Aulani question

[Chellymouse]

Hi everyone!
Has anyone done a day trip over the big Island to visit volcano national park? This is on our "to do" list for the upcoming trip and I'm looking for a reputable tour. DH desperately wants to go to Kona Brewing, however, it looks like a fairly far drive so I doubt any tours would include this. Any info is greatly appreciated!! TIA

 

[CMNJ]

Can't help with a tour suggestion but maybe you could go to the pub Kona Brewing has on Oahu? We stayed on the big island 4 years ago and Kona Brewing was awesome but pretty far from the national park so I don't think that would work so well as an add on to the volcano. I would guess any day trippers to the volcano would fly in and out of Hilo not Kona and Kona Brewing is near that airport.

 

[Anal Annie]

First, GO EARLY and plan to stay until evening. I think it would be too far for you to do the park AND drive to Kona. Another idea is this - if you fly into the Kona airport rather than into Hilo it should be fairly easy for you to do a helicopter tour of the island with Blue Hawaiian (although it's pricey it's soooo cool). They have a tour that's about 2 1/2 hours I think where they fly across the island, around / over the volcano and then up around the northern coast (just absolutely BEAUTIFUL). So you could do that for half a day then plan the other half of your day for the Brewing Co. and maybe some snorkeling or something if you bring your own gear. (There is some fabulous snorkeling on the Kona side!)

The last time we went to the Big Island we stayed there for 3 nights on the Kona side. The time before that we did just a day trip from Oahu (pre-911 so it was easier, cheaper and faster to do a day trip.) The time we did just a day trip we flew into Hilo, rented a car and drove up to Akaka Falls, we stopped by the Mauna Loa nut place and then we drove south to see the black sand beach and swim with the sea turtles THEN we rushed back to the airport to do a helicopter tour over the volcano with some no-name helicopter dude we found in the yellow pages. It was a total whirlwind of a day - and a LONG drive.

 

[Chellymouse]

Can't help with a tour suggestion but maybe you could go to the pub Kona Brewing has on Oahu? We stayed on the big island 4 years ago and Kona Brewing was awesome but pretty far from the national park so I don't think that would work so well as an add on to the volcano. I would guess any day trippers to the volcano would fly in and out of Hilo not Kona and Kona Brewing is near that airport.

Thank you! We did see the location on Oahu and are planning to visit that location

First, GO EARLY and plan to stay until evening. I think it would be too far for you to do the park AND drive to Kona. Another idea is this - if you fly into the Kona airport rather than into Hilo it should be fairly easy for you to do a helicopter tour of the island with Blue Hawaiian (although it's pricey it's soooo cool). They have a tour that's about 2 1/2 hours I think where they fly across the island, around / over the volcano and then up around the northern coast (just absolutely BEAUTIFUL). So you could do that for half a day then plan the other half of your day for the Brewing Co. and maybe some snorkeling or something if you bring your own gear. (There is some fabulous snorkeling on the Kona side!)

The last time we went to the Big Island we stayed there for 3 nights on the Kona side. The time before that we did just a day trip from Oahu (pre-911 so it was easier, cheaper and faster to do a day trip.) The time we did just a day trip we flew into Hilo, rented a car and drove up to Akaka Falls, we stopped by the Mauna Loa nut place and then we drove south to see the black sand beach and swim with the sea turtles THEN we rushed back to the airport to do a helicopter tour over the volcano with some no-name helicopter dude we found in the yellow pages. It was a total whirlwind of a day - and a LONG drive.

We are actually looking into doing a day tour which is mostly all inclusive, thanks for the suggestions!

 

[CMNJ]

My favorite Kona beer is the Koko brown (coconut brown ale) but they have lots of great beers and do beer flights where you can taste a bunch
Enjoy!!!!

 

[swooshbear]

It's been awhile since I've been to the Big Island but they don't call it "Big" for no reason. IIRC, from the Kona side, it was definitely several hours to Volcano National Park and then the drive from the top of the park to the point where you get stopped by the lava flow was about 1.5 hours. I would guess it's doable if you left first thing in the morning and then took the last flight back but I would probably spend at least one night on the Big Island. The drive back to Kona was really dark and we missed our turn several times.

 

[DenLo]

Even Aulani offers a day trip to Volcanoes National Park https://aulaniexcursions.pleasantac...nture-tours-via-hawaiian-airlines-no-trans-2/ But it is pretty expensive at $395 per person. Plus you have the added expense of getting to the airport. BTW it does not include a helicopter tour of the volcano.

 

[Chellymouse]

Thank you everyone!!

 

[SandyinMonterey]

My friend was just there three weeks ago. I did not know this....she couldn't see the volcanoes because she has a young child (8). No children allowed when they "active"