SOUTH ISLAND EPIC COASTAL JOURNEY

Duration
8-12 hrs
Audio Points
264
Tour Stops
35

About The Tour

Take a journey through the southern half of Big Island. Drive across barren lava fields that are wedged between two active volcanoes: Mauna Loa and Kilauea. As you travel you’ll come across a black sand beach and local coffee and macadamia nut farms. Take an optional side trip -- don't ...

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Take a journey through the southern half of Big Island. Drive across barren lava fields that are wedged between two active volcanoes: Mauna Loa and Kilauea. As you travel you’ll come across a black sand beach and local coffee and macadamia nut farms. Take an optional side trip -- don't worry, we'll guide you -- to Ka Lae (South Point) for cliff jumping and a hike to a green sand beach. End the day at Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain in Hawaii, for stargazing.

Here are just a few of the fun things you can do on the tour!

•⁠ Drink local coffee at Kau Coffee Farm
•⁠ Visit a black sand beach
•⁠ Stargaze atop Mauna Kea
•⁠ Visit an ancient historic site
•⁠ Get malasadas and sweet bread at Punalu'u Bakery

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Recommended Start Time: 8:00 a.m.
Tour Starting Point(s): Kona, Waikoloa and Hilo
Direction: Clockwise or Counterclockwise

For even more fun, combine this tour with our Volcanoes National Park Tour!

All Shaka Guide tours come with customer support and a satisfaction guarantee. Tours never expire.

Sample Tour Audio

Paradise Meadows
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Tour Welcome Mauna Kea from Waikoloa
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Exit or Kipukapuaulu
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Tour Stops

Punalu'u Bakeshop, Naalehu Town
Imiloa Astronomy Center
Kau Coffee Mill
Kona Coffee Living Museum
Panaewa Rainforest Zoo
Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Farm
Lava Tree Mold drive
Punalu'u Black Sand Beach
Whittington Beach
Mauna Kea Visitor Center
Kona Town
Magic Sands Beach
Saddle Road
Ka Lae - South Point
Naalehu Town
Volcanoes National Park
Volcano Village
Paradise Meadows
Big Island Bees
Kuamoo Battlefield and Lekeleke Graveyard
St. Benedict’s Painted Church
Birthplace of Kamehameha The Third
Pu'uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park or 'The Place Of Refuge'
Kealakekua Bay
Kahaluu Beach
Two Step Beach
Kua Bay Beach
Kipukapuaulu Hike
Aloha Theatre
Manago Hotel
Greenwell Farms & Museum
Kaloko-Honokohau National Park
Huehue Lava Tube
Kona Grill House
Donkey Balls Factory and Store

Tour Route


Customer Reviews

(60678)

LOVE this Guide!

We used the Shaka guide in Maui for the Road to Hana 8 years ago and loved it. So we decided to try it again for the Big Island. We did the North island jungle loop tour today. It was so informative, easy to follow, and we all loved it. Even my impossible to please 16 year old daughter mentioned how cool it is- she was so into it, and was listening to every word and wanted to stop at all the stops. It was a great guide, we had a great day! Can’t recommend this enough. I bought the BI package, and we will be using the other tours this trip as well.

Nik Gray | 1 month ago | iOS

Great Virtual Tour Guide

We bought the Shaka audio guide to the Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. It was a great experience. It was comprehensive and entertaining. We toured through the park and we had a better experience for having used it. The price was very reasonable.

Spicer is Nicer | 2 months ago | iOS

AMAZING GUIDE!

You will not be disappointed! This was a delightful way to experience the big island. The app works off GPS so it works and gives directions even when you’re in restricted service areas. Info is accurate and incredibly helpful… turn by turn. We LOVED the Kohala tour (STUNNING VIEWS) and listening to the history behind this beautiful island (and lovely music when Uncle isn’t talking). It made the experience really special. We’ll be using this app for the rest of our time here and can’t wait to explore some National Parks on the mainland with the Shaka Guide. Thanks for a great day!

Hummingthrulife8 | 3 months ago | iOS

Fantastic

Just finished an amazing day at Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii, and used the Shaka Guide throughout. We purchased the National Park tour and it just worked - it was really amazing and we can’t recommend it enough!

Captain Hokie | 4 months ago | iOS

After friend's recommendation, we used the app for our tour of Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii. Amazing! It turned our four our road trip into a professional guided tour! Highly recommend it for ant National Park visit!

CGF | 5 months ago | Android

Our family is in Kona for 10 days. We bought the Big Island bundle. We are very impressed with the pace, accuracy, thoroughness and historic information provided on these guides. We can travel at our leisure and visit the sites we want for as long as we want. Excited to explore the rest of the island using this awesome app. I would encourage anyone traveling to Kona and renting a car, to purchase these tours.

Lisa Jorgensen | 7 months ago | Android

fantastic guide, we used it extensively at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and it really added to the trip. I don't usually spend money on apps but this was worth every penny!

Jake Carolan | 9 months ago | Android

We really loved using this app because of all of the history and stories we learned. I especially liked the navigation and recommendations on where to stop and what to skip. It also made our trip to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park way more interesting for my preteen!

Nina Vaccaro | 10 months ago | Android

Hawai’i Day trip

Used the Shaka guide during our day trip on the big island. We knew we wanted to do volcano national park but were able to add great stops along the way from Kona thanks to the Shaka Guide. Highly recommend.

clsargeant8 | 1 year ago | iOS

Shaka required for exploring!

I can’t rave enough about SHAKA guide. We have used Shaka for Maui, THE BIG ISLAND, Kauai, Yosemite, Sequia National Park, and Kings Canyon. The audio tour genuinely makes 8-10 hour exploring trips worth every minute. I have kids that are 8 and 10 years old, they love Shaka too. We landed in Kona and immediately turned on Shaka to start our Hawaiian vacation. It blows my mind that people still walk up to the ranger desk and ask what they should see when visiting a national park. All you need is Shaka! Can’t recommend enough!

Robin Barker Fox | 1 year ago | iOS

What is an Audio Tour Guide?

Think of us as your personal tour guide in an app. Our tours provide everything a guided tour does, but with the freedom to explore on your terms. Here's how it works:

  • GPS triggers audio narration to play automatically as you drive or walk.
  • Listen to stories, get local insights, visit must-see stops and get turn-by-turn navigation.
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Tour FAQs

Where does the South Island Epic Coastal Journey Tour go?
This tour takes across the entire island from Hilo on the eastern coast to Kona in the west. One of the best things about this tour — you can start it from either side of the island depending on your travel plans. The tour travels in a loop, ending where you began, but you can also break it up into multiple days, or combine it with our Volcanoes National Park and Kona Big Kahuna Tours. Here are some of the popular spots you can explore on the tour! Kealakekua BayKuamoo BattlefieldKa Lae (South Point)Papakolea Beach (Green Sand Beach) Kau Coffee FarmPunalu’u Bakery Punalu’u Black Sand BeachVolcanoes National Park (optional side trip, download our Volcanoes National Park tour) Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut FarmMauna Kea Visitor CenterThere’s an optional detour to South Point, where you can cliff jump at the southernmost tip of the United States.For help planning your day check our South Island Epic Coastal Journey suggested itinerary and here's everything you need to know before you go!
What should I pack for the South Island Epic Coastal Journey Tour?
Here’s our packing list for this tour. It may seem a little long, but remember, what you bring depends on the activities you choose to do for the day.Layers and a jacket, temperatures vary drastically across the island (pack especially if you plan to visit Mauna Kea)SneakersHiking ClothesWater BottleBug SprayTowelBathing Suit (for Cliff Jumping/ beach hopping)SandalsSunscreenSun Glasses and/or HatSnacksCashCar Charger *Very Important*Phone Mount
What should I budget for the South Island Epic Coastal Journey Tour?
How much you spend truly depends on what you do along the tour route. Here's a breakdown of some costs: $20.00 per person: Lunch and a local snack$20.00/adults per person: Big Island Bees guided tour (you can also just visit the shop for a free honey tasting)$30.00 per car: Volcanoes National Park entrance (credit preferred)
Can I join the South Island Epic Coastal Journey Tour along the route?
Yes! Feel free to join the tour along the route. Just make sure that you follow the numbers in chronological order from where you are starting from.  If you don’t begin at one of the tour starting points you’ll miss a few stories, but you’ll still have a great experience. 
Can I take the South Island Epic Coastal Journey Tour in the opposite direction?
Yes! This is one of the few tours that you can do both clockwise and counterclockwise around the island — it truly depends on what works best with your schedule and travel plans. This tour has three starting points: Kona, Waikoloa and Hilo. All directions are the same tour so pick the one that’s best for you!
Should I do the detour to South Point?
It depends. If you’re looking to cliff jump at the southernmost tip of the United States or hike to the green sand beach then we recommend you make the detour. The detour itself takes about an hour, but plan to spend more time if you're going to cliff jump or hike. The hike is five miles round trip and takes about 3 hours. If not, you might want to skip it and save that time for other activities along the route.
Other Questions? Contact Us!
Do you have other questions that we didn’t list here? Feel free to message us through the in-app chat box, Facebook Messenger, our email, or give us a call at 1-888-250-2261. We will be glad to help and answer your questions as soon as possible!Mahalo,Shaka Guide

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