video to show my elderly mother who was waiting back in Japan. Additionally, we chose a tour that included a stop at a waterfall, and that turned out to be a fantastic decision! It allowed us to truly experience the lush nature of the Big Island. The view of the mountains and valleys from the sea, the green landscape, the blue coral reef waters, and the brown-black of the volcano and lava were all so vibrant and unforgettable. Plus, we were greeted by a cute dog! I wholeheartedly recommend this tour.

為替レートの影響もあり、家族4人で参加するのは本当に勇気がいる選択でしたが、思い切って参加してよかったです！人生初のヘリコプターも、スタッフとパイロットの細やかな心遣いで心配せず、心から楽しむことができました。キラウェア火山がマグマを噴き上げている様子を見たくて参加したのですが、その動画も撮って、日本で待っていた年老いた母にも見せることができました。また、せっかくならば･･･と滝に寄るツアーにしたのですが、これが大正解！自然豊かなハワイ島を感じる内容となりました。海から見る山や谷の緑とサンゴ礁の海の青、火山や溶岩の茶黒。カラフルで自然の姿をしっかりと目に焼き付けることができました。そして、アイドル犬が出迎えてくれます。とってもキュートですよ。心からお薦めのツアーです。

Highlights included walking through Volcanoes National Park, seeing steam vents and lava fields up close, the stunning black sand beach at Punaluʻu, and panoramic views over Waipiʻo Valley.

It’s a long day, but absolutely packed with jaw-dropping sights and well-paced stops.

We enjoyed a great day learning and exploring the Volcanos, Craters, Lava Tubes. The bus was clean and on time, the tour guide (Torrie) was really good and informative. The lunch was really good as was the dinner. Overall it was a great experience. I would definitively recommend this company and tour.

I splurged on a helicopter ride, thinking I might never come back to the Big Island again. I was moved by the breathtaking scenery that can only be seen from a helicopter, such as valleys, cliffs, and the traces of flowing lava. It was also great that I could ask questions and talk with the pilot through the microphone.

もう2度とハワイ島まで来られないだろうと、奮発して搭乗しました。
普通では見られない渓谷や岸壁、溶岩が流れた跡など、ヘリコプターならではの風景に感動しました。パイロットさんとマイクを通して質問したりお話し出来たのも良かったです。

Shawn is super polite and well educated in many topics regarding the lava, plant life, history and sites on the islands. He was particularly helpful in suggesting to us to change the itinerary so we could see the active eruption and we are so happy he made the suggestion. 100% well worth the private tour. We changed things up and kinda called audibles throughout the day and Shawn was all about it. We had a great dinner and the day was a total success. Thank you.

This tour was mind blowing especially because of tour guide Felix! He showed us all the best spots and gave so much interesting history and facts without making you want to fall asleep LOL. First time in Hawaii and I’m so grateful to have been on this excursion! Amazing food, views and so much more. Thank you wasabi tours and even bigger thank you to Felix!! ❤️❤️

I experienced it on May 7, 2025.
1. I was very satisfied with the location, the pilot, and the staff. I highly recommend it. 100 points.

2. Since my seat was on the left side, all the highlights were on the right side of the journey. The aircraft blocked my view, and I couldn't take the photos I wanted, which was disappointing. I requested the pilot to make a turn, but it was only accommodated once. Minus 40 points.

2025年5月7日体験しました。
1、体感は、ロケーション、パイロット、スタッフのみなさんには大満足でした。
おすすめです。100点

2、席が左サイドだった為、見所は全行程右サイドで、隣りの人越し、機体が邪魔になり、せっかくのロケーションが写真も思うように撮れず、心が折れましたよ
パイロットに旋回をリクエストしたがその1回切りの対応でした。
マイナス40点。

Kilauea was just amazing, I could go every day if it was possible!

The guide was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. It was a fulfilling day. It was really good. However, all the participants were Americans, and perhaps because they all had knowledge about Hawaii, the topics discussed were quite difficult. Things like how to buy land and rumors about Captain Cook. If you have prior knowledge and are fluent in English, it would be very enjoyable, but if your level is just average, you might feel a bit left out.

ガイドさんがとても熱心ないい方で、知識も豊富。充実感のある一日でした。とても良かったです。ただ参加者はアメリカ人の方ばかりで、またハワイに着いても知識がある方ばかりだったからか、話の内容がなかなか難しいものでした。土地の買い方やキャプテンクックの噂話など。事前知識があったり、おそらく英語がペラペラだととっても楽しいかと、ただそれなりレベルだとポツン悲しい思いをしてしまうかも。