20 INCREDIBLE Things to Do in Hilo, Hawaii (& Nearby)

If you’re planning a trip to the Big Island, you absolutely need to visit the east side of the island. Most people who visit the island of Hawai’i stick to the Kailua-Kona area; however, there are tons of things to do in and around the town of Hilo!

The climates are totally different between Kona and Hilo. Kona is the drier, sunnier side of the island and is famous for its beaches and resorts. Hilo, however, is a bit rainier and more rugged. While tourists congregate in Kona, Hilo has a much more local, adventurous, and wild side!

From taking a helicopter tour to chasing waterfalls, there’s no shortage of incredible things to do in Hilo. In this post, I’ll provide my list of the TOP 20 activities I recommend while visiting this adorable Hawaiian town.

So keep reading if you are visiting the Big Island and wondering about all the things to do in Hilo!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link or book through an affiliate program, I receive a small commission at no cost to you! 

20 Incredible Things to Do in and Around Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii

1. See Rainbow Falls

One of my favorite things to do in Hilo is visiting Rainbow Falls. Located just 2 miles outside the main Downtown Hilo area, this waterfall is absolutely stunning and is one of the best waterfalls on the Big Island! You’ll be totally shocked when you see it right off the main road. Rainbow Falls, along with Pe’epe’e Falls, are located within the Wailuku River State Park.

Wondering why it’s called Rainbow Falls? I recommend visiting in the morning to find out! This is when you’re most likely to see the gorgeous rainbow that shines off the waterfall.

One of my favorite parts about visiting was reading the Hawaiian legend about the Falls. It’s about Hina, mother of the famous Demi-God Maui and an ancient Hawaiian goddess. You’ll have to visit to find out the rest!

2. Hang with Locals at the Hilo Farmers Market

If you’re looking for something less touristy to do in Hilo, visiting the Hilo Farmers Market is a wonderful experience! Open every day from 7am-3pm, the market features locally grown food, tropical flowers, handmade jewelry, and more.

In addition to the normal market, there are “Big” Market days on Wednesdays and Saturdays with even more vendors! This will give you a chance to interact with locals and support the community.

3. See the Island from The Air

Taking a helicopter tour in Hawaii should really be on everyone’s bucket list. Although it can be pricey, seeing the landscapes of the Big Island from above is an unforgettable experience. And Hilo is the best place to take a helicopter tour from!

This helicopter tour from GetYourGuide leaves directly from the Hilo airport and flies over the Kilauea Volcano, tropical rainforests, and waterfalls. How amazing is that?! If the volcano is active, you might even get to see lava!

4. Explore Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Speaking of volcanoes, seeing them from above is definitely not enough on your trip to the Big Island! One of the best parts about Hilo is it’s only a 45-minute drive to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park (versus 2 hours from Kona).

This is why visiting the National Park is one of my top things to do when staying in Hilo.

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is one of the most unique parks in the entire USA. There are not one, but TWO volcanoes within the borders of the park – Mauna Loa and Kīlauea, two of the world’s most active volcanoes.

Things to do here include trekking across an old lava field, exploring the Thurston lava tubes, and seeing petroglyphs. Where else can you do that?!

5. Learn about tsunamis at the Pacific Tsunami Museum

If you’re looking for something extremely moving and educational to do in Hilo, I recommend visiting the Pacific Tsunami Museum. This museum is open every day from 10am – 4pm and costs $10 per adult.

The goal of the museum is “to promote public tsunami awareness and education for the people of Hawai‘i and the Pacific Region”. It serves as a living memorial to those who have lost their lives to past tsunami events.

Within the museum, you’ll learn about the history of tsunami events around the world as well as the science of tsunamis. This is a great stop if you are looking to learn more about Hawaiian history!

6. Visit ‘Akaka Falls State Park

Located less than 30 minutes away from downtown Hilo is the famous Akaka Falls State Park, which is home to two gorgeous waterfalls! 

The park costs $5 per person to enter (plus $10 per vehicle to park). Once you arrive, the park is extremely easy to navigate, with paved walkways and well-marked trails. This is a perfect place to visit with the whole family. 

I recommend taking the counterclockwise loop so you can see both Kahuna Falls and ‘Akaka Falls. On top of the gorgeous waterfalls, the park is full of lush greenery, tropical flowers, and more. It was raining when we visited, but I think that added to the magic! You can plan to spend about an hour here taking in the incredible scenery.

Pssst: Make sure to check out my guide to the Best Waterfalls on the Big Island for more information!

7. Go Ziplining

One of the most adventurous things to do in Hilo is to go zip lining!! Of course, there’s no zip lining in the town of Hilo (that wouldn’t be very exciting).

However, Hilo is a great launching point for zip lining, as most of the tours are in the Hamakua region, less than 30 minutes outside of Hilo! You can check out the many epic zip lining tours on Viator.com.

You can expect to pay around $200 for a few hours of zip lining, so it’s definitely not the cheapest option for things to do around Hilo, but it is one of the most exciting!

8. Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach

One free and awesome thing to do while visiting Hilo is to check out one of the black sand beaches! The best one on the island in my opinion is Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach, located on the south end of the island.

If you are driving from Kona to Hilo during your trip, you can take the southern route and make this beach one of your stops. However, another option is to tackle it on a day trip from Hilo and include Volcanoes National Park as well!

What I love about this black sand beach is the gorgeous, green palm trees that line the edge of it. It’s so beautiful! In addition, there are tons of sea turtles on the beach and in the water!!

9. Grab an açaí bowl at Makani’s Magic Pineapple Shack

I can’t talk about the best things to do in Hilo without talking about FOOD!

One of the yummiest meals we had while in Hilo was açaí bowls from Makani’s Magic Pineapple Shack! This spot, aside from being adorably decorated, is a family-run joint with delicious açaí bowls, coffee, ice cream, and more!

It’s a must stop while visiting Hilo 🙂

10. Indulge at the famous Ken’s House of Pancakes

Another foodie spot, eating at Ken’s House of Pancakes needs to be on your list of things to do in Hilo! Open from 6am-9pm daily, you can really eat any meal here, but I recommend going for breakfast!

Where else are you going to get macadamia nut pancakes with lilikoi (passionfruit) syrup?!

11. Watch the Surfers at Honoli’i Beach Park

While there’s not many options for learning how to surf around Hilo, there are some beach parks where you can watch the locals do their thing!

Our favorite spot is Honoli’i Beach Park, which is just a few minutes up the road from downtown Hilo. This beach park is located right off the Hawai’i Belt Road and has stairs down to the black sand beach, where you’ll find plenty of surfers and spectators!

I recommend bringing some drinks and visiting around sunset to end one of your days in Hilo!

12. Grab a local beer at Hilo Brewing Company

One thing about me is that I always try to drink local beer when visiting a new place! Hawai’i is no different 😉

On our trip to the Big Island, we visited both Kona Brewing Company and Hilo Brewing Company! If you like beer, grabbing a pint at Hilo Brewing Company is a fun and casual thing to do when on the east side of the island.

The brewery is right in Hilo (near the airport), and they have an indoor and outdoor section. Dogs and kids are welcome! With beer like the Volcano Red Ale and the Humpback Island Lager, how can you not try a pint?

Pssst: Planning a trip to the Big Island? Don’t miss my Ultimate One Week Big Island Itinerary for First Timers!

13. Hike The Onomea Trail

By now you’ve realized that the Hilo side of the Big Island boasts lots of amazing outdoor activities due to its lush landscape! If you’re looking for something outdoorsy to do that’s free, hiking the Onomea Trail is a great morning activity.

Less than 15 minutes north of Hilo, this trail is a quick 0.5 mile out and back hike. It’s pretty easy overall, with a brief descent down to the ocean. Once you make it to sea level, there’s a few gorgeous coves to admire, and you can see where the Onomea stream meets the ocean.

You can also continue the trail along and up to the Donkey Trailhead! This trail guide from That Adventure Life is a great overview of what you can expect!

14. Wander Through the Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve & Garden

Located right next to the Onomea Trail is the incredible Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden! If you’re a tropical plant lover, this place is worth the $30 admission!

This Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden is open daily from 9:00am to 5:00pm and are home to 40 acres and over 2,000 species of tropical flora. Their main goal is preservation and education, and they work to preserve as many species as possible for the benefit of future generations

Don’t forget to pack a rain jacket, insect repellant, and comforable shoes if you plan to visit here!

15. Go on a chocolate Farm tour

Where Kona might be known for its coffee, Hilo is known for its CHOCOLATE. Located just 15 minutes outside of Hilo, Lavaloha Chocolate Farm is the perfect place to add to your Hilo itinerary!

The 1000-acre cacao farm sits at at 1000 feet of elevation on the slopes of Mauna Kea. The volcano is what makes the surrounding soil so nutrient rich and perfect for growing cacao!

Anyone can visit the Visitor Center & Gift Shop for free, or you can opt for a paid tour of the farm. On the tour, you’ll explore the cacao orchards, walk through the chocolate processing facilities, and learn all about the process from tree to chocolate!

16. Stroll through the Liliʻuokalani Gardens

Another free activity in Hilo is visiting the Liliʻuokalani Gardens, a 25-acre Japanese garden located right next to Hilo Bay. Here, you’ll find rock gardens, pagodas, fishponds, and a teahouse. It’s the perfect place to spend a sunny afternoon in Hilo!

The Gardens are the largest authentic ornamental Japanese garden outside of Japan and were named after Hawaiʻi’s last reigning monarch, Queen Liliʻuokalani. They were dedicated as a tribute to Hawaiʻi’s first Japanese immigrants who worked on Hawaiʻi’s sugar cane fields.

18. Learn at the Imiloa Astronomy Center

Another family friendly thing to do in Hilo is visiting the Imiloa Astronomy Center. In Hawaiian, ‘Imiloa means “to seek far” and is the Hawaiian word for explore and explorer.

Tickets to the Astronomy Center start at $19 per adult, and they are open 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.

Inside the museum, you’ll find a variety of exhibits, plus a planetarium with rotating shows. This is a perfect stop for the whole family!

If you really want to get close to the stars, you can also check out a stargazing tour at Mauna Kea, like this one on GetYourGuide!

19. Explore Kaumana Caves State Park

If you don’t have time to visit Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Kaumana Caves State Park is a good alternative (and free!) option. It’s definitely not the same as visiting the National Park, but it scratches the itch!

Located just 10 minutes outside of Hilo, the caves take you down into an old lava tube formed by an 1881 flow from Mauna Loa – how cool is that?!

Please be aware that the lava tube has no lights and no walkways, so it is very important to bring a flashlight, wear sturdy shoes, and pay attention when visiting!

20. Chase Waterfalls at Kulaniapia Falls

Last but certainly not least, visiting Kulaniapia Falls should absolutely be on your list of things to do in Hilo! There are quite a few waterfalls on the east side of the Big Island, but not many you can swim in.

Kulaniapia Falls is located on private property, owned by an incredible sustainable off the grid hotel. However, the hotel does offer day passes for access to the waterfall so you can visit even if you are not staying there.

Photo Credit: The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls from Booking.com

The day pass ranges from $30 to $70 depending on what time of day and day of the week you plan to visit! The pass allows you to swim in the falls and rent kayaks/paddleboards, both weather permitting. You can also hike around and above the waterfall!

In addition to these benefits, the day pass also gives you a $50 discount on all of the guided experiences at the hotel, like farm tours, cooking classes, or (for the very adventurous) waterfall rappelling!!!

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are a ton of incredible activities to choose from while visiting the town of Hilo. From swimming under waterfalls to hanging with sea turtles to searching for stars, there’s something for everyone while exploring the wild side of the Big Island.

I hope I’ve convinced you to add Hilo to your Big Island itinerary!

Make sure to check out my other Big Island blog posts to help plan your adventure:
Where to Stay on the Big Island
Best Luaus on the Big Island
Free Things to Do in Kona
Big Island vs Oahu: A Complete Guide

Don’t forget to pin this post for future planning!