Home > Hawaii > Volcano National Park Small Group Twilight Tour
USD $214.00
Volcano National Park Small Group Twilight Tour
Hawaii, United States of America
Journey through Hawaii Island’s incredible range of ecosystems and climate zones before experiencing first-hand the phenomena that makes it all possible – an erupting volcano. This in-depth experience with a National Park certified interpretive guide will reveal the mysteries surrounding many of the park’s most impressive sites. This small-group tour is limited to 14 people to provide a more personalized experience.
Begin your 12-hour, small-group tour with a visit to see two of the world's largest volcanoes, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The region is locally known as the Saddle, and it's also home to some of the rarest plants and animals in the world. After a brief stop for lunch at Mauna State Park, continue east towards Hilo to explore a lava tube. Here you'll turn on your provided flashlight and look around these spellbinding passages that once carried molten rock from Mauna Loa's upper rift zones to the ocean.
From there, head into Hawaii Volcanoes National Park via the Crater Rim Drive. The park, which is both a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Preserve, is filled with must-see spots such as the active Kilauea. Throughout the afternoon, your guide leads your group on moderate 1.5-mile (2 km) hikes, with breaks in between, along mostly flat trails; if need be, you can use provided walking sticks in areas with uneven or muddy terrain. Since Pele (the fire goddess said to live here) is unpredictable, it’s not guaranteed that you get to see lava flowing firsthand on this hike, but your guide will do their best to take you to prime viewing spots if the conditions are safe.
When Kilauea isn't erupting, you actually get to walk the summit caldera, peer down steam vents, and marvel at the cinder fields. Such dramatic displays aren't the only natural wonders of the park. You'll also explore trails carved into a native rain forest before you head to a spot where you'll get to see active lava glowing at twilight.
Your Big Island volcano tour includes a delicious picnic style dinner.
We met up with Brett at Hawaii Forest and Trail's cute store in Kailua-Kona. He drove us all over the Big Island for the next 13 hours, steadily talking, facilitating conversation, and/or leading fascinating activities for at least 3/4 of that time. The other 1/4 of the time I was dozing off after staring off dreamily into whatever transcendental vista then was at hand. This is by no means a commentary on Brett, who likely was continuing his witty and entertaining narration the whole time. I just can't stay awake in a moving vehicle.
Review by: Mark S, January 2018
Justin did an excellent job as our tour guide the caldera-to-lava field hike was great and Kilauea's nightime glow lived up to expectations!
Review by: Heather V, December 2017
Besides going to the Pearl Harbor memorial,this was the coolest thing we did on our vacation. Seeing the active volcano at night was beautiful and spooky. The glow coming from the caldera and the lava shooting up into the air was heart stopping. Our tour was lead by Steve a very friendly, knowledgeable and professional guide. He took us all over the island, we saw all the volcanoes plus rainbow falls waterfalls. He also was cordial and friendly to people who thought he was a park ranger plus he has a low key sense of humor. He was well versed in Hawaiian legend and religious beliefs. He also served good food for lunch and dinner. We couldnt of asked for better except maybe a full on volcanic eruption.
Review by: Allen M, September 2017
Great tour!
Review by: Anke H, September 2017
This was a really amazing tour. Our tourguide Justin took us to some hidden places and had the perfect timing for the sundown and the lava glow. He was very knowledgeable and had many stories about Hawaii to tell including Hawaian history. Food and picknik locations were very good as well. Pickup service was on time as well.
Review by: Marie H, July 2017
Our guide was amazing!
Review by: Whitney G, January 2017
We really liked the tour guide. We didn and #39;t think the advertising description and the actual experience were similar enough to be worth the price though.
Review by: Y, December 2016
Remarkable, well planned and well executed excursion. Not only did Justin make the long trip enjoyable, he even managed to wonderfully balance the weather, schedule, and a hungry group of travelers.
Review by: YIMIN X, December 2016
Mark's the tour guide passion about the island, wildlife, Hawaiian culture and volcanoes is infectious. He is a wealth of knowledge which can rival any wikipedia page on the topic. Even though the weather was a cloudy and rainy at times, Mark's enthusiasm over the 12 hour tour never waned. He is a national treasure.
Review by: James D, November 2016
An amazing tour, where we were lucky enough to go on a long hike into the volcano. Our guide had an amazing knowledge of the nature around us. We did have a wet day, but it didn't ruin our day at all. The glow of the caldera against the low clouds was very Eerie! I'd definitely go again!
Review by: Kiang Hong T, October 2016
Due to some schedule clashes, we had to make a last minute request to change our booking to another day. Lucky for us, Forest Trail was really accommodating and assisted us in arranging for a new date.
Review by: Chris S, October 2016
Excellent tour which was well worth the price. Even though it's a lot of road time, Justin had lots of information to share which kept things interesting. We saw a nice variety of landscapes and features, the tour was paced well, enough time to enjoy but not too long at any one place.
Review by: Foteini K, October 2016
The tour is oversetimated and overpriced for what you get out of it. Half of the time is spent on pick-ups from the resorts and drop-off driving to the volcano. One can do the same itinerary easily by himself as the main points of the park are visited, nothing you cannot go by yourself by car. The guide was a bit rude and indifferent. The stories not worth the 200 USD... The time to each sight in the volcano park was very limited and resulted in not being able to enjoy the scenery or the volcano as we had to run from one spot to the other very fast. Time for photos was very limited if any, i was very frustrated about that. The tour was running during the iron man event and even if the road was open to and from the resort the company Hawaii Forest and Trail refused to pick me up and announced a different meeting point just one day before the tour by email even if i had paid for this service, they were very rude and inflexible. I would not reccommend this tour except for old people that are not so interested in exploring the park by them selves.
Review by: Gary E, September 2016
This tour is very informative! Our guide, Kaj, was an environmental scientist, who loves Hawaii's culture, lore, and was extremely knowledgeable! The tour was very long, 14 hrs, due to the time it took to pick up and drop off passengers at their hotels. Recommend meeting the tour at the office, with your own transportation. We felt very satisfied!
Review by: Deborah C, September 2016
We had a great day and a very informative one all about volcanoes and everything to do with them. The volcano put on a manificent show for us at night.Steve was awesome and very informative. The lunch and dinner spots were good and the food was very enjoyable. Would have loved to have got out of the bus a bit more but think the weather being quite wet might have changed the schedule a little bit._br/_ It was a very good tour for getting an insight to the island and the vast climates and landscapes. Steve was very prepared and we all got a blanket to cuddle up to on the way home in the bus. We also had a hot towel to wash our faces with before we drove back at night. he thought of everything and was a great host. Excellent tour would definitely recommend it as a top tour to go on.
Review by: Brooks W, July 2016
This tour was amazing!
Review by: ceci b, June 2016
amazing view with exceptional service.
Review by: Patricia B, May 2016
Best tour EVER! Seeing the caldera by day and by night was a wow experience! We also had the lava tube to ourselves and the rain forest by night smelled sensational! Taj was our guide and is very knowledgeable and now I wish I had taken notes. He is very personable and sees to your every need and comfort. If or when I come back, I will take this tour again and hopefully get Taj as our guide! Only one thing to say to anyone thinking of doing this trip-DO IT!!!
Review by: JOHN P, April 2016
We saw far much than I expected, it was excellent value and I highly recommend this company
Review by: bthead, April 2016
The tour guide was very knowledgeable and interesting. There was problems getting organized, though. The tour started with 3 hours of picking people up and various hotels. The van was very crowded and a lot of time was spent getting in and out of the van at the multiple stops. The food was tasty but meager.
Review by: Ashanta Y, April 2016
Our guide Nate was amazing. Incredible encyclopedic knowledge of the Big Island._br/_ He also took the time to show us off the beaten path spots._br/_ This tour was through Hawaii Forest and Trail tour. Very very good._br/_ _br/_ Highly recommended.
Review by: rfgrabish, March 2016
This as a fantastic excursion. Our guide, Steve, was extremely knowledgable adaptive to our needs and had a great sense of humor. The highlight of the trip was back up the volcano after dark. The light, steam Ans explosions of magma were phenomenal. We would highly recommend this trip.. You might think you could do it on your own, but you would miss so much.
Review by: patterson.mom, March 2016
Time on Big Island was very limited so this all round tour fit the bill!
Review by: Deb, January 2016
This was a very informative and well run tour. Sadly, I cannot remember our tour guide's name, however his knowledge was astounding. Unfortunately for us, visibility on the day was limited so we could not see the volcano lava glow as clearly as we'd hoped, however this was obviously beyond anyone's control. Having dinner on the lava plains by the ocean made for a lovely evening with our small group. Walking around the steam vents and through the Thurston Lava Tube was very cool. The only suggestion I could offer is to give people who have a car the option to meet at the tour office rather than be picked up. This would have given us an extra hour or so in the morning. Would recommend this tour to friends.
Review by: Michael S, November 2015
Absolutely fantastic excursion! Our guide Taj was so knowledgeable and so well informed, and his sharing of the islenad's stories and folklore made it all more personal. I will never forget the things i saw, especially the volcanoe at night! Highly recommended!!!
Review by: debsteve, November 2015
Wow, what an amazing tour. Enjoyed every moment. They think of everything. Great food supplied , they have water bottles that you keep , back packs to use for walks, light jackets or warmer ones if needed. They even put a blanket on your seat when you return at end of night. Tour guide wonderful. So amazing when you listen to all the information they tell you and you really appreciate the area you are visiting , the history. You won't be disappointed.
Review by: Marlene R, November 2015
This was a really well organized and inspiring tour. Our guide, Chris, was great at telling stories about the island and the volcanoes, and shared many fun facts about the ecology of the area. The dinner inside the Kilauea caldera was magical. I highly recommend this trip and Chris!
Review by: Blake L, November 2015
Enjoyed the tour. Thank You for the experience.
Review by: Michelle W, November 2015
We saw SO much on this tour. You really cover the whole island. Our guide, Matt, was wonderful- highly informative and upbeat and we learned a lot! Walking through the lava tubes at night and seeing the lava glowing in the crater at night were the best parts!
Review by: Davinia J, November 2015
An absolute highlight of our trip, I cannot recommend highly enough. Our guide Matt was fantastic, he was highly knowledgable about the island, it's history, flora and fauna, how the volcanos continually shape the landscape and the various impacts on the ecology. He took us to some off-the-beaten-track stops where we were able to see amazing sights and learn more about the island away from the general throng of other tourists. We were kept comfortable and well fed during the whole day and came away with a great appreciation of the power of the volcanoes.
Review by: Davinia M, November 2015
An absolute highlight of our trip, I cannot recommend highly enough. Our guide Matt was fantastic, he was highly knowledgable about the island, it's history, flora and fauna, how the volcanos continually shape the landscape and the various impacts on the ecology. He took us to some off-the-beaten-track stops where we were able to see amazing sights and learn more about the island away from the general throng of other tourists. We were kept comfortable and well fed during the whole day and came away with a great appreciation of the power of the volcanoes.
Review by: ellynvb, October 2015
The local tour operator is professional and very thorough We learned so much about Hawaii's ecology and culture that we never would have known. The van was comfortable. Everything was done in a timely manner. They made sure to give us personal attention and time our visits to main attractions in such a way as to make sure they weren't overcrowded. A long day but absolutely wonderful
Review by: Arijit D, October 2015
The tour was amazing. Our tour guide Justin was great and took the time and effort to make it memorable! It's definitely worth it!
Review by: Mark G, October 2015
Long day but well worth doing, Mark the driver for ur trip was excellent
Review by: Steve R, October 2015
This tour was very interesting, Long bus ride, but very interesting! Saw waterfalls, hiked a lava field, and a lava tube, and saw the glow of an active lava pool!
Review by: ams300lube, October 2015
The tour was excellent and the guide was very informative
Review by: Andrew S, September 2015
The actual tour itself was great. The tour guide Steve was very knowledgeable with a ton of interesting stories and fun facts. The sights were breathlessly beautiful. We were, however, under the impression that this would be a little more active than it turned out to be this is more of a bus tour than a hiking tour, but it is definitely worth going.
Review by: GREG D, September 2015
Mathew was passionate about Hawaii Island an all things Hawaiian. He made the journey pleasant and interesting.
Review by: kens0221, September 2015
The tour was great and our guide Taj was very knowledgeable about the geology, animals and plants native and not native to the island. My husband and I were very impressed with the tour. It covered some interesting areas and there was some hiking involved which was great considering the long ride to get to the park. The views at times were spectacular especially down by the ocean. We saw the volcano from different angles and although we would have loved to look into the crater, we understand that is not allowed. Taj showed us some nice pictures of what we would have seen had we been able to look into it. This trip was definitely work doing!
Review by: Murray, September 2015
Taj was our tour guide and he was fantastic, knew so much about the area and Hawaiian customs and culture. A great trip, although it did rain quite a bit during the tour. Food was good, picnic lunch and dinner. Would definitely recommend this tour.
Review by: Mary W, September 2015
The entire trip was first class from the time they picked us up from our hotel. Steve was the best. He was so knowledgable about everything volcanoes. He taught about the flora and fauna of the island, the customs, and so much more. He went out of his way to make sure everything was perfect for us. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone coming to Kona.
Review by: Deborah O, September 2015
Tour was cool, fun and learned a lot.. But on the informationsheet is written you will see also rainbowfalls, black and greenbeach.. What we missed out! I booked the tour because of the whole package.. I really want to see them as well.. Because of that i was a bit disappointed.. But if you know you dont see them its an amazing tour!
Review by: ROBYN F, September 2015
Absolutely one of the most enjoyable and informative tours we have been on. We had a great small group and thoroughly enjoyed the company of our fellow passengers. Cannot praise our guide Mark highly enough - the weather was challenging to say the least but he still made it a fantastic day with his knowledge and professional way of engaging with us all. We learnt heaps about the real Hawaii and will not forget our day for a long time. Highly recommend!
Review by: Cohn C, September 2015
A wonderful tour with very knowledgeable and helpful guides. Entering the forest walk to the sounds of the nose flute playing was magic. The volcanoes national park visit when on the Big Island is great with the view at night so different to that of mid afternoon.
Review by: Joy B, August 2015
Very well organised with pick up on time. Busy afternoon and evening with great views of the volcano and the lava glowing at night - as a keen photographer I would have preferred to arrive at twilight rather than dark in order to set up and to have had more time but not sure how the schedule could accommodate this. Be prepared for a late finish - was 11.45 pm back at the hotel. The guide was very informative and pleasant.
Review by: katherine b, August 2015
loved it. tour guide steve obviously loves his job and the island. very informative. i had a birthday ill never equal or forget. i recommend this tour.
Review by: David C, August 2015
While the weather was not perfect, our tour guide Taj was fantastic and made the trip both fun and educational.
Review by: Gerrit S, August 2015
Everything could be done from yourself. Due to the fact the Kilauea is currently very calm, you can't see anything spectacular. The only interesting thing is the glowing steam in the darkness. But for this there is no need to book this tour. The guide was great, but I had expected more to see.
Review by: Victor Y, August 2015
It was a very informative tour! Very cool to see the lava rocks and cave. Wish we could have gotten closer to the active volcano. Lunch and dinner provided!
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