Hawaii Volcanoes National Park protects two different volcanoes: Kilauea and Mauna Loa. The park is a popular spot on Big Island tours that also include stops at sights such as Rainbow Falls and the Hamakua Coast. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park tours from Oahu are a great way to visit the park and generally include round-trip airfare. Other tour options include Kilauea volcano bike tours and helicopter rides.
Once at the park, you can stop in at the park's Jaggar Museum to learn about earthquakes, geology, and seismology, or ask your tour guide for more details. You can also learn about why lava from active volcanoes still flows to the sea and occasionally covers roads and hear the storyof Pele, Hawaii's volcano goddess.
Eruptive activity changes daily, so no two trips are the same.
You can buy Hawaii Volcanoes National Park tickets online or when you arrive. There are no entrance fees on select national holidays and interagency pass–holders visit for free.
Volcano tours get you close to the action, visiting popular sites such as Halemaumau Crater, the Kilauea Iki crater, and Devastation Trail.
Bring a warm jacket for the brisk air at the 4,000-foot (1,200-meter) Kilauea summit. Pack a rain jacket for the lush environment around the Thurston Lava Tube.
Some guided hiking tours go through rugged terrain, and aren’t suitable for wheelchairs or travelers with limited mobility.
It's important to hike the area around Kilauea safely; consider traveling with a professional tour guide.
Because volcanic activity is tough to predict, it's almost impossible to plan your trip around lava flow. Weather at the park can range from 45°F (7°C) with rain and wind at the summit of Kilauea to 85°F (29°C) by the shoreline; travel with multiple layers that are suitable for all conditions.
Kilauea has destroyed nearly 200 structures during its most recent eruption. Lava covered the entire village of Kalapana, and over 500 acres of new land have appeared since 1983. As you'll learn on guided tours, parts of the ground are still very brittle due to the surface being so young.
