Hawaii's Big Island Multi-Adventure Tour
Hawaii's Big Island Multi-Adventure Tour
6 days
5 nights
Activity Levels 1-3
Premiere & Casual Hotels
2025: Apr-Dec2026: Jan-Dec2027: Jan-Jun, Aug
Volcanoes National Park & the Kohala Coast
Peer at an active volcano from afar, then get up close to explore. Kayak on a sparkling bay before discovering what lies beneath. Engage your curiosity. It’s about to get wild. Welcome to Hawaii.
Highlights
Discover the Big Island’s unique culture as you walk in the footsteps of King Kamehameha
Hike with a local expert through Volcanoes National Park, exploring the geological features of an active volcano
Bike through lush rain forests, across lunar landscapes and along a stretch of the famed Ironman course
Swim, snorkel and kayak in the warm waters of Puako Bay for close encounters with Hawaii’s fascinating marine life
Tour a thousand-year-old lava tube used by ancient Hawaiians
StartKailua-Kona
EndKailua-Kona or Kohala Coast
* Start/End locations may vary. Do not book flights until your trip details are confirmed.
Itinerary
Days 1-2
Visit Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, an ancient place of refuge • Dip your toes in the warm water at a black-sand beach • Take a private tour of the third-largest lava tube system in the world • Walk through a dense forest in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, taking in the beauty of Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes on earth • Bike along Chain of Craters Road, winding through the lava fields of the park’s East Rift Zone • Discover the lush tropical side of the island, where brilliantly colored flowers and fragrant guava trees abound • Watch for colorful birds such as the iiwi, with its bright red body and salmon-colored bill • Check out a newly formed caldera with a local guide.
Nights 1-2
An up-country bed-and-breakfast with ideal access to Volcanoes National Park.
Days 3-6
Take a scenic spin from a lava field into a rain forest, then complete the ride with a stretch along the coast • Kayak past rocky cliffs and secluded sea caves in the crystal clear waters around Puako • Snorkel among colorful parrotfish, Moorish idols and Hawaiian lionfish • At our oceanfront retreat, swim, find your balance on a stand-up paddleboard or bliss out on the hotel’s half-moon beach • Discover ancient petroglyphs near Holoholokai Beach and uncover the history and significance of the area on an interpretive coastal walk • Ride along the sun-soaked Kohala Coast, following a section of the Kona Ironman Triathlon’s cycling course.
Nights 3-5
A blissful resort on a half-moon beach offering abundant amenities and exceptional aloha hospitality. Travel + Leisure World’s Best. (pool, spa)
What's Included
See moreStraight Talk
We want to make sure you're on the trip that's right for you. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
There are a limited number of paved roads traversing Hawaii’s rugged landscape. While Backroads strives to find quiet roadways off the beaten track, many of this trip’s routes include sections along highways with fast-moving traffic. You’re always welcome to jump in the shuttle to avoid the busier roads.
In order to bring you the best of the Big Island, we spend more time shuttling on this trip than on many other Backroads trips. We want to make the most of your time on this beautiful and diverse island, and our itinerary—complete with shuttles—has been specifically designed to do just that.
Hawaii encompasses an astonishing array of climate zones. You should be prepared for a wide range of weather conditions during our stay near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, including heavy rain and strong winds. The Kohala Coast also experiences powerful winds, which may make cycling coastal roads difficult or require us to alter our planned activities. In addition, water activities may be cancelled due to high surf/wind.
Kilauea Lodge is a fairly rustic property in a stunning location near Volcanoes National Park. Although clean and comfortable, the guest rooms are basic and not equipped with phones or televisions.
Hotels
World-Class Hotels
Our hand-selected Premiere hotels offer exceptional hospitality and experiences as special as the regions we explore.
Hotels may vary based on departure. Any variations will be displayed when selecting a departure under Dates & Prices.
Nights 1-2
*Casual Hotel
An up-country bed-and-breakfast with ideal access to Volcanoes National Park.
Nights 3-5
Premiere Hotel
A blissful resort on a half-moon beach offering abundant amenities and exceptional aloha hospitality. Travel + Leisure World’s Best. (pool, spa)
Gallery
#MyBackroadsTrip
Bikes
Choose Your Perfect Bike
Our bikes are designed and built with specific cyclists and riding styles in mind, so we can always offer you a perfect ride. Please note that bike requests are subject to availability and prioritized based on the date they're submitted.
Included in your trip price
Included in your trip price
- Suited for a wide range of cyclists
- Comfortable ergonomic seat
- Long wheel base adds to the bike's control and stability
- Upright handlebars only
Included in your trip price
- One of the lightest e-bikes available
- Provides plenty of power and more than enough battery
- Lower top tubes for easier mounting and dismounting
- Upright handlebars only
- Limited availability on Unplugged Bike Tours; learn more
Min. age to ride e-bike: 16+
Review Snapshot
by PowerReviews
Reviewed by 27 customers
Leaders were stellar
I hesitated to leave this review because the trip leaders--Sexton, Nate, and Kat were so great. However there were some elements of the trip that I thought people should know before signing up. It is called the Big Island for a reason, and in order to see the volcano you have to travel a ways to get there and a ways more to get back. So the trip had a lot of time in the van. The breakfasts and lunches were great. The dinners at the Fairmont Orchid were great. The dinner at the Kilauea Lodge was pretty mediocre and the dinner at the restaurant in the town of Volcano was downright awful. Hopefully they will change this dinner venue to be at the Volcano House, which looked like it had a great menu and is located right on the rim of the crater. The bike rides were beautiful--no complaints there. But I love being on the bike and wish there had been more riding (No false advertising--I know it was Multi-Adventure). The guys who took us kayaking were great, but the snorkeling itself was just okay in terms of the sights. Maybe that is the best the Kohala Coast has to offer. I don't know. Our incredible leaders pivoted on a dime and changed our itinerary so we could witness the eruption which commenced the morning we were supposed to be leaving the area. All-in-all, a great trip. How could the combo of Hawaii and Backroads not be a great trip.
Fantastic trip with a mix of activities, wonderful hotels an
The trip leaders are fantastic and adjust the trip and the activities on the go to suit best the group.
Unforgettable Big Island adventure
Backroads provided an amazing experience, with great guides, well thought out biking and hiking routes and educational activities. It's not often a tour lives up to its catalog description, but this one exceeded it. It was a very good value! They also kept us very well fed and "hydrated" living up to the nickname "snackroads". We will 100 percent travel with them again!
First Backroads experience exceeded our expectations!
A fantastic first Backroads trip! Excellent leaders and local guides highlighted all activities. Accommodations, meals, and snacks were outstanding. A great mix of biking and hiking with a morning of kayaking and snorkeling. Perfect mix of activities and a little relaxation time. Well done all around and we can't wait for the next one!
Hawaii is amazing, and BR guides helped us see so much!
The multi-sport trip enabled us to explore many different aspects of Hawaiian terrain, sights, food, and marine life.
Absolute BEST way to explore Hawaii - The Big Island
This trip covered most of the big island of Hawaii and was an absolute blast. Our trip leaders, Kyle S and Nate T, were amazing and helped make this such an incredible trip. All the hikes and bike rides were well planned. Amazing views of the coastline, lava fields, the volcano craters, and the many different microclimates/ecosystems on the island. The lodging was great. Everything together made this an incredible trip.
Outstanding experience
If only we could take our two trip leaders on every Backroads trip we take in the future! Yes, this was our first Backroads trip and we will absolutely be taking more - our plan is to pick the next one before we depart tomorrow. We were just amazed throughout the week at how accommodating the trip leaders were to individual needs as they arose. Two superbly dynamic personalities that allowed every one of us to feel connected to them, each other, and the island. Being two extremely busy professionals, we truly felt "on vacation", despite a few interruptions from the business, and taken care of with exceptional attention, quality, safety, luxury and interjections of laugheter and fun all day, every day. Thank you so much!!
Awesome family trip to the Big Island!
We just loved our trip to the Big Island, and enjoyed the whole experience. The leaders were outstanding and set the tone from the start. The other families we traveled with were so well matched to our family and friendships started immediately. We loved the diversity of each day, from hiking through volcano national park, to kayaking and snorkeling with turtles, to doing a 42 mile ride on the same route as the Iron man, we had it all. Loved the quality of the food, the accommodation and the overall experience. Amazing week, we are now Backroads converts!
Great first trip with Backroards!
The leaders made all the difference with their calm take charge attitude, pivoting when the roads were a wash out. We always felt safe during the rain storm and light hearted with the music selection of "let it rain" for our day of cancelled biking and road detours. Great job guys!
14th family backroads trip!
No plan on stopping, but Hawaii was another amazing Backroads experience in the books. Got to see whales, lava, hike a crater, and stay in beautiful lodges!
Dates & Prices
Dates & Prices
Click on dates for pricing, itinerary variations (if any) and to book your trip. Price is per person, double occupancy in USD.
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