May 22nd (Thursday)
Flight UA 1087 Chi-Lax 12:30-3:06
Flight UA 1004 Lax-Ito 5:08-7:48 2450 Kekuanaoa St. Hilo
Car rental – Enterprise Full Size Vehicle – $44.99/day Pay for 10 days, 4 are free
Pick up May 22nd (8pm), drop off June 3rd (7:30pm)
Castle Hilo – 71 Banyan Drive, Hilo Check in May 22nd, Check out Sun May 25th – 3 nights
May 23rd ( Friday)
Blue Hawaiian Helicopters – ITO airport 2450 Kekuanaoa St. Hilo (Take the first parking lot entrance and park – $3/hour. Blue Hawaiian is located directly across the street inside the Main Terminal – Lobby 2.)
Check in time 10:15 am; flight 11 am (50 min flight)
Liliuokalani Gardens – 123 N. Kuakini St. (6 min walk from hotel)
Rainbow Falls/Wailuku River State Park – 40 Rainbow Dr. Hilo (10 min car ride from hotel)
If you’re looking for a waterfall near Downtown Hilo, take a short drive west on Waianuene Avenue to Wailuku River State Park. Here you’ll discover the easily accessible Waianuenue (Rainbow Falls), which has an 80-foot drop and is known for the rainbows that are formed in the surrounding mist. Best seen in the morning.
Travel further upland along the Wailuku River and you’ll find Peepee Falls (pronounced Peh-EH Peh-EH), which feeds the famous pools known as Boiling Pots. These terraced pools bubble as if they were boiling, connected by a series of cascading water flows alongside hexagonal columns formed by the slow cooling of basalt lava. As beautiful as Waianuene (Rainbow Falls) and Boiling Pots are, note that there are no lifeguards here and these areas are not safe for swimming. Instead, take a moment and simply enjoy the natural beauty found in Wailuku River State Park.
Akaka Falls State Park – 220/Akaka Falls Rd. (27 min car ride from hotel) – $5 vehicle/open 7-7
May 24th (Saturday)
Onekahakaha Beach Co Park – (6 min car ride from hotel)
Leleiwi Park – (9 min car ride from hotel) Fringed black lava tide pools, attracts sea turtles, restrooms, lifeguards
Richardson Beach Park – 2279 Kalanianaole St. Hilo (9 min car ride from hotel)
Mauna Kea – hour drive, leave for center by 5:30
Watch sunset 6:56, Stargazing and Visitor Center (9,300 ft)
May 25th (Sunday)
Check out from Castle Hilo
Volcano National Park – 40 min drive – $10 vehicle volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/activity/kilaueastatus.php (808)985-6000 24 hour hotline
Bathroom locations: Kilaueau Visitor Center, Kilauea Overlook, Jaggar Museum, Thurston Lava Tube, turnaround at the end of Chain of Craters Rd.
Visit Kilauea Visitor Center–get info on lava flows for the day (7:45am-5pm). Cross street to Volcano House – go through lobby and out the other side to see Kilauea Caldera.
Drive to Thurston Lava Tubes – Turn left on Crater Rim Drive, stay right on Crater Rim Drive, Turn left on Crater Rim Drive (1.6 mi total) Hike the lava tubes (.5 mi), BRING FLASHLIGHTS
Drive to Kilauea Iki Overlook – Turn right on Crater Rim Drive from lava tubes – 4 mi hike
Lunch
Sulfer bank/steam vents – Crater Rim Drive – 2 lookouts Steam Vents 2-3 min walk toward crater for best view
Drive Kilauea Overlook
Drive to Thomas Jaggar Museum (8:30am-7:30pm) Observation Deck, best place to see eruptive activity of Halemaumau Crater (also go after dark)
Drive around caldera to south side, park, short walk to the edge of the Halemaumau Crater
Pu’u Pua’I Overlook
Devastration Trail 1 mi hike
Be at treehouse at 3 – 15 min drive – Call when leaving Volcano
Dinner at The Rim – 6:30 pm reservations
Go back to Thomas Jaggar Museum to view crater at night.
May 26th – Monday
Get gas
Green Sand Beach (South Point) 2 ½ mile hike to beach, very windy, bring a lot of water, sunscreen, no facilities of any kind, allow 3+ hours for hike, watch waves for 15 mins to make sure they don’t break over entire beach, strong rip currents
Park at boat ramp at South Point, follow the 4 wheel drive trail ¼ mi. to gated road near the boat launch, take trail east (left) beginning of trail is lave (10-15 mins), turns into pastureland (30-40 mins), eroded cinder cone by H20, continue to edge, go over edge of cinder cone, go over the overhang of the rock and you’ll see a trail to beach.
Chain of Crater Road – 20 mile road to the ocean – Just before 19 mile mark is the Holei Sea Arch, walk less than a min to see, take road to the end. If there is lava flowing get there before sunset to see in daytime and after dark.
Possible Lava Viewing (ask in park) – 1 ½ hours before sunset head down Volcano Hwy/11 (east), Turn right onto Hwy 130 at Keaau; go past Pahoa to the end of the road, drive takes an hour, about 1 mi hike over sharp lava (hiking boots, flashlights, water, camera)
May 27th (Tuesday)
Checkout from Treehouse
Fair Wind Snorkeling and Diving Adventures – Kealakekua Bay, board at Keauhou Bay at 1:30, cruise from 2-5:30, 800-677-9461 3 ½ hour cruise, bring cash, towel, sunscreen, cover up, camera
Check in Royal Kona Resort $10/day parking fee
Shopping on Alii Drive
May 28th (Wednesday)
Kahaluu Beach – Get there early for parking/snorkeling, can rent equipment there. Has bathrooms.
Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park – hiking/turtles/tide pools
Royal Kona Luau – at hotel, Luau Gardens – Arrive at 4:45, $20 extra for preferred seating
May 29th (Thursday)
Check out from Royal Kona
Hapuna Beach State Park $5 parking – bathrooms, no shade, can rent chairs/boogie boards (from highway before turning in to beach) bring water and snacks, no place to buy them
Check in Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort – 3pm – parking $18/daily
Anaehoomalu Bay – swimming/snorkeling, walking trail follows coastline to Hilton Hotel – passes tide pools, ponds, turtle sanctuary – food available at beach, snorkel/paddle board rentals
May 30th (Friday)
Kohala Zipline –Check in 1pm Tour 1:30- wear closed shoes, no tank tops, pony tail, bug spray, small camera, 4 hours long
Kohala Mountain Lookout Rd –scenic drive back to hotel
May 31st (Saturday)
Waipo Valley Shuttle – check in at 12:45, lasts about 2 hours, Call a few days ahead of time and they will text directions to phone 808-775-7121
June 1st ( Sunday)
Pololu Valley Black Sand Beach-15 min hike down, 30 min up – sheer green cliff – no swimming- bring water– trail can be slippery
Dinner at Kamuela Provision Co. 6 pm reservation 808-886-1234 – in the Hilton
June 2nd (Monday)
Checkout from Marriott
Hamakua Coast Drive back to Hilo –about two + hours
Check in Castle Hilo
June 3rd (Tuesday)
Check out Castle Hilo
Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden (9-5) $15/person
Flight home leave 9:03 pm
To read about the first day of our adventure click here. Wishing you happy travels and fantastic adventures in this thing called life.
If you are interested in the itineraries for some of our other trips, click on the links below.
15 Delightful Days in Kauai ~ A Travel Itinerary
Joshua Tree National Park – One Day Whirlwind Itinerary
4 Days in the Sun ~ Arizona Itinerary
See the Entire Island of Maui in 10 Days
What to See and Do in San Diego
Visit All Four Vortices in Sedona in One Day
Pin for later!
13 Day Itinerary for Hawaii
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