Photo by Ingrid Martinussen on Unsplash
The 5-day plan, rearranged for 4 days: the best-ranked places stay, and each day keeps to one part of town.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: warm, sunny days with little rain score highest (the air stands in for the sea, which is not included). Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A black-sand beach made of crushed lava, where green sea turtles often rest on the shore. Keep well back from them and never touch them. Swimming here can be rough, so be careful.
Go when Morning, when turtles are often on the sand.
Local tip Stay well back from resting turtles, and never touch them. Swimming here can be rough, with currents, so be careful.
A lava tube you can walk through, in a fern forest. Get here early to avoid the crowds and feel the cool, dripping dark. Check ahead on whether the tube is open.
Go when Early morning, before the tour buses.
Local tip The tube is dark and wet underfoot, so bring a small light and shoes with a grip. Check ahead on whether it is open.
A sandwich, fruit and a handful of nuts, eaten at a picnic table in a cool fern forest.
Local tip Carry your rubbish out with you.
The southernmost point of the United States, a windswept cliff with old fishing canoe moorings cut into the rock. It is rugged, very windy and exposed. Keep back from the edge.
Go when Midday, as a pause on the long drive.
Local tip It is exposed and very windy, with sheer cliffs. Keep back from the edge and take water. The nearby green sand beach needs a long hike, so check ahead.
A long road that drops from the summit to the sea over old lava flows, past craters and steam vents. Allow a good part of the afternoon. Parts of the road have been closed by lava and rockfall, so check ahead.
Go when Afternoon, with time to stop at the pull-outs.
Local tip There is no fuel or food along the way, so top up first. Stay on the roadside and off fresh lava, and check ahead on closures from lava or rockfall.
A warm bowl of soup or a hearty plate in the cool village near the park, after an evening on the rim.
Local tip It gets cold at this height at night, so bring a jacket.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A crater whose floor was a lake of lava in 1959, now a crust you can cross on a trail. A good, long walk if you have the time. Check ahead on the trail, because the park changes what is open.
Go when Morning, before the heat and the cloud.
Local tip The trail crosses a crater floor on a lava crust. Bring water and rain gear, and check ahead on the trail and on air quality.
A walled place of refuge beside the sea, where people who broke sacred laws could be safe, with carved wooden figures and fishponds. A powerful, peaceful place. Walk slowly and do not move or climb on the stones.
Go when Afternoon, when the light is soft on the stones.
Local tip It is a sacred place. Do not climb on the walls or move stones, and check ahead on opening. Turtles sometimes rest on the nearby shore, so keep away from them.
Cubes of raw fish dressed with soy sauce, sesame and seaweed over rice, a Hawaiian classic. Eat it on the shore after a swim.
Local tip Look for a counter with a queue of locals, because the fish is freshest.
A waterfall right in Hilo, falling over a lava cave into a pool. Rainbows form in the mist in the morning, but it is a short stop at any time. Keep to the viewing area.
Go when Morning, when rainbows form in the mist.
Local tip Look from the platform, because the rocks and the pool are dangerous. Do not swim.
The rim of the great crater at the top of the volcano, with steam vents and a wide view. What you see depends on the volcano's activity, which changes, so check the park's notices before you go.
Go when Early evening, as the light changes (about 6:52 PM).
Local tip What you see depends on the volcano's activity, which changes. Heed the park's notices, keep behind the rails and watch for volcanic gas, which can be harmful.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A small stone palace on the waterfront, built in the 1830s as a retreat for Hawaiian royalty, now a museum. A calm look at the island's monarchy before the day heats up.
Go when Morning, before the heat and the cruise crowds.
Local tip A small museum, so an hour is plenty. Check ahead on opening and on tours.
A sheltered bay of deep, clear water with a reef and a white monument on the far shore where Captain Cook died in 1779. A marine life conservation district and a sacred place, so give turtles and dolphins plenty of room.
Go when Morning, when the water is calmest and clearest.
Local tip The bay is a protected area. Give turtles and dolphins plenty of room, never touch the coral and check ahead on how access to the monument works.
A short paved loop through rain forest to a tall waterfall that drops into a gorge. Orchids, ferns and bamboo line the path. It is wet, so bring a light jacket.
Go when Midday, when the light reaches the gorge.
Local tip Wear shoes with a grip, because the path is wet. Stay on the path and behind the rails.
A preserved coffee farm of the 1920s to 1940s, on the cool slopes above Kona, that tells the story of the Japanese families who grew the crop. Check ahead on opening.
Go when Afternoon, in the cool of the hills.
Local tip A small farm, so an hour is enough. Check ahead on opening and on the harvest season, when the cherries are red.
Slow-cooked pork, rice and a bright salad, a fine way to end the trip.
Local tip Ask whether there is a luau or a similar evening, because shows come and go.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A large stone temple on a hill above the coast, built by Kamehameha the Great around 1790 to bring the islands together. A calm and moving place in the morning light. Keep to the paths.
Go when Morning, when it is cool and quiet.
Local tip Stay on the paths and do not touch the stones, because the temple is still sacred. Check ahead on opening.
A steep, lush valley on the Hamakua coast, with cliffs, waterfalls and a black-sand beach at the bottom. Enjoy it from the lookout. The road down is very steep and restricted, so check ahead on access.
Go when Morning, from the lookout.
Local tip The road down is among the steepest in the country and is restricted, so enjoy the view from the lookout. Check ahead on access.
A bowl of noodle soup with a clear broth and small toppings, a comfort food that mixes the island's many cultures.
Local tip Add a dash of chilli oil if you like it hot.
A long white-sand beach with clear water, one of the finest on the island. Swim in the calm cove when the sea is gentle and heed the signs, because winter surf can be strong.
Go when Midday, for a swim when the sun is high.
Local tip Winter surf can be strong, so check the flags and ask a lifeguard before you swim. Bring shade and water.
A deep green valley that ends in a black-sand beach and a wild coast. Most visitors only look from the lookout at the end of the road. The trail down is steep and slippery, so check conditions first.
Go when Late afternoon, with a view and the sunset behind you (about 6:52 PM).
Local tip The lookout is easy, but the trail to the beach is steep and slippery. Turn back if it has rained, and do not swim in rough surf.
A simple supper at a family spot in one of the small towns of the north shore, with local beef or fish.
Local tip Kitchens close early in these villages, so check ahead.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, October to December are the best months for a beach trip to Kailua-Kona. This plan is built for mid May, which is a good month. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 4 days in Kailua-Kona, planned for mid May. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
Each day has about 49.2 to 124.2 miles between its stops, and 410.4 miles in all across 4 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Make it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated November 2026
Want your own days planned like this? Plan your own trip on the web or get the Archie app.
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