Private Hilo Shore Excursion up to 10: A'a, Pahoehoe and Back to the Ship on Time

A private van, up to ten seats, with nobody else in it. TripAdvisor has this company first out of the fourteen outdoor activities listed for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Photographs get taken all day and cost nothing. The stated aim is to reach several different eruption sites rather than the single overlook most tours settle for, and the route can be built around what your group wants, with a choice of lunch options. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and a day inside it crosses several climate zones. There is the crater, the Thurston Lava Tube reached on a short walk through rainforest, a black sand beach, and steam vents that run on rainwater. On the Chain of Craters Road the ground shows its two forms by name: a'a, the rough broken kind that is hard to walk on, and pahoehoe, the smooth ropy kind. There are pit craters and lava tree molds along it too. For families with small children: state law requires a car seat under 8, and boosters are available from age 5. And the operator guarantees you will be back at the ship on time, which is the thing that matters most on a port day.