Amazing tour and so worth it! I would highly recommend this as a way to see the Volcano National…read morePark vs. driving and struggling to find parking. Tylor was our tour guide and did an amazing job. He is very knowledgeable about the history of the park and had lots of interesting stories to share along the way. We were even lucky enough to see the volcano erupting that day so he was quick to take us straight there and gave us plenty of time to catch all the action. Definitely a highlight of our vacation!

Awesome! Can't remember the guides names but they were a very nice couple from Denver Co. They were…read moreorganized, had a plan, coordinated things well, full of info on the island (especially the trees) and allowed us to go at our own pace. Definitely would recommend! But be aware that an e bike is a little tricky to drive and I say this as a healthy 22 year old!

If you are in Kalapana and want to see Lava, go ahead and rent bikes here to make your journey so…read moremuch faster. This is a family owned business, with some serious and genuine care for the customers. We showed up at 6 and were concerned that we won't be able to make it back by 9:30pm, their closing time. They offered to stat back and wait for us till 10pm. We showed back at 10:15, and they greeted us with smiles and cold water bottles. The price of bike rental includes helmets, locks, bike light, and even head lamp. No surcharges or upsells. This place also has e-bikes, but we were just fine with the regular bikes.

This shop not only have very nice quality bikes for all sizes, but also a shuttle service to Gate…read more2, which is a quick walk to Gate 3 where the real hike on lava field starts. My wife and I took advantage of the shuttle service to make our hike shorter. They give their customers cold bottled water and a granola bar in the beginning. A very nice customer service touch, I think. I tested the fat tire bike while waiting for the shuttle service - the ride was smooth on the emergency/local access dirt road. George, the business owner, made sure we can contact him upon our arrival back to the dirt road. He told us , the last trip is at 10:30PM. So I budgeted 2 hrs and 45 min for our return night hike. It took us about 2 hours during daylight (leisurely hike with picture and water stops). The night hike back to the pickup point took a little longer (2 hrs 55 min). George had to wait 10 min past the cutoff time for us to get to Gate 2. I was texting him of our location when the cutoff time was close. We really appreciate the extra customer service. I'm sure he would have found a way to come pick us up if we arrived later. Budget about 3 hours for a safe return night hike to the dirt road. Night hiking on a lava field is hazardous and safety must be a priority over speed. When we got to the pickup point, George gave us cold bottled water - I finished mine right away after a long night hike. BTW, he also lends out flashlights just in case you did not bring any. I recommend two flashlights - a head lamp type and regular hand held flashlight. These will give an extra margin of safety during the return night hike.

Great selection of bikes and really genuine people…read more We rented two bikes at 5am and they happily were waiting for us in the wee hours of the morning. Lost our GoPro after the exhausting morning. Kaimu found it and safely returned it. They provided flashlights and locks! Kaimu also has snacks and Wet Naps available for post ride. Efficiency, Loyalty and Snacks. What more could a girl want?

If you plan to see the lava beyond the viewing point (which wasn't all that exciting), rent a bike,…read moreride down until you reach the final barricades, and hike toward the mountain. Two miles in and you'll be just a few feet from surface lava. It was surreal! There are many bike rental shops in this area, but Kaimu Rentals seems like the most legit. You can reserve online, and they provide everything you need (flashlight, lock, first aid kit). The ladies working the counter we're extremely friendly (shout out to the gal from Walla Walla!) and the guys who sized us for our bikes were helpful. Overall, awesome service and experience.

If you have never tried spelunking or want to hike an authentic lava tube aka not Thurston or just…read morewant a guided vs chance it experience at Kumana Caves then Kilauea Caverns of Fire is your stop. Ensure you have very good closed toe shoes with some tread, do not wear flip flops, it is not cold down there so a t-shirt is fine, the ceiling does drip water, so if that makes you cold, wrap a light jacket around your waist if needed later you can wear it. It is a little slippery down there so be aware. The lava tube in total is 41 miles (it would take 3-4 days to hike all of it out to the ocean) you will hike just a small portion of it about 0.75 miles which is still a hoot and a half. This was Pele's personal lava tube if you are into Hawaiian history, some elders were buried down here, so lava tubes are considered sacred by the locals, do. It desecrate them. I did not see any skull or bones down there! No bugs down there, no other creatures, one small frog near tube entrance. The cavern is located a little off the beaten path, here are some directions: -If you head towards Hilo Airport (Hwy 11) towards Volcano Village. -Look for mile markers on right side of road, you will pass mile marker 10, -Half way up before mile marker 11 is Kurtistown Assy of God Church, -Make a left turn directly across from Kurtistown church onto Kuauli Rd -Continue down road to dead end, turn Right onto Old Volcano Trail -That road will ever left, follow road and pass mile marker 5 -Turn right on Ale Rd (aka F Rd) you will be on a dirt road from here -Further up turn on 7 Rd, 3rd driveway up is sign for Kilauea Caverns of Fire, you made it! Steve is in the house there along with Cinnamon the dog Cost is $80 per person for ~3hr adventure tour down the guided lava tube. You will be provided a hard hat, turn knob on back of hat clockwise to tighten. Some gloves and an all important flashlight. If your in a group the more flashlights the better, makes for better pictures. This will be your last restroom break before you head down the tube so check if you need to go. The tube entrance is a short 5 min hike through the jungle backyard to the dramatic entrance, walk down the leader to the tube mouth entrance. This is where the adventure begins, you need to walk over lava rock which has fallen in, some are sturdy, others will rock, there is no set path so carefully shift your weight from foot to foot ensuring your strides are not too wide apart so you can right size yourself if you need to. Once you are past the rocks about 100 yards, some of it is down hill, other section is uphill, you have gloves, later the floor does level out and ceiling is high so you can walk normally for the majority of the tube. You will walk about 0.75 mile and then walk back the same path. You will see how molten lava as it cooled formed the walls of the lava tube, many different rock formations (stalactites they hang down from ceiling and stalagmites they go up from floor), what looks Ike soda straws, lava bubbles, shark tooth on ceiling, ledges, and many different mineral content in walls. Since lava is predominately iron with some magnesium and sulphur gases you will see all sorts of lava rock colors (yellow, orange, green, purple, etc). You will get a nice work out with the walk and Steve the guide is very knowledgeable about the history of the tube, lava flow and some Hawaiian history, he has been down the tube 100 times and walks with ease. He will guide you where to be careful, some ceilings are low and you will have to bend down mid way (not crouching) for about 1 min. The family and I really enjoyed the experience, Steve our guide was personable, the family and I felt safe with him, and highly recommend this tour for all spelunking aficionados and those who want an adventure. Walking on the rocks is a little tricky, so good shoes and take your time shifting your weight from foot to foot, only proceed when you know you have a good foot hold, you could bring down a water bottle as a few gulps on the way back are needed and refreshing. There is a water dispenser back at the office. 5 stars

Before you read this- go book your tour! Steve and Monica were wonderful! We had a bit of a…read morescheduling issue in coming out to see them and they were more than accommodating so that we could explore the caverns! Also, they have hard hats for you which, even if you try really hard, you will need! Monica took us into the tubes and was an excellent guide, she showed us all the different kinds of lavas and was so patient when we wanted pictures and even snapped a few of us herself! This was such a cool experience, so happy we got to do this!

Yelp is more of a place for food reviews, however we had such a blast with EpicLava that I needed…read moreto say thank you. TL;DR: This is an amazing tour run by an absolute legend in the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. If you have any interest in volcanos, like a good tour or nature, this is the tour to go on. But read on. EpicLava is run by John and Jeffrey. Jeffrey Judd is an absolute legend in the park, having worked, toured and lived there since the mid 60s. He's been a special agent in the park catching bad guys, a tour guide, beekeeper, and has survived falling into Lava. I won't say more here, this is a story you need to hear from the man himself. Needless to say, Jeffrey and his partner John are tremendous sources of information, and will provide it at length to enhance your understanding and appreciation of the volcanic ecosystem and want makes it ticks. Moreso, they know all the cool spots to hit which the park management is either too scared or too ignorant to guide you to. Bottom line, if you're interested in the real volcano tour, these are the dudes to see. Anything else to say? John is an amazing photographer and posts a lot on their Facebook page, as well as frequently doing live broadcasts. And Jeffrey's homemade honey is delicious! What more could you possibly need. The next time you find yourself on the Big Island, definitely take the tour. You'll be quite satisfied, trust me!

DO NOT BOOK! I booked a tour online and showed up at 5am and no one was there!! They did not answer…read moremy calls, texts, or emails. So I was stuck at the park in the dark at 5am by myself and very upset to not see lava. Still awaiting my refund ...

This awesome 4 mile looped hike takes you to the bottom of a crater and provides beautiful views…read morewhile it takes you through changing scenery and varying temperatures. You can start this hike in a counter-clockwise direction at Kilauea Iki overlook, number 4 on your map. You'll find more available parking here during peak times. You can start your hike clockwise from Nahuku, number 3 on your map, which is also the same location as the Thurston Lava Tube. Due to the popularity of the Lava Tube, parking here can be difficult. The distance between the two parking lots is .5 miles. We started our hike at Nahuku around noon in December. This moderate level trail started with a chilly walk through a forest of ferns down stairs and over roots with muddy spots throughout. Once you reach the bottom, you can walk across the crater and over lava rocks. The weather at this point was windy. Once we reached the end of the crater and climbed our way back up to the trail, we took a break and had some lunch overlooking the crater. From this point. It was a 2 mile hike up to the top. The weather changed once again, and my jacket was no longer needed. Make sure you bring or wear the following: -Layered clothing to adapt to the varying temps -Hiking shoes with good traction -Hat -Water -Snacks or lunch -Sunscreen Restrooms are available at both starting points, but the overlook location are porta potties. I suggest using the restrooms at the lava tube. We left the location around 2pm and it was pretty crowded. Best to arrive by noon to avoid crowds. -

Perfect hike for relaxing vacation. Mostly flat and only up & down to get to the walk on the crater…read moreitself. 3.3 miles around the rim (include walking across the crater). Lots of great views around the crater from all angles. And it was fun to be in the crater itself. You have to follow a path of stacked rocks else you won't find the place to exit the crater. It's a very doable hike for beginners; unless it's hot. Then it might be more challenging. There are several parking areas, but I didn't know that, so ended up parking on the edge of a closed street and 'finding' my own trail to get to the main trail. haha.

Longest lava tube on earth waiting to be explored .. Located in a beautiful rainforest with an…read moreexperienced guide named Harry .

If you're adventurous and curious, a volcano tube tour is perfect for you. Those with…read moredisabilities.... no this is not for you. Even the short tour is pretty extensive. There are miles of lava tubes snaking throughout the underground on the Big Island. They provide hard hats and flashlights so no equipment is needed other than appropriate clothing and footwear. You will need the ability to climb ladders and ropes. Extensive history is provided during your tour. It was a great and memorable experience.

This was an awesome place to see! It was raining during our visit, and it honestly set thw ambiance…read moreto see the lava tubes so well! I didn't realize how dark they were. Of course, I also didn't realize it was, more or less, underground until we arrived, so that was interesting. I love the area and how the lava tube is set back into the forest. It's a gorgeous area and such a cool feature to see. Next visit I totally want to see it at night!

The first lava cave I've ever gone through was in New Zealand, Rangitoto Island. It was a bit more…read morechallenging than this little lava tube. This was the second lava tube I've ever gone through, and it was quite easy and short. Easy that families and kids walk through it like nothin'! Inside, the trail is pretty flat and wide in some parts. The ceiling height isn't very high, but also wasn't too low that you'd have to duck down all the time. We came here on a rainy day, so there were a few small puddles we had to go around. The trail was lit up with lights along the path as well. So you won't really get lost. But I still ended up turning on my cell phone light just for safety. Walking through it was just basically making a big U shape from one end to the other. There wasn't a lot of people walking with us, compared to what others have reviewed. I guess we came at the right time. From the parking lot to the entrance (starting right), the paved trail headed downward to the lava tube was very green and very tropical. I was excited just being surrounded by all the plants and nature in general. After the lava tube walk, the greenery was a bit more open and woodsy as we looped back to the parking lot. We finished this walk in about 15 minutes. And although short, we all found it enjoyable from start to finish.