Hilo Volcanoes National Park and Rainbow Falls Excursion

Description

• Round trip transportation from your Hilo cruise pier area!
  
• Air-conditioned, fully licensed and insured transportation!
• English speaking certified guides!
  
• Visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park!
  
• Photo stop at Rainbow Falls!
  
• Crater Rim drive!
• Sampling local macadamia nuts!
  
• Stop at Richardson's Black Sand Beach!
  

Grab your camera and come along on one of the island's most popular excursions to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. See tropical Rainbow Falls, sample some local flavours of the island and much more. Aloha!

Departing from your cruise pier in Hilo, you will meet your guide and head out for the drive just to the north of town, is the beautiful Rainbow Falls. Plunging 80 feet (24 meters) into a canyon, the rising mist often produces a rainbow, giving the falls their justly deserved name. A photo stop will be made at the observation area overlooking the falls. 

No visit to this area of the big island would be complete without a stop at the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory. Surrounded by macadamia orchards, the visitor's center offers a variety of local products made in the adjacent nut roasting and chocolate processing plants. Demonstrations and samples are offered throughout the day. You will have a chance to explore the garden oasis showroom that is filled with over 1,000 orchids and torpical plants at the Akatsuka Orchid Nursery and the off to your next stop.

The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, located on the southern end of the big island. The park was established in 1916 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Two volcanoes, dormant Mauna Loa, which rises 13,677 feet (4168 meters) and active Kilauea, currently 4,000 feet (1219 meters) high from sea level, are located in the parks 505 square miles (1307 square kilometers).

You will motor along the 10.5 mile Crater Rim drive (16.8 kilometers) which circles around and through part of the Kilauea crater. The majority of the park's highlights are located along the drive which also offers views of the diverse ecosystems from tropical rainforest to desert and lava fields. It also offers various viewpoints of Halema'uma'u, the active crater within Kilauea crater.

From almost any angle, you will see the rising sulfuric plumes from the crater. As you drive along the park roads, your guide will point out evidence of lava flows that created a new landscape as well as leaving destruction in its path. 

Returning to the Hilo area, you will complete your day with a stop at Richardson's Black Sand Beach. Photos just do not capture its beauty. From here, it is a quick drive back to your Hilo cruise pier.

What is included?

• Round trip transportation from the cruise pier area
• Air-conditioned and licensed vehicles
  
• English speaking, local and trained Hilo shore excursion guides
  
• Visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
• Photo stop at Rainbow Falls
  
• Sampling local macadamia nuts
  
• Stop at Richardson's Black Sand Beach

Excursion Notes

• Lunch is not included on the price. Guests on special diets or eating schedules may wish to bring along a snack.
  
• We suggest you have cash on hand for refreshments, excursion staff gratuities, shopping, etc.
• Comfortable, cotton clothing is suggested at lower elevations. Long pants and a lite sweater or jacket are recommended at higher elevations.
  
• Lava can be dusty. Wear something that is washable.
• Closed toe, rubber-soled walking shoes that support the ankle are highly recommended for walking over lava.
• Please note that there is a minimum of 4 guests required to operate this excursion. If the minimum is not met, the excursion will be cancelled but your payment is refundable.

Where we meet

For this Hilo Volcanoes National Park and Rainbow Falls Excursion, you will meet your local shore excursion guide inside your Hilo cruise pier terminal. All necessary details will be printed on your Electronic Shore Excursion Ticket.

Excursion Restrictions

• This excursion uses ADA accessible vehicles. Several stops on the excursion have limited access.
• Wheelchairs must be standard width and fold up for storage.
• Guests must be able to step into and out of transportation.
• Guests must be able to walk over paved, gravel and uneven lava surfaces, some on inclines.
• There are steps required to enter several of the sites as well as some steep curbs.
• This excursion is for cruise ship guests only.
• This Hilo Volcanoes National Park and Rainbow Falls Excursion may involve risks. We suggest you check with your elected person of choice to see if these possible risks might affect you.

Excursion FAQ

Cancellation

• Your ship arrives into port late and you cannot make it in time to the meeting location (we will verify with the tour operator).
• Your ship skips/misses the port.
• Weather conditions or equipment failure prevents the operator from running the excursion.
• A medical problem prevents you from safely participating in the excursion (we will verify with the excursion operator and the guest may send doctor's note). This applies to individuals only and not the remainder of the group.
  
• Cancellations/deposit refund requests that do not comply with the above may not be subject to refund.
• Refunds may be subject to a service charge fee as determined by the payment processor, please refer to Terms and Conditions for more information.