Hawaii Big Island Circle Drive: 5 Days Around the Island of Hawai'i

Fly into Kona International Airport (KOA) on the dry, sunny western side of the island. Kailua-Kona's main street runs along Alii Drive on the waterfront — compact, walkable, and a good place to orient. The afternoon drive south to Puuhonua o Honaunau is 30 miles on HI-160 through Kealakekua Bay, one of the most historically dense shorelines in Hawaii.

• Kealakekua Bay — the bay where Captain James Cook was killed in 1779; the Captain Cook Monument is visible across the bay from the state park; kayak tours depart from the north side of the bay to reach it; the snorkeling directly off the monument is among the clearest water in Hawaii
• Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (Place of Refuge) — one of the most significant surviving Hawaiian cultural sites; defeated warriors and kapu (law) violators who reached this shoreline could receive absolution; the reconstructed heiau, ki'i (wooden guardian figures), and royal fish ponds give a genuine sense of pre-contact Hawaiian culture
• Painted Church (St. Benedict's) — a small 19th-century church near Honaunau with interior walls painted floor-to-ceiling by Belgian missionary Father John Berchmans Velghe; an unusual and beautiful stop 5 minutes from the Place of Refuge

The longest drive day takes you around the island's southern tip and into the most geologically active landscape in the United States. Ka Lae — South Point — is the southernmost point in the United States and sits at the end of a 12-mile access road that is paved but narrow and sometimes battered by wind. Green Sand Beach is one of only four green-sand beaches on Earth. Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is a full destination on its own.

• Ka Lae (South Point) — the southernmost point in the US; the plateau is wind-scoured and lined with anchor holes carved into the cliff by ancient Hawaiian fishermen; the jump-off cliff below is used by locals; the green water offshore comes from the meeting of open ocean currents
• Papakolea (Green Sand Beach) — one of only four green-sand beaches on Earth; the olivine crystals that give the sand its color eroded from the surrounding cinder cone; the 2.5-mile hike from the parking area crosses lava fields with no shade; bring water and sun protection; hitching a ride with a 4WD local truck is an accepted option for the return
• Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Crater Rim Drive — the 11-mile road around Kilauea caldera passes sulfur banks, steam vents, and overlooks into the active volcanic crater; the Halema'uma'u Crater within is the home of Pele in Hawaiian tradition and has been actively erupting in cycles
• Thurston Lava Tube (Nahuku) — a 500-year-old lava tube accessible by a short loop trail through tree fern rainforest; the tube is lit inside and is 500 feet long; arrive before 10am to avoid crowds
• Kilauea Iki Trail (4 mi loop, moderate) — descends 400 ft into a solidified 1959 lava lake; the trail crosses the hardened crust of the lava lake floor and passes the vent where lava fountained 1,900 feet into the air; one of the most unique trail surfaces anywhere in the US

Hilo is the largest city on the east side and one of the wettest cities in the US — 130+ inches of rain per year keeps the surrounding landscape impossibly green. The Wednesday and Saturday Hilo Farmers Market is the best in the state. After Hilo, HI-19 north along the Hamakua Coast is one of Hawaii's great scenic drives: coastal cliffs, gulch bridges, and the 442-foot Akaka Falls.

• Rainbow Falls (Waiānuenue), Hilo — an 80-foot waterfall that flows over a natural lava cave; best in morning light when the mist creates rainbows; the 10-minute walk from the parking area is paved and accessible; the upper falls viewing area adds another 10 minutes
• Hilo Farmers Market — Wednesday and Saturday have the full market with over 200 vendors; tropical fruits (rambutan, starfruit, dragonfruit), local honey, and fresh poke bowls; the Saturday market is the larger of the two; arrives and sells out early
• Hamakua Coast (HI-19 north) — the 50-mile coastal highway from Hilo to Honokaa runs through sugar plantation-era towns and crosses a series of spectacular gulch bridges; the Kolekole Beach Park turnoff leads to a black-sand beach at the bottom of a stream valley
• Akaka Falls State Park — a 0.4-mile paved loop trail through bamboo forest and heliconia to two waterfalls; Akaka Falls at 442 feet is the taller; Kahuna Falls at 100 feet is visible first; admission $5/car; one of the most accessible waterfall experiences in Hawaii

Waipio Valley is a 1,200-foot-deep amphitheater valley where taro farming, waterfalls, and black-sand beach coexist at the base of near-vertical walls. The lookout at the valley rim is accessible to all vehicles; the valley floor requires 4WD or a guided tour. Mauna Kea at 13,796 feet is the tallest mountain in the world measured from its oceanic base — and the highest-altitude sunset viewpoint accessible by car in the United States.

• Waipio Valley Lookout — park at the lot above the valley rim; the view down into the valley is one of the defining Hawaii photographs; the descent road is 26% grade and is dangerous for standard vehicles; guided 4WD tours from Waipio Valley Shuttle depart the lookout parking area
• Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station (9,200 ft) — the road from Saddle Road (HI-200) to the VIS is paved and accessible to all vehicles; the VIS has restrooms and rangers; acclimatize here for 30 minutes before going higher; astronomers host free public stargazing at the VIS on clear nights starting at 6pm
• Mauna Kea Summit Road (9,200–13,796 ft, 4WD required) — the unpaved summit road requires 4WD or an all-wheel-drive vehicle with high clearance; at the top, 13 of the world's most powerful telescopes sit above 40% of Earth's atmosphere; the summit is sacred to Native Hawaiians and the observatories remain politically contested
• Summit sunset — plan to arrive at the summit at least 45 minutes before sunset; temperatures drop to near-freezing after dark; the sea of clouds below and the shadow of Mauna Kea projected west at dusk are exceptional; stargazing from the summit after dark (with a 4WD vehicle) is among the best in the world

The Kohala Mountain Road (HI-250) is the scenic high-altitude route across the northern tip of the island — open ranch land with views from Mauna Kea behind you to the Kohala Coast far below. Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site is King Kamehameha I's war temple, built in 1791 to fulfill a prophecy that he would unify the Hawaiian Islands — which he did. Return to Kona airport is 45 minutes south on HI-19.

• Kohala Mountain Road (HI-250) — the 20-mile road from Hawi to Waimea traverses 2,500-foot elevation slopes of Kohala with views of the Kohala Coast, Maui across the channel, and the Kona side below; cattle ranches line the road (Parker Ranch, one of the largest cattle ranches in the US, is in Waimea)
• Pololu Valley Lookout — at the north end of the Kohala Coast, a 1-mile trail from the lookout descends to a black-sand beach at the valley floor; the valley is the northernmost in the chain of Kohala amphitheater valleys; the lookout itself is accessible to all vehicles
• Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site, Kawaihae — Kamehameha I's war heiau (temple) built 1790–1791; the NPS site includes a short trail to the heiau platform and a visitor center covering the unification of the Hawaiian Islands; strategically sited above Spencer Beach Park with views north to Kohala
• Return to Kona (KOA) — HI-19 south from Kawaihae to the airport is 45 minutes; Hapuna Beach State Park is 5 minutes off the highway and is frequently rated the best beach on the Big Island — a final swim before departing makes for a strong last memory