Custom Tours

Custom Tours

Photo courtesy Hawaiian Walkways by Linda Woodard - Guide Joe on the Kona Cloud Forest Botanical Walk

When you come to Hawaii Island, chances are you’ll have limited time but unlimited desire to make the most of your outdoor experience by doing exactly what you want to do.

Maybe you want to spend most of your time in the ocean. Or in the rainforest. Or on the planet’s newest lava plains. Or maybe you want to mix it up with some amazing combination of the above.

Photo courtesy Hawaiian Walkways by Paul Tralka - Waipio Waterfall Adventure

No problem.

A number of Big Island tour operators are happy to accommodate your wishes by designing outings tailored to what you want to see and do. All you have to do is contact them and ask!

Other Attractions

The variety of Hawaii Island activities is amazing, from submarine rides and a world-class astronomy center to a white tiger and a winery on top of a volcano.

Sporting Activities

As home to the annual Ironman triathelon competition, it’s no surprise that the Big Island has its own marathon association. Other sporting activities are abundant. Tennis players can find great courts and clubs around the island.

Horseback Riding Experiences Available on the Big Island

Horseback Riding Experiences Available on the Big Island

Pololu Valley Lookout. Visitors on horseback enjoy the scenic end-of-the-road view of the vertical jade-green cliffs of the Big Island's Hamakua Coast and two offshore islets. Photo by Kirk Lee Aeder.

The Big Island offers a fun variety of ways visitors can saddle up for an unforgettable paniolo experience, from scenic storytelling tours by horse-drawn wagon to a hands-on chance to take the reins and run with a real cattle drive. It’s your choice. Choose too from a diverse selection of beautiful, unique environments: tropical Waipio Valley stream and waterfalls trails, the wide open green spaces of Parker Ranch at sunset, the far upcountry pastures of Kahua Ranch or the southern reaches of an historic trail to Kealakekua Bay – complete with swimming and snorkeling.

Horseback Trail Rides in Waimea. Photo by Kirk Lee Aeder.

Our paniolo culture is a part of Big Island life, not something we’ve invented as a “visitor attraction.” This is a welcome opportunity for our ranchers and horses to share their world with you. They have years of practice, a wealth of stories, and a real feel for the land they take you through. So whether you’ve never sat in a saddle or you run a ranch of your own, please join us for a memorable trip you’re not likely to experience anywhere else.

Other Guided Tours & Sightseeing

Whether it’s on ocean, land or in the sky, there are all sorts of guided tours for activities and sightseeing on Hawaii Island.

Hunting

Game birds, feral pig, sheep and goats—there are great hunting opportunities on Hawaii Island. Rifles, shotguns and bows are all allowed for those with permits, and guide service is available. Hunting licenses are required, and are available at local sporting goods stores or through the State Division of Forestry and Wildlife, (808) 974-4221.

Hiking

Hike to beautiful places. Photo by Kirk Lee Aeder, Big Island Visitor Bureau.

Hawaii Island is heaven for hikers, with hundreds of miles criss-crossing the island. One trail goes to the remote, forbidding lava fields at the 13,677-foot summit of Mauna Loa. Another ancient trail traces the rocky coast. Others take you across steaming volcanic craters, through dripping rain forests or over sun-baked deserts. Some trails are challenging 20-mile treks, and others are easy strolls of less than a mile. Take your pick.

But wherever you hike, please be sure to wear sunscreen and bring rain gear and plenty of water. It’s also a good idea to hike with a partner and, if possible, carry a cell phone in case of emergency.

Family hikes in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

• For more information about trails in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, visit www.nps.gov.
• Or learn about Alu Kahakai National Historic Trail at www.nps.gov/alka/.
• For more information about trails outside the national parks, visit www.hawaiitrails.org.

Bicycling

Bicycle the Islands. Photo HVCB Image Library

Home of the world-famous Ironman Triathlon with its 112-mile bike segment, the Big Island has plenty of serious cyclists—and plenty of very casual ones too. Some visitors go “bicycle camping” around the island, pedaling from campground to campground with all their gear strapped on their bikes. You can rent a bike and go out on your own, or sign up with a tour company offering guided trips.

Bike tours take you in a van to great starting points. Photo HVCB Image Library

Botanical Gardens

Learning is fun when you’re strolling a winding path bordered by colorful flowers, palms, fruit trees and other plants, many of them with identification signs in Latin, English and Hawaiian. Hawaii Island has a number of excellent botanical gardens. There’s no faster or easier way to introduce yourself to the incredible variety of plants that grow here and around the Tropics.

Amy Greenwell Garden. Photo courtesy Big Island Visitor Bureau.

Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden
82-6188 Mamalahoa Hwy., Captain Cook, HI 96704
808/323-3318; F – 323-2394
Email
www.bishopmuseum.org/greenwell
15-acre botanical garden landscaped to reflect the plant life of the area before 1779, archeological remnants of the Kona field system including stone mounds, terraces and fields where ti, sugar cane and breadfruit were cultivated.

Pua Mau Gardens. Photo courtesy Big Island Visitor Bureau.

Pua Mau Place Botanical Garden
POB 44555, 10 Ala Kahua, Kawaihae, HI 96743
808/882-0888; F – 882-8088
www.puamau.com
Pua Mau (“ever-blooming”) is a garden in the desert. The Big Island’s newest botanical garden features the Doi and Magic Circle, a Hibiscus Maze and stunning ocean views. Currently 15 acres for self guided tours. Not-for-profit. Wonderful flowers and colorful birds.

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden
P.O. Box 80, Papaikou, HI 96781
964-5233; F – 964-1338
Email
www.hawaiigarden.com
25-acre forested valley with over 2,500 species of rare and endangered tropical rain forest plants and trees, including palms, heliconias and aroids. Garden trails wind through a tropical rain forest with waterfalls, streams and tropical plant life from around the world.

Photo courtesy Nani Mau Garden

Nani Mau Gardens
421 Makalika St., Hilo,HI 96720
808/959-3500; F – 959-3501
Email
www.nanimau.com
Nani Mau Gardens has evolved into a treasure of the Islands with 20 acres of many-splendored tropical flowers and trees, pools and waterfalls and sun dappled paths. Here are orchids and anthuriums and native Hawaiian plants. Garden is accessible via walkways or tram rides.

Akatsuka Orchid Gardens
11-3050 Volcano Rd, P.O. Box 220, Volcano, HI 96785
808/967-8234; (888) 967-6669; F – 967-7140
www.akatsukaorchid.com
One of the largest orchid collections in Hawaii. Located on the slope of Kilauea, the cool moderate climate creates ideal growing conditions. Fully covered, indoor orchid displays offer the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular beauty of the orchids and exotic tropicals completely protected from the outside elements. Pack and ship flowers home for clients.

Spelunking

Courtesy Big Island Visitor Bureau.

Yes, you can really go spelunking on the Big Island. Lava tubes are one of the most intriguing geological features caused by Hawaii volcanic eruptions. These caves form when spatter from a river of lava gradually builds up walls and a ceiling. Then, when the flow of lava stops and the last of it passes downhill, a cave is formed. These caves can be a few feet high and only yards long, or they can stretch for miles with high ceilings. Your flashlight reveals beautiful shapes and colors of minerals leeching from the rock. And when you turn your light off, you can’t even see your hand an inch in front of your face! Waterdrops from the ceiling plopping into a puddle sound like music. A species of blind spider in these tubes exists nowhere else.

There are several guided lava tube tours on Hawaii Island.

Kilauea Caverns of Fire
P.O. Box 733,
Middletown CA 95461
Email
www.kilaueacavernsoffire.com
(808) 217-2362