10 Things You Need To Do On Big Island, Hawaii

Planning a trip to Big Island, Hawaii? This guide covers all the must-do activities from the exhilarating excursion of snorkeling with manta rays at night to sunbathing at some of the world’s most distinctive beaches.

Having traveled to the Big Island for 4 days in April with months spent researching beforehand, we’ve compiled a list of 10 things you need to do and see while on the island. Most of these activities are not only unique to Hawaii but are exclusive to Big Island specifically.

As the name suggests, Big Island is Hawaii’s largest island and is made up of a diverse and unique landscape that everyone will enjoy, making it a great place for a vacation! From colorful beaches to lush rainforests, Big Island is home to terrific scenery and cultural heritage sites, and offers a wide range of unique excursions that will be sure to live long in the memory.

The following is a first-hand guide to 10 activities we recommend doing during your stay on Big Island!

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1) Snorkel/ Scuba Dive With Manta Rays

Swimming with Manta Rays was easily one of the highlights of our trip to the Big Island. Manta rays are the largest rays in the world reaching up to 30 ft in length and are a highly intelligent form of marine life.

An endangered species, a little over 100 of them can be found living in the waters off the coasts of Hawaii’s big island and it would be a shame to leave without seeing them!

The artificial lights that accompanied our dive served to attract zooplankton which in turn attracted the feeding manta rays which gave a unique, up-close view of them in their natural surroundings.

The manta rays would swim right up to the lights and would come within inches of us! Witnessing the manta rays gently soar around us was such a surreal experience that we will never forget. While we were a little apprehensive about getting in the water after sunset, we were so happy we went through with it as it was a one-in-a-lifetime experience.

All equipment for the excursion is provided with the snorkel tour costing approximately $100 and the scuba dive costing $150-200. A once-in-a-lifetime experience!

2) Visit Mauna Kea Sunset

Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano on Hawaii’s big island and is one of its most remote places. With a summit of nearly 14,000 feet above sea level, you can find a snow cap at certain times of the year. The flat shape, gentle wind, and low humidity made it a perfect place to enjoy the sunset once we got to the top.

Conditions can sometimes make the drive towards the summit more dangerous and the public can be prohibited from going further at times. If you are planning on driving to the summit by yourself, here are some things you will need:

• 4 Wheel Drive: You will not be allowed past the visitor without it. All wheel drive vehicles will not be permitted to drive to the summit, it must be 4 wheel drive.
• Permission From Your Rental Car Agency: Once you have your 4 wheel drive vehicle, you must also have written permission from your rental company that you are allowed to summit. Many rental car companies (including cars rented from Turo) have GPS trackers and you will be fined if you do not have permission to summit. This is due to the damage the car can endure during the summit.
• An Experienced Driver: You must have an extremely experienced and cautious driver to make the drive. This is a treacherous drive for even experienced drivers. The majority of the drive is unpaved and features many sharp turns and winding roads.

If all that sounds like too much of a hassle, there are plenty of tour companies can bring you to the summit. Even better, these companies have permission to stay at the summit past the sunset (everyone else has to begin their decent down immediately after the sunset). There is almost no better place in the world to star gaze.

By going with a tour agency you also reduce the risk of being fined for damages to the rental car by driving to the summit. One of the most common issues is break failure due to overheating during the decent. In 2022, three accidents were caused by brake failure, one of which was fatal. If you have any hesitation about driving to the summit yourself, we would definitely recommend using a tour agency.

While it can be pricey, visiting Mauna Kea at sunset is a bucket list excursion that you should definitely squeeze into your Big Island Adventure!

3) Visit Akaka Falls

Akala Falls is a 442ft waterfall located on Hawaii’s big island and is worth a visit if your vacation includes the Hamakua coast. Akala State Park features a gentle hike which is paved and takes you through a lush rainforest featuring orchids, bamboo, and other tropical plants.

This was one of our first stops on our road trip around the Big Island and is only about a 30-minute drive from the Hilo airport.

An hour is a good length of time to enjoy the beautiful views at the park Parking is available and is $10 per car and entry to the park is $5 per person. It is best to visit before 11 am to beat the crowds and to see the sunshine glistening in the impressive waterfall.

We rented a car and drove to this waterfall, but if you’re looking for more of a guided experience or if you’re trying to fit a lot into one day, check out this tour on Viator which takes you to Akaka Falls, Rainbow Falls, volcano national park, black sand beach, and more!

4) Snorkel at Two-step (Honaunau Bay)

If you are visiting the western side of Big Island you will find one of Hawaii’s best snorkel spots at Honaunau Bay, also known as Two Step. The turquoise water is home to a great variety of tropical fish amidst beautiful coral reefs and lava rock with dolphins also making regular appearances.

While we did not see any during our time here, we were told by our Airbnb host told us you can frequently spot dolphins here! But, were were still very impressed by the colorful fish, sea turtles, and coral of Two-step.

The bay is well sheltered allowing for good snorkel conditions and the rock’s natural form takes the shape of ‘two steps’ which is an easy and commonly used entry point into the water. We found the surge of the water can make it more difficult to enter and exit on certain days and the snorkel spot is not in shallow water so you will need to be comfortable swimming and treading water.

Parking can be found on the road right next to the bay but it is best to get to Two Step in the morning as parking becomes scarce later in the day. The bay is located next to a National Historical Park with a preserved ancient village and is well worth walking to, we recommend visiting before getting in the water so you can enjoy it with dry clothes on.

5) Hike Volcano National Park

Big Island is home to five different volcanoes with the Volcano National Park encompassing two of them: Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Established in 1916, the park is located 45 minutes southwest of Hilo and extends from the sea level to over 13,000 feet, and is over 300,000 acres in size.

We drove to the visitor center upon arriving to plan our visit and went on a number of walking and hiking trails that offered amazing sites such as lava fields, rainforest flora and fauna, craters, and lava tubes. We found that the contrasting environments and landscapes within the national park made this a very satisfying single-day excursion.

6) Shop at Hilo Farmers Market

For the freshest fruit and vegetables that the Big Island has to offer, you must check out Hilo Farmers Market. It is located in the downtown Hilo area and is open all year round and every day but there is a bigger market that offers more than 200 vendors which is open twice a week (Wednesday and Saturday).

We visited the big market in search of in-season fruits and when we arrived, we discovered there was also a great selection of artisans selling handmade goods as well as food trucks and other retailers. The central location made parking easy and, in our experience, the Hilo Farmers Market was a great place to visit for souvenir shopping, picking up some delicious local food as well as being a fun place to window shop! Another tip is to ask the vendors if they sell online in case you want to purchase an item and have it shipped back home.

7) Tour A Coffee Farm

Coffee beans can be found to grow on the slopes of the Hualalai volcano on Big Island which is known as the ‘Kona Coffee Belt.’ A 30-mile stretch along the coastline, the area provides for a number of coffee farms that invite the public in for guided tours of the farm where you will learn about the farm’s history as well as how coffee is processed from bean to cup.

The tours are complimentary and you will also have the chance to try samples of the different coffee flavors produced by the farm. The times for the tours can be found on the website of the respective farms and be sure to tip your guide who gave us an excellent overview of the proceedings and made for an enjoyable afternoon. Parking is readily available on the farm premises throughout the day.

8) Visit Green Sand Beach (Papakolea Beach)

One of only four green sand beaches in the world, Papakolea is a geographical anomaly found within a bay in the Kau district of the Big Island and is a place you will not regret visiting. It is a remote beach that gets its green color from a mineral called olivine that was deposited after Mauna Loa erupted in the 1800’s.

The beach can only be accessed via a 4.5-mile hike roundtrip on foot with the terrain being mostly flat so standard hiking gear is fine. However, the sun exposure makes the hike strenuous so we recommend going early in the day to make the hike more pleasurable in cooler temperatures as well as to beat the crowds at the beach itself.

If you’re not keen on making the trek, there are always locals who will drive you to the beach in a jeep for 20 dollars per person round trip. This is also a smart idea if you want to visit green sand beach, but do not have all day.

The beach is There are no trash cans or amenities at the beach so our advice is to bring a trash bag to ensure no litter is left behind after you leave. The strong currents can sometimes make this a dangerous beach to swim at but the scenery you take in more than makes up for that.

9) Visit Black Sand Beach (Punalu’u Beach)

Punalu’u Beach is an incredible unique beach made up of black sand due to underwater volcanic activity. This basalt-sprinkled beach is located near the towns of Pahala and Naalehu and is also a good detour if you are visiting the Volcano National Park. The beach itself is perfect for lying on your towel and sunbathing and there are many palm trees found at the back of the beach which offers shade if needs be.

The water is home to sea turtles and other fish which makes this a good place to bring your snorkel gear too. This ended up being our favorite beach to snorkel on Big Island. We saw over 6 sea turtles and plenty of colorful fish.

Parking is plentiful near the beach in our experience but your chances of finding a spot are better if you arrive before noon.

10) Tour A Chocolate Farm

Chocolate is one of Hawaii’s biggest exports due to the tropical climate and range of locally grown ingredients. When visiting the big island, we spent an afternoon visiting and touring a local cacao farm in southern Kona where we learned about the process of making chocolate from start to finish as well as the farm’s history.

This was a unique experience where we were given first-hand knowledge from a farmer as we were guided through their orchards and processing facilities. We were able to taste a fresh cacao fruit straight from the tree which was a first for most people on the tour as well as sample a variety of different chocolate during our visit. The tour lasted 45 minutes and as well as having farms in Kona, various chocolate farms can be found near Hilo on the Hamakua coast.