Volcanoes National Park & Night Lava Viewing reviews, Big Island tours & activities, fun things to do in Big Island | HawaiiActivities.com

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Volcanoes National Park & Night Lava Viewing

Overall Rating

4.63 4.63 / 5

Reviews

35 reviews
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Awesome experience!!

Reviewed by: Jacqueline Perez, 2017/07/17

We had a wonderful time!! Kim was so informative and knowledgeable! The Hawaii National Park was amazing & beautiful and everything was provided for us and comfortable! I would highly recommend this experience to anyone.

  • With hot smoldering lava behind me!! :)

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2017/07/13
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Great day

Reviewed by: Big Rob, 2017/07/13

Thanks to Steve for a wonderful day,
A fountain of knowledge , we all learnt so much about beautiful Hawaii and its history.
Great food, views and volcanoes were awesome

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2017/07/10
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AMAZING TOUR!!!

Reviewed by: OutdoorTravelerMN511, 2017/05/02

This was a fantastic tour!!! I wasn't sure quite what to expect but I am so glad I choose to book with them. The tour guide was great, very personable, funny, and very knowledgeable about the Island of Hawaii and volcanoes. The guide will give you a Hawaiian version and a scientific version of how the Hawaii Islands were created. The Hawaiian version is the more interesting version for sure! You get picked up from various hotels around the Island and during the ride the guide shares numerous stories etc. This trip consisted of seeing Volcano National Park during the day and at night, walking through numerous rain forests and seeing a waterfall. I can't emphasize enough how great this experience was, I have recommended all my friends and family to use this company on any tours they use for Hawaii. They do serve lunch and dinner and have numerous beverages such as water and pop for you to have throughout the day. They also provide rain jackets if necessary. The van was relatively large and had plenty of room for everyone. I will definitely use them again!

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2016/09/21
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Loved the Volcano adventure

Reviewed by: Brent and Angie, 2017/03/26

This was our first trip to the Big Island. My family (including kids - 8 and 11) went on this adventure to learn about volcanoes and the Island. This trip delivered! Our tour guide, Steve, did a wonderful job of blending science, history, and culture as we drove around the Island and through Volcanoes National Park. Steve tailored the trip to suit the interests of the group (which we had fun getting to know along the way) and the most interesting events occurring on that day.

We saw the Thurston Lava Tube, steam vents, lava bubbling out of the caldera, steam from the lava entering the ocean and different types of lava flows. We learned about the flora and fauna native to the area, as well as plants and animals brought to the island.

This was a long day, and I was worried that my youngest might get cranky as it got late. He didn't. The van was comfortable. The walks to see the sights were appropriate for most abilities. The food served was tasty and filling (the vegetarian option was excellent).

We would highly recommend this trip to everyone. In fact, when we return to The Big Island, we will use this company again for another tour. Be sure to bring a jacket, good walking shoes, and a camera.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2017/03/20
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Enjoyable but not for those looking for Active

Reviewed by: Dominique -Australia, 2017/03/13

This was a great tour, the guide was knowledgeable and helpful and the service of collect and drop off at your hotel is great. My husband and I do like to be a bit more active so there was probably a bit too much sitting in the bus and it was quite a long day. However the tour was tailored in the moment in that as passengers we were able to suggest what we wanted to see. The night lava show was good the meal was not what we expected ... we thought we would be at a restaurant but it was like another picnic the same as lunch. I would recommend this tour for those who don't mind a little more sedate excursion.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/02/12
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Good tour but not for young couples

Reviewed by: Olaia (Spain), 2016/07/28

We were looking for some hiking to the volcanoes or lava viewing and this tour didn't do that. There were too many hours in the bus with very few action. Although this tour was very good organised and our gude Steve was the best! It was a pleasure to meet you Steve!

Reply from activity provider

Thank you for joining us while visiting the Big Island. We appreciate your feedback and are sorry our Twilight Volcano Adventure did not meet your expectations. While we do try to ensure guests experience an in-depth exploration the Park we cannot always guarantee lava viewing as it is unpredictable and many times in difficult to reach locations. We recently developed a new Volcano hiking tour with the current lava flow into the ocean that would probably meet your needs called the Kilauea Lava Hike. We hope you will join us again on your next visit to the Big Island!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2016/07/18
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Awe Inspiring

Reviewed by: TRexy, 2016/06/25

The ability to stand at the edge of what created these islands is breathtaking. In addition to the lava pool, glow and crater, we hiked along the sulfur and steam vents and threw a lava tube. Our guide Mark was great and you could really feel his passion about the big island and its formative past.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2016/06/22
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Month long trip Highlight

Reviewed by: Arcglasgow, 2015/11/02

This was an amazing day out. Hawaii Forest and Trail provide a very high quality service, phoning you the day before to confirm, plenty of drinking water, and good quality vehicles and meals. The guide Taj was probably the best I have ever had. He had such a broad range of knowledge: Geology, specifically volcanoes, Hawaiian culture, plants, birds and he was a really pleasant guy to be with. The trip itself really deserves the word awesome. You see the crater in daylight pretty special even though at present it just looks like steam coming out, hike on the lava with great description of the flows and the repopulation by nature. Down to the coast to see lava flows which have gone into the sea, none currently., dinner and sunset at the coast , a walk through a lava tubeand then the climax: going back to the Jagger Museum to see the outpouring in the dark. I can't describe it, you have to see it. One word of warning. Take note of the warnings about your lungs as the Vog is ever present and not really noticeable but I don't have any particular problems and felt like I had a cold for the next couple of days.

  • The crater

  • On the lava field

  • The crater at night

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2015/10/29
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volacano tour

Reviewed by: Gary, 2015/09/07

Overall the tour was good, the guide was very knowledgeable(Steve Leto), the food options were great, the only negative thing about 'the tour states there was hiking' but there was no hiking, but there was none just walking so it was a bit disappointing.

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2015/09/03
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Words can only try to describe...

Reviewed by: Marzia (Roma-Italy), 2015/04/15

...but you have to go there to understand! It was a priviledge to reach the caldara, to walk through the National Park, to hear the voice of the earth.
The guide was educational, and passionate about the Island and the volcanos. He was really very informative and his knowledge made the difference. The lunch was very satisfying, and The Hawaii Forest & Trail really think and manage everything with great professionality. Not much lava that night, but it's nature's will. Anyway i'll never forget the voice of the earth.

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2015/03/24
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Excellent tour with unique scenery

Reviewed by: Jesper, 2015/02/09

We had a rainy day, but despite that I had a lot of fun this day. The guide was well-informed and made sure to get everyone to introduce themselves shortly in the van, which makes for a better social experience throughout the day. We got to see the obvious places of the park (outlook at the crater), but the guide brought us to a lot of different places too, places I'm sure we wouldn't have seen on a large bus tour. Despite the long drive and the many places we saw, I felt we had sufficient time at every location.
The park itself is a must-see, unlike anything you've ever seen.

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2015/01/25
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Volcano tour a must!

Reviewed by: Sherri & Tom Boehm, 2015/01/10

Great tour. Mark, our guide, was very knowledgeable and informative during our tour. Make sure to bring your camera!!!Awesome time!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2014/12/22
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Great but wish there was more lava

Reviewed by: Kevin, 2014/12/31

The title says it all. Chris was great and really knew his stuff. The hike was great. My only disappointment was that there wasn't more lava. I really wanted to see the volcano wreaking havoc but I understand the limitations.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2014/12/28
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Hike, dinner and night lava viewing tour

Reviewed by: Glenn and Sandy, 2014/12/20

The tour guide did a great job interacting with everyone on the tour. It was an entertaining and very educational day. Very knowledgeable tour guide. The tour was everything we expected it to be. We would recommend this as a "must do" activity.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2014/11/24
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Great experience

Reviewed by: Chris, 2014/10/25

Had a awesome time our guide Chris was great would recommend for a must see:)

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
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Lava vissing. And Nike at volcanoes national park

Reviewed by: Marc Van den Berge, 2014/09/11

Good program . Picknick up 30 minutes late. Good and competent guide.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2014/09/08
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Great experience

Reviewed by: Jevons, 2014/08/16

The guide was knowledgeable. Food was good, both the sandwich lunch and plate dinner. It was a pleasant experience!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2014/07/29
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Excellent hike and view if volcano! Great tour guide!

Reviewed by: Joanna, 2014/08/07

Mark was our amazing tour guide that took us out to the volcano park. He was so super informative, educational, and passionate about the island. It's as if he knew every answer to the questions we had and filled us with so much interesting facts that made me want to read more about Hawaii. It was a good hike and sight viewing with great sandwiches. Mark was extremely polite and he probably made the tour more amazing than it really was because of all the knowledge and passion he had.
Coming close to dusk we got to see the volcano lava from a far distance and it was chilly. It was quite amazing to see an active volcano even from afar.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2014/07/29
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Volcano Adventure

Reviewed by: Flyin Simon, 2014/05/08

This was a great experience and a second activity we have booked with Hawaii Forest & Trail company. The guides, Nate and John, were very knowledgeable about the subject matter, volcanos and lava tubes. They both made the trip a fun and learning experience. The hike was rated as easy to moderate and was true to their description, the length of the trip was slated to be 12-13 hours and it is a long day. The night portion of the adventure was amazing and awe inspiring. This was an overall great trip!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2014/05/03
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Volcanoes National Park Tour

Reviewed by: Randy, 2014/01/18

Aleson did a great job of touring. She was knowledgeable about the history and the nature. Plus, she was a great driver! She kept it fun and interesting. We loved the meal in the park. And, seeing the glow of the lava was amazing!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2013/12/28
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Great Day on Volcano Tour

Reviewed by: Pattie B, 2014/01/04

It was a great day. The tour guide was well educated in Volcanoes and Botany - making for a very educational and enjoyable day. I wouldn't recommend trying to do the volcanoes without a tour. Also only having a dozen in the group was great - much much better than the huge bus experiences I have had in the past.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2013/12/10
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Good educational tour

Reviewed by: Wailin, 2013/09/24

Friendly guide - who although was a bit late on pick up time (hey we were on vacation anyway), was very knowledgeable on the history of the island, plants, and animal.
there was a lot of driving involved so it was great that someone was doing that for us.
Food is ok - cold food is not my favorite but i understand it is hard to haul tall that in the van.
Van was comfortable - and the hike was mild and VERY educational.
Overall, I would say if this is your first time to the Big Island and would like to get some idea about the places outside of where you are staying, this is a good tour!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2013/08/31
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brilliant day

Reviewed by: Chris Brown, 2013/06/13

visited the big island on my honeymoon and took the tour. Would strongly suggest scheduling it in early in your trip because we learned so much from Taj about the island's history, language & customs that really helped us out the rest of the trip. Saw much more of the volcano than we would have on our own and learned from a tour guide that was genuinely passionate and knowledgeable about the volcanoes

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2013/05/28
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Not to be missed!

Reviewed by: M Romeo, 2013/06/12

What an absolutely fantastic way to spend a day and evening. Justin was the most wonderful guide....so full of information and stories about the history and folklore of Hawaii. The most memorable part for me was the night hike down into the lava tube....truly incredible. Put this trip on your short list of things to do while on the big island of Hawaii!

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2013/05/16
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Excellent Tour

Reviewed by: David, 2013/05/05

Thoroughly enjoyed the entire trip. The guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. The lunch and dinner provided were very good. During the tour rest stops were appropriately spaced for restroom breaks or just stretching the legs. Highly recommend this tour.

  • A night view of the caldera crater.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2013/04/30
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Awesome vulcano views

Reviewed by: Daniel Gattiker, 2013/01/18

We had a gorgeous view onto the vulcanos and all its activities. Perfect tour and brilliant staff.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
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Kiluea Twilight Volanco Adventure

Reviewed by: Corinne Baxter, 2012/12/06

An amazing tour with a wonderful guide - Eugene, very knowledgeable & entertaining. A spectacular journey in this world heritage site, from a rainforest to a volanco to the ocean & back to see the glow of the volanco at nightfall.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
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ECO TOUR

Reviewed by: George, 2012/08/14

I am giving this 5 stars all around as it was very informative and what we saw (including something super scary as The Devil's Throat) was fantastic. Our guide (Mark) was very knowledgeable and we learned quite a few things we thought we wouldn't care about. But seeing, touching, and learning made the experience enjoyable.

I know lava flows are unpredictable and was disappointed that the Earth would not cooperate and let us see the lava. Maybe next time.

Not knowing where this is, I'll just make a comment, and hope it was just unavailable. I would have liked to see the Kaumana Caves as mentioned in the main page. We did see a lava tube, but I'm sure it was nothing compared to the Caves.

The meals were satisfactory. My family opted to sit on a blanket on the lava flows rather than at a plain old picnic table. Made that part of the experience unique.

All in all a good trip that people should take to learn why Hawaii exists, how the flows affect everything around th

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
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Big Island Twilight Volcano tour

Reviewed by: Ophlin, 2012/07/25

Aloha! Thank you Taj! My daughter and me came from Taiwan and it's our first time visit Hawaii. We joined the tour on July 11. The trip is really amazing and enjoying, with Taj's professional knowledge - the volcanoes, plants, geography...Taj explain very detail, even all by English and really hard to remember all those Hawaii words, but Taj shows his professional. We really glad we joined this tour and it's our biggest harvest for our 13 days stay at Hawaii. Mahola Taj!
Ophlin & Eva from Taiwan

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
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Volcano National Park

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2012/06/04

Absolutely stunning. It was like landing on another planet. Once of the best activities I have ever booked!

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Attended as:Friends
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