Big Island Volcanoes by Land and Air
Marvel at black sand beaches and eerie lava tubes on this incredible full day tour by helicopter and on foot, taking in highlights of Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park, accompanied by a private guide.
Your adventure begins from Kona airport. You'll fly in an executive style Bell 407 helicopter that seats up to 6 people comfortably. Start by flying over Hawaii's impressive volcanoes: Hualalai, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa before following the lava trails across to the highlight of the flightseeing tour, the Volcanoes National Park. Your experienced pilot will look for the day's activity and get you in as close as possible to the volcanoes. These views are normally only accessible from the air. You may see glowing lava in a crater below and fly out to the coast to see it as it hits the ocean with the plumes of smoke rising up.
After the first part of your experience, you will land in Hilo and meet your interpretive guide who will then take you by road, through the rugged landscape of Ka'u — home to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, historic farming plantations and the famous black sand beach of Punalu'u. You will learn about the people and landscape and how the volcanoes have affected the way they live in this dynamic region.
The tour highlights include:
Visit to the “must see” spots within the Park; including Jaggar Museum and Halema‘uma‘u Crater
Walk across a fine black sand beach and search for basking sea turtles at Punalu'u
Learn about the Hawaiian legends and mythology, with a focus on Pele, Hawaiian goddess of fire, lightning, wind and volcanoes
Explore a historic 165-year-old working ranch known for its sprawling view planes, native forest, and wildlife such as cattle, goats, sheep & horses
A picnic lunch is served during your adventure before you return to the Hilo Airport and back on to the helicopter once again. The second part of your air adventure will take the leisurely route to Kona along the eastern and northern coasts. You will fly deep into uninhabited valleys that showcase Hawaii’s wild, untamed beauty. Waterfalls cascades down steep valley walls and surf pounds rocky cliffs and untouched beaches. Finally, the landscape shifts once again as you fly over Pololu Valley and over beautiful beaches to make your way down the coastline and return to the Kona Airport in time to enjoy one of Hawaii’s famed sunsets.
This adventure departs each morning and lasts a full day. A picnic lunch is included as well as around 2 hours' flying time. Short walks of under 2 miles are included during the day.
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