Hilo Shore Excursion: Punaluu Black Sand Beach, Volcano, & Hilo

We really enjoyed our Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park tour from Hilo. Everything was very well organized from the moment we got off the ship. Our guide was wonderful — she was both our driver and tour guide and did an excellent job. The bus was comfortable, the group was small, and the lunch was excellent. Unfortunately, the much-anticipated Episode 55 eruption didn’t happen during our visit, but we still saw and experienced so much. When the black sand beach became unavailable, the itinerary was adjusted to include Akaka Falls and Rainbow Falls instead, which was a great alternative. A very well-organized and enjoyable tour. We would definitely recommend it!

This tour was excellent! Holley was our guide. She was VERY knowledgeable and have a lot of information. She was very accommodating to the group and flexible with time and stops. I highly recommend this tour.

This was one of the best tours I have ever been on. My husband and I flew in from Oahu to Hawaii just for the day. The tour guide, Amanda, was incredible. She was waiting for us when we got off the plane and from the moment she picked us up was engaging and accommodating. She has so much knowledge of Hilo and the island of Hawaii and shares it in an understanding and very interesting manner. She took us everywhere and informed us of the best views and photo spots at the beach and waterfalls. She shared the history of the volcano, the current and past eruptions, the makeup of the volcano and the chemical reaction that is currently happening. She knows the landscape of Hilo, the vegetation and migration of the plants. She knows history of what country and people contributed to the development of Hawaii. She is so interesting and what she shares is fascinating. She is proud of her tours and loves the company she works for praising them for treating her so well and providing tours that people enjoy. The van was clean and comfortable. She is a great driver. The bento box lunch was delicious. She provided beverages and made the day very comfortable. This is a tour worth taking and I hope all of the guides are as enjoyable as Amanda. Working with Viator is very easy too.

Our guide Ken was very interesting and informative. He took the time to answer all questions and make sure that we were safe and aware of our surroundings. Good tour guide for all ages. Educated us on the culture, but didn't talk to excess.

This company goes above and beyond, excellent service. We were collected from the ship for tour, through no fault of Company Immigration held us up on boat so tour got severely delayed by 2half hours, plus the ship wanted us back by 3.30pm so instead of 9 to 11 hr tour it was crammed into a very short time. Because of shorter time this company also gave us a slight refund. Again brilliant. Nothing to much bother with this company. The lady guide whom drove was so brilliant trying to let us see all major areas to enjoy albeit shorter times.

Holly was a fantastic guide and driver. It was one of the highlights of our trip! So amazing to see a live volcano. And the black sand beach is truly different than the other black sand beaches we saw earlier.

Holley was absolutely amazing! We ended up being the only group on the trip and she took us everywhere we wanted to go. She was so personable and a great tour guide through the national park. She was able to provide great stories and facts about the history of the volcanoes and the islands. Highly recommend this tour!

This was a great tour with lots to see. Aaron was out tour guide and was very informative. We saw the volcanoes, waterfalls, and more. He answered any questions we had and was always very accommodating. Snacks and water provided throughout the tour.

I loved the beach it was similar to the HANA but better. The volcano was boring and not as exciting as I expected. My husband loved it. I wish the conversation from the driver was a bit more interesting, so many other tour guides give a TON of history and fun facts, I felt ours missed a lot and I zoned out because of it and it made the car ride feel even longer.

We had an absolutely amazing experience on our Big Island tour, and it honestly exceeded all expectations! Our tour guide was fantastic from start to finish—so knowledgeable, friendly, and genuinely caring. Since we were the only guests on the tour, everything felt extra special and personalized just for us. We were able to move at a comfortable pace and even finished earlier than planned. What truly stood out was how thoughtful our guide was. She suggested that we ask the airline agent about taking an earlier flight from the Big Island airport, which turned out to be the best advice! Because of her, we were able to leave much earlier and avoid waiting over 3.5 hours at the airport. That alone made our entire travel day so much easier and stress-free. We are so grateful for her care and attention to detail. She didn’t just guide us—she truly looked out for us and made our experience so smooth and enjoyable. Highly, highly recommend this tour and especially this wonderful guide. She made our Big Island trip unforgettable!