Volcano & Black Sand Beach Tours

Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park has been closed since 29 August 2026, when Hawaiʻi County’s 72-year lease of the 6.8-acre park ended and the land went back to its owner. In mid-October the county announced a tentative deal to buy the property, and officials said the park will stay closed until that purchase is complete, which could take several months. Every volcano tour from Kona that sells a black sand beach stop names Punaluʻu, so read that line on any listing as out of date for now: the tours still run to Kīlauea, but the beach stop, the turtles and the restrooms there cannot be promised. Status as of 24 October 2026.

Which tours list Punaluʻu, and what else they do

Six tours on the Kona side still name the beach. The minutes below are each operator’s own itinerary. The beach stop was never long, 30 to 45 minutes out of a 9 to 12 hour day, so the bigger difference between these tours has always been the time they spend inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

The Wasabi day trip is also sold on Viator as Big Island in a Day for $287; it is the same trip, and its Viator itinerary is where the 35 and 80 minute figures come from. Kailani’s Deluxe Volcano Experience and the Hawaii Geo Tours private VIP day also list a 30-minute Punaluʻu stop.

What happens to the beach stop

None of the listings says how the operator now uses the 30 to 45 minutes the beach used to take. Wasabi’s twilight listing states that itineraries may change and that refunds are not given for closures and itinerary changes outside its control, and the other listings say nothing either way. Before you travel, check the voucher and send the operator a message through the booking site asking what replaces the beach. If the turtles were the reason you were choosing between two tours, drop that factor and compare the rest of the day.

Punaluʻu Bake Shop in Nāʻālehu is a separate stop from the beach park on the Kailani, Ohana and Hawaii Island Experiences days. The closure covers the county beach park.

Choosing a beach-and-volcano tour now

With the beach out of the picture, these days sort themselves by park time and by what fills the rest of the hours.

• Most time at Kīlauea: Hawaii Geo Tours’ geologist-led day spends about four hours in the park, with lunch at the Rim restaurant at Volcano House and the whole of Chain of Craters Road, then returns via Hilo and Saddle Road. Read our review.
• Into twilight: Wasabi’s twilight tour gives the park about three hours across the afternoon and dusk, adds the lava tube and a short stargazing stop, and includes lunch and a restaurant dinner. It is the one to pick if staying until dark matters; our night tours page compares the evening departures.
• The broadest island day: the featured Kailani tour, or Wasabi’s circle-island trip with ʻAkaka Falls and the Waipiʻo Valley lookout. Our circle-island tours page sets those side by side.
• The lowest price: Hawaii Island Experiences at $139 per person, with park admission included and meals at your own expense.

Why the featured tour is Kailani’s Big Island Highlights

Kailani’s day is rated 4.9 from 1,068 Viator reviews and takes no more than 12 guests in a Mercedes Sprinter. Without the beach it still covers coffee country, the bake shop, lunch, about 90 minutes at the crater stops including Nāhuku, Rainbow Falls in Hilo, and the drive home over Saddle Road past Parker Ranch. Lunch, a breakfast basket of cereal bars, snacks, water, umbrellas and binoculars are included, and the GetYourGuide listing of the same trip, Coffee, Black Sand, Volcano and Waterfall Tour, lists entry to the national park and to Rainbow Falls. Children under 5 are not allowed on the shared tour. The trade-off is clear: 90 minutes in the park is a short visit set against Hawaii Geo Tours’ four hours. Read our review.

Honu: the rules wherever you see them

Hawaiian green sea turtles haul out on beaches all around the island, and the rules travel with them. NOAA asks you to stay at least 10 feet (3 m) away, on land and in the water, and touching or harassing a turtle is illegal. If you find one injured or stranded, the NOAA hotline is 1-888-256-9840. Taking black sand is prohibited too, so leave it where it is.

Coffee farms on the same road

Highway 11 runs south from Kailua-Kona through the Kona coffee belt before it reaches Kaʻū, so every tour above stops for coffee on the way down. Each operator has its own farm: Greenwell Farms for Hawaii Island Experiences, the Kona Coffee Living History Farm for Ohana Tours, Bay View Farm for Wasabi’s circle-island trip, and an award-winning 100% Kona farm with a tasting for Hawaii Geo Tours. Kailani’s listings name Greenwell Farms on one network and the Living History Farm on the other, so ask which one your date visits. Wasabi’s twilight tour eats its picnic lunch at its coffee farm overlooking Kealakekua Bay.

If you buy beans, read the label. “100% Kona” means every bean was grown in the Kona district, while a “Kona blend” can legally contain as little as 10% Kona coffee until 1 July 2027, when the minimum rises to 51%.

Lava, as of today

As of 23 October 2026, USGS reports Kīlauea’s episodic summit eruption paused after Episode 55 on 17 October. HVO’s preliminary window for Episode 56 is 29 October to 5 November, and it notes that the forecast is uncertain. No tour can guarantee lava or glow, and fog or rain can hide the crater on any day. Check the USGS Kīlauea page and the NPS alerts page before you go.

For more on the full day and its costs, see volcano tour prices from Kona and our guide to volcano tours for families. Or go straight to dates for Kailani’s Big Island Highlights.