Volcanoes National Park & Rainbow Falls
Volcanoes National Park & Rainbow Falls
This exciting excursion to Volcanoes National Park and Rainbow Falls includes a 4,000-foot trip up to view all the magnificent glory of Volcanoes National Park. The Park highlights two of the world's most active volcanoes- Kilauea and Mauna Loa- and offers insights into the birth of the Hawaiian Islands and views of dramatic volcanic landscapes. Explore the summit of the Kilauea volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, via a portion of the 11-mile Crater Rim Drive. The road encircles the summit caldera and passes through desert and tropical rainforest, traverses the caldera floor, and provides access to many well-marked scenic stops and short walks.
Witness the amazing Thurston Lava Tube, discovered in 1913 by Lorrin Thurston, a local newspaper publisher. Hike down a 20-minute walk for a third of a mile through a tree fern forest and a lighted, prehistoric, cave-like lava tube. It is an excellent place to stop and listen to the birds.
At Hawaii's renowned Jaggar Museum, you'll see plumes of sulfuric smoke with vast evidence of lava destruction, steam vents, and fascinating scenic lookouts. The museum features displays of equipment used by scientists in the past to study volcanoes and offers a sheltered view, through large picture windows, of the caldera and the main crater of Halema'uma'u. The overlook outside the Museum also has a spectacular view of the volcano with interpretive displays about Kilauea. Your time in the park is approximately 2 hours.
As you descend the volcano, you will also explore some of Hilo's most interesting surrounding areas, including Rainbow Falls. These beautiful falls get their name from the rainbow that is often visible in the mist that rises as the water cascades to the rocks 80 feet below. You will also stop at the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory, where you will have the opportunity to purchase a snack and get a taste of the island.
Then, head to the Akatsuka Orchid Gardens, which has been the prominent grower of Cattleya orchids for over 40 years. View over 500 varieties of blooming orchids and learn the best practices of successful orchid growing.
As you make your return to the ship, end with a drive by the gardens named in honor of the Queen in 1917, Liliuokalani Botanical Gardens. Throughout the gardens are stone lanterns, gazebos, and torii gates, recalling the Japanese immigrants who came to Hawaii.
PLEASE NOTE: Refreshments are not included on this tour. Guests with special dietary needs may wish to bring along a snack of some type, as the tour is over six hours long. Smoking is not permitted in the National Park. Please be assured that both Hilo and Kona remain largely unaffected by the current eruption of the Kilauea volcano and that it is still safe to travel to the Big Island of Hawaii (Hawaii Island). The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is currently partially open; as a result, this tour will continue to operate with a modified itinerary until the park has reopened completely. The modified itinerary includes the following stops/views: Liliuokalani Gardens (Drive-By), Rainbow Falls, Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory, Akatsuka Orchid Nursery, Board Mini Coach, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Drive Past Steam Vents, Pu'u Pua'i Crater, Luamanu Crater, Puhimau Crater, Big Island Candies.
- Adventure and Active
- National Parks and Preserves
About Shore Excursions Group
About Us
Shore Excursions Group is the market leading and world's largest shore excursion company. Since 2008, we've provided cruise passengers with higher-quality, lower-priced, and smaller group shore excursions from a portfolio of nearly 4,000 tours in over 300 ports. Over the last 16 years, we've delivered more than 4.6M excursions with a 4.7 out of 5 star rating from more than 47k reviews.
Exceptional travel experiences are created by exceptional people. Our incredible team of cruise and travel experts has more than 100 years of combined industry experience, and we work in close collaboration with a network of exceptional tour operator partners dedicated to providing personalized and immersive excursions to cruise passengers in the ports they visit around the world.
Our excursions are higher quality, lower priced, and travel in smaller groups averaging just 12 guests per departure, allowing our guests to truly connect with the local culture and enjoy a more enriching travel experience. Our website provides a personalized shopping experience highlighting the top-rated and most popular excursions in each port of call with authentic photos, videos, and reviews from other guests.
Our proprietary itinerary search technology makes booking easy by displaying the excursions guaranteed to work for your ship's scheduled arrival and departure into each port of call. We also feature hand-curated multi-port packages with the top-rated excursion for each port bundled together at an additional discount.
Our Unique Approach
While the cruise lines and other companies also offer excursions, we are the experts and our experience and approach set us apart. Our exceptional excursions travel in smaller groups and visit more interesting and authentic locations, using more personalized tour guides.
Our team uses a comprehensive approach to select the leading guides and best tour providers around the world. Every excursion is carefully curated and closely monitored through quality control and customer feedback.
In today's fast paced world, vacations are an important way to relax, reconnect with family and friends, and discover new and interesting places - and our portfolio of the highest quality tours was created to provide authentic and rewarding travel experiences on your next trip.
High quality service is very important to travelers and leads to better experiences with higher satisfaction. We encourage you to call us, so our experts can answer your questions and help you select the best excursions for your cruise.
Our Exceptional Tours
Our priority is providing cruise guests with exciting and enriching tours with personalized service and smaller groups.
Our small group tours range from 2-12 people - far less than other tour companies with larger tours up to 50 people. We also offer outstanding private excursions - exclusive experiences for only you and your group with options to fully customize your tour.
Our "Scenic" tours provide up close and personal access to some of the most spectacular natural environments on Earth from majestic glaciers in Alaska to spectacular reefs in the Caribbean.
Our "Cultural" tours allow customers to experience local customs, entertainment and culinary delights ranging from tribal dances in Alaska to an outstanding local meal in Santorini, Greece.
Our "Active" tours offer a multitude of exciting and adventurous ways to experience our destinations. Kayak the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, hike to a spectacular waterfall in Hawaii, or bicycle through quaint villages in France.
Our "City" tours allow travelers to see the highlights of great cities around the world with unique insights provided by our expert tour guides.
Our Guarantee
We stand by our excursions, and we're committed to meeting your expectations. Our team and our guides are dedicated to delivering exceptional experiences, which we've achieved consistently over many years and millions of tours. To the extent you are in any way dissatisfied with the experience we deliver, we will work to resolve your concerns - up to and including a full refund of your tour price. For more information visit the Shore Excursions Group website.
About Shore Excursions Group
About Us
Shore Excursions Group is the market leading and world's largest shore excursion company. Since 2008, we've provided cruise passengers with higher-quality, lower-priced, and smaller group shore excursions from a portfolio of nearly 4,000 tours in over 300 ports. Over the last 16 years, we've delivered more than 4.6M excursions with a 4.7 out of 5 star rating from more than 47k reviews.
Exceptional travel experiences are created by exceptional people. Our incredible team of cruise and travel experts has more than 100 years of combined industry experience, and we work in close collaboration with a network of exceptional tour operator partners dedicated to providing personalized and immersive excursions to cruise passengers in the ports they visit around the world.
Our excursions are higher quality, lower priced, and travel in smaller groups averaging just 12 guests per departure, allowing our guests to truly connect with the local culture and enjoy a more enriching travel experience. Our website provides a personalized shopping experience highlighting the top-rated and most popular excursions in each port of call with authentic photos, videos, and reviews from other guests.
Our proprietary itinerary search technology makes booking easy by displaying the excursions guaranteed to work for your ship's scheduled arrival and departure into each port of call. We also feature hand-curated multi-port packages with the top-rated excursion for each port bundled together at an additional discount.
Our Unique Approach
While the cruise lines and other companies also offer excursions, we are the experts and our experience and approach set us apart. Our exceptional excursions travel in smaller groups and visit more interesting and authentic locations, using more personalized tour guides.
Our team uses a comprehensive approach to select the leading guides and best tour providers around the world. Every excursion is carefully curated and closely monitored through quality control and customer feedback.
In today's fast paced world, vacations are an important way to relax, reconnect with family and friends, and discover new and interesting places - and our portfolio of the highest quality tours was created to provide authentic and rewarding travel experiences on your next trip.
High quality service is very important to travelers and leads to better experiences with higher satisfaction. We encourage you to call us, so our experts can answer your questions and help you select the best excursions for your cruise.
Our Exceptional Tours
Our priority is providing cruise guests with exciting and enriching tours with personalized service and smaller groups.
Our small group tours range from 2-12 people - far less than other tour companies with larger tours up to 50 people. We also offer outstanding private excursions - exclusive experiences for only you and your group with options to fully customize your tour.
Our "Scenic" tours provide up close and personal access to some of the most spectacular natural environments on Earth from majestic glaciers in Alaska to spectacular reefs in the Caribbean.
Our "Cultural" tours allow customers to experience local customs, entertainment and culinary delights ranging from tribal dances in Alaska to an outstanding local meal in Santorini, Greece.
Our "Active" tours offer a multitude of exciting and adventurous ways to experience our destinations. Kayak the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, hike to a spectacular waterfall in Hawaii, or bicycle through quaint villages in France.
Our "City" tours allow travelers to see the highlights of great cities around the world with unique insights provided by our expert tour guides.
Our Guarantee
We stand by our excursions, and we're committed to meeting your expectations. Our team and our guides are dedicated to delivering exceptional experiences, which we've achieved consistently over many years and millions of tours. To the extent you are in any way dissatisfied with the experience we deliver, we will work to resolve your concerns - up to and including a full refund of your tour price. For more information visit the Shore Excursions Group website.
