https://https://uk.trip.com/toplist/tripbest/recommend/hawaii-island/best-things-to-do/10070001928090
Best Things to Do
Top 10 Best Things to Do in Hawaii island [2025]
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Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
4.7
/5
285 reviews
6.1
Based on 8,790 reviews
21.6 km from downtown
Phone +1-808-985-6011
Address: Hawaii, United States
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 days
Highlights:
Explore ruins & visit museum
Lava tunnels & volcanic rainforest
Verified user reviews
I had the opportunity to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii, USA. It is an amazing place where we can see the crater of a volcano that is still moving molten rock (there are only a few places in the world). It is easily accessible. We will receive excellent knowledge in geology, including natural beauty, including plants and wildlife that are unique to this area. If you are interested in geology, you will not be disappointed. P.S. If you are lucky, you will see hot molten rock flowing in a red line.
This summer, it is worthwhile to visit Hawaii Volcano Park to see the erupting volcano. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is located on Hawaii Island in the state of Hawaii, USA. It covers an area of 929 square kilometers and mainly includes two modern active volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was listed as a World Natural Heritage in 1987. Hawaii Island is the largest island in the Hawaiian Islands in the North Pacific and part of the state of Hawaii, USA. It covers an area of 10,458 square kilometers, is saddle-shaped, and has many volcanoes. Hawaii Island is also called the "Volcano Island". There are countless volcanoes there. When the volcano erupts, it is magnificent and spectacular. It can be called a great masterpiece of the Creator. Unlike the volcanic eruptions on the Mediterranean and the edge of the Pacific Ocean, the volcanic eruptions on the Big Island are not dangerous, but attract tourists to watch. The crater is often tens to hundreds of meters deep and thousands of meters in diameter. The black hole is like a giant iron pot, emitting a pungent smell of sulfur. After the lava cools and solidifies, it looks like paint squeezed out of a tube, black and shiny, and stretches as far as the eye can see. There is no grass, no birds or animals here, and no trace of life. It seems that time has gone back thousands of years. As time passes, the lava begins to weather, and the vigorous plants take root and sprout again. Hundreds of years later, the place where the lava flows is lush with plants and dense forests. There are dense tropical rainforests here. There are also animals such as bats, Hawaiian geese, eagles, crows, Hawaiian white-bellied waterfowl, etc. Kilauea and Mauna Loa, two modern active volcanoes, are the main components of this park. At the same time, they are also the famous and significant symbols of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The park was established in 1961 by an act of the United States Congress and became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1980. The status of the park does not prevent local people from carrying out traditional activities in the park. Local people do not have to pay the $5 entrance fee to visit the park regularly. The park receives about two million visitors every year with good facilities. Exhibitions, film screenings, and a large amount of documentation are held in the spacious visitor center, and the center also provides special guided tours. A network of asphalt roads allows visitors to circle the rim of Kilauea or walk all the way to the beach. The scenery is stunning, and the walking trails are extensive. As the sun sets, you'll see silver-grey craters spewing smoke, piles of orange sulfur, mineral-rich deserts, and dense forests where towering ferns intertwine with dark foliage. Visitors can climb the 4,170-meter-high Mauna Loa volcano, a mountain formed by repeated lava flows, and its beautifully rounded summit is sometimes covered with snow. This time, we saw an active volcanic eruption, but we didn't expect it to continue until now, and it feels more and more powerful. I don't know what will happen next...
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49 Black Sand Beach
4.1
/5
9 reviews
4.8
Based on 755 reviews
48.9 km from downtown
Phone +1-808-8870531
Address: Waikoloa Beach Resort, HI 96738, United States
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
No.2 of Water fun & Cool Retreats in Hawaii island
Highlights:
Stroll Along Basalt Black Sand Beach
Watch sea turtles nest on the beach at night
Verified user reviews
What could be more thrilling than standing the required 10 feet from a gigantic green sea turtle?
There weren't too many people on the black beach. It might be because it was late when we arrived and the tourists had dispersed. I thought it was too late and there was nothing to see, but I didn't expect the sunset here to be so beautiful.
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Rainbow Falls
4.4
/5
61 reviews
4.7
Based on 4,014 reviews
61.5 km from downtown
Phone +1-808-5870320
Address: Hilo, HI 96720, United States
Recommended sightseeing time: 0.5-1 hour
Highlights:
Unique waterfall during dry season
Rare Hawaiian waterfall & thunderous sound
Verified user reviews
Stairway path up isn't too difficult path down to the trail is an easy trip very amazing views.
Great place to stop first thing in the morning. Very pretty spot. Nice water fall
No.
4
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Mauna Kea
4.2
/5
95 reviews
4.7
Based on 2,226 reviews
37.2 km from downtown
Address: Hawaii 96720, United States
Recommended sightseeing time: 0.5 day
Highlights:
4207 meters panoramic Hawaii view
Rare Hawaiian snow in winter
Verified user reviews
it was such a beautiful experience. especially learning about the stars. highly recommend wearing super warm clothes tho
Mauna Kai is one of the many volcanoes in Hawaii. It is a huge and interesting space. The volcano is quite huge and the whole volcanic atmosphere is quite good. There are some quite big things here. The vegetation near the active volcano is very dense.
No.
5
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Punaluʻu Beach
4.6
/5
125 reviews
4.2
Based on 1,856 reviews
48.3 km from downtown
Phone +1 808-961-8311
Address: Hawaii, United States
Recommended sightseeing time: 3-4 hours
No.1 of Water fun & Cool Retreats in Hawaii island
Highlights:
Great for sunbathing & heat absorption
Ancient volcanic lava black beach
Verified user reviews
Largest black sand beach - lots of sea turtles, and swimmable beach, and beautiful palm trees to shade you from the sun.
It was the first time I saw a black sand beach. Many things here are quite simple. The sand on the black sand beach is also quite comfortable. If you come here to visit, you may have the opportunity to see some big turtles. It is a special place in Hawaii.
No.
6
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Kīlauea
4.0
/5
33 reviews
4.2
Based on 189 reviews
42.9 km from downtown
Phone +1 808-985-6000
Address: Hawaii 96778, United States
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-4 hours
Highlights:
Diverse sightseeing routes to explore the volcano's charm
Close-up view of lava flowing into the sea
27% positive reviews
Verified user reviews
If you visit at Big Island at Hawaii, don't miss this point "Volcano National Park". Recently, if you go to parking lot after google map searching with "Devastration Trail" and walk around 20 minutes, then you can see Lava!! Attatched photo is taken on April 2022 this year.Tip, if you visit here daytime, you can't see lava clearly. Please stay here after sunset.
Nature truly is amazing. One of the highlights of the Big Island tour because there are very few places on Earth where one can see an active volcano like this.
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