Kona or Hilo: Where Should You Stay on the Big Island?
‘Kona or Hilo?’ is the single most common question we get from first-time guests, and for good reason — the two sides of the Big Island feel like different countries. Choosing well matters more here than on any other Hawaiian island.
Here’s the short version: most visitors base in Kona (or Kohala, just north of it) and day-trip east. But there are specific trips where splitting your stay, or going Hilo-first, is the better move.
Kona / Kohala (west side) — sunshine and beaches
The west coast is dry, sunny and warm almost every day of the year. It’s where you’ll find the famous white-sand beaches (Hāpuna, Kua Bay, Mauna Kea Beach), the Kona coffee belt, the manta ray night snorkel, and the island’s biggest resorts along the Kohala coast.
Best for
- Classic beach vacations
- Families who want short drives to snorkel and pool days
- Honeymooners staying at Fairmont Orchid, Four Seasons Hualālai, Mauna Lani, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel or Waikoloa
- First-time Big Island visitors
Worth knowing
Kona town itself is a low-key walkable harbor village with shops, restaurants and sunset cruises. The Kohala resort strip, 20–45 minutes north, is more upscale and spread out. From Kailua-Kona, Volcanoes NP is about 2.5 hours each way — long but very doable as a day trip.
Hilo / Hāmākua (east side) — rainforest and waterfalls
Hilo is greener, wetter, cheaper and more lived-in. It’s a real town with a farmers’ market, a walkable downtown, and honest local food. The waterfalls, the rainforest, the botanical gardens and the short drive to Volcanoes NP are all on this side.
Best for
- Travelers who want volcano + waterfall access without a 5-hour round trip
- Photographers and nature-first travelers
- Budget stays — Hilo is meaningfully cheaper
- Anyone on a short Big Island add-on from Maui or O‘ahu
Worth knowing
Hilo can be rainy — that’s the price of the scenery. Beach days are fewer and farther between; you come to Hilo for the rainforest, not the sand. The town of Volcano (up the hill from Hilo, right at the park entrance) is another good base if the park is your priority.
Splitting your stay — when it’s worth it
If you have six or more nights on the island, splitting 3–4 nights in Kona/Kohala with 2–3 nights near Hilo or Volcano removes a lot of driving and lets each side breathe. Our favorite split: fly into Kona, drive counter-clockwise to Hilo/Volcano on day 3 (stopping at Punalu‘u and the park along the way), then cut back across Saddle Road on departure day.
What about Waimea, Waikoloa and Volcano?
- Waimea — cool, misty ranch country with excellent restaurants. Central, 30 min to Kohala beaches.
- Waikoloa Beach Resort — family-friendly, condo-heavy, middle-of-the-Kohala-coast location.
- Volcano Village — right at the park entrance, cool elevation, rustic cabins and B&Bs. Perfect for 1–2 nights around a volcano day.
Explore the Big Island with Ohana Tours
Can’t decide? Book a Kona stay and let us handle the east side on a single day. Our Volcanoes National Park + Hilo waterfalls day tour handles a day that is about 10 hours from Kona and closer to 11 hours from Waikoloa for you, drops you back at your hotel, and gives you the full east-side experience without moving rooms.
Good news either way: our Circle Island Tour picks up from Kona and Waikoloa hotels for free and spends the afternoon on the Hilo side — so you can stay in the sun and still see the rain-forest half of the island.
Ready to plan your trip? Browse our Big Island experiences at ohanatours.com or reach out at aloha@ohanatours.com — we’ll build the itinerary around you.
Mahalo for reading — the Ohana Tours team