Big Island Circle Island Tour with Pickup from Fairmont Orchid
Pickup 7:00–7:15 am | about 10 hours door to door | $245 per person | Max 14 guests
The Fairmont Orchid occupies one of the loveliest stretches of the Mauna Lani resort area — sheltered lagoon, turtles cruising the shallows, gold-sand beach raked before breakfast. It is serene to the point of being sleepy, and that's precisely its charm. Our Circle Island Tour is the counterpoint: one long, dramatic day of volcanoes, waterfalls, and coastline that ends with you gratefully back in all that serenity.
Your pickup is at the Fairmont's front drive between 7:00 and 7:15 am, confirmed precisely by a phone call from your guide the evening before. The Orchid is one of the first stops on our Kohala Coast run, so mornings here are unhurried — no racing through the lobby.
The Kohala Coast question: is the volcano too far?
It's the question every Mauna Lani-area concierge hears: 'Is Volcanoes National Park worth it from here?' Self-driving, it's a long haul — two and a half hours each way with nothing planned in between. On our tour the distance becomes the itinerary: we work south along the Kona coast with the morning light on the water, add pickups in Kailua-Kona, then climb through coffee farms and macadamia country to the island's southern tip before the park. Every hour has something in it.
By the time you reach the crater rim you've already stood on a black sand beach at Punaluʻu and — in season — watched for turtles hauled out on the sand. The afternoon returns you through Hilo and the fern-dark Hamakua Coast, where Akaka Falls delivers the island's best single photograph.
Details for Fairmont Orchid guests
The Full-Day Circle Island Tour runs about 10 hours door to door and costs $245 per person. You travel in a luxury Mercedes Sprinter van with at most 14 guests — in practice often fewer — with a lunch stop, bottled water, and snacks included. Pickup and drop-off at the Fairmont are free, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours in advance.
Pack layers: the Orchid's microclimate is warm and still, but the volcano sits at 4,000 feet and can be 20 degrees cooler with wind and drizzle. A light rain shell earns its place in your day bag.
What's included
- Free hotel pickup and drop-off
- Lunch stop, bottled water, and snacks
- Volcanoes National Park, Akaka Falls, black sand beaches, and more
- Owner-led guiding in a luxury Mercedes Sprinter van (max 14 guests)
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours
Your guide phones the night before to confirm your exact pickup time. Staying outside our pickup corridors? Meet us at Queens' Marketplace on Waikoloa Beach Drive.
$245 per person — Book Now
Questions from guests at Fairmont Orchid
How cold does it actually get at the volcano compared to the Kohala Coast?
Expect a 15–20°F drop from the coast, plus wind and occasional drizzle at the 4,000-foot crater rim. Bring a warm layer and a light rain shell — you'll shed them again by the time we're back on the dry side.
Where do we wait for pickup at the Fairmont Orchid?
At the main entrance porte cochère, between 7:00 and 7:15 am. Your guide phones the night before with your exact time.
Can my spouse skip the tour and keep the cabana? Is there a minimum group size?
No minimum from your party — solo travelers are welcome. The van simply carries up to 14 guests total across all pickups.
Is lunch at a restaurant or a picnic?
We make a proper lunch stop partway around the island, and bottled water and snacks are available on board all day. Dietary preferences? Mention them when booking and your guide will plan accordingly.