15 Lava and Eruption Tours in the USA Worth Flying For

1.Hilo Shore Excursion: Active Volcano, Lava Tube, Waterfall and Gardens

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 393 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $187Our pick

Review of Hilo’s volcano, lava tube, waterfall, gardens and chocolate tour, with practical advice on price, fitness, transport and timing.

“This was a good tour but some improvements could be made. For example our guide was very friendly and welcoming but talked way too much. It was very interesting but at the end we no more listened because he talked non stop. Also too much time spent at some places in volcanoes park (volcano house and echo crater) that could be used to do the whole chain of craters road until the sea arch. Would have appreciated a stop a volcanoes np entrance sign. Candy store, waterfall and gardens were nice stops. Enjoyed the local chips provided. Tour guide was easy to find at port and tour started on time.…”

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2.Hilo Shore Excursion: Volcano Safari Lava Caves & Black Sand

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 363 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $154

Review of Hilo’s six-hour volcano safari, with lava caves, black sand, lava fields, Rainbow Falls, guide tips, price, and practical advice.

“Great trip touring the area! Ellen shared amazing information about the island and area and it was interesting for all ages. Would definitely recommend. We were afraid because the weather wasn't perfect but it was GREAT! Thanks!”

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3.Maui Circle Island-PRIVATE-Air Tour for 2-5: Waterfalls & Lava!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 228 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes (approx.) · from $452

Review of Maui’s private circle-island plane tour, with waterfalls, lava fields, Hana, Molokini, Haleakala, tips, value, and booking advice.

“We highly recommend a narrative tour by air around the island the morning of your first day. Maui Circle Air with Maui Plane Ride was superb. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. If you can’t get it into your schedule for first, just get it in. We were treated with kindness and plenty of Aloha! There are restrooms available before and after flight, which were clean and properly papered. Maui Plane Rides! Da best!!! Michael & Mary Lou Yucaipa, CA”

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4.Lava Run Off-Road Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 115 reviews · 2 hours (approx.)

Drive a Polaris RZR through Central Oregon’s volcanic terrain on a guided two-hour Lava Run adventure for up to four people.

“Trails and guide wete great. Lost phone but found and then found group on our own using GPS. A lot of freedom to drive at speeds comfortable for you and go off road if you want. Super ATV's.”

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5.PRIVATE-Air Tour: Volcano Lava & Jungle Waterfalls (2-5 Max)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 45 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $380

Review of Maui Plane Rides’ private one-hour flight over Haleakala, lava flows, waterfalls, Hana, reefs, and Maui’s central valley.

“I booked this tour as a last minute, change of plans, gift for my parents. I booked it the evening before and in the morning I received a call from Eric saying viator double booked the time slot for 9:00am and the next tour would not be available until 12:00pm. This was well after I had already taxied my parents on their way to the site. Eric went above and beyond and offered to take my parents site seeing around the area until the next available tour. That was 3 hours later. This was my mom’s first trip to Hawaii and now that is the only thing she talks about…”

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6.Big Island Waterfalls, Blacksand Beaches, Lava Tubes & Volcanoes

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $186

Review of Makaio Tours’ Hilo excursion, with volcanoes, lava tubes, waterfalls, black sand beaches, sea turtles, lunch time, and local insight.

“Amazing tour! We saw Kilauea Volcano, sea turtles, and Rainbow waterfall...and more. absolutely unforgettable. Justin was an outstanding guide, friendly, funny, knowledgeable, and passionate. He made everything fun and easy. The pick and and drop off from the Hilo airport made everything so convenient. Highly recommend this tour and Justin!”

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7.Kīlauea Hike and Lava Gazing with Native Hawaiian

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 22 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $200

Walk Kīlauea with Native Hawaiian guide Christian, hear stories of Pele and the island, and watch for lava near Halemaʻumaʻu on a private hike.

“The coolest tour we have been on in many years. You have access to one of the most knowledgeable people on Hawaiian culture and history. As well, he knows the park and all of the flora and fauna. On top of that he is a most interesting man with some fantastic stories to entertain while you traverse some of the most beautiful spots in the park.”

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8.Bend Oregon Guided Lava Tube Cave Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 19 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $140

Explore Oregon’s longest known lava tube on a guided Bend tour with helmets, headlamps, geology stories, and hands-on cave scrambling.

“This is a terrible experience for an 81 year old person. On the Web Site there is no warning about the climbing, poor footing, or crawling. I recommend this experience to the young and agile. But I certainly wasted some of my retirement money on this.”

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9.The Floor is Lava Digital Game Floor

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 30 minutes (approx.) · from $15Best value

Review of The Floor is Lava in North Myrtle Beach, with prices, game details, fitness tips, value, booking advice, and what to expect.

“Nice. You have a many attempts as possible within any level - we didn't understand that so we lost a little time... Got to level 11 and messed up on the last second.”

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10.Kīlauea hike and lava gazing with Native Hawaiian

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 4 hours · from $200

Explore Kīlauea with Native Hawaiian guide Christian, learning language, history, plants, and Pele traditions on a four-hour hike.

“This was literally the best tour I have ever been on. I spent the entire car ride back to Hilo talking about how much I loved the tour! Christian is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the Hawaiian land and people and shared that knowledge in a really accessible and engaging way. So, so glad that we took this tour and we would love to schedule more tours with Christian when we visit again.”

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11.Hawaii Volcanoes NP: Private Kilauea Eruption Insights Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 8 hours (approx.)

Review of the private Kilauea Eruption Insights Tour, with lava-viewing tips, itinerary details, pricing, pickup, and practical advice.

“We were lucky to catch Kilauea eruption 31 two days before our private tour. We kept our reservation and still had a great day with our guide Jim who adjusted the time to be slightly earlier in the day. In addition to seeing the Kilauea caldera, lava tube, steam vents and viewing house overlook, we saved some time for quick stops at a coffee mill, the Punalu'u Black Sand beach and Punalu'u Bake Shop. Jim was extremely knowledgeable and narrated about every Hawaii topic possible, he definitely made the trip a huge win for our family.”

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12.Private Electric Bike Tour with Lava Hike in Pāhoa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 2 hours (approx.)

Explore Pāhoa’s 2018 eruption sites by private e-bike and on foot, guided by a local eyewitness with firsthand stories and photo stops.

“Local perspective of the lava flow, knowledgeable tour guide, little emphasis on the e-bike ride part, but made it easy to get to the area. Very personable experience. Super fun time.”

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13.Bend: Half-Day Lava Tube Cave Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 7 reviews · 4 hours · from $130

Explore Bend’s longest discovered lava tube on a guided four-hour cave tour with helmets, headlamps, geology, and wild volcanic terrain.

“It was so educational and entertaining. Dylan did a great job of making sure I was safe and explained the science behind it all so well. He was a great guide”

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14.Guided Hike Adventure: Kilauea Iki and Lava Tube

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $150

Hike Kilauea Iki and Nahuku Lava Tube with expert guides, gear, crater views, volcanic history, and a small group in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

“it's a very informative, moderate hike, extraordinary experience. Our guide, Caine, was very knowledgeable, kind, thoughtful and lots of fun.”

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15.Kona Coast Tour, Lava Fields and Beautiful Beaches

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $280

Review of the six-hour Kona Coast tour, from Hualālai lava fields to Hāpuna Beach, with pricing, stops, guide tips, and booking advice.

“This tour was everything we hoped for and more! The Kona Coast Tour took us through some of the most breathtaking parts of the island, from ancient lava fields to stunning coastal views and beautiful, secluded beaches. Each stop was unique and gave us a deeper appreciation for the Big Island’s natural beauty and volcanic history.”

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