⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 Google Rating | Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice
AUTHORIZED HIKING TOURS IN HAWAIʻI VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK & ON MAUNA LOA
Best Big Island Volcano Tours Led by Expert Interpretive Hiking Guides
Aloha, and welcome to Hawaiʻi Island. Join us on foot to explore Kīlauea’s craters, steam vents, lava fields and rainforest in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Along the way, your guide explains the eruptions that shaped the ground beneath you, the native plants growing around it and the stories connected to this extraordinary landscape.
Looking for the best Big Island guided tours for exploring on foot? Our Big Island guided volcano tours give you time to look closely, ask questions and learn about the island’s geology, ecology and history with expert interpretive guides.
Volcanoes Hiking Guides offers small-group and private hiking tours inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and outside the park. Choose a 1.5-hour, 3-hour, 4.5-hour or 6-hour park hike to suit the time you have and how far you want to walk.
Meeting areas vary by experience. Your exact meeting location, map pin and arrival instructions are confirmed after booking.
For a different side of the island, choose our private 5-hour Mauna Loa Ancient Forest & Bird Hike along Saddle Road. This quieter wilderness experience outside the park explores older lava flows, native forest and bird habitat while your guide shares insights into Hawaiʻi’s volcanoes, flora and fauna.
Depending on where you are staying, it can also be a closer hiking option than traveling to the park.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice
Recognized traveler trust
125+ Happy Hikers
Guest experiences
20+ Years of Combined Guiding Experience
Professional experience
Authorized Commercial Hiking Operator
Commercial Use Authorization
Small Groups, Maximum 10 Guests
Hiking equipment available
Hikes from 1.5 to 6 hours
Private options for your own group
Why Choose Volcanoes Hiking Guides?
A good hike leaves you with more than photographs. While many companies focus on getting you from one stop to the next, our Big Island volcano tours bring you into Hawaiʻi’s volcanic landscapes on foot, in small groups with an expert guide. You learn what you’re walking across, notice details you might otherwise pass by and have someone there to answer your questions along the trail.
Hiking Specialists, Not Bus Tours
Hiking is the heart of what we do. On our Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park tours, you meet your guide inside the park and begin exploring from the designated trailhead. Your time is spent walking, stopping to examine lava formations and taking in crater views.
Small Groups and a Personal Pace
Group hikes are limited to a maximum of 10 guests. When a group exceeds eight people from unrelated groups, we add a second guide so guests still have time to ask questions, receive individual attention and hike at a comfortable pace.
Interpretation That Makes the Landscape Meaningful
Why is one lava flow smooth and another jagged? How do plants take hold on volcanic rock? Our experienced interpretive guides explain the geology, ecology, eruption history and cultural importance of the places you visit in clear, everyday language that makes the park easier to understand.
Longer Hikes and Deeper Experiences
Choose a 1.5-hour, 3-hour, 4.5-hour or 6-hour park hike. Longer hikes give you more time to explore volcanic features, notice native plants and see how ecosystems change along the route, with time to look closely at details you might otherwise miss.
A Private Hike Around Your Interests
Want more time for photography, birdwatching or a particular interest? A private hike gives your group more flexibility for questions, rest stops and the things you want to explore, within your booked time and the route’s limits. Tell us what interests you and how you like to hike, and we will help you choose a suitable experience.
TRUSTED AND AUTHORIZED
Each hike is planned around current conditions.
Volcanoes Hiking Guides holds a Commercial Use Authorization for guided hiking in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Our guides monitor park closures, air quality, weather, trail conditions and volcanic activity when planning each experience, and follow park restrictions throughout the hike.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Jennifer was very knowledgeable and answered every question we had.”
Satomi, GetYourGuide
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“She went at our pace and made everyone comfortable.”
Ken, GetYourGuide
Our Big Island volcano tours are for people who want to slow down and truly experience the park. You will hike through Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park with a guide who helps you understand what you are seeing, from Kīlauea’s changing landscape to the native plants and stories that make this place so special.
TOUR SELECTION
Choose Your Big Island Volcano Tour
Explore Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and Mauna Loa with professionally guided Big Island volcano tours designed around your time, hiking ability and interests. Choose from a shorter nature hike, a challenging crater adventure or a private experience.
Every tour begins at a designated trailhead, is led by an expert interpretive guide and may be adjusted for weather, closures and current volcanic conditions.
SMALL GROUP
Small-Group Volcano Hiking Tours
Join a small group and explore some of the most remarkable volcanic landscapes on Hawaiʻi Island. Our volcano hiking tours are limited to small group sizes, creating a more personal experience where you can ask questions, learn from your guide, and hike at a comfortable pace.
SMALL GROUP
3-Hour Nature and Steam Vent Hike
Best for: First-time visitors, families and travelers with limited time
3 hours
Approx. 3–4 miles
From $125.65 per person
— Tax included
Explore geothermal features, native rainforest and volcanic terrain during an accessible introduction to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
-
Steam vents and geothermal activity
-
Native rainforest
-
Volcanic landscapes
-
Small-group interpretation
Common meeting area: Kīlauea Welcome Center at Kīlauea Military Camp
SMALL GROUP
4.5-Hour Kīlauea Iki Crater Hike
Best for: Travelers who want to experience one of the park’s most recognized trails
4.5 hours
Approx. 4.5 miles
From $157.07 per person
Descend through native rainforest and cross the hardened lava lake created by the 1959 Kīlauea Iki eruption while learning how the crater formed and continues to change. Enjoy views of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, where recent lava flows have occurred.
-
Kīlauea Iki Trail
-
Hardened 1959 lava lake
-
Native rainforest
-
Volcanic geology
-
Lava-tube experience
Common meeting area: Kīlauea Iki Overlook area
SMALL GROUP
6-Hour Volcano Adventure Hike
Best for: Active travelers seeking the most complete hiking experience
6 hours
Approx. 8 miles
From $230.37 per person
Spend more time exploring the park’s volcanic landscapes, ecosystems and geological features during a full-day experience with snacks and a freshly prepared gourmet trail lunch.
-
Extended hiking route
-
Diverse volcanic terrain
-
More time for questions and interpretation
-
Gourmet trail lunch
-
Small-group experience
Common meeting area: Kīlauea Visitor Center area
— Tax included
— Tax included
PRIVATE
Private Volcano Tours
Prefer a more personalized experience? Our private volcano tours are reserved exclusively for your group. They provide more flexibility for families, couples, photographers and travelers who prefer a personalized pace while enjoying one-on-one guidance from an experienced interpretive guide.
PRIVATE
Private 3-Hour Volcano Experience
Up to 8 guests
From $628.27 per group
— Tax included
A private introduction to the park planned around your group’s pace, interests and available time.
-
Dedicated private guide
-
Flexible pace for your group
-
Planned around your interests and available time
-
Up to 8 guests
Common meeting area: Kīlauea Welcome Center at Kīlauea Military Camp
PRIVATE
Private 4.5-Hour Kīlauea Iki Crater Hike
Up to 8 guests
From $1,047.12 per group
— Tax included
Explore Kīlauea Iki with dedicated interpretation and more flexibility for questions, photography and pacing.
-
Dedicated interpretive guide
-
More flexibility for questions
-
More time for photography
-
Personalized pacing
-
Up to 8 guests
Common meeting area: Kīlauea Iki Overlook area
PRIVATE
Private 6-Hour Volcano Explorer
Up to 8 guests
From $1,308.90 per group
— Tax included
A private full-day exploration designed for guests who want more time on the trail, deeper interpretation and an experience planned around their group.
-
Full-day private experience
-
Snacks
-
Gourmet trail lunch
-
Dedicated interpretive guide
-
Up to 8 guests
Common meeting area: Kīlauea Visitor Center area
SPECIAL HIKING EXPERIENCES
Two experiences designed to feel different from a standard park tour.
Looking for something different? Choose a family-focused experience designed for keiki and kūpuna, or explore Mauna Loa’s remote native forest on a private birding and volcano hike.
FAMILY EXPERIENCE
01
Keiki to Kūpuna Tour
Best for: Multigenerational families, children and older guests
Approx. 1.5 hours
Shorter, easier walking
Approx. 1–2 miles
Ages 5+
Group or Private
$93.19 per person | $518.32 private
— Tax included
Group: 2–10 guests | Private: up to 8 guests
Bring the whole family for an easy crater-rim walk designed to keep keiki and kūpuna engaged together. Children explore with a volcano-themed scavenger hunt while older guests enjoy deeper geological and Hawaiian cultural stories.
Along the way, your guide highlights steam vents, sulfur banks, ʻōhiʻa trees and native birds before finishing with personalized recommendations for the rest of your park visit.
-
Volcano-themed scavenger hunt
-
Steam vents, sulfur banks & crater-rim scenery
-
Geological & Hawaiian cultural storytelling
-
Personalized park orientation & recommendations
Common meeting area: Kīlauea Military Camp area
MAUNA LOA WILDERNESS
02
Private Mauna Loa Ancient Forest & Bird Hike
Best for: Active travelers, birders and nature lovers
5 hours
Approx. 7–8 miles
Private
Up to 6 Guests
$1,047.12 for up to 6 guests
Follow the historic Puʻu Trail across Mauna Loa's 1855 and 1881 lava flows and into kīpuka filled with koa, ʻōhiʻa and native birdlife. This private Saddle Road experience combines volcanic geology, native forest, birding and Hawaiian cultural context
-
Kīpuka and native Hawaiian forest
-
Private, unhurried wilderness experience
-
Historic Puʻu ʻŌʻō Trail
-
Mauna Loa lava flows and native birding
Common meeting area: Puʻu ʻŌʻō or the confirmed Saddle Road-area access point
— Tax included
Meeting & Route Note: Final meeting details are confirmed after booking. Meeting locations, routes, stops and trail access may change because of weather, volcanic activity, park closures, trail conditions, safety or group ability.
FIND YOUR FIT
Which Hawaii Volcanoes Tour Is Right for You?
The Keiki to Kūpuna Tour is designed for guests who want the shortest and easiest walking experience. The three-hour hike is best for first-time visitors and shorter schedules.
Choose the four-and-a-half-hour hike to cross Kīlauea Iki, select the six-hour adventure when you want the longest park route, more interpretation and a full trail meal, or choose the Ancient Forest & Bird Hike for a private Mauna Loa wilderness experience focused on native forest, birding and older lava flows.
CORE PARK TOURS
SHORTER ADVENTURE
Group & Private
3-Hour Nature & Steam Vent Hike
DURATION
3 Hours
DISTANCE
~3–4 Miles
often shorter
BEST FOR
First-time visitors, families, shorter adventures
Choose this hike when you:
-
Have limited time
-
Want an introduction to the park
-
Prefer a shorter route
-
Are traveling with children or multiple generations
CRATER EXPERIENCE
Group & Private
4.5-Hour Kīlauea Iki Crater Hike
DURATION
4.5 Hours
DISTANCE
4.5 Miles
BEST FOR
Travelers wanting to hike across a volcanic crater
Choose this hike when you:
-
Want to cross Kīlauea Iki
-
Are comfortable with moderate hiking
-
Want rainforest and crater terrain
-
Are especially interested in volcanic geology
FULL-DAY ADVENTURE
Group & Private
6-Hour Volcano Adventure Hike
DURATION
6 Hours
DISTANCE
~8 Miles
BEST FOR
Active hikers seeking a full-day experience
Choose this hike when you:
-
Want the longest standard park hike
-
Are comfortable hiking approximately eight miles
-
Want deeper interpretation across varied volcanic terrain
-
Want a gourmet trail lunch included
SPECIAL PRIVATE EXPERIENCES
FAMILY FOCUSED
Group or Private
Keiki to Kūpuna Tour
DURATION
~1.5 Hours
DISTANCE
~1–2 Miles
BEST FOR
Children, older guests, multigenerational families
Choose this tour when you:
-
Want the shortest experience
-
Prefer an easier walking route
-
Are traveling with children or older family members
-
Want a multigenerational experience
-
Want a scavenger hunt designed for children
MAUNA LAO WILDERNESS
Private
Mauna Loa Ancient Forest & Bird Hike
DURATION
5 Hours
DISTANCE
~7–8 Miles
BEST FOR
Active travelers, birders and native-forest exploration
Choose this hike when you:
-
Want to explore Mauna Loa rather than a crater-rim route
-
Enjoy longer and more remote hiking
-
Are interested in native Hawaiian birds
-
Want to walk through kīpuka and native forest
-
Want to cross older pāhoehoe and ʻaʻā lava flows
-
Prefer a private and unhurried wilderness experience
SIMPLE BOOKING
How Your Guided Volcano Hike Works
1
Choose Your Hike and Date
Compare the duration, walking distance, terrain and recommended fitness level of each group or private experience.
If you are unsure which hike fits, tell us about your group’s hiking experience before booking.
2
Receive Your Final Directions
After booking, you’ll receive the meeting area for your selected hike. Final arrival instructions follow the day before your hike, including the confirmed meeting location, map pin, written directions, parking guidance, arrival time and your assigned guide’s contact details.
Meeting details may change with route selection, park access, weather, volcanic activity and safety conditions. Save your final instructions before leaving an area with reliable mobile service.
3
Meet Your Guide and Get Ready
Arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled start, following the final map pin and written directions for your reservation. If you cannot find the meeting point or parking is full, call your guide or the contact number in your pre-hike message.
Before setting off, your guide reviews the route and current conditions, helps with the available hiking equipment and gives a safety briefing covering footing, staying together and keeping hydrated.
4
Explore, Ask Questions and Take It In
Walk the route with stops for interpretation, photographs and breaks. You might examine the surface of an old lava flow, listen for forest birds or learn how a crater formed. On our six-hour hikes, a trail-lunch stop is part of the day.
5
Transportation
You will need your own reliable round-trip transportation. Allow time for park entry, parking and finding your guide, as well as the drive itself.
Uber and other rideshare services can be limited in and around the park, and public bus journeys can take a long time. Only rely on these options if you have confirmed both your arrival and return transportation in advance.
6
Joining Us from Hilo, Kona or Waikoloa
Staying in Hilo, Kailua-Kona, Waikoloa, along the Kohala Coast or in Volcano Village? Check the confirmed meeting location for your selected hike before planning your drive. Our Kīlauea hikes meet inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, while the private Mauna Loa Ancient Forest & Bird Hike uses a separate access point along Saddle Road.
For more help planning your arrival, read our meeting locations, directions and park-entry guide.
INSIDE THE LANDSCAPE
What Can You Experience on a Guided Volcano Hike?
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is a living landscape of active volcanic terrain, young lava fields, historic craters and native rainforest. The places and features you explore depend on your selected tour, weather, park closures and volcanic conditions.
Kīlauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Its summit caldera, Kaluapele, contains Halemaʻumaʻu crater. Your guide explains how eruptions, collapse events and changing vents have reshaped the summit and surrounding landscape.
Kīlauea’s Summit and Halemaʻumaʻu
Cross the hardened lava lake left by the dramatic 1959 eruption. The trail reveals evidence of lava fountaining, cooling, cracking and the gradual return of plant life.
Our guided Big Island volcano tours take you beyond the viewpoints, helping you understand the geology, ecology, history and cultural significance behind each place you explore.
Kīlauea Iki Crater
Unlike many volcano tours on the Big Island that focus on quick sightseeing, our guided Big Island volcano tours take you beyond the viewpoints, helping you understand the geology, ecology, history and cultural significance behind each place you explore.
Routes vary by tour, weather, park closures and volcanic conditions, so every hike offers a different way to experience the park with an expert interpretive guide.
Nāhuku formed approximately 500 years ago when the surface of a lava flow hardened while molten lava continued moving beneath it. When that lava drained away, it left the passage visitors walk through today. The surrounding rainforest offers a striking contrast to the park’s exposed lava fields.
Nāhuku (Thurston Lava Tube) and the Native Rainforest
Steam rises where groundwater reaches rocks heated by Kīlauea’s volcanic system. These features provide visible evidence that heat remains close beneath the surface. Your guide explains how this happens as you explore along the designated route.
Steam Vents and Geothermal Activity
Native Plants and Ecological Recovery
Hāpuʻu ferns, ʻōhiʻa lehua trees and other native plants reveal how life returns after volcanic disturbance. Your guide helps you notice how plant adaptations, elevation, rainfall, lava age and exposure influence what can grow.
- Volcanic succession • native forest • changing landscapes
Every Landscape Has a Story
A crater is more than an impressive view. A crack in a lava field can show where the surface cooled and contracted. A patch of rainforest can reveal centuries of ecological recovery.
A kīpuka is an area of older land surrounded by younger lava flows. A forested kīpuka can look like a green island in a sea of black rock, preserving habitat while the landscape around it changes.
Our guides connect these details so you leave with a clearer understanding of how Hawaiʻi Island continues to form and change.
MEET YOUR GUIDES
Meet the Guides Behind Your Hawaii Volcanoes Tour
Jennifer and Yvonne bring more than 20 years of combined professional guiding experience and firsthand familiarity with Kīlauea’s changing landscape. Together with part-time guide Cameron, they help you understand what you see, notice the smaller details and ask questions along the trail.
FOUNDER
Jennifer Bell
Founder & Lead Guide | Wilderness First Responder | Environmental Educator
Jennifer founded Volcanoes Hiking Guides to bring hiking and outdoor education together. She explains geology, native plants and eruption history in everyday language, using the landscape around you. Each hike is planned with the group’s ability, weather and trail conditions in mind.
Credentials and Experience
Current Wilderness First Responder
BA in Recreation Management from the University of Montana
Former Yellowstone guide
Environmental educator
Extensive forest and ecology experience
Professional Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park guide
★★★★★
“Jennifer MADE our trip to the park. Her attention to detail and her knowledge are outstanding.”
Colleen M, Tripadvisor
VOLCANO GUIDE & RESEARCHER
Yvonne
Guide | Lava Photographer | Volcanology Student | Former Park Ranger
Yvonne brings a photographer’s eye and years of observing Kīlauea to every hike. She helps guests spot details in lava fountains, craters, tephra and native plants that they might otherwise overlook, drawing on her research and experience guiding around active lava.
German-speaking guests may request a hike in German, subject to availability.
Credentials and Experience
Professional lava photographer
Volcanology researcher and student
Published volcanic-feature researcher
Landscape photography featured in magazines
German-speaking guide
3.5 years as a park ranger at Zion National Park
Summer ranger experience at Yellowstone National Park
Ranger experience at Mount St. Helens
Tour guide for Epic Lava until the lava flow stopped in 2018
★★★★★
“Yvonne’s knowledge is unmatched. We would have missed so much without her explanations about the volcano, wildlife and plants.”
Jess
MOUNTAINEER & ENDURANCE ATHLETE
Cameron Wysocky
Part-Time Volcano Hiking Guide | Hiker | Mountaineer
Cameron joins the team during school breaks while pursuing his PhD at the University of Georgia. His mountain hiking and endurance experience shape the way he explains the terrain. He especially enjoys helping guests appreciate Mauna Loa’s immense scale, rising approximately 30,000 feet from the ocean floor to its summit.
Credentials and Experience
Part-time volcano hiking guide
PhD student at the University of Georgia
Experienced hiker and mountaineer
Experience hiking 14,000-foot peaks
Ironman endurance athlete
Mauna Loa interpretation focus
★★★★★
“The volcano hike with Jennifer Bell and her son Cameron were top notch. Super friendly, extremely knowledgeable about the area.”
— Mya W. · Viator
Want to know more about your guides? Read their full biographies and discover the experience they bring to the trail.
PREPARATION
What Is Included on Our Guided Volcano Tours?
We provide hiking equipment, so you do not need to buy a full set of gear for one hike. Your guide explains the landscape and helps you navigate the trail safely. Bring suitable shoes, your own drinking water and clothing for changing weather. Meal inclusions vary by tour, so check your selected hike for the full details.
We Provide
Experienced interpretive guide
Small-group or private experience
Backpacks
Trekking poles
Rain jackets
Light snacks
Gourmet trail lunch on selected full-day hikes
Route planning based on current conditions
Interpretation of geology, ecology and history
A pre-hike safety briefing
Guests Should Bring
Closed-toe hiking shoes or trail runners
Water
Sun protection
Sunglasses
Hat
Personal medication
Any required dietary information
A valid National Park pass for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park hikes
Clothing suitable for changing weather
The fitness required for the selected route
Important Note: Conditions inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park can change quickly. Fog, rain, wind, heat, volcanic gas, trail closures and active volcanic conditions may affect the route.
Your guide will adjust the experience when necessary, but no tour can guarantee a specific trail, attraction or view of active lava.
Food depends on the experience: Our six-hour public and private hikes include light snacks and a gourmet trail lunch. The Mauna Loa Ancient Forest & Bird Hike includes light snacks. Other snack inclusions are listed with your selected booking. Keiki to Kūpuna does not include food or snacks.
Check our volcano-hike packing list before you travel. Let us know about food allergies, dietary needs or equipment questions before your hike.
What Guests Say About Their Big Island Volcano Tour
Read what guests say about their time on the trail with us. Volcanoes Hiking Guides is a Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice award winner, and our Kīlauea guided hike is Top Rated on GetYourGuide.
★★★★★ 5.0 rating
Guest reviews
Guest reviews
Book Directly With the Guides Who Lead Your Hike
When you book through Volcanoes Hiking Guides, you communicate directly with the local team planning and leading your experience.
That means you can receive clear answers about:
Which hike fits your group
Fitness and trail difficulty
Meeting Locations
Food and dietary needs
Current park and route conditions
Private tour options
You are not relying on a third-party marketplace to answer questions about a hike they do not personally operate.
Can’t find a date for your preferred hike? Call or email us and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
Frequently Asked Questions
READY TO GO?
Ready to Explore Hawaiʻi’s Volcanic Landscapes on Foot?
Choose a small-group or private hike and experience Kīlauea or Mauna Loa with guides who understand Hawaiʻi’s geology, ecosystems, history and constantly changing landscape.
Questions before booking? Call Us (808) 491-9022 or Email Us: volcanoeshikingguides@gmail.com.