Hawai’i Big Island Travel Guide (For First-Time Visitors)

Aloha and welcome to the island of Hawai’i, also known as ‘the Big Island’! I’ve visited the Hawaiian islands eight times (and counting!) and just got back from an incredibly special week exploring the Big Island.

If you’re planning a trip to Hawaii’s Big Island, you’ve come to the right place! This Hawaii travel guide covers everything you need to know for your first trip to the Big Island. I share all my Big Island travel tips, including a comparison of the best areas to stay, how to get around, all the best things to do, must-visit beaches, and what time of year to visit.

Before you know it, you’ll be night snorkeling with 15-foot manta rays, hiking through the world’s most active volcano, exploring the vibrant Kona coffee belt, experiencing some of the best snorkeling of your life, gazing up at awe-inspiring tropical waterfalls, and enjoying everything else this incredible island has to offer!

👋🏽 Note from the author: Did this article impact the way you planned your trip? Have any questions? Please comment at the end of the article! It helps this blog grow and helps me know what types of articles to write more. 💛

Big Island Hawaii Travel Guide for First Time-Visitors

The Big Island of Hawaii is made up of five distinct volcanoes, including the tallest mountain in the world, Mauna Kea (if you measure from below sea level!) It’s also the youngest of the Hawaiian islands, and the only Hawaiian island where you can see active lava flows!

Of course, the Big Island is also full of Hawaiian charm, lush tropical landscapes, excellent snorkeling, and plenty of lovely beaches. I know you’ll have an incredible time here, if this Hawaii travel guide inspires you to do something new on your Big Island vacation, I’d love to hear about it—leave a comment or share on Instagram. Either way, happy travels and enjoy this incredibly special part of the world!

Use the table of contents (above) to navigate to different sections of this Kauai travel blog. You can also browse all my Hawaii travel guides if you’re interested in a deep dive in a certain topic, like what to wear in Hawaii, a comparison of the best Nā Pali Coast boat tours, or my tips for landing free housesits in Hawaii!

Is the Big Island the best Hawaiian island for you?

Reasons to travel to the Big Island (compared to other Hawaiian islands):

• 🌺 Experience a different side of Hawai’i, if you’ve traveled to the other islands. To me, the Big Island feels most different from the other three main islands. If you’ve spent time on Maui, Kauai, and/or Oahu and are looking for something new, the Big Island is a great place to go! The volcanic landscapes are otherworldly, but you also get lush jungle, towering volcanoes, beautiful beaches, and more!
• 🌋 See two of the world’s most active volcanoes: Hawaii is known for its volcanoes, but the Big Island is the only Hawaiian island where you have the chance to see a lava flow! On our recent Big Island trip, we missed Kīlauea’s volcanic eruption by only a week (what a bummer!) but hiking through an old lava lake on the Kīlauea Iki trail was one of the highlights of our trip. Whether you visit the Big Island when lava is flowing or not, exploring the island’s volcanic landscapes is an incredibly unique experience!
• 🤿 Swim with manta rays in the wild: This is probably my #1 favorite thing to do on the Big Island (and the #1 reason I wanted to visit). These gentle giants can reach up to 30 feet and are incredibly intelligent (and playful) creatures. They eat plankton, and plankton is attracted to light, so local tour operators shine giant lights in the ocean, attracting the plankton (and thus attracting the mantas). When we did this, we saw at least 8 individual mantas, and they got incredibly close.
• 🐠 Experience some of Hawaii’s best snorkeling: I’ve been snorkeling at dozens of beaches throughout Oahu, Maui, and Kauai, and the snorkeling on the Big Island really blew me away! In my experience, the coral on the Big Island looks healthier and there seem to be many more fish. The water was also always very clear, with great visibility — maybe since there is less sand?
• ✌🏼 The Big Island’s tourist crowd feels more down-to-earth: I know this might not matter to most people, but we felt like the type of people traveling to the Big Island seemed more down-to-earth compared to the tourists on Maui and Oahu specifically. People aren’t flashy here like the types of vacationers you’ll encounter in Waikiki or at a Maui resort, and honestly, the vast majority of the other tourists we met were quite a bit older than us! The same goes for Kauai. I think Kauai and Big Island attract hikers and folks who like to travel more off the beaten path, whereas Oahu and Maui attract resort-goers with perfectly styled vacation outfits (no problem with that, though!) And then there’s me, someone head-over-heels in love with each and every island!
• 💰 The Big Island is a (little) more affordable than the other Hawaiian islands: Since so much is imported from the mainland and Asia, food, gas, and other products in Hawaii tends to be quite expensive. That said, everything on the Big Island seemed to less expensive than on Oahu, Maui, and Kauai. We especially noticed it in the food. It wasn’t too hard to find somewhat reasonably priced groceries (check out KTA stores) and we actually thought that most restaurant meals and coffee cost similar to what they’d cost in Seattle. Since there is so much land on the Big Island, land is a little cheaper compared to other islands, and this impacts hotel prices. Just keep in mind you will pay more in gas overall since you’re more likely to drive longer distances on this island!

A few things to be aware of when visiting the Big Island:

• 🏖️ The Big Island’s beaches aren’t as nice as the beaches on the other main Hawaii islands. If you’re a beach person, you might want to go to another island (or spend half your vacation on the Big Island and the other half on Maui, Kauai, or Oahu). Don’t get be wrong, you can definitely find a nice sandy beach on the Big Island, but there aren’t a lot and they definitely get crowded!
• 🥾 There is so much to do, so it can be hard to relax if you’re adventurous. The Big Island is an adventurer destination! You can snorkel with giant manta rays, hike through a volcano, stargaze on top of a completely different volcano (Big Island is made up of 5!), paddle board beneath waterfalls, and so much more! A weeklong Big Island trip fills up with activities fast, leaving very little time to relax by a pool or on one of the few sandy beaches. Plus, the island truly is BIG, so you’ll spend a lot more time driving than you would on one of the other islands.
• 🚙 You almost certainly need a car. The Big Island isn’t very easy to get around without a car. And I can only imagine how expensive Uber must be, given it takes almost two hours to drive across the island! Plus, many of the best things to do on the Big Island include exploring Volcanoes National Park, visiting secluded snorkel spots, and stopping at roadside waterfalls. You’ll want your own transportation. Of course, the cost of a rental car can add up, so I see this as a potential con for budget travelers. That said, it’s definitely possible to travel the Big Island without a car if you’re flexible. I’d consider staying in Kona and then taking a guided day trip to the volcano, and a few snorkel boat tours from downtown Kona.

Hiking the Kiluea Iki trail at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

The best time to visit the Big Island

BIg Island in Winter 🌊

Winter is whale watching time season! Even if you don’t go on a whale watching tour, you have the chance to spot majestic humpbacks from the shore or on snorkel tours (I saw a mamma and her baby in early December!) Temperatures are mild and you can still enjoy swimming and snorkeling. While many snorkel spots are unsafe on other Hawaiian islands in the winter (because of high surf), most of the Big Island’s snorkel spots are protected by the reef, so you can snorkel year-round! It is a little rainier this time of year, but I had sunny days every day in Kona during my December trip!

BIg Island in Spring 🌺 

Spring is a shoulder season, meaning you can expect fewer tourists and often lower prices on hotels and rental cars. If you visit at the beginning of spring, you can still have a chance to witness the annual humpback whale migration. Either way, spring is a great time to visit the Big Island with less people, better prices, and warm (but not too hot) temperatures!

BIg Island in Summer ☀️

Tourism picks up more in summer, with families visiting during summer break. It’s the hottest time of year, but never unbearably hot (highs around 87° F). Best of all, the ocean is calmest in the summer, so snorkeling is easier in the summer, plus the water is a little warmer! That said, you can expect higher rates since this is a busier time of year for tourism.

BIg Island in Fall 🍁 

Fall is the low season for tourism on the Big Island with the fewest people visiting. In September and early October, you’ll still enjoy the perks of summer like warmer water and calmer ocean conditions. Then, November is the start of Hawaii’s rainy season, so you can expect wetter weather (but with that comes lush landscapes!) That said, you’ll usually enjoy sunny skies if you stay on the Kona coast, which is much drier than the other side of the island.

Photo of the hot tub at Holualoa Inn via TripAdvisor; Photo of the pool at Four Seasons via TripAdvisor

Where to stay on the Big Island

Kona & THe Kona Coast ☀️

Staying along the Kona Coast is my #1 recommendation for your first trip to the Big Island. This is the dry side of the island, so you’ll rarely get any rain (even if it’s raining on the other side of the island!) and there are tons of things to do!

Kona is the place to go night snorkeling with manta rays, and there are lots of great snorkel spots for daytime snorkeling, too. You’ll also have access to the Kona Coffee Belt, where you can visit world-famous Kona coffee farms and gaze down at the gorgeous coastline below.

You can also explore the rest of the island on day trips while staying in Kona. You can get anywhere on the island in around 2 hours or less.

Just keep in mind that there are very few sandy beaches around Kona, and most hotels are up on cliffs, so you can’t walk out your hotel room onto the beach. That said, I still think this is the best area to stay on the Big Island! My Kona hotel recommendations:

• $$$$ Four Seasons Resort Hualalai: This gorgeous luxury resort is absolutely the nicest place to stay on the island! It’s situated between Kona and Kohala on a pristine white sandy beach (sandy beaches aren’t common in Kona!)
• $$$ Holualoa Inn: Eco-boutique inn along the Kona Coffee Belt with breathtaking views, an infinity pool, onsite spa, and delicious food. It’s one of the most unique places to stay in Kona and it’s on my bucket-list!
• $$ Kona Coast Resort (Where I stayed!): Great value resort with two pool areas, a pool bar, and spacious condos that have full kitchens and balconies. We liked this place a lot more than we expected! There’s a great snorkel beach only a 15 minute walk (or 2 minute drive) away.
• $$ Kona Tiki Hotel: Excellent mid-range hotel overlooking the ocean with an infinity pool and clean, modern rooms. Close to downtown Kona, and one of the few waterfront hotels in the area.
• $ Ocean View VRBO: Highly-rated vacation rental with an ocean view and pool access! It’s just a few minutes from downtown Kona.
• $ Downtown Kona VRBO: Affordable downtown apartment in a walkable area. You also get access to a pool, hot tub, and beach chairs. This is a great place to stay if you’re visiting Hawaii on a budget!

Aerial shot of luxurious Mauna Lani via TripAdvisor; Aerial shot of the calm cove at Fairmont Orchid via TripAdvisor

KOHALA COAST 🏝️

North of Kona, you’ll find Kohala. This area is absolutely the most expensive part of the Big Island, with luxurious resorts and sandy beach.

Like Kona, the Kohala Coast is almost always sunny! And this part of the island has some of the best beaches. So, if you’re looking for a beach getaway, head to Kohala.

Keep in mind that there aren’t as many restaurants and businesses in Kohala (compared to Kona), and besides beach-going, there isn’t much to do. That said, you can visit anywhere else on the island on a day trip! My recommendations for Kohala resorts:

• $$$ Fairmont Orchid: Beautiful luxury resort with a protected lagoon for snorkeling, and a sandy beach! The 32-acre property features a gorgeous open-air spa, a diversity of restaurants and bars, and onsite golf.
• $$$ Hapuna Beach Resort: Clean, modern rooms with a large sandy beach and onsite spa! You also get access to the nearby Mauna Kea Beach Hotel since they’re sister properties.
• $$$ Mauna Kea Beach Hotel: Another beautiful beach resort. This is a sister property to the Hapuna Beach Resort, so you can take a shuttle to the restaurants at the other resort.
• $$$$ Mauna Lani: High-end resort with a sandy beach and turquoise blue water, excellent service, two restaurants, and two golf courses.

Hiking beneath a rainbow at Volcanoes National Park; a cozy room at Volcano Village Lodge via TripAdvisor

VOLCANO 🌋

After Kona, Volcano Village is my second recommendation for an area to stay on the Big Island! This charming artsy town is situated right outside Volcanoes National Park and is a lovely place to stay for a night or a few while exploring all the park has to offer.

Volcano is located at about 4,000 feet above sea level, so temperatures are cooler, and you can also expect frequent rain. But rain is apart of the island experience, so pack a rain jacket and embrace it!

From here you can enjoy a small selection of locally owned boutique shops and restaurants, and get front row access to the Kīlauea volcano. There are lots of hikes in the area. My favorite was the Kīlauea Iki trail. You can also see the volcano’s steam vents, walk through a lava tube, and drive along the scenic Chain of Craters road. The best places to stay in Volcano Village include:

• $$$ Kilauea Lodge: Beautifully decorated historic lodge surrounded by lush foliage, with a restaurant onsite.
• $$$ Volcano Village Lodge: Serene property with private bungalows immersed in the jungle. Most of the bungalows feature beautiful soaking tubs.
• $$$ At the Craters Edge: Cozy villas, each equipped with a fireplace and surrounded by lush gardens. There is a shared outdoor hot tub.
• $$ Hale ‘Ohu Bed & Breakfast: Highly-rated bed-and-breakfast with simple rooms, on a beautiful property.

The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls in Hilo, photo via TripAdvisor

HILO & Pahoa 🌈

I once heard someone say that Hilo is the most ‘normal’ city in Hawaii. It does feel really local, and was quite a bit bigger than I expected! Besides a few streets of boutique shops, Hilo does not cater to tourists at all, but many people still like to visit to get a peek into a different side of Hawaii.

My favorite part of about staying in Hilo is being so close to the east side’s many waterfalls, including Rainbow Falls and Akaka Falls. Hilo is also much closer to the summit of Kīlauea at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (compared to Kona), so it’s a good place to stay overnight if you want to do an early morning volcano hike.

Keep in mind that this side of the island is notoriously rainy! That’s why there are so many beautiful waterfalls and lush foliage, of course! Most of these hotels are located in Hilo, but my top recommendation in the area is a bed-and-breakfast in Pāhoa, a small town south of Hilo.

• $$ Ma’ukele Lodge (Pāhoa): This locally owned bed-and-breakfast is situated beside a beautiful black sand beach and close to some hot springs! It’s a bit off the beaten path, but well worth visiting if you want to experience a part of the island few visitors ever see!
• $$-$$$ The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls: Staying here grants you access to the gorgeous onsite waterfall! Book a room with a view of the falls for a dreamy stay! Keep in mind that the cabins here do not have AC.
• $ SCP Hilo Hotel: Sustainable budget-friendly hotel in Hilo with a beautiful koi pond and a small swimming pool. Paddle boards are available to explore the lagoon across the street! I stayed here for a night and enjoyed the property overall, but had a little difficulty sleeping because of light coming into the windows and noise from outside the room. It’s a great budget hotel but not the best place for light sleepers!
• $ Old Hawaiian Bed and Breakfast: Excellent bed-and-breakfast on the outskirts of Hilo. It’s a peaceful property with budget-friendly rooms and a delicious breakfast!

Our rental car in Hawaii! We got a free upgrade to a convertible thanks to our credit card (details here)

Getting around the Big Island

A few of the best things to do on Hawaii’s Big Island!

Top 10 Things to do on Hawaii’s Big Island for First-Timers

1. Night snorkel with manta rays

Snorkeling with manta rays in the wild was the #1 thing on my Big Island bucket-list, and it was even more special than I could have imagined!

Between 200-300 manta rays live along the Kona Coast, and local researchers and tour guides know them all by name because of their unique markings. Snorkeling with these gentle giants (who reach up to 30 feet!) is one of the best things to do in Hawai’i, but you have to do it at night!

Here’s how it works: Manta rays eat plankton, which is drawn to light. Local tour operators shine massive lights into the water at night to attract plankton, and the mantas show up ready for dinner!

You get to float on the surface with snorkel gear, gazing down as the mantas playfully spin and flip while eating the plankton below you. When we did this, we saw at least 8 individual mantas, and they got incredibly close.

You’re absolutely not allowed to touch a manta (or any other wildlife for that matter!) but if they touch you, you’re considered blessed.

We went on this manta snorkel tour and had an incredible time—you get to sail out to Manta Ray Village from Kona on a luxury catamaran, and I love that it’s run by a Hawaiian-owned company!

My husband, Josh, gazing out at the insane volcanic landscapes of Hawaii’s Kīlauea Iki Trail

2. Hike a Lava Lake in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park

Have you ever walked through a lava lake? If not, check out the Kīlauea Iki Trail at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park! (And if you have, you still have to check this out!!)

This 3.2-mile loop guides you across the Kīlauea Iki crater floor, which was once a bubbling lake of lava during the 1959 volcanic eruption. Now it’s a blackened, barren landscape of hardened lava with giant cracks in the earth! 🌋🤯

The trail also takes you through lush tropical forests and along the rim of the crater, where you can look out upon the otherworldly landscape you just walked through! And I highly recommend taking a slight detour during your hike to walk through the 500-year-old Thurston Lava Tube, which is a short walk off the trail. (The lava tube and trail are both pinned on my Big Island map!)

This is a relatively short hike, but it gets more difficult the later you go because of the heat and 700 feet elevation gain. I’d aim on going early in the day, ideally around 8am or earlier! Be sure to bring plenty of water and a snack or two.

Keep in mind that the hike is inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, and you need a day pass or annual America The Beautiful pass to visit. Since there are other spots on the Big Island that require the same pass, it might be worth getting the annual pass! National Parks Pass details.

Fish and coral at Kahalu’u Beach Park, and me freediving at Kealakekua Bay, two of the best snorkel spots on the Big Island

3. Snorkel with Sea Turtles, Tropical Fish, and Vibrant Coral

The Big Island has the best snorkeling I’ve experienced in Hawai’i! Everywhere I snorkeled, I saw a diversity of fish and healthy coral, with incredibly clear water! My favorite Big Island snorkel spots are pinned on my Big Island map, but here’s an overview:

• 🐡 Kahalu’u Beach Park: The BEST place to snorkel on the Big Island, where I saw the most diversity of marine life, including sea turtles, eels, and tons of fish! You do have to pay to park here, but they provide free reef safe sunscreen and mask defogger, and always have volunteers to tell you about all the species that call this beach home!
• 🤿 Honaunau Bay (Two Step Beach): This calm bay is another great snorkeling spot, and it’s right next to Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, a preserved historic Hawaiian site that’s also worth visiting!
• 🐠 Kealakekua Bay (Captain Cook Monument): This secluded bay is home to the Captain Cook monument, which marks where the infamous explorer was killed. I enjoyed seeing the giant brain coral and freediving beside the big drop-off, but didn’t enjoy the crowds of other snorkelers and many kayaks (which are very difficult to see when you’re under the water… I hit my head 3x!) Either hike 2 miles from the parking lot (and 2 miles back), kayak a mile to the bay, or go on a boat tour. I did this catamaran boat tour and had an excellent experience!
• 🐢 Richardson Ocean Park: This black sand beach is one of the best places to snorkel near Hilo, and apparently one of the best paces to spot sea turtles on the entire island!

4. Go whale watching

If you visit the Big Island during humpback whale season (December-April), consider going on a whale watching tour! You’ll get to see these majestic creatures up close (but not too close) and learn all about them from a local guide.

I saw several humpback whales (including a newborn baby!!) on my Kealakekua Bay boat tour, so I can only imagine how many you’d see on a dedicated whale watching tour!

This zodiac raft whale watching tour is my recommendation — you get to jet along the Kona coast in a zodiac raft, which an adventure in and of itself! As you search for humpback whales, you’ll also learn about the island’s history, explore hidden sea caves and lava tubes, and perhaps spot other marine life, like dolphins, manta rays, and sea turtles.

Scenes from Waipi’o Valley

5. Visit Waipi’o Valley

This sacred valley is one of the most breathtaking places in Hawai’i, with 4,000-foot lush cliffs with stunning waterfalls and 1400 years of taro farming. Once home to over 10,000 Hawaiians, Waipio Valley is now only populated by a few families who carry the legacy and traditional taro farming lifestyle.

Waipi’o Valley is closed to visitors, but there is one way you can visit — by taking an incredible tour led by valley residents with Waipio Valley Shuttle. I can’t recommend this experience enough, it was absolutely the most special thing I did on the Big Island.

The 3-hour experience starts when you board the Waipio Valley shuttle, a van with all the windows punched out so you can see—and feel—everything. A local guide who grew up in the valley—and still farms taro there to this day—drives you down the steep, winding road into the valley as you gaze out at the picturesque black sand beach and get your first glimpses of the valley’s lush landscapes.

You’ll undoubtedly run into some of the valley’s wild (but friendly) horses, then drive through the community as you learn about the important role this place has played in Hawaiian history, the devastating tsunamis, and what life is like today in the valley.

After driving over a few creeks and stopping to gaze up at the gigantic waterfall, you stop at a taro patch and maybe even get the chance to plant your own taro—my husband did!!

If you don’t have time on your Big Island itinerary to go on the valley tour, you can still get a glimpse of it from the Waipio Valley lookout, which is public and free to visit! It’s pinned on my Big Island map and is a must-visit spot if you’re driving between Kona and Hilo along Highway 19.

Rainbow Falls and ‘Akaka Falls, two must-visit waterfalls on the Big Island!

6. Chase waterfalls

The Big Island is home to an abundance of beautiful waterfalls, but many of them are on private land or inaccessible. Here are the best waterfalls to visit (and how to visit them!)

• 🌈 Rainbow Falls: Beautiful waterfall only 10 minutes from downtown Hilo! Free to visit, and super accessible with a viewing platform over the falls. Visit in the morning for a chance to see the rainbow! No swimming here.
• 👙 Kulaniapia Falls: The best Big Island waterfall for swimming! Get a day pass for about $69, or stay overnight at the Inn at Kulaniapia Falls for free access to the falls!
• 📷 ʻAkaka Falls: Breathtaking 450-foot waterfall accessible via a short walk through the rainforest. It costs $10 to park and $5 per person to enter, and is definitely worth the money. No swimming here.
• 🌿 Peʻepeʻe Falls: 50-foot waterfall just up the road from Rainbow Falls in Hilo, near Boiling Pots! Spot it from the road, but no swimming here.
• 🥾 Umauma Falls: Beautiful 300-foot waterfall on private property. There are a few ways you can visit—pay $5 to walk to the falls on a self-guided tour, go ziplining over the falls, or go paddle-boarding and swimming.
• 🌺 KoleKole Falls: Picturequse 250-foot waterfall that you can zipline over!
• ⛰️ Hiʻilawe Falls: The tallest waterfall in Hawaii (between 1200-1600 feet tall), located in Waipio Valley. Inaccessible and located on private property, but you can get a good look at it if you take the Waipio Valley Shuttle!

Josh and I exploring Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park

7. Immerse in Hawaiian culture and history

In my opinion, the Big Island is the best Hawaiian island to learn about Hawaiian history! There are several national historical parks with ruins (and replicas) of historic Hawaiian temples, fish ponds, and other structures.

The best place to go is Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, which is the best Hawaiian archeological site I’ve seen on any of the the islands. The area was once Royal Grounds for the aliʻi (royalty), and a place of refuge where lawbreakers could flee to—and have a chance to be absolved of their crimes.

Today you can explore the 180-acre property on a self-guided tour. Definitely grab one of the official visitor’s booklets as they have information about each structure! The park is apart of the National Parks system, so you can enter with an annual America The Beautiful Pass, or pay for a day pass. And if you like snorkeling, be sure to check out nearby Honaunau Bay (Two Step Beach), which is adjacent to the national park!

The Big Island is rich in history, so there are historic and sacred sites all around. A few other tips for depending your understanding of Hawaii during your vacation include:

• ✍🏽 Find Hawaiian petroglyphs: You can see Hawaiian petroglyphs at several sites, including Puakō Petroglyph Preserve, Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, and Waikoloa Petroglyph Reserve, all saved on my Big Island map!
• 🛝 Learn about the Hawaiian slide on a boat tour: The Keauhou Holua Slide was a giant slide where royal Hawaiians would go “land sledding” 1,300 feet down the hillside as part of a game! Isn’t that so cool?! You can see the remnants of the slide (and learn about it) if you go on a boat tour along the Kona Coast, I learned about it on this snorkel tour.
• 🌿 Visit Waipi’o Valley: Waipio Valley keeps coming up in this guide because I love it so much! As I’ve mentioned before, go on the Waipio Valley Shuttle to learn about this sacred historic valley.
• 🌋 Explore with a local guide: There are tons of tours on the Big Island (browse here), many of which are led by local Hawaiians. This award-winning full-day adventure around the island is great if you’re short on time and want to see all the main sights, while getting historical insights from an expert guide.
• 🚙 Listen to an audiobook about Hawaii: Listening to an audiobook about the place I’m visiting during my trip is one of my favorite things to do! And there are tons of great fiction AND nonfiction about Hawaii. On our recent Big Island trip we listened to Sharks in the Time of Saviors, which partially takes place on the Big Island.

Exploring the rows of coffee plants at Greenwell Farms

8. Tour a Kona coffee farm

The rich coffee grown along the Big Island’s Kona Coffee Belt has a reputation for being some of the best coffee in the world! Touring one of the small-scale family-run coffee farms here is one of the best things to do on the island, especially if you’re a coffee lover.

On my recent Big Island trip, we went on the free Greenwell Farms tour and learned so much—and of course, tasted plenty of coffee! They offer free tours every 30 minutes between 9am and 3pm daily, which last around 45-60 minutes.

I’ve also heard lovely things about Heavenly Hawaiian, another coffee farm along the Kona Coffee Belt. Their one-hour farm tours are offered every 30 minutes between 8:30am and 3:30pm, and cost $20 per person. They also offer a coffee brewing experience and several other unique tours.

Also Read: 10 Things to do in Kealakekua and Captain Cook (Kona’s Coffee Belt & Nearby)

Punalu’u Beach, arguably the best black sand beach in Hawai’i!

9. Visit a black sand beach

Hawai’i is one of the few places on earth where you can find black sand beaches. And the Big Island has the majority of Hawaii’s black sand beaches, so visiting at least one is a must-do!

If you only have time to see one black sand beach, my recommendation is to check out Punalu’u Beach, which is a 5-minute drive off Hawai’i Belt road on the drive between Kona and Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. It’s not only easy to get to, it’s also just beautiful with wispy palm trees, charcoal black sand, tide pools, and often, sea turtles! There were about 7 sea turtles resting on the beach when we visited—as a reminder, stay at least 10 feet away.

Kehena Beach is another excellent black sand beach, but it’s further off the beaten path. You’ll have to drive about 50 minutes from Hilo, then hike down a rugged, steep trail. But then you’re rewarded with a gorgeous, uncrowded black sand beach! Kehena is a nude-friendly beach—if you don’t want to encounter a few naked sun-tanners, avoid this beach!

Waipi’o Valley is also home to a beautiful black sand beach, which you cannot visit (unless you were to go with a local), but you can get a great view of it (and great pictures) from the Waipio Valley lookout. The lookout and the other black sand beaches are all pinned on my Big Island map.

Photos of the summit of Mauna Kea from TripAdvisor

10. Go stargazing at Mauna Kea

Another one of the best things to do on the Big Island is to go stargazing at the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii’s tallest mountain! And part of this unique adventure includes watching the sunset over the clouds from the summit while you wait for the stars to come out!

Since the summit closes to the public 30 minutes after sunrise, the only way to do this is to book a tour with one of the local operators who have access to the summit after closing time.

My recommendation is this Mauna Kea stargazing tour, which includes round-trip transportation in a 4×4 van from Hilo, Kona, or Waikoloa. Once you make it to the summit, you get to watch the sunset and then your brilliant local guides use laser points to show you the sights above, with stories that weave together astronomy and Hawaiian history.

If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly version of this experience, try to get a reservation for stargazing at the Maunakea Visitor Information Station (VIS). It usually only happens once a month, so the timing has to be perfect! Otherwise, you can explore Mauna Kea during the day, but you’ll have to leave right after sunset.

Zip-lining over KoleKole Falls is one of the best things to do on the Big Island! Photo via TripAdvisor

11. Zip line over a waterfall

Flying over a breathtaking waterfall on a zip-line is another one of the best things to do in Hawaii! And there are a few waterfalls where you can do this—specifically KoleKole Falls and Umauma Falls, both on the east side of the island.

If you’ve never been zip-lining before, this is a great place to start, but beware—these gorgeous zip-line courses will leave you will very high expectations for any future zip-lining!

The KoleKole Falls zip-line is a 7-line course that gradually increases in length and height. As you sail through the sky along a lush ridge, you get views of the turquoise blue ocean. The last line takes you over 250-foot KoleKole Falls along one of the longest zip-lines in the US!

Meanwhile, the 9-line Umauma Falls zip-line course takes you over several rivers and waterfalls, including 300-foot Umauma Falls, with views of the ocean along the way. There are four dual lines, so you can zip-line with friends, which makes it even more fun!

12. Try local food

If you’re a foodie like me, this one is a no-brainer! Some of the best foods (and treats) to try in Hawai’i include poke, acai, shave ice, poi, and traditional Hawaiian plate lunch. I have all my favorite spots saved on my Big Island map, but here’s a quick overview of a few places to check out—they’re all vegan-friendly, too!

• 🥭 Hilo Farmer’s Market: A daily market in downtown Hilo with tons of fresh tropical fruit, yummy drinks, and local treats.
• 🤠 Waimea Farmer’s Markets: The cute cowboy (yes, cowboy!) town of Waimea has several weekly farmers’ markets, each teeming with unique local food and other goods!
• 🍱 Honaunau Poke Shop: This roadside poke shop has tons of poke options and sides, and everything can be ordered by the pound if you want to try a bunch of stuff!
• 🍓 Journey Cafe Big Island: Excellent acai bowls in downtown Kona!
• 🍧 Kula Shave Ice: The best shave ice I’ve ever had, all made with natural (delicious!) ingredients. Located in downtown Hilo, right by the farmer’s market.
• 🥥 Fresh Off the Grid, Kohala: Excellent food truck with local food, shave ice, fresh juices, and other goodies!

13. Drink local beer

Kailua-Kona is home to the world-famous Kona Brewing Co. microbrewery, which is a lovely place to go for dinner and drink (or tasting flight!) Kona Brewing also offers brewery tours daily! I’m not a big beer person, but loved their lemongrass beer—it’s probably the most delicious beer I’ve ever tried, and my husband who is a beer lover also really enjoyed it!

We both also really enjoy nearby Ola Brew Co, a smaller local brewery that serves unique beers, plus hard juice, seltzers, and hard tea! It’s got more of a local vibe (with fewer tourists compared to Kona Brewing) and really delicious drinks made from tropical ingredients.

A few other Big Island breweries include Big Island Brewhaus in Waimea, Hilo Brewing Company, and Wailuku Brew Works. And if you prefer wine, check out Volcano Winery, right outside of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in Volcano Village!

14. Visit the Big Island’s best farmer’s markets

Some of Hawaii’s farmers’ markets have already gotten a shout-out in this article, but I had to include this as one of the best things to do on the Big Island!

There are farmers’ markets in nearly every town on the island, each with local vendors and an abundance of delicious tropical fruit. And trust me, the fruit here does not compare to what we’re used to back on the mainland! Farmer’s market fruit is usually much better than the fruit available at the supermarkets in Hawaii, too.

The farmer’s market is a great place to try tropical fruit, grab a few veggies for groceries (if you plan to cook during your vacation), grab lunch from a local vendor, and even shop for unique handmade souvenirs!

There are tons of farmers’ markets on the island. My favorite include the Hilo Farmers Market and Waimea Farmers Market, both pinned on my Big Island map.

15. Go on a sunset cruise along the picturesque Kona coast

If you’ve read some of my other travel guides (like my Kauai guide), you’ll know that sailing the ocean at sunset is one of my all-time favorite things to do on vacation, no matter where I am in the world.

And one of the best reasons to go on a sunset cruise in Kona is that you can get a sunset cruise AND manta ray snorkeling all in one if you do a boat tour like this one.

That said, if snorkeling with giant manta rays isn’t your thing, there are still regular sunset cruises you can go on along the Kona coast! This luxury catamaran sunset sail is my recommendation, especially if you’re looking for something romantic do to on the Big Island for an anniversary (or maybe a honeymoon!)

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