Day Trip Itineraries for Visiting Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park from the West side of Hawaii
The Northern Papa Bear Route (long, but saves the southern half of the island for another day)
Day Trip Itineraries for Visiting Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park from the West side of Hawaii
Any time of year is a good time of year to visit Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii with many activities within the park no matter what time of year you visit (although hiking across the black lava rock fields is best done early in the day or in the winter months).
The first step to planning your trip to Volcanoes National Park (VNP) is to check out their website, which is full of information to help you plan your visit and decide what you want to see within the park:
Now that you've read up on VNP, it's time to choose a day (check the weather forecasts as the weather can be very different in VNP), and pick a route! Here are some itineraries that we've tried over the years.
Note as of Summer 2019: The intersection of the Mauna Kea Access road and Daniel K. Inouye Hwy (also known as Saddle Road) is the location of the Puʻuhonua o Puʻuhuluhulu, a designated place of refuge for the kia'i (protectors) of Mauna Kea. Please consider this and be respectful when planning your visit to VNP from the west side.
To learn more about the meaning of Kapu Aloha and the protectors of Mauna Kea, please click the link : https://www.puuhuluhulu.com/
This is a LONG day trip, but Volcanoes National Park is well worth it if you think you'll only ever visit the Island of Hawaii once in your lifetime and your itinerary demands that you pack as much as you can in one full day. Make sure the driver in your group has had a good night's sleep! This route takes you on a clockwise tour of the island, but cuts the southern end off by taking the Saddle Road across the island at the end of your day.
Start the day early and drive North on Hwy 19 and take the road up to Waimea. Either plan this for a Wednesday or Saturday so you can stop for an early breakfast at one of the farmers markets, or continue through Waimea and stop in Honaka’a at Tex Drive in for a box of their famous malasadas.
Drive all the way down to the east coast, and continue Hwy 19 south. Check the guide books for stops along the way that may interest you. This is a windy but scenic highway. You will drive through gulches, rain forests, and past ‘Akaka Falls State Park – the views are gorgeous! But if anybody in your group is prone to car sickness, be cautioned that this is a windy road and can make even a strong stomach queasy. We don’t like driving it at night because it gets narrow in sections. There are many opportunities to stop along the way and take in (literally and figuratively) a whole different side of Hawaii than what you find on our sunny Kohala Coast.
8.5 miles north of Hilo, take the 4 mile scenic route off of Hwy 19 that drops down to the Hawaii Botanical Garden. Even if you don’t visit the gardens, the scenery on this detour looks like you dropped into a scene from Jurassic Park and is well worth a see.
If the timing is right, stop for an early lunch in Hilo. We love the Hawaiian Style Café for their poke bowls, or Tonkatsu Ramen, or even a stop for fresh made manju and mochi at Two Ladies Kitchen (any of these three options will likely have a line-up, but if you're in a hurry there are many other great food options in Hilo and usually at lower prices than on the west side).
After refueling in Hilo, continue on the road to VNP. Spend the rest of the day exploring the park. Have dinner (there are a few restaurants in Volcano Village just outside the entrance - we found the ), then wait for nightfall to enjoy the stars that you can see at night because there are so few lights at the park.
Alternatively leave the park and go back into Hilo for dinner before driving back.
Take the Saddle Road back at night.
The Southern Papa Bear Route (long, but saves the north-eastern half of the route for another day)
Drive south on Highway 19 through Kona and Captain Hook (Highway 19 becomes Highway 11).
Check the guidebooks and websites to decide if you want to stop south of Kona at a coffee farm, chocolate farm, vanilla farm, or apiary (honey farm) along the way.
Another stop to consider is Pu'uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park (also known as the Place of Refuge) and Two-Step for a snorkel dip.
From here, continue all the way south with a stop at South Point Park, the southernmost tip of the United States. From there, continue east on Highway 11 with another stop at Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach before spending your day in VNP.
Dinner in Hilo before driving the Saddle Road back at night.
The Mama Bear Option (medium)
Take the Saddle Road in the morning with a stop in Hilo for picnic supplies for your day trip into VNP. Take the Saddle Road back in the afternoon, but instead of driving directly to Mauna Lani resort, drop into Kona town for dinner.
The Baby Bear Option (shortest)
Take the Saddle Road over and back to Hilo for your trip to VNP skipping the sites along the way. It's easy to pack a picnic in the park with the coolers that we provide for your use during your stay at Hale O' Honu'ea vacation rental.
The Princess Option
Roberts Hawaii tours offer a "Circle Island" trip where the bus literally "circles" the island, including a stop at Volcanoes National Park. The tour bus will pick you up at the nearby Fairmont Hotel. Grandma Meimei has done this trip as she doesn't mind getting up early and finds it easy to doze off and nap on the air conditioned tour bus, and she likes to leave the trip planning to someone else.
The Royal Court Option (with a "royal" price)
Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Tours is just minutes away from Mauna Lani (the helicopter pad seen at the Waikoloa traffic light before the turn-off for Mauna Lani). They have several tour options that include views of VNP, or you can book a private tour and request a personal itinerary. Please note when booking that they have departures both from their Waikoloa and Hilo location.
The Ironman Option (even longer than the Papa Bear trip!)
Combine the Northern and Southern Papa Bear routes into one LONG day and night, choosing which highlights you want to visit along the way. You won't have time to stop and see everything, but it is possible to squeeze it all into one day.
One Final Itinerary, because the Big Island is truly a BIG island:
Combine the Northern and Southern Papa Bear routes, but plan to spend a night in Hilo so you can split the trip over 2 days! There is so much to see around the whole circle of the island - it's hard to skip any of the sites! This still makes for two long days, but gives you more time to choose what you want to see along the circle route.
In fact all the sites we've mentioned above can be taken in over a whole week if you have the time. Whatever itinerary you choose, we hope you enjoy your adventures!
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Thanks for all the helpful info. One question. Have you taken the helicopter tour? Does it land anywhere for lunch or to visit a park?
Aloha Bridget - Blue Hawaiian Helicopters does offer one tour that includes a landing at Laupahoehoe Nui (waterfall). Our family hasn't tried one of their tours as my husband isn't comfortable with helicopters, but our close friends have done one of Blue Hawaiian's Volcano helicopter tours. Keep in mind that the tour company has to keep safety a priority, so if weather is such that a waterfall landing (or any other portion of the trip) is not recommended, they will modify their flight plan.
I hope you get to visit, and if you do, let us know how the helicopter tour was for you!