A week is the right amount of time for the Big Island. It is enough to do the ocean on the Kona side and the volcano, waterfalls and Maunakea on the Hilo side without spending every day in the car, as long as you change beds halfway through.
This is the week we lay out for friends. It is built around a split stay, four nights in Kona and three on the Hilo side, and it puts the tours on the days where they fit the driving. Swap pieces in and out to suit you.
How this itinerary works
- Nights 1 to 4: Kailua-Kona or Keauhou. Keauhou is closest to the manta snorkel and the Kealakekua Zodiac.
- Night 5: Volcano village, just outside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
- Nights 6 and 7: Hilo.
- Fly into Kona (KOA). Fly out of Hilo (ITO), or drive back to Kona on the last day.
Book the manta ray night snorkel for one of your first nights so there is room to reschedule if the ocean is rough. If you are unsure about the split, our Kona vs Hilo guide lays out the trade-offs, and our Big Island areas map shows where everything is.
Day 1: Arrive in Kona
Land at the Kona airport, pick up the car and keep the first day light. If you have the afternoon, stop at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park just south of the airport, a free park with old Hawaiian fishponds and turtles resting on the rocks along the shore. Then check in (Keauhou is about 25 minutes from the airport), find dinner in Kailua-Kona and watch the sun go down over the ocean from Aliʻi Drive.
Coming from the mainland, you will probably wake early tomorrow. That is the point of Day 2.
Day 2: Kealakekua Bay by day, manta rays by night
Morning: take the Kealakekua Bay snorkel by Zodiac from Keauhou Bay. The 8:00 departure usually has the calmest water. You run the coast past sea caves and lava tubes, often with spinner dolphins on the way and whales in season, and snorkel the marine sanctuary below the Captain Cook Monument. From $95, 2.5 to 3 hours.
Afternoon: drive south to Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, the Place of Refuge, a national historical park with a great stone wall, a temple platform and carved kiʻi on a lava point. Then rest; you have a late night.
Night: the Kona manta ray night snorkel, from the same bay. A short boat ride, a lighted board, and reef manta rays feeding beneath you. $118 adults, $99 kids. Read our manta ray night snorkel guide before you go.
Day 3: Coffee country and a sunset sail
Morning: drive up to Hōlualoa, about 15 minutes upslope from Kailua-Kona, for the Kona coffee brewing workshop at 9:00 am (Monday to Saturday). Cupping, French press, pour-over and unlimited samples, in 75 minutes. From $65. Hōlualoa village has galleries worth a slow walk afterward.
Midday: the Kona cloud forest walk, a 2.5-hour guided walk on the cool slopes of Hualālai, with native birds and plants. Check the booking page for start times. From $60. Bring a layer.
Evening: the Kona sunset sail from Honokōhau Harbor, 1.5 hours with a full bar and light bites. Check-in is 4:40 pm in winter and 5:10 pm in summer. From $139 for adults.
Instead: if one splurge is in the budget, swap the cloud forest for the helicopter tour over Kīlauea from the Kona airport, two hours private from $1,680 per private flight (up to three people), or the 30-minute Kona Coast flight from $229.
Day 4: The Kohala Coast and North Kohala
Morning: drive about 30 minutes north to Waikoloa and Kawaihae. From December to April, take the two-hour whale watching tour from Kawaihae, with a hydrophone to hear the whales sing. From $95. Outside whale season, spend the morning on the white sand at Hāpuna Beach instead.
Afternoon: continue about 45 minutes to Hāwī for the Kohala zipline: eight lines, six sky bridges and a rappel through the forest, about two hours, ages 8 and up, from $210. Afterward, drive to the end of the road at the Pololū Valley Lookout for the view down to the black boulder beach.
Evening: drive back to Kona, or have dinner in Hāwī or Waimea on the way.
Day 5: The south route to the volcano
Check out and take the south route around the island, about 2.5 hours from Kona to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park without stops. Stop at Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach in Kaʻū on the way, where green sea turtles often rest on the sand. Give them space.
Afternoon: the Volcano e-bike tour covers far more of the park than you would on foot, on fat-tire e-bikes with guides who know the geology. Three hours, ages 15 and up, from $189. Or explore the park yourself: the visitor center, the crater overlooks and the steam vents.
Evening: if Kīlauea is erupting, go back to the crater overlooks after dark; a glow is never guaranteed, but when it is there it is the most memorable sight on the island. Sleep in Volcano village. It is cool at night; bring a warm layer.
Day 6: Hilo, chocolate and Maunakea at sunset
Morning: drive about 45 minutes down to Hilo. Families with young kids can stop on the way at the Hilo ATV ranch tour in Mountain View, a two-hour ride on a working family ranch, ages 3 and up, from $119. Otherwise, go straight to Rainbow Falls, in town on the Wailuku River, in the morning light.
Midday: the Hilo chocolate farm tour, an electric bus ride through the cacao orchards with fresh cacao fruit and the tree-to-bar story. About 1 to 1.5 hours, from $16.
Afternoon and evening: the Maunakea summit stargazing tour picks up in Hilo for sunset from 13,803 feet, then hot drinks and a star show with a professional telescope. From $269, 7 to 8 hours. Ages 13 and up only, and not for anyone pregnant or with heart or lung conditions. It is near freezing at the top.
Instead: with kids under 13, swap Maunakea for the Hilo waterfall cruise along the Onomea cliffs, from $159.
Day 7: Hāmākua waterfalls and the Waipiʻo lookout
Morning: drive about 20 minutes north to Honomū for the Hilo waterfall hike, 2.5 hours to waterfalls on private land, from $140. Then walk the short loop at ʻAkaka Falls State Park, a few minutes up the road.
Afternoon: follow Highway 19 up the Hāmākua Coast to Honokaʻa for lunch, then out Highway 240 through Kukuihaele to the Waipiʻo Valley Lookout. The road into the valley is closed to independent visitors under a county emergency rule, so this is a lookout visit; our Waipiʻo Valley guide has the details and how to check the current status.
Evening: fly out of Hilo (about an hour back from Waipiʻo), or drive to Kona through Waimea, about 1 hour 45 minutes from the lookout, for an evening flight from KOA.
If you would rather keep one base
Not everyone wants to pack twice. If you stay all seven nights in Kona, keep Days 1 to 4, then:
- Day 5: the Volcanoes National Park twilight tour, a 12-hour day with pickup in Kona and Waikoloa, a coffee farm stop, Punaluʻu, the park and stargazing on the way home. From $249.
- Day 6: the Waipiʻo lookout and private waterfall swim, a 10-hour day with hotel pickup. From $249.
- Day 7: a beach morning at Hāpuna or a last swim near your hotel, then fly home. If you want to go Kona scuba diving, do it earlier in the week and allow at least 18 to 24 hours between your last dive and your flight.
The Kona-side Maunakea summit tour (from $299) can replace a quieter evening.
Tips for the week
- Book the big four early: the manta snorkel, Maunakea, the helicopter and the volcano tour sell out first, especially from December to March.
- Keep a spare evening in the Kona half for a manta reschedule, and one in the Hilo half for Maunakea weather.
- Fill the tank before the south route and Saddle Road; stretches of both are long and empty.
- Pack layers. You can be in a swimsuit at Kealakekua in the morning and need a warm jacket in Volcano that night.
- Check the season. Whales are December to April. Our guide to the best time to visit the Big Island covers the rest.
For everything we left out, see our full list of things to do on the Big Island.
FAQ
Is 7 days enough for the Big Island?
Yes. A week lets you split your stay between Kona and the Hilo side and see the ocean, the volcano, the waterfalls and Maunakea without rushing.
Should I stay in one place or split my stay?
Split it if you can: four nights in Kona and three in Volcano or Hilo. Staying in one place means at least two long drive days, or guided tours with hotel pickup.
What should I do first on the Big Island?
Book the Kona manta ray night snorkel for one of your first nights. If the ocean cancels it, you still have time to go another night.
Can I do the volcano and Maunakea on the same day?
It is possible from Hilo, but it is a very long day. Spread them over two days, with a night in Volcano village, as this itinerary does.
Do I need a rental car on the Big Island?
For a split stay like this one, yes. If you base in Kona and use tours with hotel pickup for the volcano and Waipiʻo, you can get by with less driving.
Can you fly into Kona and out of Hilo?
Yes. Kona (KOA) has most of the mainland flights and Hilo (ITO) is mainly inter-island, so check routes. Rental companies may charge to drop the car at a different airport.
Written by Big Island locals who spend their days on the water, the volcano and the trails.
