The volcano day: Kilauea’s crater, Rainbow Falls and the rainforest side of the Big Island.
Hilo is the green, wet, old-Hawaii side of the Big Island and the gateway to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, about 45 minutes up the hill from the pier. Ships dock at Pier 1, a working cargo pier about 2 miles from downtown, so the day starts with a shuttle, taxi or tour bus; almost everyone goes to the volcano, and the rest split between the waterfalls, the botanical garden and the black sand beaches. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Hilo from every line, priced with taxes and fees included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to do Hilo
Go up to the volcano, chase the waterfalls and gardens along the Hamakua coast, or keep it simple in town and on the black sand; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
- Kilauea caldera from the rim, the steam vents, the Thurston lava tube and Chain of Craters Road
- About 4.5 to 6 hours including the drive; about $140 to $170 through the ship, park entry included
- When Kilauea is erupting the crater glow is visible from the overlooks; the ship’s tour desk knows the current status
Best for: first-timers, families, anyone who has never stood on an active volcano
Rainbow Falls, Akaka Falls and the botanical garden
- Rainbow Falls is 10 minutes from the pier and free; Akaka Falls is a 442 foot drop on a paved loop, about $5 a person plus $10 parking
- Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden on Onomea Bay, about $30, is the lushest walk on the island
- About 4 hours; combine two or three on one tour for about $120 to $150
Best for: photographers, couples, anyone who has done the volcano before
Old Hilo, the gardens and black sand
- Lili’uokalani Gardens and Coconut Island on the bayfront, both free and a short taxi from the pier
- Pacific Tsunami Museum, the farmers market and the 1920s storefronts of Kamehameha Avenue
- Richardson’s Ocean Park for turtles on a black sand beach, 10 minutes from the ship
Best for: walkers, budget days, repeat Hawaii cruisers
Hilo cruises: SmartCruiser picks first
Every cruise that calls at Hilo from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery cruise that calls at Hilo
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Home ports that sail to Hilo
Pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there.
Things to do in Hilo
Nothing is walkable from the cargo pier, but everything in town is a 10 minute ride and the volcano is 45 minutes.
Which lines call at Hilo?
Hilo is on almost every Hawaii itinerary, usually paired with Kona the next day so you see both sides of the island.
When to go
Hilo is the rainiest city in the United States, about 130 inches a year, but it comes as warm showers that pass; temperatures sit in the 70s and low 80s every month and the busiest cruise months are winter and summer.
Hilo questions we answer every day
Where do cruise ships dock in Hilo and how far is town?
Ships tie up at Pier 1 in Hilo Harbor, a working container pier on Kuhio Street about 2 miles east of downtown. There are no shops at the pier and no sidewalks on the way into town, so do not plan to walk. Tour buses, rental car shuttles and taxis line up at the gate, a free shuttle runs to the Prince Kuhio Plaza shopping center on ship days, and a taxi to downtown is about $12.
How do I get around Hilo?
Taxis from the pier stand, Uber and Lyft in town, or the Hele-On county bus from the Keaukaha stop outside the gate (about $2, hourly, not on Sundays, and it runs on island time so never rely on the last one). For the volcano or the Hamakua coast, take a tour or rent a car; the agencies shuttle you to their lots and the park is a straight 30 mile drive up Highway 11.
What currency, language and time zone?
US dollars and English; Hawaii Standard Time, two hours behind the West Coast in winter and three in summer, so check whether your ship keeps ship’s time. Normal US cell coverage in town, patchy in the park and on the coast. Hawaii’s 4.7 percent sales tax is added at the register.
Is Hilo safe? What about the volcano?
Hilo is a quiet university town and perfectly safe for visitors. The National Park Service closes any area with volcanic gas or active lava, so you see Kilauea from the overlooks the rangers open that day; people with breathing problems should ask about the vog before a crater-rim tour. Bring rain gear everywhere and reef-safe sunscreen to the beaches.
What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, without question. Book it through the ship on a Pride of America call because the ship leaves at 6 pm sharp and the drive is 45 minutes each way; on a 10 hour call from a West Coast round trip a rental car gives you the park at your own pace with Rainbow Falls on the way back. The waterfall-and-garden tours are the best second choice and the easiest on the knees.
Do I need a passport for a Hawaii cruise?
Hawaii is a US state, so the Pride of America loop from Honolulu needs only government photo ID for US citizens. Round trips from Los Angeles, San Diego or San Francisco are closed-loop sailings that stop in Ensenada, Mexico, so US citizens may sail with a government photo ID plus an original or certified birth certificate, but we recommend a passport. Cruises that start or end in Vancouver require a valid passport.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra.
Talk to a Hilo cruise specialist
Tell us whether you want the one week island loop or a long round trip from the West Coast and we will find the Hilo sailing with the most included value. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.