Hawaii Volcano Tours

Tours of Hawaii's volcanos, both active and dormant, can be a truly memorable experience, and there are a number of ways to see the volcanos. While each of the islands boasts some volcanic history, the most action has always been on the Big Island.

Make sure to mark your itenerary for a vist to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park proudly displaying the results of 70 million years of volcanic activity, migration and evolution. This park features both the world's most massive volcano, Mauana Kea at 13, 796 feet, and Kilauea, the world's most active volcano. It is more than 218,000 acres large, has free admission and is open daily, although extra charges may apply to guided tours.

Mauna Kea, which in Hawaiian means literally "white mountain", gets this name from the fact that it is quite often snow-capped. It is also thought to be the world�s tallest mountain when measured from it�s undersea base to the summit. Currently dormant, Mauna Kea has also become the home of an important astronomical center, where astronomers from all over the world vie for spots atop the summit to view the heavens.

Kilauea has been in continual erruption ever since 1983, and regularly gives visitors views of molten lava flows, steam vents and vast lava fields. It is rumored that the continual erruption of Mount Kilauea has added more than five hundred acres to the Big Island. On top of Kilauea on the crater rim overlooking the the caldera is the Volcano House, Hawaii's oldest hotel, operating since 1846.

On Maui, one volcano not to overlook is Haleakala, a dormant volcano in the middle of the island, long renowned for it�s fantastic sunsets. Haleakala is also a popular place to hike and camp, and there are also regular bike tours down the side of the volcano, which allow for quite an adventure.

You can also see the volcanoes in all of their splendor with a flying tour. Many helicopter tour companies frequently go past Hawaii's active and inactive volcanoes, allowing you to see them errupt from the comfort of the cockpit. Sunshine Tours will take you by the fiery lava vents of Kilauea, a site that is sure to leave you breathless. Their tours also go by the Pele Kilauea Volcano in National Park, where you can watch the formatio nof the newest places on Earth as laval pools into the Pacific Ocean and waves crash ahore.