The Perfect Big Island Itinerary For 4 Days
Are you preparing for a 4 day trip to the Big Island? You’ve come to the right article.
The Big Island is one of my favorite Hawaiian islands. With family on the island, I had the pleasure of visiting it twice on vacation trips while growing up.
But, there’s much more to the Big Island than the beaches and resorts.
I recently visited the island for the third time, and was amazed at how many interesting places I hadn’t seen before. Waterfalls, lava tubes, black sand beaches, the Big Island has it all!
To help you plan the perfect trip, I’ve put together the ideal 4 day Big Island itinerary. If you’re into adventurous activities and want to see all of the top natural attractions, this is for you.
4 Day Big Island Itinerary At A Glance
- Kona: Coffee farm, beaches, night time manta ray tour
- Kona to VNP: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Punalu’u Bakery, Punalu’u Beach
- Kona to Hilo: Waipio Lookout, Akaka Falls, Rainbow Falls, Kaumana Caves, MaunaKea Summit
- Kona: Snorkeling at Kealakekua Bay, Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, sunset luau
Day 1: Kona
Kona coffee farms, beaches, night time manta ray tour
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.
It’s grown on nutrient-rich volcanic soil, and handpicked to give it that distinct flavor profile. In Kona alone, there are over 600 coffee farms, and many of them offer free tours throughout the week.
We visited Greenwell Farms for their free tour, which they offer daily from 9am-3pm.
On the tour, we walked through their farm, learned about Kona’s coffee production, and sampled peppercorn right off of a tree.
We also got to enjoy free Kona coffee and Hawaiian sea salt samples at the end of the tour.
After touring a coffee farm, head to one of Kona’s beautiful white sand beaches. On our trip, we visited Magic Sands Beach and Hapuna Beach.
Magic Sands Beach is a great public beach with easy parking that’s free to visit.
It gets its nickname “Magic Sands” because the tide pulls in the sand, so most of the beach disappears when the tide’s high.
We visited in February, so most of the beach was gone unfortunately. But if you’re visiting in summer, this is an amazing beach for swimming and boogie boarding.
But, Hapuna Beach was one of the most beautiful beaches we visited in Kona.
It has long stretches of soft white sand, bright blue waters, restrooms, and covered picnic areas. It cost $10 for parking, and $5 per nonresident to enter the beach, but it was well worth it.
If you’re eager to snorkel on your first day, head to Kahalu’u Beach Park. This is a popular white sand beach that has gentle waves, and crystal clear waters filled with tropical fish. The parking is $12 for 4 hours, and there are restrooms on site.
The next place worth visiting is Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park.
This historic park has a small visitor center and a petroglyph trail down to a sandy beach with ancient fishponds and sea turtles.
It’s free to visit, and the trail is 0.7 miles from the visitor center.
This historic park is also right by the Honokohau harbor, where most of the night time manta ray tours leave from.
If you’ve booked a night time manta ray tour, this is a great place to stroll around before your tour starts.
Once the sun begins to set, head to the harbor to go night time manta ray snorkeling.
Night time manta ray tours are by far one of the most unique activities to experience on the Big Island. You’ll go on a short boat trip to a manta ray feeding site, and swim with large manta rays up close.
Day 2: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Punalu’u Bake Shop, Volcanoes National Park, Punalu’u Beach
The perfect activity for day two is to explore the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The park covers over 50% of the Big Island, and is home to two active volcanoes – Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.
On the way to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, stop by Punalu’u Bake Shop.
Punalu’u Bake Shop is the southernmost bakery in the United States, and they’re famous for their malasadas (a fluffy Hawaiian donut).
They’re just a 30 minute drive from the Volcanoes National Park, and they sell sweet bread, malasadas, and a variety of delicious Hawaiian pastries.
Once you arrive at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, you’ll have to pay $30 fper vehicle for a 7 day pass.
I recommend stopping by the Kilauea Visitor Center to grab a map and learn about the different hikes. The visitor center is open daily from 9am-5pm, and the park is open all day (You can also see a full list of their day hikes on their website).
When I visited, I hiked the Crater Rim Trail, Sulphur Banks Trail, and walked through the Thurston Lava Tube.
Other popular activities within the park I missed are driving the Chain of Craters Road, and seeing the lava glow from the Halema’uma’u crater at night.
The Chain of Craters Road is a 19 mile road with volcanic craters, petroglyphs, a sea arch, and a dead end created by a lava flow. The Halema’uma’u crater is an active volcanic pit where you can view the lava glow at night.
After a long day exploring the park, head to Punalu’u Beach to cool off.
Punalu’u Beach is a stunning black sand beach just 20 minutes from the national park. It has restrooms, picnic areas, showers, and a small souvenir shop.
The black sand is made of basalt from volcanic activity, and the beach is fringed with beautiful green coconut palm trees.
We also got to spot a few sea turtles relaxing on the warm black sand when we visited!
Day 3: Kona to Hilo
Waipio Lookout, Akaka Falls, Rainbow Falls, Kaumana Caves, Mauna Kea Summit
There are three ways to visit Hilo from Kona – the northern route (Hamakua coast), Saddle road (through the middle of the island), or the southern route (the longest way).
Saddle Road is the fastest route, but taking highway 19 along the Hamakua coast is the best way if you want to see all the island has to offer.
You’ll drive from Kona towards Waimea, where you can stop for breakfast before heading to Hilo. From Waimea, head to the Waipio Valley Lookout.
This is a spectacular viewpoint of the cliffs and Waipio valley that’s free to visit.
After, head to Akaka Falls State Park. Akaka Falls is a breathtaking 442 foot waterfall nestled in the middle of the rainforest.
It’s just a short 0.4 mile hike to the waterfall, and it was one of the highlights of my trip. 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. You can stop for lunch in Hilo, and stroll around the Liliʻuokalani Gardens in Hilo Bay.
Hilo Bay Cafe is a great lunch restaurants with views of the bay, that’s within walking distance to the park.
If you have the time, you can walk across the short bridge to Coconut Island, right next to the gardens.
The next must visit place in Hilo is Rainbow Falls.
This is a beautiful waterfall that forms a rainbow from the mist underneath the fall. If you visit early in the morning on a sunny day, you’ll have a good chance of seeing the rainbow.
The main viewpoint is right by the parking lot, and you can walk up the stairs to see these magnificent ancient banyan trees.
After visiting Rainbow falls, head to the Kaumana Caves. The Kaumana Caves is a large lava tube created from a Mauna Loa eruption in 1881. This is a really interesting place to see old lava rock formations and lava drops on the ceiling.
You can explore up to 2 miles of the cave, and it’s just off the side of the road. Just remember to bring a flashlight, since a phone flashlight isn’t powerful enough to light up the cave.
While in Hilo, I highly recommend visiting the MaunaKea Visitor Information Station at sunset.
The visitor center sits at an elevation of around 9,200 feet, whereas the top of the summit requires a 4×4 vehicle to visit since it’s at an elevation of 13,803 feet.
Most people go on a tour to visit the summit since the drive can be dangerous, and certain car rental companies advise not to drive to the top.
However, the visitor center is where most of the tours go to watch the sunset or stargaze. At the visitor center, there’s a small gift shop, restrooms, and a park ranger to answer questions.
We followed the park ranger’s advice to hike the “sunset hill trail” for the best sunset view.
This is a short 10 minute hike up a small hill right across the street from the visitor center. The views were amazing, so driving to the top of the summit isn’t necessary.
Day 4: Kona
Kealakekua Bay, Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, downtown Kona, Sunset luau
Kealakekua Bay is a deep sheltered bay that’s only accessible by boat or hiking. This is one of the best places to snorkel on the Big Island, and it’s also a resting site for spinner dolphins.
If you visit on an early morning snorkeling tour, you’ll have a great chance of spotting dolphins.
If you don’t want to pay for a tour, 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.
I chose to hike down to the bay, and it took me nearly 2 hours hiking in total. The hike was moderately difficult, so I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone with mobility issues or young children.
However, it’s an excellent option if you love hiking and want to save money!
Once you reach the bay, it has crystal clear waters filled with bright tropical fish.
Its also home to the Captain Cook Monument, which marks the site where the first westerner that discovered the Big Island (Captain James Cook) was killed.
There were many great snorkeling areas when I visited, so you can easily spend a few hours snorkeling here.
After snorkeling, head to the Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park.
Also known as “place of refuge”, this park served as a sanctuary for ancient Hawaiians up until the early 19th century. It costs $20 per vehicle or $10 per person to enter the park.
When you arrive, there’s a visitor center where you can watch a short film, and pick up a brochure to locate the different ancient structures in the park.
This was a very peaceful place to walk around, and it’s open until sunset daily.
Before leaving the island, the 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.
The last optional activity to end your Big Island trip is to attend a sunset luau. Sunset luaus are held at a variety of Kona resorts throughout the week.
You’ll get to enjoy live music, dancing, and a dinner buffet of delicious Hawaiian foods. For dates and pricing, see our list of Big Island luaus.
Conclusion
Although I recommend spending at least 5–7 days to fully explore the Big Island, you can still create great memories in 4 days.
To maximize your time, I recommend taking highway 19 along the Hamakua coast when traveling between Hilo and Kona.
It’s just under a 2 hour drive, and you will pass by Waimea, the Waipio Valley lookout, Akaka Falls, and the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden.
For more ideas on what to do while on the island, check out our lists of unique things to do in Hilo and Kona!
And if you’re looking to save money on your trip, make sure to check out our list of free things to do in Hilo!