Meet your driver and guide in downtown Hilo, or arrange for hotel pickup. Begin with a look at the power of Hawaii's active volcanoes. Visit the site of Kalapana, a former village completely destroyed by lava flows, and the island’s newest black-sand beach at Kaimu. See the Painted Church of St. Damien, considered a sacred site by locals; it was moved several times to save it from advancing lava.
Enter Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and learn more about the Big Island’s geologic history. Explore the park’s diverse topography with your ranger guide, from lush rain forest to simmering craters and hissing steam vents. At nearby Volcano Winery, get a private tour of vineyards and tea orchards, before dinner and a glass of wine. Back at the park, watch the changing light of the setting sun wash over Mt. Kilauea and look for glowing lava flows and other volcanic activity.
