Big Island Volcano Adventure: Hilo's Fiery Core Expedition

Ernie did a very good job. We were very happy with him and his knowledge about the island and volcanoes . He was very patient and went over and beyond to show us a good time. The ride was nice and comfortable. The tour consist of all age groups older, middle-age, and younger, so he did his best to accommodate everyone.

Our guide was very good. He was knowledgeable and funny. He shared some great stories about the area. The trip to volcano national park was great. We stopped at several spots throughout the park and our guide thoroughly explained each area to us. The walk through the lava tube was the highlight of the day. The other stops were ok. The Japanese garden was the best of these other stops followed by the falls. The black save beach was a big disappointment. Probably should drop that spot as it really is nothing to see. Lunch stop was strange as we were dropped off in the Walmart parking lot to choose a spot to eat in weird tacky food court. Overall it was a pretty good excursion and we learned a lot about the area. Would recommend.

When the trip was finally over! It seems the driver was intent on stopping at stores/shops/food locations where he knew the owners and they wanted to sell us something.

Volcano steam vents and lava tube hike. Our tour company and guide were great. All day tour with lots of stops.

What a great tour! Mike was our guide and he was great…our group was 6 women and he was fantastic! He had everything timed well without rushing us and I feel we had a really complete tour. We stopped at the farmer’s market, rainbow falls, a local gas station for sandwiches for lunch in the NP, shopping and all the sites in the park, and the candy store…the trip definitely satisfied our group and we left Hilo loving the island!

Wonderful tour guide. Thoroughly enjoyed the volcano experience. Highly recommended. Small group/van: only 12 people.

We enjoyed the portion of the tour spent in the volcanoes park more so than the sites of Hilo, although they were certainly interesting. This is the best tour we have had in a volcanic region. It is a busy day with many stops. It is important to return promptly to the vehicle so that the entire group will have adequate time at subsequent stops. The guide was very pleasant and knowledgeable and kept us moving. Our guide purchased sandwiches for us at the beginning of the tour in lieu of having a lunch stop, and this saved a great deal of time.

My family and I had the best time on out adventure of the volcano tour!! Our guide was pleasurable and she filled us with so much Knowledge!! We definitely will do this again! Thank you!!

Auntie Karen was a wonderful tour guide for the whole day. She knows the big island backwards and forwards with her 40+ years on the island. There were several special tidbits that she passed along that no other tour guide would have known. Amazing job. The only item would have been a larger lunch. One small sandwich and bottle of water just did not cut it for a 7 hour tour.

I booked this tour via the internet and it was great. It was going to be my first time there and I wanted to see the island, especially the volcano, which had been active. We were on a cruise and they picked us up at the pier on time. They contacted me ahead of time to get everything set. We were met at the pier and informed of where to board the van. Our driver was Eddie. He has a thorough knowledge of the island as he lives there. He took us to a candy factory before heading to the volcano. He fielded questions from all of us as well as teaching us about the island. We made several stops to view the volcano as well as opportunities to make a couple of short hikes. Eddie took us to a lava tube and a waterfall that is absolutely beautiful. He would always tell us how much time we had at each spot and pretty well stuck to it. My wife and I thought it was plenty. Eddie wanted to show us as much as he could. He ended the day stopping at some parks that he told us were his favorite. They were all beautiful. It was funny that the last spot he stopped at, noone wanted to get out of the van! They were exhausted! It was a perfect day from my point of view. I wanted to see the island, not just the volcano. And who better to show it all to you than a resident of the island. It was well worth the price.