Visit a landscape formed by the eruption of large volcanoes, with lava tubes formed hundreds of years ago and steam vents 💨 emitting into the sky. Plan the perfect Hawaii Volcanoes National Park itinerary and you’ll experience a place like no other.
This National Park is home to two of the most active volcanoes in the world: Kilauea and Mauna Loa. When you visit this park, you will be a firsthand observer of how islands are shaped and transformed. It’s a miraculous place to see.
Recently, in December of 2024 the Kilauea Volcano erupted and has had regular eruptions into mid-2025. 🌋 My husband and I had planned to go to Hawaii Volcanoes for just a day this past spring, but we ended up re-visiting on multiple days to try and see the volcano erupt.
Sadly, it erupted the day before we got to the island and the day after. That being said, we absolutely loved this park! It was truly so unique.
Visiting Hawaii Volcanoes for the first time can be super confusing. So, I’ve written this blog to make it easy for you to plan your trip. This has everything you need including the best time to visit, where to stay and what to do on your visit.
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Planning Your Trip To Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
How to Get to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is on the Big Island of Hawaii. In order to get to the Big Island, you’ll want to fly into Kona. This island has multiple flights to it every day from the West Coast and other Hawaiian islands.
From there, the best way to get to the park is to drive or to take a tour into the park.
You can read more about a one week itinerary on the Big Island here!
It’s about a 2 hour drive from Kona to the park or a 45 minute drive if you are staying in Hilo. It’s easily do-able in a day trip from either location!
Best Time to Visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
The Big Island of Hawaii only has two seasons: wet and dry season.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a fantastic destination year round!
Wet season 🌧️ runs during the winter from about November to March and is known for being rainier. It’s especially rainier on the East side, which includes the National Park. That being said, rainstorms are generally quick and you should still be able to see most sights.
Dry season is during the summer from April to October ☀️. There are few rainstorms and it’s usually beautifully sunny. But, that means it’s the most popular time to visit, so you may see more crowds during this time.
We visited the park in mid-May and felt like it was a great time to be there. There weren’t too many people and we had pure sunshine the entire time!
Getting Around the Park
Although the park isn’t super large, the best way to get around it is to drive. 🚗
There are two main scenic roads in the park: Crater Rim Drive and the Chain of Craters Road. Most of the highlights are off of these two roads.
However, there are no shuttles or public transportation services within the park, so I recommend having your own car to get around. Plus, you’ll have a lot more flexibility when planning your trip.
We got our car through rentalcars.com, because they find the lowest prices through all rental car services. We only paid $300 for a week on the Big Island!
Where to Stay Near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii Volcanoes is in a fairly remote part of the big island, but there are a few great places to stay nearby.
First off, if you want the most unique and iconic stay, then you can stay in the park at Volcano House. This historic hotel sits on the crater of the Kilauea Volcano and you can literally watch it glow or erupt from your room! 🤩
My husband and I stayed there and we loved it. I would highly recommend it for other people.
👉 Book your stay at Volcano House here!
But if you’d rather stay outside of the park, you can stay in the towns of Volcano or Hilo.
Volcano is a very small area just outside of the park with a few restaurants and lodging for tourists. It’s very peaceful and a great place to stay nearby.
While Hilo is more of an actual town that has nice hotels and other options to stay! So, it’s perfect for the person that would rather be in a busier area with access to other things.
Best Hotels Near Volcanoes:
Packing Guide for Volcanoes National Park
Similar to visiting other places in Hawaii, the most important things to pack are comfortable shoes for walking and waterproof gear. That way, if a sudden rainstorm comes through you will be prepared.
Other than that, it does get incredibly sunny so bring good sun protection with high SPF.
Packing List:
- Hiking Boots
- Hiking Socks
- Rain Jacket
- Sun Hoodie
- Sun Hat
- Reef Safe Sunscreen
- Polarized Sunglasses
- America the Beautiful (Parks Pass)
One Day Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Itinerary
I’ve detailed the perfect one day Hawaii Volcanoes National Park itinerary below. This itinerary is perfect for families or adventurous travelers. There’s truly something for everyone.
Note: this itinerary does not include eruption viewing, because that only happens on occasion. We actually visited during an eruption period, but sadly didn’t get to see it. If it erupts while you’re on the Big Island, you can expect tons of traffic in the park and parking will be hard. So, you may have to change your plans! 🌋
Explore the Lava Tubes
Start your morning by going to the Nahuku Lava Tubes. These lava tubes were formed by 2000 degree lava from a volcano that flowed over 500 years ago.
This short 10 minute walk begins with a stroll through the lush forest, before you descend down into the lava tube. Walking through the tube itself you will be in awe of the wonders of nature.
Although you can go into the lava tubes at any time, they recommend waiting until a little later in the morning (around 8:30) and getting there before sunset so you won’t need a flashlight.
Parking here is extremely limited, which is why I recommend going first thing or just before evening! Otherwise, you will have to walk there or wait for a spot! 🅿️
Go on a Day Hike
After you’ve warmed up with a short walk, it’s time to go on a longer adventure. There are a number of fantastic hikes in the park, but the two I’d recommend choosing between are the Kilauea Iki Trail or the Devastation Trail.
Kilauea Iki takes you down into the crater of a volcano and you’ll walk along the surface of the crater. It will feel as if you are on a different planet as you walk through this rocky landscape.
However, the Devastation Trail is another great option for a day hike. This trail is a paved path through the remnants of the Kilauea Iki eruption in 1959. You can see what has changed and the impacts that volcano had on the landscape.
Either trail is a great choice!
Best Day Hikes in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park:
- Kilauea Iki Trail (3 miles, 750 ft elevation)
- Devastation Trail (2 miles, 450 ft elevation)
- Kilauea Craters (4.3 miles, 950 ft elevation)
Drive the Chain of the Craters Road
The Chain of Craters Road extends all the way from Makaopuhi to the coast. It’s a 19 mile scenic drive and it takes about an hour or more to go one way.
This road was opened in 1965, but was covered in volcanic lava and ash after the Makaohupi eruption in 1965. So, they had to completely rebuild part of the road.
There are many incredible places to stop at along the way on this amazing drive. You can see large craters, old devastation, and sea arches. Just make sure that you have plenty of gas, food, and water because there’s nowhere to get those along the way! ⚠️
The only restroom is a vault toilet at the bottom of the drive by the Holei Sea Arch, which was our favorite stop!
Stops on the Chain of Craters Road:
- Luamanu and July of 1974 Eruption
- Puhimau Crater
- Pauahi Crater
- Maunaulu
- Mau Loa o Maunaulu
- Muliwai a Pele
- Kealakomo Overlook
- Alanui Kahiko
- Pu’uloa Petroglyphs
- Holei Sea Arch
Get Dinner at Volcano House
End your day by watching the sunset over the crater and getting dinner at Volcano House. There are two restaurants in the hotel, but I recommend the more casual Uncle George’s Lounge.
All visitors to the park are welcome to stop here and eat and you don’t need a reservation. We actually went there twice during our time on the Big Island and the food was much better than expected!
Plus, you can get a spot by the window and once the sun goes down, you may even get to see the lava glow! 👀
We were there during an eruption period, so we went there to try and see it on multiple occasions. Unfortunately, it erupted the day before we got to the island and the day after we left.
Despite that, we really enjoyed our time at Volcano House.
Final Tips for Planning Your Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Itinerary
My biggest tip is that if you are planning on visiting the Big Island during an active eruption period, then you need to be flexible. The volcano eruptions are not predictable and you may have to travel from further away to see it.
However, for those travelers who are going during a dormant period, you can still see incredible things in the park. Allow extra time for getting around the park and finding parking in certain locations.
If you do all of that, you will have an amazing time on your Hawaii Volcanoes trip!
Let me know if you liked this guide in the comments!
👇 Explore more of my Big Island Hawaii posts to help plan your trip 👇
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