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Take a journey through the southern half of Big Island. Drive across barren lava fields that are wedged between two active volcanoes: Mauna Loa and Kilauea. As you travel you’ll come across a black sand beach and local coffee and macadamia nut farms. Take an optional side trip -- don't worry, we'll guide you -- to Ka Lae (South Point) for cliff jumping and a hike to a green sand beach. End the day at Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain in Hawaii, for stargazing.
Here are just a few of the fun things you can do on the tour!
• Drink local coffee at Kau Coffee Farm
• Visit a black sand beach
• Stargaze atop Mauna Kea
• Visit an ancient historic site
• Get malasadas and sweet bread at Punalu'u Bakery
Narrator
I’ll be your guide on this tour. Press play to hear a sneak peek of the stories waiting for you as you browse.
This tour takes you across the entire island from Hilo on the eastern coast to Kona in the west.
One of the best things about this tour — you can start it from either side of the island, depending on your travel plans.
The tour travels in a loop, ending where you began, but you can also break it up into multiple days, or combine it with our Volcanoes National Park and Kona Big Kahuna Tours.
Here are some of the popular spots you can explore on the tour!
There’s an optional detour to South Point, where you can cliff jump at the southernmost tip of the United States.
For help planning your day, check our South Island Epic Coastal Journey suggested itinerary, and here's everything you need to know before you go!
Here’s our packing list for this tour. It may seem a little long, but remember, what you bring depends on the activities you choose to do for the day.
How much you spend depends on the stops and activities you choose, but here are some costs to plan for:
We also recommend budgeting extra for meals, drinks, snacks, and optional purchases along the route.
Prices can change, so check each attraction’s official website for current rates before your visit.
Yes! Feel free to join the tour along the route. Just make sure that you follow the numbers in chronological order from where you are starting from. If you don’t begin at one of the tour starting points you’ll miss a few stories, but you’ll still have a great experience.
This tour has two starting points: Kona and Hilo.
You can take the tour in either direction depending on where you start. Follow the route and audio in the order provided in the Shaka Guide app so you don’t miss any stops or stories.
It depends. If you want to visit South Point or hike to Papakōlea Green Sand Beach, we recommend making the detour.
The detour itself takes about an hour, but plan for more time if you’re hiking to the beach. The Green Sand Beach hike is about 5 miles round trip and can take around 3 hours.
If those stops aren’t a priority, you may want to skip the detour and save time for other activities along the route.
Shaka Guide isn’t just about getting from point A to point B—it’s like having a local tour guide in your pocket.
As you walk, the app shares stories, history, local insights, and directions based on where you are. We’ve planned the route for you, but you can still explore at your own pace, pause the tour, skip stops, or spend more time wherever you like.
It’s not just about getting there—it’s about discovering the stories behind the places you’re visiting.
Still have questions? Send us an email at aloha@shakaguide.com or give us a call at (808) 201-8138.
Think of us as your personal tour guide in an app. Our tours provide everything a guided tour does, but with the freedom to explore on your terms. Here’s how it works:
Pretty cool huh? We think so! Check out our tours and let’s explore together.
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