Kilauea Visitor Center
Kilauea Visitor Center
4.5
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A information center with literature about Volacanoes National Park.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
127 reviews
Excellent
67
Very good
46
Average
12
Poor
2
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0
ITRT
Virginia44 656 contributions
Apr 2022
The Kilauea Visitor Center should be your first stop before entering the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The day we were there it was raining, and the Center and outdoor ranger exhibits were filled with many tourists. Rangers were available to answer questions and shared suggestions on what to see based on the time available for them. The Center offers a film “Born of Fire, Born of Sea” on how volcanoes are formed and passed eruptions. You can pick up brochures, maps, road conditions, and hike trail guides. There is a small gift shop where you can purchase books or souvenirs.
Looking for a Quick Steam Bath?
Down the road from the Kilauea Visitor Center there is a short trail that leads to Steaming Bluff, a series of steam vents created by ground water seeping into hot volcanic rocks. The area is fenced-off. These are located on the edge of the Kilauea Caldera. In the parking lot, there is a manmade steam vent.
Looking for a Quick Steam Bath?
Down the road from the Kilauea Visitor Center there is a short trail that leads to Steaming Bluff, a series of steam vents created by ground water seeping into hot volcanic rocks. The area is fenced-off. These are located on the edge of the Kilauea Caldera. In the parking lot, there is a manmade steam vent.
Written 16 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StacyInDC2012
Alexandria, VA868 contributions
Sept 2021
The Rangers were SO incredibly helpful in explaining aspects of the park and helping us map out a plan for our visit.
Even if you've researched ahead I would definitely recommend this as your first stop in the park to check in and get their expert advice and tips.
Bathroom facilities, water filling station and a small gift shop are also found here.
Even if you've researched ahead I would definitely recommend this as your first stop in the park to check in and get their expert advice and tips.
Bathroom facilities, water filling station and a small gift shop are also found here.
Written 13 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DannyWasserman
Virginia Beach, VA4 584 contributions
Dec 2022
This is a great welcome center to visit. They have some information on the Park and the creations of the volcanos that exist. There are park rangers to help guide you through the national park. There is a movie, gift shop, and an art gallery next door to buy souvenirs.
Written 24 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
quercusluver
East Wenatchee, WA40 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
Crowded and overrated…as National Parks go, Hawai’i Volcanoes is probably the least impressive of the many we have visited. We appreciate its uniqueness, but its scenic value does not match. The visitors’ center was crowded and difficult to move around in.
Written 3 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
County-Hunter
Tacoma, WA3 748 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
Hawaii Volcanoes NP is a big part with many different things to see and do. The Rangers at the visitor center are experts in helping you plan your visit. What I liked is that they had specific recommendations for however long you had to spend, even if only for one hour. They helped plan our visit and gave us good recommendations like drive to the end of Chain of Craters Road and hit the lava tubes on the way back when they would be less crowded and parking easier to find. They also have a nice gift shop here and a theater playing some short films about the park and it's history.
Written 3 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lovetotravelfamily4
Chicago, IL534 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
We arrived on the island around 2PM and drove here, it was an easy 2 hour drive. We were jet lagged so we were up early and headed into the park at 7AM and it was greaT to be there befor the crowds arrived. I would suggest the crater hike and lava tube, this took about 2 hours. Don’t miss the crater road to the west of the visitors center, go all the way to the end for the best views, it’s only a five minute drive. If you have time drive to the far south part of the park along the coast too. This could be done in a long day, or if you came the night befor like we did, you could go in early and be done by 2 and head back to Kona. Great park and I would suggest it to anyone.
Written 27 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wolfgang d
13 contributions
Nov 2022
we were there when the weather was not perfect, very windy and quite cold. But still it was very interesting to be so closed to the volcano which still showed a lot of smoke. We also went some miles on the Rim drive to see the different vegetation.
Written 23 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zimminaroundtheworld
Okinawa Prefecture, Japan1 971 contributions
Jul 2022
Generally, I'd recommend stopping at a visitor center anywhere, so why not do the same here? We did stop here first before doing anything just to learn a bit about the park and layout. The visitor center has a small shop and exhibits on things at the park. I read some of the exhibits and went outside where the rangers were giving an overview of the park, I found this to be helpful. There were restrooms here and plenty of parking. You can also access some trails directly from the visitor center.
Written 18 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
autumnshaley
Yuma, AZ35 contributions
May 2021 • Family
I enjoyed this park slot. The kids did too! We were able to hike out onto one of the craters! It was about a 2 mile hike total, but def worth it! We really enjoyed ourselves. The guides weren’t taking tours out still because of covid, but they were happy to tell us all about the hikes!
Written 7 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wohdonkey
Newark, OH2 237 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
This was our first stop once inside volcano national park. The guides were helpful in telling us the best spots to visit and what was currently open inside the park. There are videos inside the visitor center as well as a gift shop. They also do various tours about the park and Hawaii at certain times. The guides were very good and informative. Would recommend to make sight seeing inside the park easier.
Written 8 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Imkikid
Paso Robles, California
This Trip Advisor page is for the small town of Kilauea on the island of Kauai. The entries about the volcano visitor center should be in a page for the island of Hawaii, where you can visit the volcano Kilauea. The volcano and volcano park are not on Kauai. Is there an appropriate page for these entries, which do not belong on this page?
Written 14 August 2017
The active volcano is not in Kauai. It's on the Big Isle of Hawaii. We did this tour last June and saw the ocean lava entry via a boat ride. The sunrise boat ride is the best. I highly recommend it! Lava Ocean Tours on the Internet
Also check out on the Internet: Hawaii Volcano Observatory
Written 14 August 2017
How do I get there using public transportation?
Written 3 June 2016
Far as I know there's no public transport, you'd have to rent a vehicle or get on a tour
Written 4 July 2016
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