South Island Epic Coastal Journey

This tour takes 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! Kealakekua BayKuamoo BattlefieldKa Lae (South Point)Papakolea Beach (Green Sand Beach) Kau Coffee FarmPunalu’u Bakery Punalu’u Black Sand BeachVolcanoes National Park (optional side trip, download our Volcanoes National Park tour) Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut FarmMauna Kea Visitor CenterThere’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.Layers and a jacket, temperatures vary drastically across the island (pack especially if you plan to visit Mauna Kea)SneakersHiking ClothesWater BottleBug SprayTowelBathing Suit (for Cliff Jumping/ beach hopping)SandalsSunscreenSun Glasses and/or HatSnacksCashCar Charger *Very Important*Phone Mount

How much you spend truly depends on what you do along the tour route. Here's a breakdown of some costs: $20.00 per person: Lunch and a local snack$20.00/adults per person: Big Island Bees guided tour (you can also just visit the shop for a free honey tasting)$30.00 per car: Volcanoes National Park entrance (credit preferred)$12 per adult: Panaewa Rainforest Zoo

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. 

Yes! This is one of the few tours that you can do both clockwise and counterclockwise around the island — it truly depends on what works best with your schedule and travel plans. This tour has three starting points: Kona, Waikoloa and Hilo. All directions are the same tour so pick the one that’s best for you!

It depends. If you’re looking to cliff jump at the southernmost tip of the United States or hike to the green sand beach then we recommend you make the detour. The detour itself takes about an hour, but plan to spend more time if you're going to cliff jump or hike. The hike is five miles round trip and takes about 3 hours. If not, you might want to skip it and save that time for other activities along the route.

Still have questions? Send us an email at aloha@shakaguide.com or give us a call at (808) 201-8138.