7 days on the Big Island of Hawaii 🌴 1 week itinerary ideas! (volcanoes, lava fields, + Kona day trips)🌴 Big Island travel blog

ALOHA!

The Big Island is BIG and that means that in order to explore the island you’ll want to create a Big Island itinerary that involves driving around it!

There are TONS of scenic drives around the Big Island.

And with 7 days in Hawaii, it can be a perfect amount of time to drive around to see different parts of the island!

I spent 3 weeks on the Big Island and here is what you need to know!

So there a few ways you can do the Big Island.

It really depends on what you want to do and your travel style!

The main things are:

• Do you prefer to base your stay in one area as much as possible, and not mind spending more time on the road with a bunch of day trips? Or…
• Do you not mind packing (and unpacking) every night or every couple of days as you make your way around the island, staying in many places around the island?

For this Big Island itinerary, it’ll be the second option.

It’ll still require driving, but just not as much back and forth on the road (which means not as much time sitting in the car).

It’ll take you around the island and you’ll stay in different places as you circle the Big Island. Instead of thinking of this as exhausting, you can think of this as getting different experiences!

Each area of the island can offer you something new.

Of course, if you’re able to manage more time, it would be great to be able to stay a few days extra in any of the areas of the Big Island.

Planning less activities on each day means you can take it slowly!

Even if you don’t want to change your accommodation so much, you can still follow this general plan. Instead of moving around (almost) every night, you can instead choose 1 or 2 areas on the island suggested below.

Maybe stay in Kona as one area. And then find lodging in the town of Volcano* as the other area. (*Search for Volcano hotels at partner website!)

Then you can make day trips to the different activities.

The driving distances are reasonable enough if you want to feel like you are returning “home” at the end of the day!

You can also easily make this 7 day Hawaii itinerary into a 10 day or 2 week Hawaii itinerary for the Big Island by spending a few extra days in each part of the island! If you do have 2 weeks on the Big Island, you will still be able to find more to do! I spent around 3 weeks on the Big Island and did something new almost every day.

You are also able to take things more slowly the more time you have!

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Day 1: Kona coast, Stay in Kona

• Kekaha Kai state park
• Hang out at a white sand beach
• Drive to your Kona accommodation

Arrival day!

There’s an airport in Kona so fly into Kona airport.

And you can rent a car directly from the airport by taking a free shuttle to one of the car rental companies.

Then after you have your car, head to one of the beaches in Kekaha Kai state park straight from the airport! There’s Kua Bay (Maniniowali Beach), Mahaiula Beach, and Makalawena Beach.

Depending on how much time you have, and how much you want to move around, you may choose to pick just one of these beaches in the state park, or you can visit them all!

In order to visit them all though, you’ll need to have energy, as it’ll require a hike through lava fields to get to Makalawena Beach, although a rough drive is also an option (aka one of the Big Island drives that requires a 4-wheel drive.)

Otherwise, Kua Bay and Mahaiula Beach are relatively short walks from the parking lot. It’s a scenic paved road to Kua Bay, and it’s a bit of a bumpy road to Mahaiula Beach. There are 2 main entrances to the state park, each to leading these 2 beaches.

All 3 beaches are white sand beaches that can be a PERFECT way to start your Hawaii vacation!

If you’re looking for the easiest option, I’d say Kua Bay.

Kekaha Kai state park is located just north of Kona airport, which is another reason it can make a perfect way to start.

Or, if you won’t be arriving in Kona early enough (or you just want to check in to your hotel immediately), then start this Big Island itinerary the day after you arrive and make arrival day a chill day around where you’re staying!

Kona evening tour

Among THE most popular tours on the Big Island is snorkeling with manta rays at night along the Kona coast. There are different tour starting times that can range from a start time of 6:30pm or a start time of 9pm, or somewhere in between. So you can do your daytime Kona activity, and then in the evening go snorkeling with manta rays!

Where to stay tonight

Kona!

In Kona, there are resorts, hotels, vacation rentals, airbnb, and hostels.

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Day 2: Kona coast, Stay in Kona or Volcano village

• Captain Cook Monument Trail hike
• Snorkeling at Kealakekua Bay
• Visit to Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park
• Snorkeling at Two Step Beach

This is a big day!

But if you get started early and you want to do it all, it’s totally reasonable to fit everything in.

And you might even plan for a visit to a Kona coffee plantation/farm on this day too.

Kealakekua Bay and Two Step are among the top snorkeling spots on the Big Island.

The snorkeling spot at the bay isn’t accessible by car. Hiking, kayaking, or a boat tour is the way to get there.

Of course, hiking to go snorkeling is the perfect Hawaii activity! And it’s the Captain Cook Monument Trail that’s the hike to the Kealakekua Bay snorkeling spot.

Then a little bit further down the Kona coast is the Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park (aka “place of refuge“) which is a nice walk in a scenic area while learning a bit about Hawaiian culture.

And then after you visit the national site, you can walk over to the Two Step snorkeling spot. It’s pretty much right there.

Kona day tour

And if you’re not interested in a hike and snorkel kind of day, another popular tour on the Big Island is a snorkeling boat tour to Kealakekua Bay.

See more about sailing to Kealakekua Bay: Here is a 3 hour snorkeling sailboat tour that starts from the Keauhou Bay Pier which is near the Sheraton.

Where to stay tonight

Well, I would have said Ocean View, but the airbnb I stayed at is no longer available. So I would say stay the extra night in Kona, or move on to Volcano village and stay an extra night there.

Day 3: South coast, Stay in Volcano

• Hike to Papakolea green sand beach
• South Point Park and southernmost tip of the US
• Punaluu black sand beach to (hopefully) see turtles
• Drive to Volcano village

It’s said that there are only 4 green sand beaches in the world, and the Big Island is home to one of them.

This likely isn’t a shade of green that will amaze you, but if you want to see a unique beach, this is a beach to visit!

Although you will find a “shuttle” to drive you to the beach, and it’s also possible to drive your jeep rental there, the best way to get to the green sand beach is to hike there.

The reason why the hike is the best way to get to the green sand beach is because it’s questionable whether it’s legal to drive on these roads. It’s very unlikely that you’ll get in trouble for taking the shuttle or driving yourself though as it seems as if there’s really no enforcement, and that’s why the $20 shuttle continues to exist.

Then after visiting the green sand beach, you can head to the nearby southernmost point of the United States.

This is also a well-known cliff jumping spot, but it has been deadly because of strong currents.

And then you can make your way to the black sand beach that’s known to have frequent turtle sightings!

Where to stay tonight

Move on to Volcano village so you can start your day at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park as soon as possible the next day so you can try to do as much as possible!

It’s possible to find accommodation just outside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, or even within the national park.

These are places that are like a 10 minute drive, or less, to the national park, with great atmosphere!

• Alii Kane Cottage with Loft
• Kilauea Lodge and Restaurant
• Aloha Junction Bed and Breakfast
• Hale Ohia Cottages
• Volcano Inn
• At the Crater’s Edge
• Volcano House to stay IN Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Links lead to partner website, and you can check for prices, photos, and reviews.

If you’re traveling alone, try Holoholo In, which has both hostel-style dorms and private rooms. This is where I stayed, and it’ll give a rustic cabin-type feel!

It’s cooler in Volcano especially in the evening so be sure to pack layers.

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Day 4: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Stay in Volcano

• Kilauea Visitor’s Center
• Crater Rim Drive
• Chain of Craters Road
• Kilauea Iki crater trail

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park day!

There is a national park entry fee. You can expect this to be around $30 for a 7 day pass. (There is no one-day pass.) If you’ll be visiting other national parks within a year, you may consider getting the Hawaii national park pass or the U.S. national park pass. These are both annual passes so you’ll get unlimited entry into the national parks for a year.

Once you have arrived at the Kilauea entrance of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, make your first stop the visitor center that’s near the park entrance.

Based on recent volcanic activity, there may be some things to do that are impacted. So it’s best to go to the visitor center so you can get a map to know what’s currently open and what’s closed. This can also help you decide how you want to plan your day too. You can talk to a park ranger and ask what’s good!

The Chain of Craters Road is one of the main roads in the national park and it’s a great scenic drive through both lava fields and also along the coast once you near the end.

At the end of the road is where you’ll find Holei Sea Arch.

If you’re super short on time, even just doing this drive down I think is worth it.

It can be fun to get out at the various scenic pullovers and walk across the lava fields.

You can see the largest field of petroglyphs in Hawaii and also see where previous lava flows covered the old Chain of Craters Road.

Then after the drive through the national park, depending on how much time you have left, you can do all or part of the Kilauea iki crater hike. This is a hike into what used to be a lava lake. 

The trailhead to this hike is on Crater Rim Drive, the other main road in the national park where you’ll find sulphur banks and the devastation trail.

See more things to do in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

What about active lava?

For something like 30 years, lava was actively flowing on the Big Island. But then, in 2018, that stopped. And it stopped for over 2 years. That means that during that time there was no chance to see active lava. Then, in December 2020, lava started flowing again. See the video that was posted to twitter by the US Geological Survey.

So will you be able to see active lava flows during your trip to the Big Island?! There’s no real way to know! As your travel date gets closer, you can check for the current updates here. 

Where to stay tonight

Volcano village again so you don’t have to go far after a long day at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Day 5: Puna coast, Stay in Kalapana

• Red Road
• Drive to Kalapana

This day will be a little bit of a breather!

To drive the Red Road aka route 137 aka Kapoho Kalapana Road without stopping will take around just 30 minutes or so.

But this is a scenic drive along the Puna coast that you can find a number of the black sand beaches on the Big Island.

You can start by going to the Kaimu black sand beach that you get to by walking on a short trail with black sand. This will take you to the coast where you can view vast lava fields too.

You can then keep driving while stopping off for pictures of the scenic coast line, and then end up at Isaac Hale beach park where the Pohoiki black sand beach is located. This is Hawaii’s newest black sand beach.

Or, you can drive Red Road in the opposite direction too.

This is also the area that was hit the hardest with lava flows in 2018 with tons of homes being lost in the neighborhood of Leilani Estates.

You can drive up to the end of Leilani Avenue to see where the lava stopped on the road.

Where to stay tonight

Stay in Kalapana at a place that’s surrounded by lava fields!

I stayed in a private room with views of lava fields from the balcony with access to a community kitchen.

This is a place you can stay to get the experience of living in a place that’s self-powered and off the grid living in Hawaii.

You can also center your airbnb search around Pahoa, and you might find some places to stay in the neighborhood of Leilani Estates in homes that were spared the lava destruction.

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Day 6: Northern coast, Stay in northern region

• Kaumana Caves
• Akaka Falls
• Waipio Valley
• Drive to northern coast

This will also end up being a bit of a longer day as you make your way up north, so it’s best to get started early.

The Kaumana Caves can give you a fun experience where you can crawl through a cave created by lava. If you don’t want to crawl, there’s also a cave that you can walk through, making it a lava tube cave hike! Come prepared with a bright flashlight and proper footwear!

Then you can move on further north to Akaka Falls for one of the best waterfalls on the Big Island.

After the visit to the waterfalls, there will be another scenic drive to get to Waipio Valley.

At the Waipio Valley overlook, you can see the coastline from above.

You also have the option of walking or driving down to the beach. Driving requires a 4 wheel drive though, as it’s said to be one of the steepest roads in the world!

If you have time left in the day, you may also consider visiting Pololu Valley after Waipio Valley.

Where to stay tonight

Accommodation options are a little more scarce in this area, but still there are a few options, especially if you are open to airbnb.

Look at areas such as:

• Honokaa
• Waimea
• Hawi

Otherwise, you may also consider making a loop around the top portion of the island and staying a night in Hilo. (This will require a bit of extra driving.)

Doing so will allow you to drive on the road right next to the tallest mountain on the island – Mauna Kea!

As of early September 2019, it’s not possible to go up to the Mauna Kea summit with the access road closed to an ongoing protest of a billion dollar telescope being placed at the summit.

After I did the Waipio Valley hike and Pololu Valley hike, I stayed at an airbnb in Waikoloa Village with a room that came with ocean views. Waikoloa Village may not be an ideal spot to stay if you’re looking to save time driving though!

Day 7: Kohala coast, Stay in Kona

• Pololu Valley
• Lapakahi state historical park

This can be another somewhat of a slower day.

You can start your day by going to Pololu Valley. You can go just to see the views from the lookout, or you can hike down to the kind of black sand beach in Pololu Valley!

Then on your way back you can stop by the state historical park.

The Lapakahi state historical park has a coastal trail that takes you through an ancient Hawaiian village.

Here is also a good snorkeling spot.

This state park generally doesn’t get as many visitors so it can be a quieter experience.

There will also be time to enjoy more of Kona town if there are some things you want to do in Kona.

You can also save Waipio Valley for the same day you go to Pololu Valley, and then make it a one day Big Island valley beach kind of day.

Locals living near Pololu Valley would like you to know that there are no bathrooms near the Pololu Valley Lookout. They ask that you stop by  Keokea Beach Park on your way to Pololu Valley where there are bathrooms, just in case. This is around a 5 minute drive from the Pololu Valley Lookout.

Where to stay tonight

Kona!! You’ve made it back!

Or you can even consider flying out of Kona in the evening (maybe for 3 days on Oahu!), or stay a few extra days on the Big Island to explore more of the Kona coast!!

Big Island map

Here is the map for the visual of how you can drive around the Big Island! You will literally be making a loop around the entire island!

Explore the map.

So to drive around the Big Island of Hawaii with the places on this Big Island itinerary as a guide, the driving time would be around 9 hours long.

But of course, you’ll be doing more than just casually passing by these places, so it will take more time (and days!) to really experience the Big Island!

7 days on the Big Island can be perfect for this so you can really take things in at a slower pace!

You might even find 5 days to be perfect too.

Be sure to check out the Big Island travel planning map!

👆 Map of where Kona and the Big Island are located in Hawaii. The “Big Island” is the biggest island in Hawaii! Your Big Island itinerary will probably start in Kona! The major Hawaiian islands from north to south (west to east) are Kauai (Lihue), Oahu (Honolulu), Maui (Lahaina), and the Big Island. Explore the Big Island tourist map.

15 best places to visit on the Big Island in 7 days

If you make it a drive around the Big Island in 7 days, you will have time to go to tons of the best places!

The prettiest parts of the Big Island include Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Akaka Falls State Park, Waipio Valley, and Papakolea green sand beach.

With 7 days on the Big Island, you can see black sand beaches, white sand beaches, a green sand beach, lava tube caves, waterfalls, Hawaiian culture, a national park, state parks, lava fields, and MORE!

What a great way to spend one week in Hawaii!!

If you want to make this more of a volcano-themed vacation, then be sure to see this specific list of where to see old lava flows on the Big Island.

You don’t really have to try to make volcanoes a part of your vacation on the Big Island (it will happen naturally), but those are some spots you may especially want to keep in mind if you do want a volcano vacation!

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1. Kekaha Kai State Park

To see white sand beaches.

2. Captain Cook Monument Trail

For a hike with scenic ocean views.

3. Kealakekua Bay

For one of the best snorkeling spots on the Big Island. You can hike there, kayak there, or take a boat there. You can make it a sailboat tour to Kealakekua Bay!

4. Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park

To learn about Hawaiian culture with amazing views.

5. Two Step Beach

For another one of the best snorkeling spots on the island.

6. Papakolea green sand beach

To visit 1 of 4 green sand beaches in the world (or so they say!)

7. South Point

To visit the southernmost point in the US.

8. Punaluu black sand beach

To visit a black sand beach and to see turtles.

9. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

To see vast lava fields during a scenic drive.

10. Kaimu black sand beach trail

Tor a black sand beach with amazing ocean views and a walk through lava fields.

11. Red Road

For one of the best scenic drives on the island.

12. Kaumana Caves

To walk (and crawl!) through lava tubes.

13. Akaka Falls

To see one of the best waterfalls on the Big Island.

14. Waipio Valley

To see an older black sand beach by going on one of the steepest roads in the world.

15. Lapakahi State Historical Park

For a coastal trail through an ancient Hawaiian village with a good snorkeling spot.

If you are still undecided on which Hawaiian island to visit for your 7 days in Hawaii, also see:

• Comparing the Big Island vs Maui
• How to spend 3 days on Maui
• How to spend 3 days on Oahu

Renting a car on the Big Island

For this itinerary, you’ll NEED to rent a car.

This is about maximizing the little time you have on the island, which means you’ll want the freedom of driving your own car.

This is a pretty packed schedule, or at least, there’s a lot of moving around!

You will get to see a lot of different things that the Big Island has to offer.

You still won’t be able to see it all, though! The Big Island is… BIG! 😉

And whether you NEED to rent a JEEP, that is up to you! See here on whether YOU need a 4wd.

Where to rent a car (Big Island airports)

The main Big Island airport is Kona airport (KOA), and this is where most people fly into, and it’s probably where you’ll find the best car rental prices.

There is also an airport in Hilo (ITO), and you can find car rental companies around there too.

OPTION: A few days in Kona without a car before starting your Big Island road trip if you have 10 days on the Big Island

If you want to stay a few days in Kona before you start on the “road trip” around the Big Island, then that’s an idea too! In that case, it’s possible to stay in Kona without a car.

You can use it as an opportunity to rest and relax during your first days in Hawaii, and there are a few things you can do in Kona that are in the area too.

There’s bike sharing in Kona which can get you to a few different spots on the coast.

There’s also the Hele-on public bus and the Kona trolley.

The services aren’t all that frequent for the bus and trolley, but they are there if you want to use them!

And then once you’re ready to leave Kona, you’ll want a car!

If you’ll be staying for a few days in Kona without a car before starting the Big Island road trip, you can get an uber from the airport to Kona town. (Expect this to be around $30.)

Then on the day you’re ready to start exploring around the island, you can MAYBE head to the Kona airport by bus in the morning ($2) and then rent a car there. That’s what I did! There is car rental available in Kona town, but I found the rates to be cheaper at the airport.

The MAYBE is because in August 2020 they stopped bus service to the airport. I am not sure if this is a temporary thing. Check the hele-on Big Island bus website for current status.

Where to stay on the Big Island

Most hotels and resorts are on the Kona side of the island.

You can choose between staying closer to Kailua-Kona town where more restaurant and shopping options exist, or you can choose to stay a bit further south down the Kona coast. There is also a resort area on the Big Island that’s located to the north of Kona.

Another resort area on the Big Island is also a bit further north of Kona town, in Waikoloa on the Kohala coast.

If you are open to staying at an airbnb on the Big Island, you’ll be able to stay at some GREAT places around the island at lower prices than standard hotels. (And you can save money on food too when you stay at a place with a kitchen!)

Watch out for those cleaning fees though. There are some lower priced nightly rates with disproportional cleaning fees!

More Hawaii itineraries:

• 3 days on Maui
• 2 weeks on Maui
• 1 week Maui camping itinerary
• 3 days on Oahu
• 2 weeks on Oahu

HAPPY ONE WEEK IN HAWAII ON THE BIG ISLAND!

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👆 Pololu Valley! Essential places to visit on the Big Island: One of the Big Island valley lookouts

👆 Captain Cook hike! Essential things to do on the Big Island: Hiking on the Big Island.

👆👆 Kekaha Kai State Park! Essential places to visit on the Big Island: One of the Big Island state parks.

👆👆👆 Chain of Craters Road! Essential places to visit on the Big Island: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and more lava fields on the Big Island

👆 Driving to Kua Bay!

👆 Driving along the Puna coast! While you are here, you must also drive to the New Kaimu black sand beach for lava fields and ocean views!

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🌋
Where to stay near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Read the reviews at partner website!

• Volcano House (book sooner rather than later! This is THE lodging of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and it's in demand!)
• Lava Lodge at Hale Kilauea
• More budget-friendly option: Aloha Crater Lodge

Here are some ideas for your time on the Big Island!

Among the most popular things to do on the Big Island are Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Akaka Falls State Park, and Waipio Valley!

For Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the main road to drive is Chain of Craters Road and it will take you to see the best lava fields in Hawaii! Before that though (or after!) you will want to make a stop for the Thurston lava tube. You can also hike into a former lava lake by doing the Kilauea Iki Trail!

Other Big Island activities you may want to make time for are the best black sand beaches in Hawaii (including Punaluu black sand beach to see turtles maybe!) and the Papakolea green sand beach of Hawaii.

👇 Explore the Big Island map on google maps!

See the list:

• Things to do on the Big Island (for VIEWS!)
• Things to do in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
• Things to do in Kona

ALOHA!