Big Island Hawaii Self-Guided Driving Tour
Overview
Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together!
Get a taste of paradise on Hawaii’s Big Island. This driving tour guides you along the island’s picturesque coast and through lush jungle scenery. Lounge on pristine beaches, hike atop dormant volcanoes, go snorkeling in crystal-clear water, and more—all while learning about the fascinating history of this island and the people who call it home. Plus, learn about Hawaiian history, visit ancient burial grounds, and really get to know this island’s rich culture.
After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point.
New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
What's Included
- Support is available via chat, email, or phone if you need help.
- Planning tools, route maps, scenic stops, and area previews included.
- Private tour experience for your family, in your own car.
- Lifetime access: use the tour anytime and keep it for future trips.
- Works offline with GPS route guidance and automatic audio stories.
- One purchase covers everyone in your car, not per person.
- Flexible tour: start, stop, and pause anytime during your trip.
- Hidden gems and local stories included along the route.
- Self-guided audio tour through our easy-to-use mobile app.
- Just bring your car and phone; the app guides your tour.
- Self-guided tour — no live guide. Entrance fees, parking, food, and car rental are separate.
Meeting Location
This activity ends back at the meeting point.
What To Expect
Book Online
Safe & secure • Easy breezy • Hassle-free
Hilo
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
203 Kilauea Ave
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Scenic Outlook Park
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Honoli'i Beach Park (pass by)
Onomea Bay Trail (pass by)
Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
19 HI-19
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Botanical World Adventures
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Kolekole Beach Park (pass by)
Laupahoehoe Point Cemetery (pass by)
Kohala Coast
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Anna Ranch Heritage Center
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Laupahoehoe Train Museum
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Kings Hwy Foot Trail (pass by)
Buddha Point (pass by)
Waikoloa Beach
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Kekaha Kai State Park (pass by)
Kiholo Bay (pass by)
Kailua-Kona
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Hulihe'e Palace
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Magic Sands Beach Park (pass by)
Kahalu’u Beach Park (pass by)
Lekeleke Burial Ground
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park (pass by)
Honaunau
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Heavenly Hawaiian Kona Coffee Farm Tours & Konalani Coffee Bar
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Hawaii Belt Road (pass by)
87 Hawaiʻi Belt Rd
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Kula Kai Caverns
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Black Sand Beach Apparel (pass by)
Mauna Loa Observatory (pass by)
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park (pass by)
Lyman Museum
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
The Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Pacific Tsunami Museum
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Akaka Falls State Park
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Wailuku River State Park
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Check current weather, road conditions, and closures before beginning the tour, as conditions may change unexpectedly.
- Some attractions along the Big Island tour require paid admission, while others may require or recommend advance reservations. Kula Kai Caverns requires reservations, and advance booking is recommended for Huliheʻe Palace. Entrance or parking fees may also apply at Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and ʻAkaka Falls State Park. These costs are not included with the audio tour.
- Allow approximately 1–2 days to enjoy the complete tour at a relaxed pace.
- Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
- Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
- At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
- Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
- Good value: One purchase covers everyone in your vehicle, not each person separately.
- More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.
- Download in advance: Download the Tour Guide app by Action and tour while connected to Wi-Fi or a strong cellular signal.
- Follow the route: Begin at the suggested starting point or join anywhere along the route shown in the app.
- Lifetime access: Preview the tour before your trip and revisit the stories, photos, and details afterward.
- Supported devices: iPhone with iOS 15+, Android with version 9+, or a GPS-enabled iPad/tablet with cellular capability.
- The app’s audio will play through your car’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto display, while the app’s map will display on your phone. You can connect your phone to the car via Bluetooth to listen to the commentary through the car stereo.
Frequently Asked Questions (6)
Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Big Island Hawaii Self-Guided Driving Tour?
Cancellation Policy
Still have questions?
We're here to help.
Activity code: C-267535P21
Traveler Photos
Reviews
Average 4.15 out of 5 stars based on 48 traveler reviews collected by Cool Hawaii and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor
Additional Info
Similar Tours & Activities
Go on a short drive around the Big Island's Kohala Coast. See the beautiful green coastline, through tree-lined rolling hills, and down the scenic Kohala...
$20
Don't miss a thing as GuideAlong's Audio Driving Tour takes you on an incredible journey across Hawaii's Big Island. Along the way you'll be guided...
$20
For cruise ship guests arriving at Kona Port or travelers from Kona International Airport (KOA), our Private History & Market Excursion offers an unparalleled, hassle-free...
$1,095
Delight in the awe-inspiring sunset at the top of Mauna Kea, the highest point in the Pacific. Your guide will share historic accounts of the...
$289
Travelers Who Bought This Activity Also Bought
Hawai‘i Island’s only working salt farm, featured on Guy Fieri’s “Guy Hawaiian Style,” is located on a scenic 7-acre oceanfront site in the Hawai‘i Ocean...
$27
Why Choose Us for Your Manta Ray Night Snorkel? The strongest light power out of any operator…! Choose us if you want the most manta...
$15
A must do while in Hawaii! It's a lifetime opportunity to see up close manta rays feeding and interacting with other ocean creatures under the...
$94
Our tours depart from the Kailua-Kona pier on the Big Island of Hawaii. Discover the beauty of Kona's underwater world aboard Marian, a 36-foot (10-meter), custom-designed glass-bottom boat....
$72
Frequently Asked Questions (6)
The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from Cool Hawaii customers.
Filter by:
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the activity start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the activity start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the activity start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the activity local time (HST).
- Support is available via chat, email, or phone if you need help.
- Planning tools, route maps, scenic stops, and area previews included.
- Private tour experience for your family, in your own car.
- Lifetime access: use the tour anytime and keep it for future trips.
- Works offline with GPS route guidance and automatic audio stories.
- One purchase covers everyone in your car, not per person.
- Flexible tour: start, stop, and pause anytime during your trip.
- Hidden gems and local stories included along the route.
- Self-guided audio tour through our easy-to-use mobile app.
- Just bring your car and phone; the app guides your tour.
- Self-guided tour — no live guide. Entrance fees, parking, food, and car rental are separate.
There is no minimum age for this tour, so bring your wee one along for an adventure..
Apr 2025If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.
If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.
Apr 2025Accessibility information for the Big Island Hawaii Self-Guided Driving Tour is as follows:
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Big Island Hawaii Self-Guided Driving Tour will be included in your confirmation email from Cool Hawaii. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!
Mar 2024What's Included
- Support is available via chat, email, or phone if you need help.
- Planning tools, route maps, scenic stops, and area previews included.
- Private tour experience for your family, in your own car.
- Lifetime access: use the tour anytime and keep it for future trips.
- Works offline with GPS route guidance and automatic audio stories.
- One purchase covers everyone in your car, not per person.
- Flexible tour: start, stop, and pause anytime during your trip.
- Hidden gems and local stories included along the route.
- Self-guided audio tour through our easy-to-use mobile app.
- Just bring your car and phone; the app guides your tour.
- Self-guided tour — no live guide. Entrance fees, parking, food, and car rental are separate.
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Check current weather, road conditions, and closures before beginning the tour, as conditions may change unexpectedly.
- Some attractions along the Big Island tour require paid admission, while others may require or recommend advance reservations. Kula Kai Caverns requires reservations, and advance booking is recommended for Huliheʻe Palace. Entrance or parking fees may also apply at Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and ʻAkaka Falls State Park. These costs are not included with the audio tour.
- Allow approximately 1–2 days to enjoy the complete tour at a relaxed pace.
- Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
- Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
- At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
- Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
- Good value: One purchase covers everyone in your vehicle, not each person separately.
- More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.
- Download in advance: Download the Tour Guide app by Action and tour while connected to Wi-Fi or a strong cellular signal.
- Follow the route: Begin at the suggested starting point or join anywhere along the route shown in the app.
- Lifetime access: Preview the tour before your trip and revisit the stories, photos, and details afterward.
- Supported devices: iPhone with iOS 15+, Android with version 9+, or a GPS-enabled iPad/tablet with cellular capability.
- The app’s audio will play through your car’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto display, while the app’s map will display on your phone. You can connect your phone to the car via Bluetooth to listen to the commentary through the car stereo.
