Kona is best known for sunshine, clear water, and incredible sunsets, but the west side of the Big Island is also one of Hawaiʻi’s best destinations for travelers looking for a little more adventure.
You can ride an ATV through the jungle in the morning, snorkel or dive with manta rays after sunset, hike across volcanic landscapes, or see the island from the air on a helicopter tour. The challenge is deciding which experiences deserve a spot on your itinerary.
The best adventure activity in Kona ultimately depends on what you want from your trip. ATV tours are ideal for travelers who want an active land-based experience without committing to a strenuous hike. Snorkeling and diving offer access to the Big Island’s underwater world. Hiking gives independent travelers more freedom, while helicopter tours offer a completely different perspective of an island that can take hours to cross by car.
Here’s how some of the best things to do in Kona, Hawaii for adventure seekers compare, and what you should know before booking.
Quick Comparison: The Best Kona Adventures
| Adventure | Best For | Physical Effort | Typical Time Commitment | What Makes It Different |
| ATV Tour | Families, couples, groups and first-time visitors | Low to moderate | About 2–3 hours | Jungle scenery, off-road riding and guided experiences |
| Manta Ray Snorkel | Ocean lovers and wildlife enthusiasts | Moderate | About 2–4 hours | Chance to encounter manta rays underwater |
| Hiking | Independent and budget-conscious travelers | Varies | 1 hour to full day | Freedom to explore at your own pace |
| Helicopter Tour | Sightseeing and special occasions | Low | About 1–2 hours | Aerial views of remote terrain |
| Snorkeling | Families and ocean lovers | Low to moderate | 2 hours to half day | Reefs, tropical fish and marine life |
| Polynesian Wood Carving | Travelers interested in culture and hands-on activities | Low | About 2 hours | Create a keepsake while learning traditional carving techniques |
- Best overall for combining adventure, scenery and culture: Big Island ATV tours.
- Best for marine wildlife: manta ray snorkeling or diving.
- Best free or low-cost adventure: hiking.
- Best splurge: helicopter touring.
- Best hands-on cultural experience: Polynesian wood carving.
Rather than choosing the activity with the biggest adrenaline rush, think about what you want to remember most from your Big Island vacation.
1. ATV Tours: Best for Adventure, Jungle Scenery and Culture
An ATV tour is one of the easiest ways to add an active outdoor experience to a Kona itinerary without dedicating an entire day to it.
At Aloha Adventure Farms, located in Holualoa near Kailua-Kona, the approximately two-hour Polynesian Cultural ATV Tour takes guests through tropical jungle and an organic Kona coffee farm before stopping at areas representing Hawaiʻi, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.
This isn’t simply a trail ride. Stops throughout the experience introduce guests to Polynesian cultures through stories and hands-on activities, making the tour particularly appealing to travelers who want to learn something while they’re exploring.
Guests who meet the driving requirements operate their own single-rider ATV. No previous ATV experience is required; the ATVs are automatic, and guides provide a safety briefing and practice session before heading onto the trails.
Travelers who don’t want to drive can ride in a guide-driven UTV instead. That also makes the experience accessible to families with younger children.
Who should choose an ATV tour?
An ATV tour is especially well suited for:
- Couples looking for something more active than sightseeing
- Families with a mix of children, teenagers and adults
- First-time Big Island visitors
- Travelers who enjoy outdoor activities but don’t want a strenuous hike
- Groups looking for an experience they can do together
- Visitors interested in both Polynesian culture and outdoor adventure
At Aloha Adventure Farms, ATV drivers must be at least 16 years old and meet the tour’s height and weight requirements. Children ages 3–15 can ride in a UTV driven by a professional guide, and children ages 3 and 4 must have a parent accompany them in the UTV.
Plan to arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled tour for waivers, gear fitting and the safety briefing. Closed-toe shoes are required, and clothes that can get dusty or muddy are highly recommended.
The tours generally operate rain or shine, too. In fact, a little Kona rain can make the jungle trails considerably muddier, and often more fun.
2. Manta Ray Snorkeling and Diving: Best for Marine Wildlife
Kona’s nighttime manta ray experiences are unlike almost anything you can do on land.
After dark, tour boats head to established viewing areas along the Kona Coast. Lights placed in the water attract plankton, which in turn can attract manta rays. Snorkelers watch from near the surface while certified divers can experience the activity underwater.
For travelers fascinated by marine life, this can easily become a trip highlight.
The tradeoff is that it’s a more specialized experience than an ATV tour or hike. You need to be comfortable in the water, tours generally occur after sunset, and ocean conditions can affect the experience.
- Choose a manta ray adventure if: encountering marine wildlife is near the top of your Hawaiʻi bucket list.
- Choose something else if: you’re uncomfortable swimming at night, traveling with someone who doesn’t enjoy boats, or looking for an activity the entire family can easily experience together.
One advantage is timing: because many manta experiences happen after dark, you can pair one with a daytime Kona activity rather than choosing between them.
3. Big Island Hiking: Best for Independence and Exploring at Your Own Pace
Hiking deserves a place on nearly every Big Island itinerary.
The island’s trails and walking routes can introduce you to everything from tropical forests to stark volcanic terrain. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, in particular, offers opportunities to walk through landscapes dramatically different from the greener Kona Coast.
Hiking also offers something guided adventure tours don’t: complete control over your schedule.
You can choose your trail, determine how long you want to explore and stop whenever you want. For travelers trying to keep vacation costs down, hiking can also be one of the most affordable ways to experience the island.
That leads to an important question:
Is an ATV Tour on the Big Island Worth It Compared to Just Hiking?
Yes, if you want a guided, interactive experience rather than simply access to beautiful scenery.
ATV tours and hiking actually satisfy different travel goals.
Choose hiking if your priorities are exercise, independence, spending as little as possible and exploring at your own pace.
Choose an ATV tour if your priorities are riding, accessing private property and trails, having a guide, participating in organized activities and adding cultural interpretation to your adventure.
At Aloha Adventure Farms, for example, you’re not simply paying for transportation through the jungle. The guided experience combines ATV riding with stops focused on different Polynesian cultures.
There’s also no reason you need to choose only one.
For an adventure-focused Big Island itinerary, consider scheduling a guided ATV experience on one day and leaving another day open for hiking. You’ll experience two very different sides of the island.
4. Helicopter Tours: Best for Seeing the Big Island From Above
The name “Big Island” is appropriate.
Driving between major destinations can take considerably longer than first-time visitors expect, and some of the island’s most dramatic landscapes are difficult to appreciate, or reach, from the road.
That’s where helicopter tours stand out.
Depending on the route and current conditions, flights can offer views of volcanic landscapes, valleys, coastline and areas that would otherwise require hours of driving or hiking.
The biggest consideration is cost. Helicopter tours tend to be among the more expensive activities you can add to a Hawaiʻi vacation.
They’re therefore especially appealing for honeymoons, anniversaries, bucket-list trips or travelers who value sightseeing over hands-on participation.
If you want to see as much dramatic terrain as possible, consider a helicopter.
If you’d rather actively do something, an ATV tour, hike, dive or snorkel excursion will probably be a better fit.
5. Snorkeling: Best for a Classic Kona Ocean Adventure
You don’t have to wait until nighttime to explore Kona’s underwater environment.
Snorkeling is one of the most accessible ocean adventures on the Big Island and can work especially well for families and first-time visitors.
Depending on where and how you snorkel, you may encounter tropical fish, coral and other marine life. Guided boat excursions can also take travelers to snorkeling areas that are more difficult to reach from shore.
Compared with scuba diving, snorkeling generally has a much lower barrier to entry. You don’t need a scuba certification, and beginners can choose guided excursions that provide equipment and instruction.
If your trip is already packed with land activities, spending part of a day on the water also gives you a completely different perspective of Kona.
6. Polynesian Wood Carving: Best for a Hands-On Cultural Adventure
Not every adventure needs to involve speed, heights or deep water.
For travelers looking for a more hands-on connection to Polynesian culture, Aloha Adventure Farms also offers a Polynesian Wood Carving Tour with a fourth-generation Master Carver from Tonga.
Guests learn carving techniques while creating their own wooden tiki from locally grown Big Island wood. The finished carving goes home with you, giving the experience a tangible souvenir beyond photos.
This can be particularly appealing for multigenerational groups or families in which not everyone wants to participate in a more adrenaline-focused activity.
Travelers who want both experiences can combine the ATV and carving tours. The combined experience takes approximately 3.5 hours and can be scheduled back-to-back or, depending on availability, split between different days.
How Does Aloha Adventure Farms Compare With Other Kona ATV Tour Operators?
Not all Big Island ATV tours are designed around the same experience, so the best operator depends on what you actually want to do.
Some ATV and UTV experiences emphasize off-road riding, ranch landscapes, ocean overlooks or transportation to scenic locations. Those can be excellent choices for travelers whose main priority is terrain or driving.
Aloha Adventure Farms is particularly suited to travelers who want an ATV experience that combines riding with Polynesian culture.
The approximately two-hour tour travels through jungle and Kona coffee country and incorporates stops representing Hawaiʻi, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. Instead of spending the entire tour driving, guests stop for cultural activities and interpretation along the way.
Another differentiator is the vehicle setup. Eligible guests can drive their own single-rider ATV, while children and adults who prefer not to drive can ride in a UTV operated by a guide.
When comparing Kona ATV tours, don’t look at price alone. Compare:
- Whether you drive an ATV or ride in a UTV
- Minimum driving and passenger ages
- Total tour duration
- Amount of actual riding time
- Type of terrain
- Scenic versus cultural emphasis
- Group size
- Whether younger children can participate
- Distance from your Kona accommodations
- What happens if it rains
If cultural interaction, jungle scenery and the ability for eligible guests to drive individual ATVs are priorities, Aloha Adventure Farms should be high on your comparison list.
If your priority is something different, such as ranch riding or a particular scenic viewpoint, compare operators based on that experience rather than assuming every “Kona ATV tour” is interchangeable.
Planning Your Aloha Adventure Farms ATV Tour
A little advance planning will make your experience easier.
Aloha Adventure Farms is located in Holualoa, near Kailua-Kona, along the slopes above the Kona Coast.
The Polynesian Cultural ATV Tour lasts approximately two hours, but you should arrive 30 minutes early for check-in and your safety briefing.
Keep these details in mind:
- Reservations are highly recommended, and popular dates can sell out weeks in advance.
- ATV drivers must be at least 16 and meet applicable height and weight requirements.
- Younger guests can ride in a guide-driven UTV.
- Closed-toe shoes are required.
- Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dusty or muddy.
- Helmets and required safety equipment are provided.
- Tours typically operate rain or shine unless conditions become unsafe.
- Tour times vary by season and day, so check current availability when booking.
If an ATV adventure is one of your must-do activities, book it before filling your itinerary with activities that don’t require reservations. That gives you more flexibility when choosing the tour time that works best with the rest of your Kona plans.
FAQs About Adventure Activities in Kona, Hawaii
What are the best things to do in Kona, Hawaii for adventure seekers?
Some of the best adventure activities in and around Kona include ATV tours, manta ray snorkeling or diving, snorkeling, hiking and helicopter tours. ATV tours are particularly good for travelers who want a guided land adventure, while snorkeling and diving are best for experiencing Kona’s marine environment.
Is an ATV tour on the Big Island worth it?
An ATV tour can absolutely be worth it if you want more than a scenic drive or independent hike. A guided ATV experience provides the equipment, route and interpretation for you, and some tours provide access to private terrain you couldn’t explore independently. At Aloha Adventure Farms, the experience also incorporates Polynesian cultural activities throughout the ride.
Is an ATV tour better than hiking on the Big Island?
Neither is universally better. Hiking is best for travelers seeking exercise, independence and a lower-cost activity. ATV tours are better for travelers who want off-road riding, guided interpretation and an organized experience. Doing both provides two very different ways to explore the Big Island.
What makes Aloha Adventure Farms different from other Kona ATV tours?
Aloha Adventure Farms combines a guided ATV ride through the jungle and Kona coffee country with interactive stops focused on the cultures of Hawaiʻi, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. Eligible guests drive single-rider ATVs, while younger guests and adults who prefer not to drive can ride in a UTV driven by a guide.
Do you need ATV experience to take the tour?
No. Aloha Adventure Farms uses automatic ATVs, and guides provide instruction, a safety briefing and practice before the tour begins.
How far in advance should I book a Kona ATV tour?
Booking ahead is recommended, particularly during busy travel periods. Aloha Adventure Farms notes that its guided tours have limited capacity and can sell out two to three weeks in advance, so it’s smart to reserve once your Big Island travel dates are confirmed.
