The capital of the Big Island, Hilo combines both outdoor adventures and city lifestyle in a traditional Hawaiian way.
Last updated: December 21, 2024
Welcome to Hilo
The largest of two biggest cities on the island, Hilo is a laid-back place with a small-town vibe and a cultural center that hosts the annual Miss Aloha Hula competition. Yet the area is not a typical tourist town. More populous than Kailua-Kona on the West Coast of the Big Island, Hilo serves as a bridge between nature in its raw state and the convenience of a modern city.
It’s a place where natural wonders blend into urban life in a harmonious way. A town where a border between man-made and wild ceases to exist. Where the hospitality of locals goes beyond your expectations.
On one hand, Hilo abounds with historic structures, some more than 100 years old. On the other hand, the area is dotted with dramatic waterfalls, pitch-black lava caves, and scenic trails that run through diverse terrains.
Spending one day in Hilo means adventuring through a barren volcanic caldera, stepping inside a lush tropical jungle, soaking up the sun on a picturesque beach, and indulging in the ripest fruits from Hilo Farmers Market in the historic downtown district.
The only problem here is the city’s location itself. Nestled on the windward (east) side of the Big Island, Hilo receives more rains than one could wish for. Yet this rainy saga is exactly what keeps the town so vividly green and its waterfalls so roaring throughout the year.
With that said, whether you spend a day in Hilo or pop in for a short visit, check out the following places to fully grasp the essence and allure of the historic town and its surroundings.
THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN HILO IN ONE DAY
1. Attend Hula Festival
If you visit the Big Island in late March – early April, you are here for a big surprise. Following yearly tradition, a week-long Merrie Monarch Festival takes place in downtown Hilo. The festival honors King David Kalakaua who started the official revival of hula and ancient chanting rituals.
During the hula festival, Hilo’s residents and guests are invited to watch free performances by local halau (hula schools) and professional dancers from the other islands. The culmination of the celebration is the Miss Aloha Hula Competition where contestants deliver three traditional acts: two hula dances and oli (chant).
2. Explore Pitch-Dark Lava Tubes at Kaumana Caves State Park
At three in the afternoon, Kaumana Caves State Park looked gloomy. Darker than normal. The East Coast of the Big Island, including the Hilo area, is notable for heavy rains. It rains cats and dogs during the Hawaiian rainy season. The sky doesn’t stop shedding its tears over the windward shore during the dry season as well.
The weather didn’t change its pattern on the day we left Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and headed north to Hilo. The rain descended upon the area unannounced and unexpectedly. The weather forecast hadn’t predicted any rainstorms until later that evening.
We felt stuck. With so many incredible outdoor places to explore and only one day to spend in Hilo, we were reluctant to leave. So, we waited, then waited some more. The sky above Kaumana Caves didn’t get any clearer. The rain seemed to have its own blast party.
As the heavy raindrops were sliding down the windshield like small creeks, we resolved to brave the elements and descend into one of Hilo’s most intriguing natural sites.
Kaumana Caves State Park is famous for two lava tubes created by an 1881 flow from Mauna Loa. Pitch-dark and demanding a lot of rock scrambling, the main cave sits to the right of the steel stairs that lead you down. If you are up for a challenge, you can walk inside the cave for up to two miles before going back and exploring the smaller cave to the left.
The lava tube is said to be much longer. Yet since it continues on under private lands, a permit from landowners is required.
3. See Rainbows at Rainbow Falls
Rainbow Falls was next on our first half-day Hilo itinerary. Located in Wailuku River State Park, the site entices with its heavy flow all year round. At 80 feet, the waterfall is not the tallest in Hilo’s falls and cascades family. Yet it’s one of the easiest to reach and quickest to see even during the heavy rain, which kept following us to downtown Hilo.
Rainbow Falls resides just one mile west of the historic heart of Hilo. A raised observation area is situated right in front of the waterfall at the far end of the parking lot. So, practically no effort is required to admire one of Hilo’s favorite landmarks.
If you wish to stretch your legs and love to dance (ok, hike) in the rain, follow a stair-trail to the left of the Rainbow Falls Overlook. The trail opens the views of the multilayered flow of the Wailuku River. On a clear day, you can even see a partial flow of Pe’epe’e Falls.
4. Admire Pe’epe’e Falls and the Boiling Pots
Pe’epe’e Falls sits just up the road from Rainbow Falls in Wailuku River State Park, about 2 miles farther west of downtown Hilo. The waterfall is approximately 60 feet tall and is somewhat overshadowed by the easier accessibility of the Boiling Pots viewpoint.
A place of great beauty, the Boiling Pots is also one of the deadliest spots in Hawaii. No, the water is not boiling hot inside these queer pools along the Wailuku River. Yet when the elements get the water foam and bubble like a heated cauldron, you should probably enjoy Hilo’s strangest natural wonder from the ground rather than from inside. It can be deadly dangerous at that point.
5. Wander through Liliuokalani Gardens
The Liliuokalani Gardens is a royal treasure of Hilo. Nestled southeast of the downtown area, the park was named after Queen Liliuokalani, the last ruling monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
The garden was opened in 1919. From its first days, it was designed in the finest Japanese gardening traditions as a tribute to the first Japanese immigrants who worked in the Big Island’s sugar cane fields.
At over 24 acres, the Liliuokalani Gardens are known as one of the largest Japanese gardens outside of Japan. Some sources dub it the world’s largest Japanese garden outside of the Japanese archipelago.
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6. Walk to Coconut Island
Coconut Island, or Moku Ola as they called it in Hawaii, is a tiny isle in Hilo Bay within a walking distance of the Liliuokalani Garden. The small park with several teeny beaches is connected to the Big Island via a 250-foot-long footbridge.
An old Hawaiian legend has it that Coconut Island exuded a healing power. A sick person needed to swim around Moku Ola three times. In return for this act of respect, the island granted health and restoration.
For those who broke kapu (religious laws), the island also served as a sanctuary where the outlaw remained safe and untouched.
7. Shop at Hilo Farmers Market
We headed back to historic downtown Hilo the following day with one intention, to see the famous Hilo Farmers Market.
Open seven days a week, the place gathers dozens of local food vendors and craftsmen. You can find pretty much everything here, from Aloha dresses and shirts, made in Hawaii and imported from Asia, local soaps and honey, gifts and souvenirs, and locally-grown produce galore.
Needless to say, some of the ripest and sweetest coconuts we had during this Oahu – Big Island trip were from Hilo Farmers Market.
Good to Know: Wednesday and Saturday are so-called Big Market Days when more than 200 vendors offer their products to locals and visitors alike.
8. Take a Walk in the Hilo Bayfront Area
Conveniently located in downtown Hilo, the Bayfront Area offers a plethora of shops, restaurants, coffee and gift shops, and even galleries to unwind after a long day of exploring. Pick your favorite spot and savor the small-town vibe with the pinkish-golden sky in the background as the sun disappears below the horizon.
9. Hike to Akaka Falls
Roshan jokes that regardless of the place we travel to, I always find a room on our itinerary for at least one waterfall. Hilo wasn’t an exception. What can I say, waterfalls haven’t lost their novelty on me. Furthermore, when you spend a day in Hilo, you can’t just skip Akaka Falls State Park, home to the 442-foot-tall Akaka Falls.
Unlike Rainbow Falls, Akaka Falls requires some hiking along a well-maintained, paved path. The trail is approximately 0.4 mile long, out and back, relatively easy, and surrounded by lush greenery and birds chirping. The songs of the feathered friends gradually grow faint as the deafening roar of the plunge waterfall increases at the end of the trail.
Good to Know: It’s still the Hilo area. So expect some rainy outbursts even if the sky is clear and the sun shines brightly.
10. Grab Fresh Fruits and Coconuts from a Roadside Stand
If you skipped a bountiful fare at Hilo Farmers Market, don’t let the day go by without grabbing your share of tropical fruits at a roadside stand. Get some fresh coconuts (you can never have enough of these in Hawaii), sugar canes, pineapples, or other tropical fruits.
And to make the most of your day trip to Hilo, ask local guys about any other places you may want to visit in the area. Those off-the-beaten-path destinations that slide off the radar of the majority of visitors.
11. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hilo is an ideal home base if you plan to spend a day exploring natural wonders and hiking trails in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The park is located roughly 29 miles southwest of the capital of the Big Island and is famous for its unique natural features and cultural significance.
TIP: It can take more than a day to explore many of its ethereal sites. So if you have only 24 hours to explore both the Hilo area and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, be clear of what you want to see and which trail you long to hike before you make your way to the park.
Places to See in Hilo if You Have More than One Day
If you plan a longer trip (more than one-day excursion) to the Hilo region, check out some of the following sites. They will surely add an interesting twist to your visit.
- Imiloa Astronomy Center. Dive in the world of ancient traditions and Polynesian navigators at the Imiloa Astronomy Center. Located at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hawaii’s only planetarium offers exhibits and shows for avid travelers and explorers of all ages.
- Pacific Tsunami Museum. The vision of the Pacific Tsunami Museum is to avoid any casualties during a tsunami. The goal is to provide education and honor those who lost their lives in the past tsunami events, especially during the April 1, 1946 Pacific tsunami and the May 23, 1960 Chilean tsunami.
- Mauna Kea. Mauna Kea is a dormant shield volcano nestled nearly 44 miles west of Hilo. The highest point in the Pacific Basin, the summit offers superior opportunities to observe the night sky and rising sun.
READ MORE: Haleakala National Park: Hawaii Taught Us to Slow Down
One Day in Hilo Itinerary: Where to Stay
We ended our day explorations in Hibiscus Suite, our home for the night in the Hilo area. Airbnb sits in a quiet residential area within a 6-minute drive from downtown. Clean, spacious, and enveloped in birds chirping, day and night, it was one of the best places we stayed at during this Oahu – Big Island trip.
