5 Days on Big Island Itinerary: Sustainable Travel Guide

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I’ll tell you right now, 5 days on Hawai’i Island (aka the Big Island) is gonna feel RUSHED. But sometimes, we gotta work with what we’ve got. I went in December 2025 and by then, I was all out of PTO and only had a long weekend and a good flight discount to make this trip work. And yah no what, I did it. And I was able to plan out an entire itinerary that focused on Native Hawaiian businesses on Big Island at the same time!

If you want more guidance on how to plan your Big Island itinerary, you’ve come to the right place! Depending on your interests and where your lodging is located, feel free to move your days around to better fit your itinerary and mobility preferences.

I’ll be honest, five days will feel short on Hawai’i. You’ll spend a lot of time driving if you want to see the different parts of the island. Thankfully, driving on the Big Island isn’t too bad but…as someone who grew up in Southern California, it’s annoyingly slow. There’s also A LOT of accidents at night because of the one lane roads with not a lot of lighting, so please be careful out there!

If you want a relaxing vacation, mostly chilling at your accommodation with some beach days and a tour here and there, then please do that. But if you want to see more of the island, here’s a guideline of what I would suggest for a 5 day Big Island itinerary that follows more of a roadtrip-esque route.

Day 1: Kona/Waikoloa

If you’re flying in on day 1, then don’t plan any tours or anything too time sensitive. That’s my number one travel tip because delays, cancellations, and reroutes happen. Take it easy and let this be a day to grab your rental car (if applicable) familiarize yourself with your accommodations, pick up some groceries if needed, and rest. You’re going to need it for the rest of the trip.

For dinner, this is a great day to check out Napua at Mauna Lani Beach Club for a lovely night cap. I recommend not staying up too late so you can get an early start to day 2.

Day 2: Kailua-Kona beach day & Southernmost tip

For day 2 on your Big Island itinerary, we’ll be exploring the town of Kona and making our way down to the Southernmost tip of the island (and the USA, technically).

Either eat breakfast at your lodgings or at a cafe nearby because your first stop should be bright and early (before it gets hot!) at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park. They open at 8:30am daily and honestly, the earlier the better because there is no shade. It’s not very big (you’ll spend maybe 20-30 or so minutes), but it’s free to enter and you can see preserved petroglyphs, lava fields, and you’ll probably spot a sea turtle (keep your distance though). You can get in the water as well if you’d like and it’s very scenic, just plan for more time if you do.

Traveling south, now you’re in Kailua-Kona! There are a lot of paid parking lots around this downtown area, but if you don’t mind walking then park here for free: 75-5668 Kuakini Hwy, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740.

**If you want to have a full beach day and not go to the southernmost tip on this Big Island itinerary, then go to the beach first, then do the city activities in the afternoon**

Your **first stop** should be Hulihe‘e Palace, the historic home of Hawaiian royalty. It’s open Wednesday-Saturday at 10am for self-guided tours. Again, earlier here is better because it does get busier around noon and after, but I’m more crowd adverse than the average.

Then, feel free to get in some window shopping around the shopping plaza. There’s a lot, so don’t feel pressured to see everything. If you prefer a little direction, my favorite shops were Pueo Boutique, which sold clothing and beauty, and also an entire section dedicated for local owned brands, as well as Saltwater Soul, an eco-friendly gift shop where the products are made from either recycled materials or from a company that gives back to marine conservations. I ended up getting a beautiful cuff bracelet for a great price!

I’d recommend eating lunch before heading out, because the food options are about to get scarce. Personally, I recommend Kool Runnings Catering & Food Truck because I love Jamaican food. It also happens to be one of the few but mighty Black owned restaurants on the Big Island!

Post-lunch, if you’d like to continue on to the southernmost tip of the island, here is where you head out. Otherwise, if you wait take it super chill and hang out at the beach, then you should actually do at least one beach first (especially if you want to go to the more popular ones), then do the Palace and shopping.

Here are some of my favorite beaches near Kona. Stay at one or beach hop, whatever fits your style:

• La’aloa Beach Park: beautiful and VERY popular. Soft sand and has showers, restrooms, and a lifeguard on duty. I wouldn’t recommend for the best snorkeling, but great for boogie boarding. This is a beach you’ll want to visit early, like 10am ish for the best parking and less crowds.
• Keiki Beach Queen’s Bath: as the name suggests, the water is calm so it’s very nice for kids and an easy dip (not really for adults swimming, it’s very shallow). The public access is behind the aquatic center. Enter the soccer field and follow the fence down on the left hand side. However, the path is unfortunately not ADA accessible (ie wheelchairs/strollers/wagons) and be careful during high tide (especially with little ones).
• Makolea Beach: the best beach for checking out tide pools (during low tide), however there are not amenities here. It is also located near a sacred site, so please follow all of the signage.

Then once the sun begins to set, make reservations for a manta ray tour with Anelakai Adventures. You can pick whichever time works best for you (6pm or 8pm), but I’d recommend getting an earlier dinner at Rebel Kitchen before your tour so you can head back to your lodging after.

more active option: Southernmost tip

However if you’re traveling on, you’ll be heading to the beach at the southernmost point for your Big Island itinerary! I’d highlyyy recommend setting out before noon at the latest, so you might have to cut your shopping time short. As you’re heading south, make a quick pitstop in Kealakekua. Here you can check out the cute art gallery Moonsun Art Gallery, which explores Afrofuturism and Iranian-Futurism. Also grab a jar of honey from WannaBee Pono Honey Emporium.

Don’t worry, we’ll be back in the area for dinner!

The road to the southernmost tip doesn’t seem like it would be long…but it is. It’s very windy and one lane and the speed limit is slow. It will take longer than expected, so if it seems like I’m rushing you, that’s why. If you do have more than 5 days for your Big Island itinerary, I’d recommend breaking this up into separate days.

Anyways, once you reach the bottom, probably around 2pm-ish, pick up a snack before you head down to the beach. For this, swing by Ailani Orchards Fruit Stand (HIGHLYYY recommend their macadamia nuts!!) and Punalu’u Bake Shop (for…well, baked goods!).

Then you’ll go down to the “Southernmost Point of the United States.” Follow the GPS location and you’ll be good. There isn’t a sign or anything, at least not that I saw when I went, but it is a lovely view.

You’ll also see a turn-off point to hike down to one of the world’s only green beaches.

Yup, Papakōlea Green Sand Beach. Unfortunately, I arrived too late (around sunset) so I wouldn’t have had enough time to hike (recommend) or the 4×4 off-roading ride share (~$20-$30 USD a person, but they stop taking people around sunset). Following this Big Island itinerary though, you’ll get there with plenty of time.

The hike its about 2 miles (~3.2km) and there is a section with stairs, but mostly is a pretty easy 1hr hike. Just note, the sand isn’t as green as the edited photos on line, but I’ve been told it’s pretty cool. Enjoy your time, but just know if you stay for sunset, you’ll be hiking back in the dark.

Then straight over to Anelakai Adventures for their 8pm tour. It’ll be a tight schedule, so keep an eye on the clock if you go with this option! Then you can get a nightcap meal at Kanaka Kava.

Day 3: Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park & Hilo

I’m gonna be really real…you don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn to get to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Unless there’s an ACTIVE eruption going on…the park is really not that busy. There are a few longer hikes an more in-depth exploring you can do, but for the vast majority of travelers, myself included, you’ll probably spend two to three hours in the park.

Max.

So with that in mind AND if your Big Island itinerary is short on time, I recommend combining Hilo and Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park in the same day. That’s what I did (with extra time to spare since I woke up so early lol) and it worked out really great.

If you are based in Hilo your entire trip, this might look a bit different, but if you aren’t, then wake up and breakfast at your lodgings in the morning before heading out to the other side of the island. It’s about a 1.5-2hr drive to Hilo depending on traffic/road construction, so I recommend leaving around 8am. From Hilo, the entrance to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is only about 20 minutes, so stock up on gas/water/snacks as needed.

Also, while you won’t have to deal with avoiding crowds at this National Park (unless there’s an eruption lol), I still recommend coming before noon if you can to avoid the strongest of the sun’s rays. There isn’t really any shade at this park. So pack a hat, sunglasses, and of course your National Park pass if you have one.

At the gate, the rangers can give you any need-to-know info like route closures. As of writing this, the Kīlauea Visitor Center is closed for renovations and I haven’t heard a timeframe for opening, but the Welcome Center is open and that’s where you can pick up souvenirs! Aside from that, make your way through the park at your leisure, stopping at the few trails and viewpoints highlighted on the map.

The “big attraction” is the Kīlauea Caldera. I’ll embed the live webcam of the here for your reference:

While Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park isn’t the biggest, it has such incredible Hawaiian history and significance to the island. I highly recommend speaking to a few of the rangers as well to learn more. There are a few extra things to do in the park (which you can choose to come back to), but you’re probably ready for lunch right about now assuming you arrived at the park around 10am-ish! So it’s time to head back into the town of Hilo!

Hilo

Hilo has a fair amount of things to do, and if your Big Island itinerary has time, it would be great to spend a full day (or more) here to really check out all the cool things there are to do in Hilo.

However, we’ve only got about half a day on this Big Island itinerary. That just means you’ll need to pick and choose what you want to do and everything else will just have to wait for another visit. But first – food!

For lunch, my top recommendations would be either Liko Lehua Cafe or Lani’s Island Snack Shack, depending on which is open when you visit (Lani’s is closed on Monday for example). After lunch, it’s time to check out downtown Hilo! There are a ton of boutique shops, galleries, and even cafes in Hilo, so I’d recommend budgeting at least two hours to leisurely explore the area. Parking is super easy and affordable (you can pay by phone) and downtown is mostly flat which makes walking simple.

Aside from the shops on the main waterfront street, a few others spots in Hilo I recommend are:

• Pacific Tsunami Museum: Learn all about tsunamis, the tsunami history of Hilo (and the islands overall), and safety tips to take with you.
• So Juicy Hawaii: The best juice hands down and a great pick-me up after a day of exploring.
• Basically Books: they stock a lot of books about Hawai’i, its Indigenous history and culture, and books by Native Hawaiian authors! It’s a bit farther from downtown, but doable (~15min walking) or you can drive. There’s free street parking there.

Now I don’t usuallyyyyy mention science museums/planetariums because it’s not the most unique thing to do, but I DO recommend putting the Imiloa Astronomy Center on your Big Island itinerary because it takes a look at the skies through the lens of Polynesian history and how the stars were used for ancient navigation in the Pacific. It’s super dope and a fun addition to your Big Island itinerary!

Now around this 3-4:30pm mark, you have to decide if you want to go back to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park for the end of the day, or finish the day in/around Hilo. Let’s follow the Hilo option first since that’s what I ended up doing. If you are hungry now, then you can eat at the restaurant attached to the Astronomy Center, Lehua Restaurant, or you can come back to it. Either way, make sure you eat here! It’s one of the best restaurants in Hilo (and honestly all of the Big Island).

You can spend the rest of your time either “hiking” Pe’e Pe’e Falls pronounced Peh-eh Peh-eh Falls (it’s more of a short stroll to the overlook area) or going into the Kaūmana Caves, though for the caves I highly recommend a headlamp and/or flashlight! It’s…very dark and slippery, so make sure you have traction footwear! Both have free parking. Then head back to your lodgings for the end of day 3 on your Big Island itinerary.

orrrr…..back to Hawai’i Volcanoes NP

There’s also the option to head back to the National Park. Have an early dinner at Lehua, like 5pm, make sure your gas tank is full, then make your way back to the park. If you’d like, you can take the uniquely beautifully scenic drive called the Chain of Craters Road! Pick a good turnout or overlook to watch the sunset!

Once it’s dark, you can drive back over to the Kīlauea Caldera and see the lava glow from deep underground. You aren’t actually seeing LAVA, but rather the light reflecting its way upward. Either way, it’s super cool. Now the reason I didn’t do this was because the volcano actually erupted…THE DAY BEFORE I ARRIVED ON BIG ISLAND.

So…there was no/ magma in the chamber and thus the glow was barelyyyy barely visible. If that’s the deciding factor for you, then check the live webcam after dinner. After spectating for a bit, feel free to head home. That’s the end of day 3 on this Big Island itinerary 🙂

Day 4: Waimea & Hiking

Alright, day 4 on our Big Island itinerary is a bit calmer in terms of pacing, but it can be as active or relaxed as you want! Alternatively, if you’re tired of driving around (or know in advance you don’t want to be on the road as much), day 4 of your Big Island itinerary would also be a great day to take a few tours and let someone else do all the work while you sit back and enjoy Hawai’i.

If you do want to use this day for tours, I highly encourage you to look into Native Hawaiian owned tours. Not only do you get so much deeper insight on the tour, but it ensures that your tourist dollars are directly circulating in the Hawaiian community and helps support Hawaiian lead tourism. I’ve listed all of the Native Hawaiian owned businesses on the Big Island in my other blog post that I experienced and recommend!

With that said, if you do see another part of the island, then day 4 of your Big Island itinerary will take you to Waimea and the ‘Akaka Falls State Park area! This itinerary is starting assuming you are staying on the Kona side. However if you are coming from Hilo, you can just do everything in reverse. A’ight, let’s get to it.

The first stop of the day should be Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site. They open at 8:30, but depending on how sleepy you are and how much you want to do today, I’d say aim to get here 8:30-10am. This was one of my favorite sites as you get such a well-rounded understanding of King Kamehameha I and the founding of the Kingdom of Hawai’i. You’ll be here about an hour.

The next stop will be just a short drive over to the town of Waimea. For lunch, you have to go to Ippy’s Hawaiian BBQ. It’s delicioussss and I was finally able to eat some good garlic shrimp! You can also visit the Paniolo Heritage Center which gives you history on Hawai’i’s cowboy culture. It’s very small so you’ll only spend about 20 minutes, but it’s free and still worth the quick stop in my opinion.

Next, you’ll be driving over to the other side of the island to the state park. If you’re less interested in the state park, or if you just want to super pack your Big Island itinerary, here are a few pit stops a long the way to flesh out the day:

• Honokaa Market Place (Honokaa): super cute gift shop with local made products
• Rockaholics Crystal Shop (Honokaa): for all my crystal folks
• Hawaiian Vanilla Co.: this is a longer pit stop if you do a tour (~1hr). But you could also just stop by to pick up vanilla products!
• Laupāhoehoe Point: scenic viewpoint and you can also view the Tsunami Memorial (which you would’ve learned about if you went to the museum in Hilo the day before)
• Umauma Falls: Umauma means “constantly flowing” in Hawaiian and I highly recommend this “tiered” waterfall hike, it’s simply stunning. And it’s short! Only about 1mile (1.6km) so it could take up to an hour. Since it’s on private land though, there is a fee ($10).

Full disclosure, I didn’t actually spend much time in ‘Akaka Falls State Park because I was having too much fun along the way. If you have any other recommended trails or stops for this day on the Big Island itinerary, let me know in the comments below.

Feel free to do some of them on the way back as well since you might want to grab a snack at What’s Shakin’ for some great fresh squeezed juice right from their farm. The only catch is that they close at 3pm, so depending on timing you might want to make it all the way to What’s Shakin’ first, then work backwards.

Alternativelyyyy, if you don’t mind splitting up your hotel stay throughout this Big Island itinerary, you could swap day 3 and 4 and do this day first, end in Hilo and stay overnight. Then begin the next day already in Hilo and ready for Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park! The only downside would be that you’d need to drive back to the airport (presumably in Kona if you are flying outside of the Hawaiian Islands) the next day.

So pick whatever works best for your Big Island itinerary!

Day 5: Goodbye Big Island!

Awwww it’s the final day. Personally, my flight out was at 11am, so I didn’t have much time to do anything on day 5 of my Big Island itinerary. However, if you have a later flight, I usually reserve my last day to last minute souvenirs and/or eating more delicious local food.

But bonus since you’re in Hawai’i, I’d recommend relaxing on the beach and having some final moments in the sun. Depending on where your flight is headed, it might be the last time you see palm trees for a while.

One last note – don’t take any rocks home with you. Trust me on that. Leave all rocks, flowers, and fauna on the island. However, you can take ti leaves to the mainland from Hawai’i, so if that’s you be sure to read my post on that so you don’t get flagged at the airport!

Conclusion: Big Island Itinerary

Annnddd, yup that’s it. A VERY full Big Island itinerary if you only have 5 days on Hawai’i. If you are able, I think 7 days would be much more comfortable as you are able to split up day 1 and also have a day dedicated to Hilo attractions. Ideally, a 10 day Big Island itinerary would be even better and allow you to see the island at a much more relaxed pace and also have time for tours.

Have you ever been to Hawai’i Island? What kind of things would you suggest for a 5 day Big Island itinerary? Let me know in the comments below!

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