What to do in Hilo, Hawaii for the day??

[Kiwi_cruiser]

We have not been to Hilo, Hawaii before.

 

What is there not to miss in Hilo??

 

And what would you recommend doing in Hilo??

[RumpunchGirl]

We took a helicopter flight over the volcano and lava field. It was very spectacular even though it was an overcast day. But that was 4 years ago and I'm not sure was the status is of the lava flow. It was very cool to see it running off a cliff into the ocean. :D

[rumpelstiltskin]

I never did a helicopter tour, but spoke with other tourists who did and they say it is awesome.

 

For a less expensive option, rent a car for a day and drive to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. I think the park entrance fee is $20 or $25, but that is per vehicle and not per person.

[rumpelstiltskin]

Also, there are some picturesque waterfalls in the area...Rainbow Falls and Akaka Falls.

 

Hilo itself did not seem to have a lot to offer, but it is a good place to base out of to see spectacular places within easy driving distance.

 

There might be some scenic coach tours to take you to the volcanoes.

[Kinkacruiser]

Take a full day excursion to the black sand beach (Punaloo?) and Volcano National Park will blow you away...forget the Rainbow Falls, they're nothing special. I have a contact if you are interested.

You can pick up some wine at the supermarkets on the way back to the ship.

[MicCanberra]

We will be doing a Heli ride Circle of Fire & Waterfalls - HL06, in the morning and then a tour - Waterfall, Cave & Black Sand Cove -HL39.We will be cruising past Mount Kilauea around midnight as well.:D

[gek]

I can definitely recommend a heli flight but a drive up to Volcanoes national park is also worth it. Depending on how much time you have you could probably do both in a day.

[MicCanberra]

I can definitely recommend a heli flight but a drive up to Volcanoes national park is also worth it. Depending on how much time you have you could probably do both in a day.

Yes, timing is an issue for sure, I wish we had more time but we have immigration to go through (coming from Mexico) in the morning as well.:D

[AussieAli]

We cruised into Hilo last yr on Radiance and as we were a family of 6 we hired a Chrysler people mover and drove to Volcanoes NP. Very easy to get in and out of Hilo. Car hire cost us around USD100. We arranged to pick up the car from the airport so jumped on the airport shuttle bus that picked us up at the pier. Entry fee to the NP was approx $20 per vehicle. We had a fantastic day there.

 

 

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[MicCanberra]

We cruised into Hilo last yr on Radiance and as we were a family of 6 we hired a Chrysler people mover and drove to Volcanoes NP. Very easy to get in and out of Hilo. Car hire cost us around USD100. We arranged to pick up the car from the airport so jumped on the airport shuttle bus that picked us up at the pier. Entry fee to the NP was approx $20 per vehicle. We had a fantastic day there.

 

 

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Sounds like a great way to do it yourself.

[Raison]

Volcano National Park is not to be missed, just a fascinating display of natures power and devastation. We used Ricky's tours and he was a very good guide for the day.

The second day we had in Hilo, we went into the down town area (not a lot there) and then we did a helicopter flight over the volcano area. Fantastic and highly recommended.

[MicCanberra]

Volcano National Park is not to be missed, just a fascinating display of natures power and devastation. We used Ricky's tours and he was a very good guide for the day.

The second day we had in Hilo, we went into the down town area (not a lot there) and then we did a helicopter flight over the volcano area. Fantastic and highly recommended.

 

Yes, we are so looking forward to our helicopter flight. Can't wait.:D

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Take a full day excursion to the black sand beach (Punaloo?) and Volcano National Park will blow you away...forget the Rainbow Falls, they're nothing special. I have a contact if you are interested.

You can pick up some wine at the supermarkets on the way back to the ship.

 

Can you e-mail me your contact please Kinkacruiser :), kiwi_cruiser [at] ymail.com (replace at with @ and take out the spaces.)

[Kiwi_cruiser]

We will be doing a Heli ride Circle of Fire & Waterfalls - HL06, in the morning and then a tour - Waterfall, Cave & Black Sand Cove -HL39.We will be cruising past Mount Kilauea around midnight as well.:D

 

I wonder if the Sea Princess will do the same??? hmmmmm

[MicCanberra]

I wonder if the Sea Princess will do the same??? hmmmmm

 

I would think that they have something similar, they would certainly be offering the Helicopter flights.:D

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Thank You everyone for your ideas and information :)

 

At the moment we have booked a Princess tour to go to Volcanoes National Park.

 

Does anyone know if its possible to see the waterfalls as well as doing the Volcanoes National Park???

[MicCanberra]

Thank You everyone for your ideas and information :)

 

At the moment we have booked a Princess tour to go to Volcanoes National Park.

 

Does anyone know if its possible to see the waterfalls as well as doing the Volcanoes National Park???

That may depend on the tour, some were offering tours that did both, others only went to the volcano.:D