Experiencing the best of the Big Island requires some drive time, plus some downtime.
Day 1: Historic Kailua Village
Start your first day in Kailua-Kona with a stroll around Historic Kailua Village. Eat breakfast at one of the oceanfront restaurants along Alii Drive. Stroll the seaside village’s many gift stores, art galleries, and boutiques. Historic landmarks include royal Hulihee Palace and the oldest Christian church in Hawaii, Mokuaikaua Church. In the afternoon, take a ride on the Atlantis X submarine, or take a sunset dinner sail with Body Glove Cruises.
Logistics: The village is walkable. There are paid and free lots behind the shops on the mountain side of Alii Drive.
Day 2: Best Kohala Beaches
Head north to the beautiful sand beaches of the Kohala Coast. Check out Anaehoomalu Bay in Waikoloa Beach Resort. Not only can you rent beach amenities including kayaks or stand-up paddleboards, you’ll also be near Queens’ MarketPlace with its restaurants and shops, as well as retail and dining destinations at the Kings’ Shops. For lunch, try Lava Lava Beach Club, right on the beach at Anaehoomalu Bay. Head north to Kawaihae and visit Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site, where King Kamehameha I oversaw the building of a great temple. On the way back, make a stop at Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area.
Logistics: Parking is easy at Waikoloa Beach Resort. It’s a 35-mile, 40-minute drive from Kailua-Kona via Queen Kaahumanu Highway.
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Day 3: Kealakekua Bay
In South Kona, Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park attracts visitors to this marine conservation district frequented by spinner dolphins. The Captain James Cook Monument, a white obelisk on a wharf across the bay at Kaawaloa Flats, marks near where the navigator was slain in 1779. Guided kayak tours are available, and snorkeling is excellent. In the afternoon, visit St. Benedict Painted Church, plus Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park. On your way back north, stop at Greenwell Farms in Kealakekua for a Kona coffee farm tour.
Logistics: Take the lower bypass road from Keauhou or the upper road from Kailua-Kona, and head down Napoopoo Road to the end. It’s a 34-mile, 30-minute round-trip from Kailua-Kona.
Day 4: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
It’s a long drive from Kailua-Kona to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, so leave early to get to the park by 10 am. Begin at the Kilauea Visitor Center, where you can review maps, buy trail-guide booklets, or talk to the rangers. Stroll along a boardwalk to the sulfur banks and steam vents. Along the way, stop at Volcano Art Center to view fantastic local art. Drive to the Steaming Bluffs and walk to an overlook with views of Halemaumau Crater and Kilauea Caldera. Then drive down Chain of Craters Road to visit Thurston Lava Tube and the adjacent Kilauea Iki Trail. Afterward, stop by Volcano House and eat lunch or dinner at The Rim.
Logistics: The park is open 24/7, but entrance fees are charged during normal visiting hours. It’s 90 miles (2½ hours) from Kailua-Kona.
Day 5: Waimea and Upcountry
At the foothills of Maunakea, this small upcountry town is home to Parker Ranch, one of the country’s largest privately owned cattle ranches. You can book several activities in town, including horseback riding and tours of two historic homes. Waimea has great restaurants, including Merriman’s and Big Island Brewhaus. Not far from Waimea, Waipio Valley is a beautiful destination. The nearby town of Honokaa still feels like a slice of the old sugar plantation days.
Logistics: Waimea can be reached via the upper road (Highway 190) from Kailua-Kona, or up Kawaihae Road from the lower highway near the Kohala Coast resorts. Distance from Kailua-Kona: 39 miles one way.
Day 6: Keauhou Bay
Keauhou is just south of Kailua-Kona on Alii Drive. Here you’ll find lots of recreational activities, including tennis, golf, and stand-up paddleboarding. Keauhou Shopping Center has movie theaters, restaurants, and cafés. Some of the island’s most popular activities are the nighttime manta ray tours with operators that depart nightly from Keauhou Harbor.
Logistics: You’ll need your car to drive around the area, or you can take the Kona Trolley from town. It’s 5 miles one way on Alii Drive.
Day 7: North Kona
Two of the best beaches near Kailua-Kona take some time to get to. Kekaha Kai State Park, also known as Mahaiula, is accessed down a long gravel road that winds through a lava field on the way to a wonderful white-sand beach. About a 20-minute walk south across a lava field from Kekaha Kai State Park, Makalawena Beach is a gem and worth the hike; be sure to pack water, a shade umbrella, food, and sunscreen.
Logistics: On Wednesday, the park is closed. Distance from Kailua-Kona: 13 miles one way.