Big Island of Hawai’i Itinerary

The Big Island (officially named Hawaii) is the largest island in the Hawaii chain. A visual spectacle including active volcanos, waterfalls, lush greenery, black sand beaches, and delicious fresh seafood, it is impossible not to fall in love with this place. I have been to Hawaii before, including Maui, Oahu & Kauai so my opinion is well-rounded and after spending 4 days and nights here during the month of December I can whole-heartedly say that this island can put it up to the rest of them if adventure is what you’re after. This post will outline how to squeeze as much as you can out of a 4-day trip to the island. Disclaimer: 4 days is never enough but you have to work with what you have.

I split my time 50/50 between the Hilo Area and the Kailua Kona area in order to see as much as possible. They say Hilo is the wetter side of the Island and Kona is the sunnier side so keep that in mind. Here’s a quick summary of my itinerary and you can scroll down for the detailed version.

• Day 1: Volcano’s National Park, Naalehu, Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach & Hilo Farmers Market

• Day 2: Rainbow Falls, Onomea Bay, Akaka Falls, Waipi’o Valley Lookout, GJ’s Huli Chicken & Hapuna Beach

• Day 3: (In this case, Christmas day) Morning run/swim at Kailua Kona (if you’re an Ironman fan, you’ll appreciate this) & relaxing at the hotel/resort pool.

• Day 4: Kua Bay, Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park & Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park.

How to get there

By Air: This is the only option unless you already live here. There are 2 main airports on the Big Island, Kona International Airport (KOA) on the west side of the Island and Hilo International Airport (ITO) on the North-East side. You can get direct flights to both airports with many major US airlines including United Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines, etc., and internationally from places like Japan.

How to decide between KOA and ITO? It really depends on your budget and your plans while on the Island. I flew in and out of Kona, purely because the flights worked out cheaper from San Francisco, where I am based. The airports are about a 1.5-hour drive from one another so honestly if the budget is tight, fly into whichever airport is cheaper. If money isn’t an issue or flights are cheap, I would consider flying in and out of opposite airports so you can split your trip between both parts of the Island.

How to get around

I’ll keep this short and sweet, rent a car. We rented a car from Avis at the airport and we had no issues but I wouldn’t recommend them more than any other brand, I picked them because they were marginally cheaper than the rest for our dates.

Itinerary

Day 1 – Volcano’s and Beaches

• Volcano’s National Park

To preface, I arrived in Kona late on a Thursday evening, picked my car up, and made my way to Hilo where the adventure began the next morning, so we are starting day 1 there, bright and early in the charming town of Hilo. Hilo is located on the North East side of the Island and is famous for being the lush, green, sometimes wet, and volcano-littered side of the Island. If you’ve ever been to Road to Hana in Maui, it’s that kind of vibe. We woke up an hour before sunrise and made our way to Volcano’s National Park to catch a sunrise. It took approximately 1 hour from Hilo to the park entrance. If you have an America The Beautiful pass, bring it although there was nobody manning the entrance at that early hour and nobody checked ours. I can not stress enough what a beautiful experience it was to watch the sun rise over Kilauea Crater with the steam bursting out from the ground! I’ll let the photos do the talking. There was ample parking all morning in the park and we spent about 2 hours here in total. If you are so inclined, there are plenty of hikes, but I felt I saw as much as I wanted by following Crater Rim Drive and pulling in at the lookouts.

An added bonus at this national park is the Nahuku – Thurston Lava Tube. There are plenty of parking spaces near this too and we didn’t have any trouble getting a space at 7:30 am but in the thick of summer, that might not be the case. The tube is down at the bottom of a lush canyon full of trees and foliage, think rainforest vibes.

• Naalehu

Breakfast was the next essential port of call and we drove about 1 hour south of the national park to a charming town called Naalehu to pick up some coffee and some local Hawaiian donuts called Malasadas (jam/cream filled balls of goodness). I got a delicious Matcha Latte at Ka Lae before heading across the street to Punalu’U Bake Shop for a breakfast sandwich and some Malasadas. This place was busy and very touristy but the donuts were delicious and it was a nice stop along the journey.

• Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach

  This beach is an absolute must-see on your trip to the Big Island for 2 reasons. The first: It is blanketed by stunning black sand which was created by lava flowing into the ocean and exploding as it cools and it creates a visual feast against the blue skies and green palm trees. The second reason is, of course, the turtles. They are plentiful and easy to spot so don’t forget your snorkel gear (like me). Always respect nature and don’t swim too close to these little guys. There is ample parking right next to the beach, public restrooms, and an on-duty lifeguard.

  Top tip: Come here early to enjoy the beach to yourself and have time to take photos uninterrupted. Around lunchtime, busloads of tourists arrived and it became very busy.

• Hilo Farmers Market

In the town of Hilo lies a wonderful farmers market that runs every day from 7:00 am – 3:00 pm and offers everything from fresh fruit & vegetables to souvenirs, clothing, and delicious local food vendors. I picked up some spicy Poke and some local beer here and it did not disappoint. The perfect feast after a long day in the sunshine.

Other notable Food Recommendations in Hilo Town:

• Jackie Rey’s Ohana Grill – $$$ – Make a reservation. Perfect for date night. Great food.

• Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine – $$ – Live music. Great local food. Reservation not required.

Day 2 – Road trip around Mamalahoa Highway

• Rainbow Falls

  The idea of this route is to get from Hilo to Kailua Kona along the north coast of the Island. Situated on the outskirts of Hilo town is the first stop of the day, Rainbow Falls. Part of the Wailuku river, Rainbow Falls is apparently a great place to catch a rainbow although I wasn’t so lucky. These falls are free to view and take about 60 seconds to see. You can’t climb down to the base of the falls so for that reason, they are not as impressive but overall a good way to start a road trip.

• Onomea Bay

One of the lushest parts of the Island, Onomea Bay lies on the north side of the Island along the Old Mamalahoa highway and it is an absolute must-see. Here you can follow a trail down to the ocean, through lush rainforest foliage, to stunning views of the coastline and if you are feeling spendy you can also visit the Hawaiian Botanical Garden ($). There is a limited amount of parking spaces along the trailhead here on the old highway and a steep downhill to reach the trails to the viewpoints but trust me, it’s worth it. The weather was beautiful in December but always check ahead and bring a jacket in case the rain shows up. Perfect, perfect, perfect.

• Akaka Falls State Park

  Another sight that you simply can’t miss, Akaka Falls State Park. As you’ve probably guessed, this is home to the huge Akaka Falls, a staggering 442ft tall majestic sight. 2 things to note here, parking in the official parking lot is $10/car and entrances to the self-guided loop trail to view the falls is $5/person. To skip the $10 parking, simply park right outside the official lot, there is loads of space alongside the road, or at least there was when I visited. Bring your credit/debit card to purchase your $5 entrance fee from the automated machines at the trailhead. There are park officials here to help you with any questions. The loop is a 1-way system and is less than half a mile from start to finish. The greenery is stunning and when you reach the falls, prepare to be amazed. I’ll let the photos speak.

• Waipi’o Valley Lookout

  One of the most famous sights on the Island, Waipi’o Valley lookout can not be missed. Rumor has it you can drive down to the valley if you have a 4×4 vehicle but I wouldn’t put money on it. We drove to the lookout point, about a 10-minute drive from the town of Honoka’a where I recommend stopping off for a coffee or some lunch. There are also lots of local fruit stands along this portion of the trip. The lookout is a quick park and snap situation. If you like a challenge, look into hiking down the old road into the Valley itself, try AllTrails for more current information on that as the trail has been closed due to unsafe conditions but is due to re-open.

• GJ’s Huli Chicken

  As seen on Somebody Feed Phil, We had to stop at GJ’s Huli Chicken roadside stand since it was along the route we were headed. Yummy, freshly cooked, messy chicken served with rice & macaroni – exactly as advertised. Note, the portions are huge so 1 portion will easily feed 2 hungry adults.

• Hapuna Beach

  Wrapping up the day at Hapuna Beach. This beach has a ton of parking and all the facilities including bathrooms, outdoor showers, etc. This was by far the busiest beach we visited during the whole trip but it was easy to see why. I actually didn’t take any photos here so I borrowed this image from Squarespace stock but it sums it up well. Sandy beach, blue water, and palm trees – what more could you ask for? Also located right next to the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort, if you want to stay in a hotel with beach access. We soaked up some rays here before calling it a day and making it to our hotel which is located south of Kona. The whole roadtrip would probably take about 2 hours with no stops but we made a day out of it and that’s the only way to do in my opinion.

Day 3 – Explore Kona & Relax

• Check into Resort

We started night 2 and day 3 at Outriggers Kona Resort where we stayed for the 2 final nights of our trip. We wanted resort-style accommodation but without the huge price tag and this, by all means, fit the bill. This hotel is about 10km south of the town of Kailua-Kona and is nestled right along the coastline with stunning views and lovely swimming pool facilities.

The pool area here was perfect, overlooking the ocean and serving the best Pina Colada you could ask for. You can rent cabanas by the pool but I would say this is totally unnecessary since we had no problems getting loungers at any point during the day. 10/10 views for sunset too.

• Explore Kailua-Kona

  Since day 3 for us was in fact Christmas day and a lot of the local businesses were closed we decided to take the scenic route to explore the area by foot. Now, this part is very much optional but we decided to run into Kailua-Kona and back along the coast on Ali’i Drive. You could also walk this route into town and take in the sights along the way and definitely bring a swimsuit. We didn’t know this ahead of time but on Christmas day here, there is a swim/run event from Kona Pier which is most famously known for hosting many Ironman World Championships over the years and is very well known in the triathlete world.

Other notable Food Recommendations in Kailua-Kona:

• Papa Kona’s Restaurant – $$ – Enjoy cocktails on the deck while enjoying ocean views.

• Roasted Toasted Cafe – $ – Perfect for a healthy breakfast ahead of a day of exploring.

• Kona Brewing Co – $$ – I was dying to go here for a Long Board but it didn’t work out however, I hear great things.

• Day 4 – National Parks

• Kua Bay

Roughly a 25-minute drive north of Kona lies a beautiful beach called Manini’owali at Kua Bay. Think white sand, blue water, and surf-worthy waves. This beach is very popular and parking is sparse but if you get there early you will find a spot along the access road. The water was a bit too wild for me to swim in when we visited (I am a weak-ass swimmer) but it didn’t stop anyone else. There are toilets and garbage bins near the entrance which are perfect if you are there for the day. A worthy destination on your Hawaiian adventure.

• Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park

Okay, don’t be mad but I didn’t take any photos here. We were short on time but let me save you some more time. There are 2 sections to this park. The visitor center houses the history of the park along with some walking trails through the rugged, hardened lava fields. The other part is the Aiopio Fishtrap which you might recognize from Instagram. I borrowed this picture, don’t @ me. If this is the beach you are looking for, you want to put Kona Sailing Club into Google maps, there is lots of parking here and it’s much closer than the Visitor Center. Now, did it look like the photo in real life? Not even close. I would probably skip this stop all together if you have time because the next National Park will blow your socks off.

• Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park

Located about 1 hour south of Kona lies the absolutely stunning, historical, and spiritual sanctuary of Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park. The usual USA National Park fees apply to enter here unless you have an annual pass which I recommend getting if you are planning on visiting more than 3 National Parks in 1 year. This park has several walking trails through the beach, palm trees, and historical structures and it’s worth every penny of the entrance fee. We spent about an hour here because our flight was departing but honestly, I would have spent a few hours. Bring a picnic and your snorkels because there is a well-known snorkel location nearby, called 2-step beach which was very busy. Allegedly a great spot to see turtles. Do not skip this park on your itinerary!

• Departure

  All good things must come to an end. We dropped the rental car back at the airport and hopped on the shuttle to the departure zone. Here’s a few tips for the airport. You can not bring any fresh fruit or vegetables in your luggage out of Hawaii and they scan all check-in suitcases before you check your bag to make sure nothing gets through. The airport gates are all outdoors so if the weather is warm or cold, you will feel it. Dress lightly but bring a sweater. The food options at Kona airport are terrible, some of the worst airport food I’ve seen so eat before you go to the airport or bring snacks (excluding fruit/veg). The airport was chaotic during our visit due to it being the Christmas Holidays so if that is not your vibe, try and visit during the shoulder season. We caught a beautiful sunset on our journey home and it was the perfect end to a perfect trip.

And there it is, a jam-packed, adventure-filled 4-day itinerary to see the Big Island of Hawaii. I would love to have had more time to explore the history of the island and to try more food but that’s the downfall of a short trip. I hope this guide helps you plan your trip and answers some of your questions. You can see more of my trip over on my Instagram @liv119.

Happy Planning and Mahalo

Olivia