With kids · Big Island (Hawaiʻi) · United States
Big Island (Hawaiʻi) with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Pictured: Liliʻuokalani Gardens, Big Island (Hawaiʻi) · Photo: AlaskaDave, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The Big Island is a superb family destination for active children, with volcanoes, turtles, waterfalls and calm beaches. Long drives are the main challenge, so split your stay between the west and east sides. Top picks: Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park and Hāpuna Beach. Families usually base themselves in Kohala Coast.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 7
- Best area for families
- Kohala Coast
- Rainy-day options
- 1
- Busiest months
- December
Plan a trip to Big Island (Hawaiʻi)
Compare flights, places to stay and rental cars, then book with the provider you choose.
Best things to do with kids
Nature · Volcano
1.Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
The park protects Kīlauea and much of Mauna Loa. Crater Rim Drive and its overlooks look into the summit caldera and Halemaʻumaʻu crater, where eruptions in recent years have sometimes produced visible lava; steam vents, sulphur banks and short walks are nearby. Conditions change constantly, so the visitor centre and the park website give the latest on eruption activity and closures.
Visit the caldera overlooks after dark if there is an active eruption, when any glow is most visible, and bring a warm layer because the summit is cool at night.
- Time needed
- A full day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Nature
- Kids
- After dark
- Photo spot
Historic site · South Kona
2.Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park
A place of refuge where people who broke kapu (sacred law) could be spared if they reached its walls. The park has a reconstructed temple guarded by carved kiʻi images, a massive stone wall and royal grounds, and green sea turtles often rest on the lava shoreline.
Snorkel at Two Step, the lava-ledge entry just north of the park, before or after your visit.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Kids
- Photo spot
Beach · Kohala Coast
3.Hāpuna Beach
A long crescent of white sand on the Kohala Coast, often ranked among Hawaiʻi's finest beaches, with lifeguards, picnic shelters and good swimming and bodyboarding in calm conditions.
Arrive in the morning for parking and calmer water; winter swells can create strong shorebreak and currents.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Iconic
Nature · Hāmākua Coast
4.ʻAkaka Falls State Park
A paved loop of under a kilometre leads through bamboo, ginger and heliconia to ʻAkaka Falls, which drops about 135 metres into a gorge, with the smaller Kahūnā Falls on the way. It is about 25 minutes north of Hilo.
Combine it with the Hāmākua Coast drive and a stop in the old sugar town of Honomū.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Non-residents pay an entry and parking fee; check the state parks website before you go.
- Nature
- Kids
- Photo spot
- Iconic
Nature · Hilo
5.Rainbow Falls (Waiānuenue)
On the Wailuku River just above Hilo, this wide waterfall flows over a lava cave, and on sunny mornings the spray often creates rainbows. The viewing platform is a few steps from the car park.
Come around 9–10am on a clear morning for the best chance of rainbows, then continue up the road to Boiling Pots.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Nature
- Photo spot
Museum · Hilo
6.ʻImiloa Astronomy Center
On the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo campus, ʻImiloa links Maunakea astronomy with Hawaiian navigation and creation traditions, with interactive exhibits, a planetarium and native plant gardens. It is a good rainy-day alternative to the summit.
Check the planetarium schedule when you arrive and plan your visit around a show.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Beach · Kaʻū
7.Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach
On the south coast between Kona and the volcano, this beach of jet-black sand is a regular basking spot for green sea turtles. Cold freshwater springs seep into the bay and the swimming can be rough.
Stay at least 3 metres from resting turtles, and do not take any black sand; removing it is prohibited.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Kids
Rainy-day ideas
- ʻImiloa Astronomy Center — Check the planetarium schedule when you arrive and plan your visit around a show.
Where families should stay
$$$$ · Best for luxury, families, beach and couples
Kohala Coast
North of the airport, the Kohala Coast is a string of resort areas, including Waikoloa, Mauna Lani and Mauna Kea, built on old lava flows around sheltered beaches such as Hāpuna and Kaunaʻoa. It is the sunniest, driest part of the island, with golf courses, ancient fishponds and petroglyph fields.
- Good
- Best beaches on the island; Reliable sunshine; Full-service resorts
- Watch out
- Expensive; Little local life outside the resorts; Long drive to Hilo and the volcano
- Nearby
- Hāpuna Beach, Puʻukoholā Heiau, Waikoloa petroglyphs, ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay
Family travel tips
- Kahaluʻu Beach Park in Kona has shallow, sheltered water that suits young snorkellers.
- Join the national park's Junior Ranger programme at the visitor centre.
- Children under 13 should not go to the Maunakea summit because of the altitude.
- Bring layers for the volcano, where it can be 10–15°C cooler than the coast.
Day trips for families
- Volcano day from Kona (About 2.5 hours each way by car) — A long loop from Kona via the south takes in Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach and Nāʻālehu's bakeries on the way to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, returning over the Saddle Road.
- Hilo and the Hāmākua Coast from Kona (About 1.5–2 hours each way by car) — Drive to Hilo via Waimea along the Hāmākua Coast, stopping at gulch viewpoints, ʻAkaka Falls and the Hawaiʻi Tropical Bioreserve and Garden, then explore Hilo's gardens and farmers market before returning over the Saddle Road.
When to go with children
The best months overall are April–May and September–October. December is the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Big Island (Hawaiʻi) good for kids?
The Big Island is a superb family destination for active children, with volcanoes, turtles, waterfalls and calm beaches. Long drives are the main challenge, so split your stay between the west and east sides.
+What can kids do in Big Island (Hawaiʻi)?
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, Hāpuna Beach, ʻAkaka Falls State Park and Rainbow Falls (Waiānuenue).
+Where should families stay in Big Island (Hawaiʻi)?
Kohala Coast: Resort enclaves on black lava fields with white-sand bays.