Ready to relax? To play? We suggest a little of both. Sure, you can spend the entire trip testing your legs on spectacular rides amid some of the world's most incredible scenery. Even pedal two centuries this week if you like. Prefer swimming, snorkeling, beach basking and mai tai sipping? But of course! Whatever you choose, the Big Island awaits.
Day 1 Trace the contours of the Big Island on your bike, amid rain forests, Kona coffee plantations and golden beaches | The pristine waters of Kealakekua Bay are home to an underwater state park and ideal for spotting spinner dolphins | Fantastic ocean views highlight the route to Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park.
Days 2-3 Explore Volcano Village and Kilauea Iki Crater with a local guide | Descend along the Kau Coast | Gear down for a 4,000-foot climb past black-sand Punaluu Beach, where green turtles lounge, and up through lava fields to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park | Hilina Pali Overlook dazzles with sweeping vistas of the Pacific and the Kau Desert | Watch for colorful birds, such as the iiwi, with its red body and salmon-colored bill.
Day 4 En route to Hilo, gravity does the work to bring you to the island's wet side, with its verdant hills, rugged cliffs and lava-rock beaches | Grassy highlands and sprawling cattle ranches? You're pedaling in the Big Island's paniolo (cowboy) country | Enjoy Pacific Rim cuisine, which takes full advantage of the island's bounty.
Days 5-6 Bike part of the Kona Ironman Triathlon's cycling course | Relish sumptuous meals after the challenging rides along the Kohala Coast and through the atmospheric communities of Puako and Hawi | Return through fields of black lava to quiet Pauoa Bay.
Great riding and volcanoes.- Canmore, Alberta
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception. Read the Straight Talk
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
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This renovated full-service resort overlooks an ancient lava flow on the Kona coast. (pool, spa)
An up-country bed-and-breakfast with ideal access to Volcanoes National Park.
A blissful resort on a half-moon beach offering abundant amenities and exceptional aloha hospitality. (pool, spa)
There's no better way to find out about Backroads than by hearing it from the people who have traveled with us. For more about the Backroads Experience, read our Guest Testimonials.
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REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 4 reviews)
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Comments about Hawaii's Big Island Bike Tour:
Great riding and volcanoes.
Comments about Hawaii's Big Island Bike Tour:
Beautiful scenery, challenging routes, twice I made a personal record for distance pedaled in a day. I had problems braking my bike, so I opted for a van ride down the steep downhill of the volcano, following the easy-going Backroads' focus of go at your own pace. The talks by the volcanologist were fascinating.
Comments about Hawaii's Big Island Bike Tour:
What an incredible way to experience Big Island! I had some of my longest, most scenic and most epic biking days and cherished the comfort of being supported by a total of three vans and four leaders who made me feel as though I had my personal support van. Given the range of biking skills, our group had quite a spread and the leader team did a great job being there for everyone. Hotels and food were great and I loved learning about the island along the way
Comments about Hawaii's Big Island Bike Tour:
Travis, Dustin, & Sophia gave us a memorable holiday. Hike through the crater fantastic!
Displaying reviews 1-4
The earlier you book, the more choice you'll have and the lower your price. And you can always change your mind—you won't be charged to transfer to a different trip before your final payment is due.
Please click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.
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AVAILABLE TO BOOKi GOING FASTi CONTACT USi PRIVATE TRIP - RESERVEDi
Interested in a Private Trip? Check out the Make It Private tab for private dates available, or call us at 800-462-2848.
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next—and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
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| Daily Route Options | ||||||||||
| Day | EASYGOING | ACTIVE | AVID | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | ||||||
| miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | |
| 1 | 10* | 200 | 25 | 2100 | 38 | 2600 | ||||
| 2 | 26* | 1700 | 46* | 3100 | 65* | 4000 | ||||
| 94 | 8200 | |||||||||
| 3 | 10* | 500 | 21* | 800 | 37 | 2500 | ||||
| Hiking (4.5 Miles) | ||||||||||
| 4 | 40* | 1000 | 50* | 1800 | 75* | 2300 | ||||
| 115 | 6500 | |||||||||
| 5 | 15* | 1100 | 33* | 1600 | 43* | 2300 | 72 | 4000 | ||
| 6 | 9 | 400 | 17 | 800 | ||||||
Note:
* Includes shuttle.
Learn more about how we determine our activity levels and fully support a range of abilities and interests.
Please note that our distance and elevation figures come from Ride with GPS. Other sources (such as Map My Ride and Garmin devices) may give differing elevation figures due to different GPS and mapping technologies. Readings from a Garmin or a smart phone are influenced by other factors such as air pressure.
After more than 30 years of running trips in Hawaii, backed by a team of highly experienced Trip Leaders and an amazing network of local experts, we're just going to say it: you won't find a more thoroughly researched, carefully designed and seamlessly executed biking trip on the Big Island – or any of the islands. You can even opt to tackle the Kona Ironman route and two century rides. Or you can park your bike for a day and just swim, snorkel or paddleboard.
Choose a Backroads Custom Titanium or Custom Electric Assist bike—both are included in your trip price. Maybe a Specialized carbon-fiber pro model is more your speed or go for double fun on a tandem. Our fleet is the best in active travel, so you don't have to roll the dice on this vital trip component. Learn why our titanium bikes are ideal for most riders. See the bike options for this trip.
Backroads has the best-qualified people to lead your trip in Hawaii, and our guests back that up, rating our Trip Leaders an average of 9.75 out of 10 for all-around quality of performance. Get the facts (and no fluff) on how we recruit and develop the very best people for your trip.
Backroads is the only active travel company providing two support vans in Hawaii—because we know it's essential to ensure a truly great travel experience. It doubles our ability to be there when you need us to offer hydration, lighten your load or give you a lift if it's time to take a break. Read more on why two vans make all the difference.
Your ride comes equipped with a Garmin Edge Explore 1000, the best bike-touring GPS device on the market. This is a Backroads exclusive, and it's included with your bike in Hawaii. If you prefer to bring your own device, we also have downloadable GPS files and of course, our good old paper directions are always available. Read more on why our navigation options are the best.
On our Hawaii trips we have an extra leader supporting you along the road—for a total of three, compared to the industry standard two. So we can be in more places at once, giving personal attention to guests traveling at their own pace. Here's more on our Trip Leaders.
In Hawaii you head off each morning after choosing among several expertly designed routes—all with detailed directions, mileage and shuttle options. Unlike trips with one fixed daily route (or worse, one guide that everyone's obliged to follow), you're free to enjoy the best of the region at your pace, stopping wherever you want to explore further.
Backroads has been inviting active travelers to explore our own backyard since Jimmy Carter was in the White House. We offer more trips than anyone else in Hawaii, and we've spent more years finding the best ones. What keeps it real is having a consistent vision and the same passionately committed leadership for nearly four decades.
It may seem obvious to say the great hotels we tell you about are the ones you'll actually stay in. But the fact is many companies haven't even booked the places they promise and are later forced to settle for inferior alternatives. We book our hotels and exact rooms long in advance—often over two years—so you stay where you expect to stay.
Under our Book with Confidence policy, your Backroads trip will run even for one or two people (or a family of three or four), subject to a nominal extra fee. Or transfer to another trip, and we'll give you a credit. It's all part of our trademark commitment to treating guests with integrity, transparency and total accountability. Read all the details.
For nearly four decades we've worked to earn and maintain our right to call Backroads the world's #1 active travel company. In pursuing that vision on behalf of our guests, we believe we've set the standard for our industry—captured in the Backroads Quality Guide, which clearly sets out the benchmarks of excellence, choice and support that we live by
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Gather your favorite people to share a Backroads adventure on a ready-to-book Private Trip - featuring all the legendary Backroads hallmarks from expert leaders to unforgettable activities. You can pick from the selection of dates below for your group of 8 or more. If your party has fewer than 8 guests, or your preferred date is not available, we'll create a departure just for you. Call or email us to reserve your date.
Click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.
8 AVAILABLE TO BOOK FOR 8 OR MORE GUESTS 16 AVAILABLE TO BOOK FOR 16 OR MORE GUESTS RESERVED
Don't see your ideal travel date? Make a Date! i
Invite your family and friends on an adventure that's entirely your own - for your group of 8 or more. Find out more
I simply can't imagine a better way to immerse yourself in the life of a region, to explore hidden corners and appreciate nuances while enjoying the benefits and enormous satisfaction of traveling under your own power. These are experiences you cannot have behind the wheel of a car, or on a train or a tour bus. Active travel is, at its heart, a way of connecting more authentically with the world. Sure, Backroads provides amazing leaders, superb accommodations and meals, and opportunities you could never arrange on your own. But all of our comprehensive planning and support is aimed at something far simpler: bringing you the immediate, highly personal satisfaction of discovering a new world on your own terms.
— Tom Hale, Founder & President
