If you’re dreaming of a Hawaiian getaway, the Big Island is the perfect destination. Imagine yourself exploring lush rainforests, hiking across volcanic landscapes, or simply unwinding on pristine beaches. We just came back from the Big Island (November 2024) and everything was perfect. The weather, the food and the beaches. On this 7 day Big Island itinerary, we’ll start on the Kona side of the island, and then we’ll road trip over to the Hilo side giving you a chance to see the entire island.
Best Time to Visit Big Island
The best times to visit the Big Island of Hawaii, taking into consideration the weather, how crowded, or not, the island is, and demand for accommodations are the month(s) of April, May, August, September, and October.
Where to Stay in Big Island
Kona: For beach lovers and those seeking a more laid-back atmosphere, Kona offers a variety of accommodations, from budget-friendly hotels to luxurious resorts.
Hilo: If you’re interested in exploring the lush rainforests and volcanic landscapes of the east side, Hilo is a great base. It offers a mix of hotels, bed and breakfasts.
For this itinerary, I recommend basing yourself in Kona, and Hilo to get the most out of your Big Island trip.
Do you Need A Rental Car on the Big Island
Yes, a rental car is highly recommended for exploring the Big Island. Renting a car will allow you to tailor your itinerary to your interests and explore at your own pace.
If you do choose to rent a car, compare car rentals and prices from here.
7 Day Big Island Itinerary
Spending 7 days on Big Island?This itinerary is packed with hiking trails, sun-kissed beaches, thrilling outdoor adventures, and delicious local eats.
Here is the route and 7 Day Big Island itinerary broken out day-by-day:
- Day 1: Kona Coffee tour & Manta ray night snorkel, spend the night in Kona
- Day 2: Snorkeling Captain Cook & Sunset Dinner Cruise, spend the night in Kona
- Day 3: Dedicated Beach Day & Lua
- Day 4: Drive to Hilo w/ stops at Waimea, Waipio Valley, Akaka Falls State Park, spend the night in Hilo
- Day 5: Volcanoes National Park, spend the night in Hilo
- Day 6: Drive Back to Kona w/ stops at Punaluʻu Beach, Papakolea Green Sand Beach, spend the night in Hilo
- Day 7: Last beach sunrise, last minute eats and souvenir shopping
Day 1 – Kona Coffee Tour, Night Time Manta Ray Tour
First, grab some really fresh and savory breakfast at Roasted Toasted Cafe and then start your first day on the Big Island by touring a coffee farm.
Kona coffee is one of the world’s most expensive (and flavorful) types of coffee. And no trip to Kona would be complete without visiting a coffee farm!
We went to Greenwell Farms for their free tour, which they offer daily from 9am-3pm. They also offer free complimentary coffee samples!
Their coffee tour last just over one hour, but you will likely want to carve out 2-3 hours to linger around before and after the tour to try out their coffee and do some shopping.
After our tour we decided to grab poke from Da Poke Shack and just hang out on the beach. We went to Magic Sand Beach which is a beautiful beach to relax and watch the surfers.
If you want to snorkel on your first day, head to Kahalu’u Beach Park. They have fantastic snorkeling. It’s got calm waters and clear waters for rookie snorkelers like myself.
There is a dispenser with reef safe sunscreen and a covered area with tables and benches. If you don’t have equipment, you can rent from Kahalu’u Bay Surf and Sea. The parking is $12 for 4 hours, and there are restrooms on site.
In the evening, grab an oceanfront dinner at Papa Kona and get ready for night time manta ray snorkeling.
Snorkeling with manta rays is one of those experiences you will never forget. On a night time manta ray tour, you will go on a short boat trip to a manta ray feeding site and then snorkel.swim alongside gentle manta rays. Manta ray tour is a unique experience and can only be done on Big Island . Don’t think, just do this!!
No matter which option you choose, I promise it’s one of the most unforgettable activities you will ever do!
Day 2- Daytime Snorkeling + Sunset Dinner Cruise
On day 2 of this Big Island itinerary, go snorkeling at Captain Cook Monument.The monument lies within Kealakekua Bay which offers some of the best snorkeling on the Big Island. To get to the monument, you can either hike, take a private tour, or kayak!
You can get to the bay by hiking the Captain Cook Monument Trail. This is a 3.7 mile out and back trail, through tall grasses, and a rocky open volcanic area.
We went on a tour with Sea Quest, and it was fantastic. For my first time snorkeling, they did an amazing job with making sure we felt comfortable and safe. All equipment was included and they gave noodles and life vests if needed. The excursion was about 3.5 hours.
Pro-Tip: I don’t like using rented snorkel gear. As a nurse, the thought of putting my mouth on used snorkel gear makes me gag. So I recommend you bring your own set of snorkel gear. Bring this snorkel set which is easy to pack.You will also save money by not having to always rent snorkel gear every time you want to snorkel.
In the evening, go on a relaxing sunset dinner cruise. Cruise along the Kona coastline on a spacious 65′ boat while eating fresh local cuisine and having the chance to spot marine life like dolphins, whales, and sea turtles.
Pro-Tip:If you’re visiting in the wintertime, another incredible option is to go on a whale watching tour. The best time to see humpbacks on the Big Island is between December and April.
Day 3- Dedicated Beach Day + Lua
For breakfast, eat at HiCo Hawaiian Coffee. They’ve got kona coffee, chia pudding, paninis and so much more to fuel up for breakfast.
After breakfast head north out of Kona and take a hike to Makalawena Beach. Just imagine a Big Island beach day without any crowds combined with that classic white sand soft beach. It’s unmissable!
While you do have to hike 2 miles round trip to reach Makalawena Beach, it is so worth it. The waters are so clear and so blue it hurts looking at it. It is about a 1-mile hike to reach the beach, and it’s not too intense, though it can be hot, brings lots of water. Oh and snacks+food.
We brought turkey sandwiches and poke bowls to have with us on the beach. We used this portable lunchbox to keep everything cool.
In the evening, after a successful beach day and tan, get dressed and go to a lua.
Other beaches to have a beach day at are: Kua Bay Beach, Mauna Kea Beach, White Sands Beach Park, Hapuna Bay Beach.
In the evening, attend a Lua. Attending a traditional Hawaiian Luau is a super cool experience. They are super touristy and can be expensive, but from what I heard it’s a great time. If you like food, meeting tons of people, listening to music and watching a show then you will have a great time.
Day 4- Drive from Kona to Hilo
Day 4 of this Big Island Itinerary is taking you on an island road trip from Kona to Hilo. The drive from Kona to Hilo takes around 1.5 hours if you take the Saddle Road(which is what google maps will suggest) but you will miss out on a lot of sights.
So, I recommend you take the longer, more scenic route which is highway 19 along the Hamakua coast, that goes through the northern part of the island and includes incredible overlooks, valleys and waterfalls.
Before you head out, pack your favorite snacks (Costco has the best ones), and bring plenty of water, oh and grab and extra large iced kona coffee from Clover and Mug.
I think a road trip itinerary from Kona to Hilo deserves its own blog post, howeverI will share with you some stops to make on highway 19 on your way to Hilo.
You’ll drive from Kona towards Waimea, which will be your first stop. The drive is about 50 minutes.
In Waimea, you can stop at the farmers market, which is open from 9-2 on Wednesdays. While in Waimea, grab some grub to eat. There is also a foodlands in Waimea, which is the perfect pit stop to grab some poke bowls and restock on your snacks before you head to the stop.
From Waimea, head to the Waipio Valley Lookout.
Stop at Waipio Valley, which is a free accessible overlook open to all. The lookout looks like something out of a Jurassic Park movie with a deep green valley and the vast pacific ocean in sight.
After visiting the lookout, head to Akaka Falls State Park. Akaka Falls is a 442 foot waterfall nestled in the middle of the rainforest. It is an absolute highlight.
To get to the falls, there is a short 0.4 mile hike to the waterfall. It cost $10 to park at the main parking lot, and $5 per nonresident to enter the park. You can also find free parking along the street on the way to the main lot.
From Akaka Falls, it’s only a 25 minute drive to Hilo. If you still have energy or have some time to kill before your check in, grab some lunch in Hilo and stroll around the Liliʻuokalani Gardens in Hilo Bay.
If you are unsure of where to stay in Hilo, there are some great options like Grand Nanalio Hotel, SCP Hilo Hotel or a cozy oceanfront home in Hilo. Or stay in the Volcano Village. There are plenty of options here.
Day 5- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has such a super unique ecosystem and landscape that is worth checking out. The park covers over 50% of the Big Island, and is home to two active volcanoes – Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. It is an active volcano that last erupted in 2023 and if you are lucky, you get to see lava flow from afar. You can check the status of the volcano here.
To get into Volcanoes National Park, you’ll have to pay $30 per vehicle for a 7 day pass. Or, it’s free if you have the America The Beautiful Pass.
We visited the national park on our first day in Hilo, and one day was enough to see many of the best parts of the park. While we were at the park, we hiked the 3.2 mile Kilauea Iki Crater Trail , which takes you into the crater.
I think we walked through 4 different seasons on that hike. Initially, it was chilly, then rainy, then hot and then rainy again.As you get closer into the crater, it gets hotter and you are exposed to sun. I recommend at least bringing a raincoat/poncho and a removable layer. .
TLDR: bring a raincoat
Other fun things to do within the park are exploring the Thurston Lava Tube (known as Nāhuku), driving the Chain of Craters Road, and visiting the Sulphur Banks.
After the hike, we ate our packed lunches and nibbled on snacks as we drove towards the Chain of Craters Road. The Chain of Craters Road is a 19 mile road with lots of volcanic craters, a sea arch, and lots of really cool lava landscape sights. At the end of the drive is the amazing Holei Sea Arch that jets out into the ocean. It was super windy and rainy when we went, we were glad to have had our raincoats on.
Your last activity at Volcanoes National Park, should be seeing lava flow at Kilauea Lookout. At the lookout, you can see the glow of lava flow from the recent eruption. It is best seen after dark and can get pretty crowded. You can check the status of the volcano here.
On the way back to Hilo, make a quick stop at Rainbow Falls which is right in downtown Hilo. It’s free and open to the pulic. The main viewpoint is right by the parking lot, and you can walk up the stairs to see magnificent ancient banyan trees.
Then grab dinner at Tabaraka Lebanese Restaurant for some delicious food.
Day 6- Black Sand Beach, Green Sand Beach +Drive Back to Kona
Today is the day you leave Hilo and make the drive back to Kona, through the south side of the island giving you a chance to see beautiful colored beaches.
The first beach you can stop at is Punalu’u Black Sand Beach, a 1.5 hour drive from Hilo and a stunning black sand beach. It has restrooms, picnic areas, showers, and a small souvenir shop. It has picnic tables and palm trees and you may get a chance to see sea turtles.
Grab your snacks and coffee and just sit by the beach before you hit the road again.
A 40 minute drive from Black Sand Beach, is Papakolea Green Sand Beach. The sand is more olive color than green, but still very pretty to see and worth a stop. To get there, you have to take a shuttle to get to the bottom or you can hike to the beach.
The locals charge $20/person for a roundtrip to the beach. They will take you there in their trucks. To get there, it takes about 25 mins each way.
From Green Sand Beach, drive to Kona which is about 1.5 hours. It can be an extremely long day if you do decide to see both beaches, we decided to just see black sand beach.
End the night in Kona and get rest for your last day in Big Island.
Day 7- Chocolate Farm Tour and Departure Day
Depending on the time your flight leaves, you can still manage to do a couple activities. Our flight was for a 3pm departure, so some things we did on our last day was go see the sunrise at the beach one last time, and then went to Costco to shop around for souvenirs and snacks.
Other things to do on the last day is visit a chocolate farm tour, get poke and enjoy watching the ocean waves along with Hawaiian shaved ice. Go to Mrs. Barrys Kona Cookies. Before leaving the island, another perfect place to shop for gifts is along Ali’i Drive in downtown Kona. There’s small boutiques, and gift shops selling everything from natural soap to Hawaiian snacks and souvenirs.
Conclusion
That concludes the Best One Week Big Island Itinerary! I hope you found this itinerary helpful and hope it made you excited and thrilled for your trip to Big Island!
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