FAQ
Kilauea has been erupting since 12/23/24, but the eruptions have been very episodic, which is what Kilauea is known for. Hopefully it’s erupting on your day 🌋🌋. We want everyone to see lava, but it’s above our pay grade if it’s erupting when you’re there 😄.
Everyone has the same access to lava. If there is lava, we want you to see it, believe me! We cannot control if that is possible. You will see plenty of past lava flows and eruptions sites. Our goal is to provide you with a solid foundation in volcanoes, rock types, lava flows, and volcano formations. Depending on the volcano activity we will change the route to give you the best viewing.
Below is an eruption we filmed 10-18-25, before sunrise. The eruption was very short, this fountain was so large it only lasted about 6 hours.
We used to take people RIGHT up to lava, or watch lava go into the ocean, but we have not had activity like that since 2018. Since 2018 there has been no lava going into the ocean and almost ALL activity has been confined to the summit caldera, Halemaumau Crater.
The eruptions have been very episodic, which is what Kilauea is known for. Hopefully it’s erupting on your day 🌋🌋. We want everyone to see lava, but it’s above our pay grade if it’s erupting when you’re there 😄.
During 2025 ALL lava and volcanic emissions have been confined to the summit of Kilauea. Mauna Loa hasn’t eruped since 2022. There is NO secret lava anywhere.
Over many years, we have had people with many different health situations, and no one has had any breathing issues. The volcanic gases typically go south, so we will be upwind of the current activity. We live about a mile as a bird flies from the active crater, and we have never experienced difficult breathing conditions. The National Park and USGS do not allow people to walk into the source of the gas emissions.
This totally depends on you and what tour you book. The National Park is 354,461 acres (554 square miles). Our goal is to show you as many different eruption sites and flows as we can. We want you to see sparkly rocks, see unique sites, and learn about the formations. We do not have time to show you the entire National Park; instead, we want to show you as much as possible within the timeframe of the booking you choose.
If anyone feels they do not want to walk very far, they are welcome to wait in the van while others explore the area. There are also benches as several stops.
The areas of the National Park we will be exploring do not exceed 4,200 feet. We have never heard of anyone or had anyone get elevation sickness at this elevation.
This depends on the tour you book. If we are picking you up outside the National Park, as we would on a Hilo Volcano tour, we cover the Park Fees.
If you book a Meet in the Park, you are meeting us inside the National Park. You will need to pay an entrance fee if the gate is manned. The fee is $30 and is good for 7 days. They do not accept cash. You could also use a National Park Pass and access it free.
We do not pay for food, lunch, etc. We provide snacks and water.
All tours include:
· National Park Certified Interpretive Guide (Volcanoes National Park)
· Hand sanitizer, sunscreen, bug repellent
· Use of binoculars, and umbrellas
· Bottled water, Snacks (trail mix, chips, granola bars)
· Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle with DVD media
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has 7 ecological zones ranging from temperate rainforest to desert. The National Park is 354,461 acres (554 square miles) and spans thousands of feet in elevation.
Closed-toe shoes are best. We do a lot of walking (or less depending on you and your family/group) and the lava rocks are sharp. Keens and Crocs have a tendency to pick up rocks in the openings; enclosed athletic shoes are best. Hiking shoes are not necessary unless you are hiking on your own after the tour.
Dress in layers for mountain weather, it is often, but not always, 20-30 degrees colder than the beach areas and windy. The weather typically swings 20-40 degrees in a single day, similar to high-elevation areas worldwide.
A rain jacket can be handy, it rains almost daily in the rainforest areas of the National Park. Hawaii is also the rainiest state in the United States so a light raincoat can be helpful in other activities and on other islands.
Closed-toe walking shoes are recommended. Lava rocks are sharp, they can easily slice toes. Most paths are paved but when we walk into lava flows those rocks are sharp.
We supply umbrellas for your use.
If you book a private tour, children under 10 are welcome to attend. If they are under 4 feet 9 inches Hawaii State law requires them to be in a booster seat.
We provide basic boosters for children 5 and over as long as you booked a private tour. Please notify us at least 24 hours in advance, and we have five basic booster seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Here is a link to the Hawaii DOT website: https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/safe-communites/child-passenger-safety/
If you are on a cruise ship that departs Honolulu there are plenty of baby car seat rental companies that will drop gear off for you. Many customers have used Paradise Baby, link here.
Please be aware that Hawaii State Law requires all children under 10 to be in safety seats according to their age/size “unless the child is over 4’9”. If you book a tour and do not have seats for your children, we will not provide a refund.
That depends on the tour you book.
If you book a tour that starts in Hilo we will pick you up at the cruise ship port, any Hilo hotel, or the Safeway/Target in Hilo if you are driving over from the Kona/Waikoloa side to meet us. Or if you are staying outside of Hilo you may meet us there.
Cruise Ship passengers, we pick up right at the port in the “pre-arranged pick up” area with all the private tour companies. We are very close to the ship.
If you book a Meet in the Park tour we meet you inside the National Park. We will send the exact cordinates depending on what tour you book.
If you are staying inside the National Park and book a private tour, we can pick you up at the Volcano House or Kilaeau Military Camp (both accommodations are inside the National Park).
If you book a private tour there are several customizations we can make. 90% of people want to see as much of the National Park as they possibly can. We give you information that will help you understand volcanoes you visit around the world. You will also be able to visit the Park again on your own and know what you are looking at.
Please be aware Hawaii Volcanoes National Park 🏞️ is the number ONE attraction on the Big Island. The National Park does not have waterfalls, the land is too new. You will learn about all of that with us. There are no accessible beaches in the National Park (there is one, but it’s a 16-mile hike) 😄.
Every island has waterfalls and other activities, none of them have an active volcano 🌋🌋. Only the Big Island. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park receives well over a million visitors a year, we can’t imagine anyone missing it.
If you booked the Hilo Volcano tour and want to add Akaka Falls it is an extra $400. The tour will be about 2 hours longer and will need to move fairly quickly through the National Park.
If you book a private tour and the tour is over 5 hours long you will have a few lunch options, see below.
If you are meeting us in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park there are several lunch options for after the tour. We are happy to discuss those options with you. The Volcano House doesn’t accept lunch reservations but the wait isn’t too long, usually, unless there is an eruption that day.
For tours that start in Hilo lunch options are (choose one):
1. A sit-down lunch at the Volcano House (most popular) this can be difficult for groups larger than 10. Groups larger than 6 require the bill to only be split 2 ways and an autmatic gratuity will be added. If the volcano is erupting the views are stunning. We cannot guarantee this option but the Volcano House does do a lot of favors for us.
2. Use that time to eat/shop at the Hilo Farmer’s Market/Downtown at Kula Shave Ice and/or Poke N Things while walking the huge market (second most popular). This is a very popular option for mixed generations or larger groups. There is ample seating and shade.
3. Pick up food in Hilo and have a picnic. This option is very slow and usually means we will be behind buses all day. The National Park has only open picnic tables so seating is exposed to the rain/wind.
We do not allow food to be eaten in our vans. Only dry snacks like those we provide. Sugary drinks are only allowed if they have screw on lids.
This question only pertains to tours that start in Hilo. We are volcano specialists, people book us to see and learn about volcanoes. Hilo has the least amount of swimming spots in the entire Hawaiian island chain. The Big Island’s west side, Kailua-Kona and Waikoloa has all the beaches.
There is no time for swimming. You are welcome to be dropped off at
Carlsmith Beach, Richardson Beach, or Downtown Hilo, and find your own way back to the ship via Uber or Taxi.
We do not allow clothing that has become saturated by ocean water to sit on our seats. The salt gets into the seats and leaves salt stains that never fully come out. We had to buy new seats for one of our first vans for this reason, that was about $5000.
This questions really pertains to cruise ship customers. Hilo has the least reliable turtle viewing in all of Hawaii. Mostly due to the ocean being rougher, colder, and fewer beaches than almost any other part of Hawaii. If you are on a cruise ship Maui, Kauai, or Oahu has more reliable options that will improve your options.
If you are staying on the Big Island we are happy to give you suggestions to help you see some turtles.
The areas of the National Park we will be exploring do not have winding roads. Chain of Craters road has very few turns. The road from Hilo to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is essentially a straight road that climbs to an elevation of 4,000 feet.
We have small Mercedes Sprinters that seat a maximum 11 people. The smaller footprint of our vehicles allows us to show you more becuase they are nimble and can park in regular parking spots.
If you book a private tour we will take photos of your group/family all day. We only take photos for private tours.
The photos go into Smugmug, we send you a link to the Smugmug page. The photos are in there by date. They are all free to download. If you want to order prints, mugs, calendars or whatever we have our account set to cost. We don’t make any money on anything purchased, we just want you to have your photos. You can share your folder to anyone you wish.
Yes of course. We can set your photos to “private”, you can access them using the last 6 digits of the phone number you provide. When you have downloaded them you can contact us with the date of your tour and ask us to delete them. The other option is pay us the $30 for the SD card and take them with you. We are not responsible for lost photos/data.
No, definately not. We take photos as a free service for private tours and to help keep the tour moving, since we know all the good photo spots. We are working to keep people engaged and provide you with great memories of your day. We do not take photos in RAW or any format other than JPG because they would take too long to upload in our rural location. We love taking lava photos and videos, we are not that good with people, see here.
Kilauea does what it does on it’s own time. Here is one of the live feeds from the USGS Youtube channel. The USGS often shows an exciting thumbnail from a recent eruption, you have to click the red “play” button to see what is happening.
That depends on the tour you book.
If you book a tour that starts in Hilo we will pick you up at the cruise ship port, any Hilo hotel, or the Safeway/Target in Hilo if you are driving over from the Kona/Waikoloa side to meet us. Or if you are staying outside of Hilo you may meet us there.
Cruise Ship passengers, we pick up right at the port in the “pre-arranged pick up” area with all the private tour companies. We are very close to the ship.
If you book a Meet in the Park tour we meet you inside the National Park. We will send the exact cordinates depending on what tour you book.
If you are staying inside the National Park and book a private tour, we can pick you up at the Volcano House or Kilaeau Military Camp (both accommodations are inside the National Park).
Yes, we pick up in the Hilo Port. e get as close as you possibly can to the cruise ships.
Yes, you cannot get closer than we do. Here is a photo of our vans next to the ship.
