Top 5 Big Island Experiences You Won't Forget! (Free and Paid Options)

Are you planning a Big Island trip but not sure what's actually worth your time and what's just hype?

Most Hawaii travelers spend hours researching the Big Island only to show up with expectations that don't match reality.

👉 Hit play now and get an honest, firsthand breakdown of five Big Island experiences worth your time and money before you book a single thing.

If you've ever wondered how to plan a Big Island trip without the guesswork, this episode is for you. Bryan shares what his family loved, what they wouldn't do again, and exactly what to expect so you can enjoy every experience instead of chasing a highlight reel.

In this episode of Hawaii's Best, Bryan breaks down the top five Big Island experiences across every budget so you can show up prepared and make the most of your time on the island.

Scroll up ⬆️ and hit play now to get the honest, firsthand guide to the top five Big Island experiences before your trip.

🎧Related episodes:

• Top 5 Kauai Experiences
• Top 5 Oahu Experiences
• Top 5 Maui Experiences

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🤓 Chapters:
0:29 Honest Expectations
1:27 Activity #1
5:00 Activity #2
6:15 Activity #3
7:59 Activity #4
9:17 Activity #5
10:39 Wrap Up And Next Episodes

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About Your Host: Bryan Murphy is the founder of Hawaii’s Best Travel & a Certified Hawaii Destination Expert through the Hawaii Tourism Authority, since 2020. An HVCB member since 2019, he helps first-time & repeat visitors plan unforgettable Hawaii vacations w/ clear, practical advice & authentic cultural insight.

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Hawaii travel podcast helps you plan a trip to Hawaii with clarity. Discover practical travel tips, island itineraries, & local insight to help you explore Oahu, Maui, Kauai, the Big Island.

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Transcript

227_Top 5 Big Island Experiences You Won't Forget! (Free and Paid Options)

[00:00:00] Top Five Overview

[00:00:00] Bryan Murphy: In this episode, you'll discover my top five big island experiences that are totally worth it, talking about free and paid options. So this list is for all budget types. All of these experiences are definitely worth it when visiting the big island of Koi

[00:00:20] Bryan Murphy: Loha. And welcome to Hawaii's Best. I'm Brian Murphy, Hawaii, destination expert and your personal guide to planning an unforgettable trip to Hawaii.

[00:00:29] Honest Expectations

[00:00:29] Bryan Murphy: So I've been to Big Island with my family. We've done the long drives. It is a long drive getting over from Kona where we'll stay and then over to Hilo, and then stood at the crater, done the lookouts, all the things.

[00:00:42] Bryan Murphy: Some of it has lived up to its hype for sure. And some of it, honestly, it, it didn't, and some things we, we wouldn't do again. I'll be, I'll be sharing some of that with you today and I'm gonna be giving you the honest version of, of it. All stuff that we have liked and maybe some stuff that. I done and my family, we've done, maybe we haven't liked, but maybe you'll like us.

[00:01:03] Bryan Murphy: So I'm gonna be giving you a fair assessment of our experiences and what you can expect so you can, you know, show up knowing exactly what to expect and actually enjoy the experience instead of chasing something that may or may not live up to the hype. So by the end of this episode, you're going to know which five experiences that are worth your time, which ones come with zero cost.

[00:01:25] Bryan Murphy: And what you need to know going in so you're not cut off guard.

[00:01:27] Volcanoes National Park

[00:01:27] Bryan Murphy: So experience number one. It's no surprise, it is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and this National Park has been in the headlines for a couple years now with some incredible eruptions. And I want to be up front with you before you get too excited about this, because our experience, we drove out.

[00:01:48] Bryan Murphy: From Kona, and that's about a two and a half hour drive each way, depending on when you leave and how many pit stops along the way with kids, we did a couple and when we got there we saw light plumes of smoke rising from the crater, so there wasn't any lava flowing, no dramatic fountains or anything like that.

[00:02:10] Bryan Murphy: No glowing orange rivers of fire just. Steam subs, sulfur smell, and a whole lot of hardened black rock, and it was hot. Not the rock, of course. I'm sure the rock was hot, but it was just hot out because it was just hot. My honest take on it all is I'm not exactly sure that we would do the same drive again.

[00:02:29] Bryan Murphy: It would take our 16-year-old and our 13-year-old. A lot of convincing to do that drive. Again, our 10-year-old might be up for it, but I just don't think the next time we are on the big island we're gonna be doing Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. But having said all that, it can still be a great trip over there.

[00:02:49] Bryan Murphy: It, it was for us. In hindsight, there are some things that we got to experience, like walking through the Thurston lava tube, which is a 500 year old tunnel car by lava that once moved, that like. Some 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. It is pretty cool when you're walking through it. It's nice and cool. Area of the park is, is a really cool walk.

[00:03:10] Bryan Murphy: Definitely want to check out the Thurston lava tube. You can also drive the chain of Craters Road, which we did. It's about 11 miles ancient lava flows winding down the Pacific and that part is, is totally worth it. But.

[00:03:23] Eruption Timing Tips

[00:03:23] Bryan Murphy: Here's what you really need to understand going into it, is that kilo is one of the enough, if not the most active volcano on the planet, and as of April of 2026, it's been erupting episodically.

[00:03:39] Bryan Murphy: So episode 44 is what they're calling it just went off on April 9th with the whole pomp and circumstance of lava fountains reaching over 500 feet in. Incredible. I would just. Love to see that. And as of right now, episode 45 is forecasted really any day now. So you might get there on an incredible day.

[00:04:01] Bryan Murphy: If you do and there is an active episode happening, you just want to plan for that because it's gonna be a lot more busy. Or you might see exactly what we saw and some plumes of smoke. And both are real options. This is not a theme park ride, this is mother Nature. She does not run on our or your vacation schedule.

[00:04:24] Bryan Murphy: And if you go in expecting a guaranteed lava show, uh. Honestly, setting yourself up for some disappointment. So it's definitely worth doing at least once, is what I tell a lot of my, uh, clients that I have for vacation planning. Do it at least once. Go into it with an open mind. Let it be what it is. And if you're staying on Helo side, even better.

[00:04:46] Bryan Murphy: It's a much. Easier trip about 45 minutes from Hilo versus the two and a half hours or so from Kona entrance into, into the park is $30 per vehicle. It's valid for seven days, no reservation needed.

[00:05:00] Manta Ray Night Snorkel

[00:05:00] Bryan Murphy: Alright, number two is Man Ray night snorkeling off the Kona. Coast. So here's how this works. You go out after dark on a boat, you get into the water with a flotation board and, and it lights up underneath.

[00:05:13] Bryan Murphy: And those lights attract microscopic plankton. And the plankton attracts man rays. And then these massive creatures with wingspans up to some like 16 feet start doing slope. Barrel rolls directly underneath you as they're feeding and, and you'll be safe. And before you let yourself go there, man, rays have no stingers, no barbs, no teeth.

[00:05:36] Bryan Murphy: They're completely harmless. You're floating above one of the most honestly graceful animals in the ocean. Two operators at the established feeding sites near KO Bay consistently report around a 90. Percent success rate for sighting. So it's not guaranteed. Again, it's still dealing with nature, but the odds are very much in your favor.

[00:05:59] Bryan Murphy: You wanna budget between 80 and 130 or so per person, depending on the tour operator. So you definitely want to book ahead, but this is one of those experiences that is absolutely worth every dollar and honestly worth planning your whole Kona itinerary around.

[00:06:15] Kona Coffee Farm Tours

[00:06:15] Bryan Murphy: Number three has both free and paid options.

[00:06:18] Bryan Murphy: And I want to give you a specific recommendation here. One of our favorites is we've done the Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation Tour, and you know Kona Coffee. It's grown on the volcanic slopes above the Kona Coast, and it's amazing. It's, it's Kona Coffee. It's it's world renowned. You've probably heard of it.

[00:06:36] Bryan Murphy: This is where you can get it. This is where you can do the tour. See how it's all created. Really the rich volcanic soil, sunny mornings miss the afternoons. It produces a bean that smooth low acidity, and generally one of the best cup of coffees you'll you'll ever have. And partly that's because the terrain is so steep and every single cherry has to be picked by hand.

[00:06:59] Bryan Murphy: So there's no machines that can work along these slopes. And mountain thunder, it sits up on the cooler of the elevation of the, you know, of, of Kona. And the tour there is exactly the kind of. Experience, uh, what, what we really loved. It was quiet, definitely educational. It was quick. We had little kids at the time.

[00:07:17] Bryan Murphy: It was definitely worth it. You'll walk through a working farm, learn the full journey from cherry to cup and taste the coffee in the setting. That actually feels like. A real farm. So pretty cool. We took the family up there, loved it. It's not a flashy tourist production. It is just honest and good. So if you're watching the budget, several Kona Farms offer free tours as well.

[00:07:40] Bryan Murphy: But whatever you do, buy a bag of Kona Coffee before you leave the island. You won't regret it. You'll see a lot of bags like if you're, if you live on the continental us. You go to a grocery store, it says like Kona Coffee, and then you read the fine print. It says like, you know, 10% blend or something like that.

[00:07:57] Bryan Murphy: You wanna get the real stuff. It is totally worth it.

[00:07:59] Hilo Farmers Market

[00:07:59] Bryan Murphy: Alright, experience number four is completely free and it's one of my personal favorites. This is the Hilo Farmer's Market. Hilo is on the quote, wet side of the island. It's just, it's on the lush. East side of the big island, and the market is a full sensory experience.

[00:08:16] Bryan Murphy: It, it runs seven days a week, but on uh, Wednesday and Saturdays, those are the big market days. So like 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM or you know, 200 vendors, local farmers, food trucks, artisans, fresh, tropical fruit, anything you can. Think of local honey lunches, handmade goods. It's a lot and it's really a great way to see and feel the community of the big island and really what makes it special.

[00:08:42] Bryan Murphy: This isn't a market that's just, it's not built for tourists. Locals shop here and it's a, a real community initiative that since has been around, since like the eighties, late eighties, 1988, I believe. You feel that authenticity. The moment you walk in, nobody's, it's just, it's just real. It's just real community vibe.

[00:09:02] Bryan Murphy: So if you wanna get the full experience, I wanna encourage you to go early, especially on Saturdays the best produce. Uh, it does move fast. Bring cash just in case and come hungry because the food trucks there are not something you want to just walk past.

[00:09:17] Waipio Valley Lookout

[00:09:17] Bryan Murphy: Alright, last but not least, experience number five.

[00:09:20] Bryan Murphy: And I wanna frame this up really carefully. The YPO Valley lookout and notice I said lookout. The road down into the valley has been restricted since 2022 and as of April, 2026, it's still under an ongoing emergency declaration. So that means no private vehicles are permitted down the road. If you want to get into the valley itself, you need to book an.

[00:09:47] Bryan Murphy: Authorize shuttle tour, so please respect that. Real people live down in the valley and that restriction exists for a reason, but the lookout on top definitely want to go. It's free. It takes no special gear or planning, and what you're looking at is one of the most dramatic views in all of Hawaii. It's.

[00:10:06] Bryan Murphy: Deep ancient valley tarot fields on the floor. Black sand beach at the bottom. Sheer green walls rising on both sides. The whole thing, and this is where Hawaiian kings once live. The cultural and the historical weight of this place is something you actually not to get too. Emotional, but you feel that standing there on that lookout.

[00:10:28] Bryan Murphy: So don't skip it just because you can't drive down into the valley. The lookout alone is absolutely worth the drive. It's about an hour and a half or so outside of Kona up to the north.

[00:10:39] Wrap Up And Next Episodes

[00:10:39] Bryan Murphy: All right, so those are my five big island experiences I really feel are worth your time and consideration. You got Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the Man Ray, night Snorkel.

[00:10:51] Bryan Murphy: Do that one. Budget for it if you need to do it. Doing a Coffee Farm tour, highly recommend you doing that. And even, and even if you don't want to do a tour, maybe at least go to a coffee plantation and buy a bag of real a hundred percent Kona coffee. The next is the Hilo Farmer's Market Free is real, authentic, go early, and the YPO Valley lookout.

[00:11:16] Bryan Murphy: Stunning, free, loaded with tons of Hawaiian history. Hey, this is actually a part of the series that I've done. I think this is the last of it where I've been going over the like top five experiences across the island. So if you haven't already, check out episode 2 0 7 for Oahu two 13 for Maui and episode 2 22 for Kauai.

[00:11:38] Bryan Murphy: Each island has its own personality and its own list together. They'll give you, I think, a real solid foundation for wherever, whatever island you're heading to. And if this episode has helped you in your planning, I would just ask you to go ahead and let me know by leaving a rating and review, especially if you're on Apple Podcast listening to this.

[00:11:57] Final Thanks And Credits

[00:11:57] Bryan Murphy: So until next time, as always, my friend live with Aloha.

[00:12:05] Bryan Murphy: Mahalo for listening to Hawaii's Best. If you found today's episode helpful, make sure to hit follow on your podcast app so you don't miss future episodes. You can find all links and resources mentioned today in the show notes below. Hawaii's Best is produced by Short Break Media Group, edited by Easy Podcast Solutions and with music by our friends Stick figure.