You will be picked up at the pier by our certified, professional driver and begin the approximate one hour drive to Volcanoes National Park, a fascinating world of active volcanism, biological diversity, and Hawaiian culture, past and present. Explore the summit of Kilauea volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the world via the Crater Rim Drive. This 11-mile drive encircles the summit caldera and passes through desert, lush tropical rain forest, traverses the caldera floor, and provides access to many well-marked scenic stops and short walks.

One stop will be at the Thurston Lava Tube. A short, 1/3 mile walk through a fern forest will lead you to the lighted prehistoric, cave-like lava tube, discovered in 1913 by Lorrin Thurston. As you walk through the tube consider that several hundred years ago a river of red lava rushed through. Even today that same lava still travels from Pu'u O'o to the ocean through a labyrinth of lava tubes much like the Thurston tube.

Your next stop on the Crater Rim Drive will be the Jaggar Museum, a museum on volcanology with displays of equipment used by scientists in the past to study volcanoes. The museum offers a sheltered view, through large picture windows, of the caldera and the main crater of Halema'uma'u. The overlook outside the museum also has a spectacular view of the volcano with interpretive displays about Kilauea.

After leaving the Volcanoes National Park, the tour continues with a stop at the nearby Akatsuka Orchid Garden, one of the largest collections of orchids in Hawaii. The greenhouse includes a covered garden for self-guided tours, where you can enjoy the more than 1000 species of this exotic flower. Following your visit to the orchid garden we make a final stop at Big Island Candies before heading back to the pier.