Volcano, Chocolate and Waterfalls of the Big Island

About This Experience

Hawaii Forest & Trail’s Volcano, Chocolate and Waterfalls day spends about four hours inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, among the longest park stays of the Kona-side tours we review. Most of that time is on foot. A National Park Certified guide leads short hikes of up to about 2 miles over uneven lava, through a lava tube, and across the summit landscape that changed when Halemaʻumaʻu collapsed in 2018. Lunch is a picnic in the park: a deli sandwich or gluten-free salad with chips, dessert and drinks.

There is no hotel pickup. You meet the van at one of the operator’s central meeting points, such as the front entrance of Royal Kona Resort, Kona Village or the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on the Kona side, or Queens’ Marketplace, Waikoloa Plaza or Foodland Farms Mauna Lani on the Kohala Coast. The meeting time is not the start time you see at checkout, so confirm it with the operator. Groups are capped at 12, and the day runs about 11.5 hours, with roughly two hours in the van each way.

After the park, the van drives about 45 minutes to a 1,000-acre chocolate and tropical fruit farm above Hilo Bay. A guide walks you from cacao tree to finished bar, and the tasting takes place beside the farm’s own waterfall. Viator lists an hour at the farm and the GetYourGuide listing 75 minutes. The same trip is sold on GetYourGuide as Big Island: Volcano, Chocolate & Waterfall Adventure, at a slightly higher price.

Lava is never guaranteed. Kīlauea’s current eruption is episodic, and as of 23 October 2026 USGS reports it paused after Episode 55 on 17 October, with the timing of the next episode uncertain. Check the USGS Kīlauea page close to your date. This day centers on walking and the guide’s explanations of the landscape, so you still get a full program during a pause, and guests in rain report the guide shifting to drives and stops instead.

Choose it if you want time on your feet in the park and can get yourself to a meeting point. If you would rather be collected at your hotel and add a coffee farm and black sand stop, read our review of the Hawaii Geo Tours day, which also spends about four hours in the park.

Highlights

• About four hours inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, mostly on foot with a certified park guide
• Short hikes across the summit landscape reshaped by the 2018 collapse of Halemaʻumaʻu
• A walk through a lava tube, reached on an unpaved road
• A picnic lunch inside the park, out on the lava
• A tree-to-bar walk on a 1,000-acre chocolate and tropical fruit farm above Hilo Bay
• A chocolate tasting beside the farm's own waterfall

What's Included

• ✓ National Park Certified interpretive guide
• ✓ Park entrance and chocolate farm fees
• ✓ Deli-style lunch: turkey, ham, pastrami or veggie sandwich, or a gluten-free salad, with chips and dessert
• ✓ Snacks, filtered and sparkling water, juices and sodas
• ✓ Trekking poles, daypacks and rain gear on loan
• ✓ Small-group van, capped at 12 guests

Not Included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off (you meet at a central meeting point)
• Getting to and from the meeting point
• Gratuities for the guide
• Meals beyond lunch and snacks

What to Bring

• Comfortable closed-toe walking shoes
• Long pants
• A light sweatshirt or jacket for the cooler summit
• Sunglasses and a hat
• Sunscreen
• A reusable water bottle

Good to Know & Caveats

• Lava and glow are never guaranteed. As of 23 October 2026, USGS reports Kīlauea's summit eruption paused after Episode 55 (17 October); check the USGS Kīlauea page close to your date.
• There is no hotel pickup. Meeting points include Royal Kona Resort, Kona Village, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Queens' Marketplace, Waikoloa Plaza and Foodland Farms Mauna Lani; arrive 15 minutes early.
• Your meeting time is not the start time shown at checkout. Contact the operator after booking to confirm it.
• The booking options start at age 8 (child 8–12, adult 13+), although one line of the listing says 6 and older. Ask the operator before booking for a child under 8.
• Expect walks of up to about 2 miles on uneven lava; the operator asks for at least a moderate level of fitness.
• The road to the lava tube is unpaved and bumpy, so the tour may not suit anyone prone to motion sickness.
• The tour needs at least four guests to run. If it is cancelled for low numbers, the operator tells you at least 24 hours ahead and offers a new date or a full refund.
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. It is a long day, about 11.5 hours, with roughly two hours in the van each way.

Meeting Point

Meet the van at one of the operator's central meeting points in Kona or on the Kohala Coast (no hotel pickup); the operator confirms your meeting time, which differs from the start time shown online.