Private Hike! Kilauea Iki Crater and Nahuku Lava Tube at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

At Volcano Private Treks, we offer only private hikes, so when you book with us, it is just you and the family and friends you bring along. There is no doubt why this is the most popular hike in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park! We will meet at the Kilauea Iki parking lot for this 3.8-mile (6.1 km) adventure. The hike will start down the north rim, stopping at spectacular overlooks to discuss the history and geology of the crater. We will then descend the switchback trail to some wonderful photo opportunities on the way down to the floor of the Kilauea Iki crater. In the crater, we will visit the vent from the 1959 eruption and learn about the tallest lava fountain ever recorded in the park, and walk across the huge lava lake it created. We then proceed from the crater floor up the trail through the rain forest back to the crater rim and the lava tube. As we stroll through the sublime lava tube, we discuss the fifteenth-century Aila'au eruption and the related formation of the lava tube. We finish by hiking from the lava tube, taking in the overlooks on the way, back to the Kilauea Iki parking lot. This is a three-hour hike, which may seem like a long time for a hike of this length. However, we take our time and make frequent stops to learn all about the geology, flora and fauna, and history of Kilauea Volcano and the people who have been an integral part of its past.