Big Island Hawaii Self-Guided Driving Tour

Hilo is a town on Hawaii, commonly called the Big Island, in the state of Hawaii. It’s known for Wailuku River State Park, featuring Waianuenue, or Rainbow Falls, with its colorful mist effects. The bubbling basalt-lava rock pools known as the Boiling Pots are nearby. To the south is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, home to rainforests and the active Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes. Note: The tour is over 300+ miles long, with more than 210+ audio stories, and takes about 7-8 hours to complete. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. (30 mins)

The deck is a steel grid which creates a singing sound from the tires of cars driving on it. (30 mins)

Quiet peaceful location to just sit and relax (30 mins)

Popular with surfers, this picturesque cove is located less than two miles from downtown Hilo. It’s rocky bottom and occasional strong currents make it less of a swimming beach and more of a great spot for experienced surfers and watching surfing pros. Limited parking; must be able to climb down/up stairs to get to this beach.

Discover this 0.8-km out-and-back trail near Pepeekeo, Hawaii. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 13 min to complete. This trail is great for hiking and walking. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash.

The Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden is a nonprofit botanical garden and nature preserve (20 mins)

World Botanical Gardens and Waterfalls is a commercial botanical gardens with a large waterfall, located between Umauma and Hakalau, at the corner of Leopolino Road and Hawaii Belt Road, State Highway 19, 16 miles north of Hilo, Island of Hawaiʻi, Hawaii. (60 mins)

A lush rainforest attraction with tropical gardens, waterfalls, and family-friendly outdoor adventures like ziplining and suspension bridges. It’s a fun stop for nature lovers looking to explore Big Island’s scenic, greener side. (20 mins)

Small Waterfall (30 mins)

Kolekole Beach Park is a Hawaii county park on the island of Hawaii.

On April 1, 1946 the Big Island of Hawaiʻi was struck by the so-called "April Fools Day tsunami", originating from the Aleutian Islands earthquake. Approximately 160 people on the island were killed. While the greatest number of deaths occurred in Hilo, the school building at Laupāhoehoe was inundated, and twenty students and four teachers were drowned. A monument to the dead now stands on Laupāhoehoe Point.

As you drive 20-minutes north of Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, you’ll marvel at the rugged lava fields surrounding you. You may not see it from Queen Kaahumanu Highway, but the Kohala Coast is where you’ll find some of the island’s finest resorts. (30 mins)

Anna Ranch Heritage Center is a former cattle ranch in Waimea, Hawaii County, Hawaii named for Anna Leialoha Lindsey Perry-Fiske (1900–1995). (20 mins)

The purpose of the Laupahoehoe Train Museum is to preserve, promote and protect the historic, cultural, educational, social, civic and economic interests of the North Hilo and Hamakua districts, while highlighting the history of the railroads on the island of Hawaii. (20 mins)

Get to know this 7.7-km out-and-back trail near Waikoloa Village, Hawaii. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 1 h 44 min to complete. This trail is great for hiking and trail running.

Picturesque lookout point offering sweeping views of the ocean, sunset & passing whales.

Waikoloa Beach is an area located on the South Kohala coast on the island of Hawaii and is located in the census-designated place of Puako. It can be confused for Waikoloa Village, a CDP in the same "ahupuaʻa" and is also known as "Waikoloa". (30 mins)

One of the Big Island’s most popular white-sand beaches, known for its wide shoreline, clear water, and great swimming conditions. It’s a perfect stop for relaxing, sunbathing, or enjoying a classic Hawaiʻi beach day. (30 mins)

Kekaha Kai State Park, formerly known as Kona Coast State Park, is a beach park located along the north Kona coast on the island of Hawaiʻi. The main beach areas are Maniniʻowali Bay, Makalawena beach at Puʻu Aliʻi Bay, and Mahaiʻula Bay.

Kīholo Bay is located in the ahupua`a of Pu`u Wa`awa`a in the North Kona District on the Big Island of Hawaii. the land surrounding the bay is flanked to the South by a lava flow from Mount Hualalai ca. 1801 and another flow from Mauna Loa in 1859.

Public park with white sand beach & rocky shoreline, offering lifeguard-overseen swimming & surfing. (30 mins)

Small beach & reef with generally calm water, making it a popular place to snorkel. (20 mins)

The Kuamoʻo Burials (also known as the Lekeleke Burial Grounds) is a historic Hawaiian burial site for warriors killed during a major battle in 1819.

Captain Cook is a census-designated place in Hawaiʻi County, Hawaiʻi, in the United States, located in the District of South Kona. The community, within the land division of Kealakekua, is so named because the post office for the area was located in the Captain Cook Coffee Co. during the early 1900s.

Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located on the west coast of the island of Hawaiʻi in the U.S. state of Hawaii. (20 mins)

Pāhala is a census-designated place in Hawaiʻi County, Hawaiʻi, United States. The population was 1,356 at the 2010 census.

Kīlauea is an active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands. Historically, it is the most active of the five volcanoes that together form the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. (60 mins)

Kona coffee is the market name for coffee (Coffea arabica) cultivated on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South Kona Districts of the Big Island of Hawaii. It is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. (20 mins)

The Hawaiʻi Belt Road is a modern name for the Māmalahoa Highway and consists of Hawaiʻi state Routes 11, 19, and 190 that encircle the Island of Hawaiʻi.

Pebble Beach got its name because instead of a sandy beach it's full of pebbles. The pebbles are black so it gives the appearance of a black sand beach but it won't be sandy here. (30 mins)

Centuries-old lava caves & tube systems once used by native tribes for shelter & water collection. (20 mins)

Punaluʻu Beach is a beach between Pāhala and Nāʻālehu on the Big Island of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The beach has black sand made of basalt and created by lava flowing into the ocean which explodes as it reaches the ocean and cools. This volcanic activity is in the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

The Hawai'i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) is a Mars and Moon ... located on a Mars-like site on the Mauna Loa volcano on Hawai'i Island.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is on Hawaii Island (the Big Island). At its heart are the Kīlauea and Mauna Loa active volcanoes. The Crater Rim Drive passes steam vents and the Jaggar Museum, which features volcanology exhibits and a viewpoint overlooking Halema'uma'u Crater. Thick ferns mark the entrance to the Thurston Lava Tube (Nāhuku). The Chain of Craters Road weaves over lava. Trails crisscross the park. (120 mins)

Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the Kona District on the Big island of Hawaiʻi in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi. It includes the National Historic Landmarked archaeological site known as the Honokōhau Settlement.

A small but fascinating museum in Hilo showcasing Hawaiian history, geology, and island culture through thoughtful exhibits. It’s a great stop for travelers who want deeper context on the Big Island beyond the scenery. (20 mins)

A sweet stop where you can learn about locally made Hawaiian chocolate and pick up handmade treats. It’s a fun visit for chocolate lovers who want a taste of something uniquely Big Island. (20 mins)

A meaningful museum in Hilo that shares the island’s tsunami history through survivor stories, exhibits, and local records. It’s an insightful stop that offers a deeper understanding of the forces that have shaped coastal Hawaiʻi. (20 mins)

A beautiful rainforest park home to one of the Big Island’s most famous waterfalls, plunging dramatically into a lush gorge. The short walking loop makes it an easy and scenic stop for tropical views and classic Hawaiʻi beauty. (20 mins)

A scenic park in Hilo best known for Rainbow Falls and the dramatic lava rock formations of Boiling Pots. It’s an easy stop for beautiful views and a quick look at the power of the island’s waterways. (20 mins)