Hilo Day Trips & Excursions

Justin was a wonderful tour guide! Constantly keeping us engaged and laughing. Very knowledgeable and was able to answer every question we threw at him. He made sure to interact with every individual on the tour and make you feel like part of his family. The van he uses is very clean and we'll kept. You can tell he takes great pride in his job. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who is visiting the bid island!

Our trip began with an on-time pick up from our driver/guide Justin. He was friendly and attentive to all the tour members. This included a wide age range and abilities. Highly recommended, very knowledgeable and friendly guide. Look no further.

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!

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.

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!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 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.

It was fantastic, guides are local and very knowledgeable they shared life experiences and personal recommendations as well as made extra stops just for us.

Justin is a one man tour expert! Such a wonderful personality. Very personable, knowledgeable and a wealth of knowledge. The tour was a passenger van that held 12 passengers. The van was immaculate! There was plenty of opportunities to ask questions and free water was provided. The stops were breathtaking. The volcano, the waterfalls. WOW! We also stopped at the macadamia nut farm and candy/cookie factory. The opportunity to try samples and buy some sweets were fantastic. Ending the day at the beach watching turtles (honu) was wonderful. It was a fun packed day with a lot to see and do. Justin is just fantastic. I would highly recommend.

Jess was amazing The day was well planned and best way to explore the island

Rob has been great. Unfortunately we did not see lava

Provided a great flavor of the island getting to see many of the experiences you read about before you vsit the island with an extremely fun and knowledgeable guide.

Fantastic tour, beautiful scenery and Volcano National park was amazing, highly recommend this tour.

Daniel was a great guide, he has great knowledge of the island and has an upbeat personality. The tour was for small group which made the experience intimate. He met us on time and showed us some fun and beautiful places. We highly recommend the Pele express.

I rarely write reviews, but Daniel made it impossible not to. Out of all the tours we’ve taken, this was by far the best. Daniel was incredibly knowledgeable, shared interesting stories that made the drive fly by, and took us to amazing places. His energy, humor, and passion made the entire experience fun from start to finish. If you’re looking for an unforgettable tour, ask for Daniel—you won’t be disappointed! Thank you for making our trip so memorable.

Our experience with the very knowledgeable Sam was a magnificent one. He was engaging, entertaining and educated us for the whole tour on the history of Hawai’i and volcanoes. Sam treated passengers more like friends than tourists as he navigated questions from all angles. Sam is a bloody legend!! Thank you for a brilliant trip.

Sash ( May spelled her name wrong) was a great tour guide. I learned a lot from her. There is one complaint: on May 11, I noticed the same tour price was dropped about ~$100 compared to I booked price on Cool Hawaii website. Unfortunately there’s no one to pick up the phone from Cool Hawaii when I tried to get a refund.