Hilo Volcano, Waterfall and Black Sand Beach Day Tour with Lunch (Shaka Braddah Tours)

Overview

The Shaka Braddah Tours Hilo volcano day tour is a 6-to-7-hour small-van loop to Rainbow Falls, Volcanoes National Park with the Thurston Lava Tube, lunch in Volcano Village and Punaluu black sand beach. It suits cruise passengers and visitors without a car. The main drawback is about 2.5 hours of driving for 2 hours inside the park.

Highlights

• Five stops in 6 to 7 hours: Liliuokalani Gardens and downtown Hilo (drive-through), Rainbow Falls (20 min), Volcanoes National Park (2 hours), lunch (1 hour) and Punaluu Black Sand Beach (30 min).
• Park entrance fee, a sit-down lunch with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options, fruit samples and Hilo-area pickup are included in the $189 to $199 fare.
• Pickup at 9:00 AM from Hilo hotels, rentals, the bus terminal or inside the Port of Hilo cruise terminal, with drop-off around 3:00 PM; airport drop-off is offered.
• Groups travel in a white 15-passenger Ford Transit van, which several testimonials on the operator site cite as a plus over big coaches.
• Viator score of 10/10 from 100 reviews on the Expedia listing and from 80 reviews on the cruise-specific listing as of October 2026.

What to Expect

1. Your guide collects you between 9:00 and 9:30 AM from a Hilo address, the bus terminal or inside the cruise terminal, where the guide holds a Shaka Braddah Tours sign; the van is a white 15-seat Ford Transit.
2. The route runs along Banyan Drive past Liliuokalani Gardens and through downtown Hilo without stopping.
3. At Rainbow Falls you get about 20 minutes at the viewing area while the guide tells the local legend.
4. Inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park you spend about 2 hours at the visitor center, the Kilauea caldera and Kilauea Iki overlooks, steam vents and sulfur banks, and walk through the Nahuku (Thurston) Lava Tube, which involves about 15 stairs.
5. Lunch is about an hour at a locally owned restaurant in Volcano Village; the Expedia itinerary names Kilauea Lodge, and vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes are available.
6. The last stop is 30 minutes at Punaluu Black Sand Beach, where green sea turtles often rest, before the drive back to Hilo for a 3:00 PM drop-off.

What to Bring

• Closed shoes for the lava tube walk
• A jacket; the park sits around 4,000 ft and is cooler than Hilo
• Refillable water bottle or flask
• Your own national park pass if you already hold one (operator site)

Restrictions and Requirements

• Not wheelchair accessible
• Moderate walking with about 15 stairs in the lava tube; not recommended for travelers with back or spinal problems
• Infant seats available on request
• Schedule may change for weather or traffic; the lunch menu may change without notice

Cancellation Policy

On VELTRA/hawaiiactivities.com, cancellations or changes made after 12:00 PM local time two business days before the tour are charged 100%. The Expedia/Viator listing shows free cancellation up to a cut-off date before the tour, consistent with a 24-hour rule, but does not state the hours. The operator's own site publishes no policy. Checked October 2026 on hawaiiactivities.com and Expedia.

Location

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Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii

Meeting Point

Hilo-area pickup; listed meeting point 1047 Kamehameha Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720 (Expedia); cruise passengers meet inside the Port of Hilo terminal

Check-In

Pickup 9:00–9:30 AM

Parking and Getting There

Not applicable; pickup included

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact