Things to do on Veteran's Day in Hilo (Updated 2026)

Great experience! Highly recommended! You don't have to walk a lot but you are gonna get tired after the day!

The tour was outstanding! Our tour guide Anthony was amazing. Very knowledgeable about the culture and history of the island. Very engaging and informative. Very upbeat, positive, accommodating and fun. The overall timing of the stops were adequate. We didn’t feel rushed and the lunch was fantastic local fare at a local restaurant. Overall it was one of the better tours in my travels. Anthony went above and beyond to ensure a great experience.

Our tour was provided by Shaka Braddah tours and Desmond and team was fantastic.  They were both so knowledgeable and funny – we felt like friends by the end of our tour. They also provided snacks and local delicacies throughout the day. We started the day with a slow drive pass Lili’uokalani Park and Gardens, before stopping at Rainbow Falls which were beautiful. We then proceeded to a black sand beach (we were due to visit Punalu’u Black Stand Beach, but that was inaccessible due to Hurricane Lala which had hit the island 2 weeks previously). However, this beach we went to did not disappoint and we saw a couple of green turtles chilling on the rocks! After a lovely lunch at a local restaurant, we then went to the Volcanoes National Park which was spectacular. Even though we did not see an eruption (it had erupted the week prior), it was certainly smoking a LOT and the views were fantastic. This was followed by a walk through Thurston Lava Tube which was completely different to anything we had experienced before. All in all a fantastic trip and would highly recommend it – FIVE STARS!

Amanda was good fun, knowledgeable and entertaining. The day was just perfect

Ray was an amazing tour guide. He had everything taken care of for us. Snacks, beverages, chocolates, and even some surprises. We loved the tour so much we booked another with him the next day. All the best sites were included in the Hilo area, and everything was very personalized to accommodate the tour group. The tour vehicle itself is pristine and designed for smaller groups instead of a larger tour bus. Would highly recommend.

Aaron is a great tour guide. Very informative on all of our stops. Love that he cares so much of his home town. He gave us so much information on the history of Hilo. Just wish we could have seen the volcano errupt.

Our tour was the best! Rae has great knowledge of the island and is very personable. We got to see the volcano, the lava tube, a beautiful waterfall and so much more. It was definitely worth the price and the time!

What a great excursion! Our tour guide “Kimo” did an incredible job of explaining the island as we moved from place to place. His insights and humor made the experience even more memorable. Absolutely recommend this trip.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Can I give more stars? Desmond and Anthony were amazing. Saw and learned so much! Tour was well planned and free flowing enough to allow for exploring. They even gave us ideas of other spots to visit on other days of our trip.

Man I can’t say enough good things about Big Mike and his tour. Soo professional. He took the time to show us a slide show during our tour, he explained each and every stop, gave us history of the big island. He got off with us and walked with the group at each stop and gave us some insight on each stop and history of each stop, its significance to the island. Our Lunch stop was great. Food was awesome. His van is nice and comfortable, very clean and tidy. He’s super polite and very engaging with his guests and makes you feel like Ohana. Please do not hesitate to book this tour if you are on the big island. A+++++ Thank you Big Mike we had a blast. Mahalo Joe and Amanda from Houston Texas

Loved this tour and it’s no surprise Big Mike is booked out! It was very convenient as Big Mike picks you up and drops you back and the cruise ship. We enjoyed visiting the volcanoes and all the other places we stopped. Big Mike is a local and his knowledge and stories was terrific. He has really thought through his tour experience and will ensure you enjoy your day. Thank you Big (King!!) Mike, we loved our day!

A great mix of lots of sights. Aaron our guide was very good! I wish we had a bit less time at Volcano and more time at Farmer's Market.

We did a tour of the Volcano National Park with our guide Aaron. We enjoyed very much! Great sights and great history of the island and the volcanos. We would definitely recommend!

Anthony and Desmond were outstanding tour guides! They had so much knowledge and even had like a little hands on museum in the van during traveling. It was so enjoyable! To top it off we did see the Volcano erupting for real! It was life changing. Lunch was amazing at a cute Hawaiian spot. I got the Loco Moco!!! Wonderful day!

Daniel was very informative. He knew and understood the major sights as well as giving a lot of local knowledge that made the trip very enjoyable. Would definitely recommend.

This was one of the best tours I have ever been on. My husband and I flew in from Oahu to Hawaii just for the day. The tour guide, Amanda, was incredible. She was waiting for us when we got off the plane and from the moment she picked us up was engaging and accommodating. She has so much knowledge of Hilo and the island of Hawaii and shares it in an understanding and very interesting manner. She took us everywhere and informed us of the best views and photo spots at the beach and waterfalls. She shared the history of the volcano, the current and past eruptions, the makeup of the volcano and the chemical reaction that is currently happening. She knows the landscape of Hilo, the vegetation and migration of the plants. She knows history of what country and people contributed to the development of Hawaii. She is so interesting and what she shares is fascinating. She is proud of her tours and loves the company she works for praising them for treating her so well and providing tours that people enjoy. The van was clean and comfortable. She is a great driver. The bento box lunch was delicious. She provided beverages and made the day very comfortable. This is a tour worth taking and I hope all of the guides are as enjoyable as Amanda. Working with Cool Hawaii is very easy too.