It’s no secret that my favorite of the Hawaiian Islands is the Big Island, and in particular the Kona Coast is my jam. This is the part of the Island of Hawaii where you can most easily fly from the mainland USA as well as being the heart of famed Kona Coffee. But right now I want to share my top ten of the best Kona tours that you can do when you visit the west coast of Hawaii, from wildlife safaris to luaus and guided hiking.
If you haven’t been to the Big Island yet, start planning a visit now. Any of these activities are great to add to your plan. What we consider to be the best Kona tours have made it onto our list because they are fun, interesting, thoughtfully done and are gentle on the environment and the local community. If you have any questions about choosing things to do when you visit the Kona Coast or need additional recommendations, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and love talking about all things Hawaii.
Best Kona Tours for Wildlife and Snorkeling
When you come to the Big Island of Hawaii, there are some pretty amazing things to see and do. I think of wildlife when I think of the best Kona tours that we’ve enjoyed over the years. Whether it’s getting to see the amazing manta rays at night or snorkeling in Kealakekua Bay, we’ve had a lot of exceptional experiences on the water with different local companies and guides.
The below Kona boat tours are great for experiencing the marine life around the Big Island of Hawaii. And with any tour or adventure you go on where you’re looking for wildlife, remember that the animals are WILD and thus are not at the command of your guides. True, these are the best Kona tours because they have amazing luck sharing wildlife and natural experiences with guests, but the crew can only do their best.
Super Raft Safari Snorkeling with Body Glove Hawaii
I’m starting here because the Super Raft snorkeling safari with Body Glove Hawaii is my favorite wildlife tour from the Kailua Pier. What makes this one of the best Kona tours is both the amount of wildlife we saw in a variety of places and the fun of exploring on the Super Raft. What’s a “super raft” you ask? It’s a large zodiac style boat like you see in movies with action sequences on the water.
Because Body Glove Hawaii’s Super Raft is so nimble and hardy, they’re able to get to different locations very quickly, and get very close to the shore as well. For us this was really fun because we got to head far out into the open water to enjoy a super pod of pan tropical spotted dolphins and then quickly head into Kealakekua Bay for snorkeling. On our way back we skirted the shore to check out some sea caves and old lava flows, but only until we had humpback whales very near us tail slapping and playing. Awesome experience!
Book the Super Raft Safari snorkeling here!
Eka Canoe Manta Ray Snorkeling
When you’re looking at Kona tours you’ll see that there are lots of manta ray night time snorkeling options. We’ve gone out with several operators and have picked two to include in our best Kona tours. The Eka Canoe outrigger adventure is the first, and why we like going out with them is for a few reasons:
- The boat travel portion is the shortest
- The canoe experience is really fun
- The groups are so small and closely managed
I think manta ray snorkeling with Eka Canoe is a wonderfully unique experience and it’s great with older kids. There aren’t many other tours that have this sort of adventure element, particularly for a manta ray wildlife experience. This tour leaves from the marina at Keauhou Bay via an outrigger canoe, so you get a completely different style of boat that really feels exciting and unique.
Book Eka Canoe Outrigger manta rays here!
Kona Whale Watching Tour
If you’re visiting the Big Island in the winter months, be ready to see whales. Whether you are actively looking for them or just watching the waves, there are humpback whales blowing, breeching and tail-slapping all the time. This makes doing a whale watching tour from Kailua-Kona a great experience. Body Glove Hawaii (yes, the same ones who do the Super Raft) does an awesome whale watching tour from the Kailua Pier. It’s on a double-decker catamaran so it’s very stable.
I really love this company and have done several different trips and tours with them. The whale watching tour from Kona is so great because they both trawl the coastline and get a bit into the open water. This space between the Big Island and Maui is so full of humpback whales in the winter months that you’ll for sure see them.
Note: Body Glove Hawaii does have a guarantee to see whales on this tour. If for some reason you don’t, the crew will give you instructions for getting you back on the water during your visit to ensure you get to see whales in Hawaii.
Book Kona whale watching here!
Kona Style Sunset Manta Ray Snorkel
Yes, this is another recommendation for a nighttime manta ray snorkeling tour. Going out with Kona Style is a very different experience than the Eka Canoe manta ray trip. They are both some of the best Kona tours, but the overall tour is not comparable. Going out with Kona Style, you begin your manta ray snorkeling before sunset and leave from the Kailua Pier. You can enjoy the ride on the nets or on the deck and the atmosphere is all fun. This is a larger group, usually 20+ snorkelers.
Like with Eka Canoe and other manta ray outfitter, you’ll wear a partial wetsuit and then get in the water around a light raft, spending up to 45 minutes in the water watching the mantas. The ride back is a mild party, with everyone more relaxed and enjoying conversation about the experience. There are cocktails for the sail back to the Kailua Pier (additional cost) and the overall experience is just a lot of fun. This is one of the best tour in Kona because it blends the boat, wildlife and fun elements together so well.
Book Kona Style manta ray snorkeling here!
Historic Dinner Cruise from Kailua-Kona
I didn’t expect to love the historic dinner cruise from Kailua-Kona but darn it, if a delicious short rib dinner and continual wildlife sightings with a historic narrator doesn’t do it for me… Really, getting to learn about both ancient and modern Hawaiian history as we sailed along the Kona Coast and then having a wonderful meal on the water, this is a top notch tour.
During our historic dinner cruise, which is another Body Glove Hawaii activity (they have really great tours), we saw dolphins, humpback whales, flying fish and even a giant manta ray. This sunset catamaran sailing has become one of my top recommendations for the best Kona tours. I loved it.
Book the historic dinner cruise here!
Kona Guided Hiking Tours – Accessing Special Places on the Big Island
The Big Island of Hawaii has lots of wonderful hiking areas all around its coasts, but there are actually some guided hiking tours from Kailua-Kona that offer a unique hiking experience. We’ve gone out several times with Hawaii Forest & Trail to hike in very special places that are not open to the public. They have a partnership with Kamehameha Schools, a major land holder in the Hawaiian Islands, to access private lands, and in particular we’re sharing here about Kona tours that go to two different volcano areas: Hualalai and Kohala.
Hiking Hualalai Volcano
Before we set out for the Hualalai Volcano from Kona I had no idea what was in store. I figured we’d be hiking through some parts of Kona’s cloud forest and in general, just being on a dormant volcano. Hiking on Hualai with Hawaii Forest & Trail was legit exploring the many craters and features of a volcano. There were giant pits, colorful lava flows, cliffs, forests and more. It was really fun!
There aren’t many Kona tours that include birdwatching and a science filed trip, but the Hualalai volcano hike is that and more. It was awesome to do with the kids because it was active fun and we even got to go through a lava tube. On the hike back down, the forest was beautiful and full of my favorite Hawaiian bird, the i’iwi. This hike is such a gem and really a unique activity when you’re on the Kona Coast.
Book the Hualalai Volcano hiking here!
Kohala Waterfalls Hiking and Swimming
What’s a trip to Hawaii without swimming in a waterfall? Another area that Hawaii Forest & Trail has access to is a large swath of private land on the northernmost volcano, Kohala. This guided hiking tour goes through some beautiful forested areas, across the old sugar cane flume and up to a few different waterfalls. And yes, you can swim in the waterfalls on the Kohala waterfall hiking tour!
Being out in nature with a passionate guide is always nice, but each tour we’ve done with Hawaii Forest & Trail has been exceptional. What stands out to me about this specific hiking tour from Kona is the knowledge and patience our guide had, sharing about all kinds of science from geology to wildlife, and then thoughtfully and completely answering any and all questions from our group.
If you’re not normally a group tour person, doing guided hikes may change that. The people who book guided hikes are active and they want to learn something with their activity. Yes, with the Kohala waterfall hiking there was the desire to swim in the waterfalls too, but that paired with a learning adventure is what brought our group together. Really fun and interesting!
Book the Kohala waterfalls hiking here!
Best Kona Coast Luaus
Luaus are cultural tours. They take you through a series of songs, stories and foods that are all a part of the Hawaiian Peoples’ history. When you’re planning for your trip to the Big Island, be sure that you set aside the time and cost of a luau experience. While you might not consider attending a luau a tour, it really is and you need to work one into your itinerary. There are quite a few luaus on the Kona Coast, and each is a bit different. We’ve picked our top three for you to consider to add to your trip.
Island Breeze Luau at King Kamehameha Hotel in Kailua
It’s hard to pick a favorite luau because each has its highlights, but I think that my overall top pick is the Island Breeze Luau at the King Kamehameha Hotel in Kailua-Kona. It takes place just off the beach and directly next to Kamakahonu Historic Site, with traditional Hawaiian carvings looking over the audience as the luau proceeds. The food at the Island Breeze Luau is great and the staff is wonderful from check-in until you leave.
I love the show at the Island Breeze Luau. The theme is Ohana, or family, and it goes through the stories of families making home in the Hawaiian Islands, and welcoming guests to participate and enjoy the experience as family. The performers do an awesome job in their dances and their live singing, and the setting is just magical. Put it all together and it’s my top pick.
Book the Island Breeze Luau here!
Hawai’iloa Lua at Fairmont Orchid in Waikoloa
Just outside of Kailua to the north is the Hawai’iloa Luau at the Fairmont Orchid Resort. This is up in Waikoloa nearly to Waimea, but it’s still on the Kona Coast, so it’s a great option to have a luau experience in a different area. Another beautifully done luau in a gorgeous spot, the Hawai’iloa Luau has my favorite Hawaiian menu. Kalua pork, poke, lomi lomi salad and lots of other fresh salads and seafood.
The show itself at the Hawai’iloa Luau is really fun and interesting. This one digs into the story of the Hawaiian Islands being settled by Hawai’iloa and his group of way finders. Since we love to explore and cover a lot of ground on the Big Island, hearing the history and placing names within the founding story (including names of the volcanos) made it all relatable to our visits today.
Book the Hawai’iloa Luau here!
Voyagers of the Pacific Luau at Royal Kona Resort
The last luau I want to share is back in Kailua-Kona and I would consider it one of the best Kona tours because it’s a tour all through Polynesia. Like the other Big Island luaus, the Voyagers of the Pacific Luau at the Royal Kona Resort also tells a story, but instead of it being specific to the Islands of Hawaii, it celebrates both the people who came here and the different island nations today. This may not sound too different from the Island Breeze Luau or Hawai’iloa, but there are nuances that set the Voyagers of the Pacific apart in its storytelling making the celebration about the living cultures today vs the history.
The menu at Voyagers of the Pacific Luau is very similar to other luaus with the kalua pork, poi, poke and more. Where I think the Voyagers luau shines is with the table bar service. There is a bar guests can visit on their own to get beverages, but there are also staff continually moving about supplying mai tais and the like. I haven’t seen this at other Big Island luaus, so it stood out to me.
No matter which luau you choose, you’ll enjoy the experience very much. Hearing the stories, seeing the dances and eating the food is a great way to learn about and appreciate Hawaiian culture and celebrate it during your visit.
Book the Voyagers of the Pacific Luau here!
Now that you’ve seen what I think are the best Kona tours, it’s time to figure out what works best for your time on the Big Island. As you’re planning, consider things like start time, departure point, meals that are included and cost. Each of the Kona tours we’ve shared are kid friendly, including the nighttime outrigger canoe manta ray snorkeling.
If you have any questions about any of these awesome tours and experiences from Kona or if you need additional recommendations for planning your time on the Big Island of Hawaii, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more!
