Visiting The Big Island of Hawai’i in 96 Hours

One of the most common questions I get is – “I’m going on vacation in Hawai’i, which islands should I visit?” This is always a hard question, because I believe each island has something unique to offer. First, I always encourage those who have the time, to visit at least two islands. This is because inter-island flights are pretty reasonable, are very (very) quick, and if you’re going to fly all the way out there might as well see all you can!

The Big Island of Hawai’i surprised me – it was the last of the major islands I visited (major islands include Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island), and it was the most adventure filled trip of all our inter-island travel!

The Big Island is home to 10 of the worlds 14 climate zones! What! That means you can travel from tropical monsoon to dry desert in a matter of hours.

We were married on Maui’s north shore (Haiku Mill, check it out), we ran a marathon/half-marathon on Kauai, and we lived on Oahu, and still, the Big Island blew us away. We hustled out to the Big Island for a 4-day weekend shortly before moving back to the continental United States, and had the time of our lives!

Visiting Oahu? Read my tips on Choosing the Right Accommodation, and check out my Top 7 Hikes on Oahu!

First and foremost the Big Island is, well, big! There is a lot to see, so if you are going with a mere 4 days to spend, plan to spend it covering lots of ground both on foot and by car (AKA, please get a rental car.. this goes for visiting all islands). My way of viewing the Big Island is to break it up by the West side (Kailua-Kona) and East side (Hilo). We spent our first two nights in Hilo and our last night in Kailua-Kona (4 days, 3 nights). Sure, you could spend more time there than this, but in case you can’t – I want to show that you can still do a lot in a small amount of time.

Below are my top “to-do” activities on the Big Island – if you have questions on the details (how long we spent at each place, how long it took to get from one place to the other, etc. just ask in the comments section or DM me on my Instagram page)!

Waipi’o Valley

Waipi’o Valley is named after the river that runs through the valley. Wai-piʻo means curved water in Hawaiian. It is home to the most stunning black sand beach, and hikes that will afford you 5 star views of the entire valley.

• Hike into the valley: You can simply hike from the overlook down into the valley – approximately 6.5 miles from the overlook, and onto the beautiful black sand beach. This hike is not easy, but worth it!
• The Muliwai Trail: This “Z” trail, named after the big Z it leaves on the side of the mountain, is a very challenging hike that goes all the way to Waimanu Valley, one of the most ‘unreachable’ places on the Big Island. You don’t have to complete the trail, we hiked up and out of the valley and then had to turn around due to significant flooding, but the views were incredible. (See image at the top of this article)

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is located 45 miles southwest of Hilo, and is home to two volcanoes, Kilauea (one of the most active volcanoes on earth) and Mauna Loa. There are 150 miles of hiking trails throughout the park, so you could literally spend days traveling the park on foot. We did a combination of the two – we hiked a modest 6 miles around the park, amazed by the permanent markings a volcanic eruption leaves on this earth, and then got in the rental and drove until the lava met the sea. We drove the ‘Crater Rim Drive’, as well as the ‘Chain of Craters Road’, and then just drove at our own volition.

Be sure to check for updates on park visitation hours and closures within the park. This park does see a great deal of tourists, and has experienced eruptions as recent as 2018!

Like almost everywhere else in Hawai’i, there are helicoptere tours, walking tours, and more available to you. One of the fastest ways to blow through that honeymoon money is to spend it on tours your could have done yourself with a bit of research. I highly recommend reaching out to locals, reading lots of travel blogs, etc. to acquaint yourself with the area before traveling, you’ll save a lot of money that way!

Maunakea

Maunakea is one of the only places on earth where you can drive from sea level to 14,000 feet in approximately 2 hours. This dormant volcano is the highest point in the state of Hawaii – even seeing snow most winters! You have also likely seen this landmark on the news, as protesters have long worked to protect it’s sacred summit from the construction of massive telescopes.

WANNA HEAR SOMETHING FUNNY – We thought, for some ridiculous reason, that we could hike to the top of Maunakea in a few hours (in an afternoon.) Not sure where we learned that falsehood, but after arriving close to 3pm to start our hike, and getting 6 hours into a much more challenging that expected climb, I quit and turned around. See – we packed literally nothing, it was dark and cold, and I had no clue how close we were to the summit. We had also hiked all day at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, before starting this climb. Oops. Big Oops. Big Big Oops.

It takes the average experienced hiker 8 hours to reach the summit from the visitor center. You start at 9,200ft (2,800m) and climb 6 miles to reach the summit at 13,800ft (4,200m). Most of the trail, other than the beginning and the end (the last mile), is on a dirt trail. The hike is doable for sure, with the right state of mind and expectations (lol), but it will take you the better part of a full day to reach the summit and hike back down. Many camp at the summit to make a two-day hiking trip out of it, and to stargaze.

You CAN drive to the summit, if you would rather! You just need a 4WD vehicle, as 2WD vehicles will not be allowed past the visitor center. Maybe this would have been a good call for us that day.

As you can see – it is like most volcano climbs … barren. So keep in mind if hiking during the day on a sunny day!

Ka Lae (South Point) & Papakōlea Beach

Ka Lae (South Point) is the southernmost point in the United States! We drove here while on our way from the Hilo side to the Kailua-Kona side of the Big Island. While here you will find many people cliff jumping, which I highly recommend (YOLO)!

From here, you can get to one of only FOUR green sand beaches in the WORLD! This beach is called Papakōlea Beach. You can choose to park and pay to hitch a ride ($15 round trip) to the point, or park and hike. We hiked, which was so beautiful but honestly torturous given our lack of water given just how dry it was. It is about 6 miles round trip, which isn’t incredibly long, but like I said, very hot and dry with dust and dirt blowing everywhere.

You see – we came from the LUSH part of the island, and this just goes to show how incredible the ecological differences across the island are. Pure desert, so dry and hot.

To be honest, it was cool to see and stand on a green stand beach, but it wasn’t the most beautiful beach I’ve ever visited. The sand was more clay-like in texture, and the wind was roaring, so we spent about an hour here and began the walk back.

Kealakekua Bay

Located about 12 miles south of Kailua-Kona is Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park. Marked in history as the location of the first extensive contact between Hawaiians and Westerners, which took place with the arrival of Captain Cook in 1779.

It is also home to some bad ass free diving – which we graciously took part in while continuing to make our way from Hilo to Kailua-Kona.

We hiked the 5.8km Captain Cook Monument Trail from a neighborhood up ahead, down into the Bay. We reached the monument, explored a bit on foot, then slipped our fins on and jumped in the water. It was a beautiful reef, so easy to access and the current was minimal so it was incredibly safe. There were lots of kayakers, and a snorkel boat or two pulled in while we were diving, so it is also accessible via those vessels.

Like I said above – another way to save money by avoiding boat tours, snorkeling tours, etc. is to get out there on your own. I say that with CAUTION. Hawaii is a very, very dangerous place for those who do not pay attention to warning signs and warnings from others. Do your research and be safe.

Downtown Kona & Hapuna Beach

We spent our final day on the Big Island drinking coffee and beer (sometimes in the same cup, of course) and walking all over downtown Kona. Did I mention we caught a Pepper concert at Kona Brewing Company the night before? It was so random, but I never knew one of my favorite teenage bands was actually FROM Kona, Hawaii and was playing a hometown concert the night we were there!

Anyway – so much good food, coffee, beer, and shopping in Kona. It is a beautiful Hawaiian town!

We then went to Hapuna Beach for a little relaxation time (we had hiked over 30 miles in under 4 days and our legs were tired). Hapuna Beach is about 27 miles North of Kona. It is one of the most beautiful beaches on all of Hawai’i’s islands, and is also one of the most expansive.

IN SUMMARY – you really can’t go wrong here. There is so much to see and do, and as always, so little time. Do what you can, and enjoy every single second of it! I’m always here to help!