Volcano Tours in the United States
The USGS counts 161 potentially active volcanoes in the country. Three of them carry all 65 experiences sold here.
The USGS counts 161 potentially active volcanoes in the United States. The commercial market sells three. Alaska holds the largest share of the total and produces almost no visitor product at all, because a volcano reachable only by chartered floatplane does not become a day trip. What is actually bought and sold sits in two states: the island of Hawaiʻi, where Kīlauea has been erupting in fits and starts since December 2024, and Washington, where a glaciated cone that last erupted around a thousand years ago is ranked by the USGS among the most dangerous volcanoes in the country. Maui adds a third, and it is not really about the volcano at all.
This page is the only one on the site that can put the three side by side, so that is what it does. Below you will find what each destination is physically like, what the day costs, which months work, and the entry rules, which differ more than anyone expects between two parks in the same state. The operational detail for each one lives on its own page. What matters here is the choice, because these three trips answer completely different questions and the wrong one is an expensive way to be disappointed.
Choose a destination in the United States
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Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
Tours of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island: the Kīlauea caldera, the Nāhuku lava tube, Kīlauea Iki and the Chain of Craters Road to the sea.
41 experiences in 5 destinations -
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens tours from Seattle and Portland: 28 glaciers, the lahar hazard, Paradise and Sunrise, and the 1980 crater.
12 experiences -
Haleakalā Volcano
Haleakalā tours on Maui: sunrise above the cloud at 3,055 m and the reservation it needs, the sunset and astronomy alternative, and the downhill bike ride.
12 experiences
Volcano Travel Experiences in the United States
Private Volcanoes Eco Tour in Your Own Car: Pele's Tears and a Junior Ranger Badge
Award-winning guides, your own vehicle instead of a van, and the Kilauea Iki floor from the 1959 record fountain. Junior Ranger badges for younger children.
Punalu'u Black Sand and the Honu, with Hilo and a Self-Guided Park Explorer
The sand here is broken lava, not shell, and the honu come up onto it. Two more packages included: the Hilo stops and a self-guided run through the park.
Six Ziplines on Haleakala's Slopes, with Plank Bridges Between Them
An hour and a half of lines strung along the volcano's slopes, over seasonal pools and through the treetops, with plank bridges linking the platforms.
Summit to Sea in Half a Day: Kilauea, Punalu'u and Downtown Hilo
The Kilauea caldera and the Thurston tube, lunch at the Kilauea Lodge, then Punalu'u and downtown Hilo. Hilo-area pick-up; roughly 15 steps underground.
Sunrise at 9,740 Feet on the House of the Sun, with a Sit-Down Breakfast After
The mini coach reaches 9,740 feet for the sunrise, and breakfast afterwards is a sit-down meal in Waikapu rather than something handed out in the cold.
Sunset and Telescopes at 10,000 Feet: Seven People, Warm Coats and Hot Drinks
Seven people at most, with coats, chairs and hot drinks provided for the cold after sunset, and help setting up your phone or camera for the night sky.
Ten-Hour Private Big Island Tour: You Pick the Stops, Green Sand Included
Hawaiian-owned, ten hours, and the route is yours: Green Sand Beach, South Point, the city of refuge and Two Step all sit on the list. Lunch and snacks in.
The Only Rainier Tour Allowed More Than a Mile from the Road: Ten People Max
Evergreen Escapes holds the permit to walk groups further than a mile from the park road, which the Park Service does not grant to other companies.
Twelve Hours Around the Big Island: Waipi'o Valley and the Hawaiian Cowboys
Eleven stops in twelve hours, including the Waipi'o Valley lookout and Parker Ranch. Park fees, lunch and snacks are in the price, and the walking stays easy.
Twelve Hours at Mount St Helens: Ape Cave, 357 Steps and Four Stratovolcanoes
Ape Cave at a constant 5.5°C, the 357 steps above Spirit Lake, and the ridge where David Johnston made his last radio call on the morning of 18 May 1980.
Volcano Adventure from Hilo: 19 Miles of Chain of Craters, Helicopter Optional
Hilo-side pick-ups only. The 19-mile Chain of Craters Road, Halema'uma'u, and a town rebuilt inland after the tsunamis of 1946 and 1960. Helicopter optional.
Volcano and Hilo Highlights in 6-7 Hours, Guided by Native Hawaiians
Six or seven hours with guides from the island itself, covering Kilauea's overlooks, a lava tube, black sand and the gardens on Hilo Bay. Pick-up included.
Volcanoes and Hilo Small Group: Waianuenue Falls and Big Island Candies
Kilauea's caldera after the recent eruption, the 500-year-old Nahuku tube, then Hilo: the 80-foot Waianuenue, the pagodas on the bay, and macadamia chocolate.
Volcanoes National Park by Helicopter from Hilo: 35 Years, Family Run
The longest-running helicopter company on the island, family owned for over 35 years. Orchid farms and native forest below, then the flows over the park.
Volcanoes National Park from Hilo: No Hiking to the Falls, Cruise Times Honoured
A local driver, a start time that shifts to your ship's docking, and Rainbow Falls reached without walking. National Park passes are accepted at the gate.
Waikoloa to Volcanoes: the Pu'u Huluhulu Kipuka and Saddle Road at 6,632 Feet
Pu'u Huluhulu is an old cinder cone that newer flows ran around instead of over. Lunch over the Kilauea caldera, and the whole Chain of Craters Road first.
Walking Mount Rainier: a Mile to a Picnic by the Glaciers, and Down to Narada's Base
A mile on foot from Paradise to a picnic beside the glaciers, and the only walk here that goes down to the base of the 168-foot Narada Falls.
Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor