The best family-friendly activities in Big Island of Hawaii for parents and kids (Updated September 2026)

We had an absolutely wonderful time on the Kona Snorkel Tours day trip! From start to finish, it was an incredible experience. Deavon was fantastic getting us checked in and provided so much great information along with being funny! Rory, our captain, was excellent, and Jake, our tour guide and lifeguard was incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. All three of them made the experience even better with the fascinating history, stories, and information they shared throughout the tour. The Snorkeling was incredible and saw many fish and a octopus 🐙 You could really tell how much they enjoy what they do and how much they care about making sure everyone has a safe, fun, and memorable time. The combination of snorkeling, beautiful scenery, and learning so much about the area made this a day we won't forget! Highly recommend Kona Snorkel Tours if you're visiting the Big Island. Five stars all the way! 🌺🌊🐠🤙

We had a great time. Deavon checked up in and he was great! Rory was our Captain and Jake was the lifeguard. This was easily the best thing we had done on the Island. We did both the day and night tours. I will be back with tons of friends.

Very nice trip with a guide with great knowledge about this journey.

We had such a wonderful experience on the sunset sailing dinner! The crew was absolutely lovely and so patient with us when we arrived late. We truly appreciated how welcoming and understanding they were. The captain was amazing and even turned the boat so that everyone could enjoy the beautiful sunset from both sides. The sailing was smooth and relaxing, making it the perfect way to spend an evening with family. 🌅⛵️ The dinner was good overall, and the entire experience was enjoyable from start to finish. My family loved it, and we would definitely recommend this sunset sailing dinner to anyone looking for a fun and relaxing experience. Thank you to the crew for making our evening so special!

It was such fun! Ellie was a fantastic tour host. We went to 7 different places in Kona and sampled delicious local foods and drinks. Ellie made it fun. It was a good way to introduce us to Kailua Kona.

Shaun and Brad were both great captains and people. Had a great time learning from them about ocean fishing. Had such a great time the first day where we were lucky enough to catch some nice fish, we booked a second trip the next day!

Friendly and attending crew who made it fun. Provided us with food and drinks. Had an amazing and fun time. Would definitely recommend

Educational and fun with a dash of rain thrown in. All the staff and docents were more than welcoming.

This was truly an amazing experience. Evan and Logan were incredible guides, provided detailed history and knowledge. The kayak over was absolutely beautiful and the snorkeling was really great (even though the visibility wasn't that perfect from the previous storm). Highly recommend!The only thing I would note is that they asked about dietary restrictions of which I have a gluten intolerance, I was given a garden salad for lunch and unfortunately the fork was accidentally forgotten. I would suggest in the future sourcing a lettuce wrap (if gluten free bread / wraps are unavailable) similar to the sandwiches so its a more on par experience considered it was included in the price.

What an awesome experience! We loved all three of the tour guides. The captain gave us lots of information about the mantas and where we were going, and everyone made us feel so comfortable! We saw one manta Ray (but he/she looped back several times! We also saw several reef sharks and a bu ch of what I believe were little tuna! We stayed a little over 45 min in the water! I loved this whole experience!!!

We had the most amazing time! The tour guide, Jon, was the perfect tour guide - very knowledgable, engaging and interesting! Thank you so much for such a memorable experience!!

Great job by Greg & Paul and team, very informative and the products were amazing, we learned alot on the tour.

Tour was fantastic! The tasting was wonderful! Totally worth the time and money!!

I am happy we went for this experience.

Amazing cultural experience. Food and company were incredible.

Bryce was an amazing guide and definitely helped make this tour fun and memorable! The grounds are beautiful and all of the staff were very welcoming. There were plenty of coffee samples upon arrival as well as some chocolate samples. We enjoyed learning about Kona coffee and would recommend this tour to others!