13 Nature Shore Excursions in the USA You Can Do Before All-Aboard

1.Volcanoes National Park & Black Sand Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,338 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $159Our pick

This six-hour Hilo shore excursion takes you to Kilauea’s steam vents, crater views, Thurston Lava Tube, Richardson Black Sand Beach, and a macadamia nut stop. Guides such as Robert, Jess, Donna, and Hannibal are known for lively island stories. Port pickup, park fees, and bottled water are included.

“Robert’s fascinating and energetic narration was terrific! He also shepherded us, took our group photos for us, and shared lots of interesting local tidbits of info. We could not have done this on our own. HIGHLY recommend Robert! His wife Jessica is also a tour guide.”

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2.Active Volcano, Lava Tube, Waterfall and Gardens

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 393 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $187Top rated

This five-and-a-half-hour Hilo tour visits Kilauea, steam vents, Halema'uma'u Crater, Thurston Lava Tube, Chain of Craters Road, Rainbow Falls, Big Island Candies, and Lili'uokalani Gardens. Small groups, port pickup, park admission, water, and island chips are included.

“Fabulous tour guide and great sights/itinerary! Comfortable ride with very thorough information and history..”

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3.Rainforest Canopy Ropes and Zipline Adventure Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 390 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $150Best value

You’ll ride seven ziplines, cross eight canopy ropes, and tackle bridges, swinging steps, and a 50-foot climbing tower with guides such as Eli, Mallory, Frank, and Shea. Expect a small-group outing, forest views, a possible sea-lion sighting, and round-trip transport from Ketchikan port.

“Blindly book n go. You will not be disappointed. We as a family all of us enjoyed this every bit n highly would recommend”

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4.Volcano Safari Lava Caves & Black Sand

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 363 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $154

Ride with a local guide such as Ellen, Troy, Dave, or Lori through Hilo’s volcanic country. Walk into a Mauna Loa lava tube, see lava tree molds, visit black-sand shores, and trace Kilauea’s destruction near Pahoa and Leilani Estates.

“It was really good the driver was really knowledgeable about the entire trip she was very helpful and friendly”

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5.Hilo Cruise Ship Excursion: Volcanoes National Park Rainbow Falls

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 130 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $154

From Hilo Pier, join Roberts Hawaii for a 4.5-hour excursion to Rainbow Falls, Big Island Candies, and Volcanoes National Park. Expect steam vents, the visitor center, Halema’uma’u Crater, and guides such as Grover, Derek, or Jeffrey. Bring water, food, a light jacket, and sturdy shoes.

“Great tour, way cheaper than booked from the ship and most efficient. On tours from ship we had to wait up to an hour, but with Viator we walked off the ship and onto a comfortable bus. Great tour guide and not rushed.”

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6.Meares Glacier Cruise Excursion from Valdez

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 119 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $199

Join Stan Stephens Cruises in Valdez for an eight-hour trip through Prince William Sound to Meares Glacier. Captain Alan and the crew share local history and point out whales, dolphins, sea otters, sea lions, and calving ice. Lunch, a bagel snack, coffee, tea, and water are included.

“Very nice to trip. Captain was very informative about the area and finding us things to see. Despite the slight rains everything went well. Got to see the Mears Glacier up close. Food served at lunchtime was good. The crew were very entertaining with their antics. Highly recommend this tour.”

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7.Hawaii Volcano National Park Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 117 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $168

From Hilo Harbor, a local English-speaking guide takes you through gardens, jungle bridges, waterfalls, macadamia country, and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Expect a fast-moving day in a minibus for up to 14 people, with time for lava tubes, steam vents, shopping, snacks, and black-sand beaches.

“Besides the Volcano, Dan was the star of the tour! He made sure we saw many sites on the way to and from Volcano National Park using local knowledge to describe what we were seeing and insure the shortest time traveling. And we received a botanical class as well. A great tour”

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8.Volcanoes National Park Adventure Tour – Hilo Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 104 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $195

This seven-hour Hilo shore excursion combines Rainbow Falls, Japanese gardens, Richardson Ocean Park, Volcanoes National Park, a lava tube, and Big Island Candies. Guides such as Karen, Ernie, Mike, Sean, and Eddie lead small groups of up to 14, with port pickup, water, snacks, and narration included.

“Poor customer service I would not recommend this company. We had an emergency where going on this tour would not have been safe For us and when we reached out they wouldn’t even give us a partial refund. And would not pick up the phone when I called. I can only imagine what type of service they provide if there is an issue on the tour.”

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9.Visit Volcano, Waterfall, Beach with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 80 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $189

Join Anthony, Desmond, or another Shaka Braddah guide for a 6 to 7-hour Hilo shore excursion to Rainbow Falls, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Nahuku Lava Tube, and Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach. Lunch, local fruit, hotel or port pickup, and a group of no more than 12 are included.

“Such a great tour and an exciting day as Kilauea was percolating. Great stop at the lava tube, lookout points and tge black sand beach. Even better was the presentation in the van complete with photos on a screen and tons of island props to pass around.”

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10.Mendenhall Glacier Canoe, Paddle and Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 75 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $402

You paddle 5 to 6 miles across Mendenhall Lake toward Mendenhall Glacier, then walk about 2 miles on rocky ground near its edge. Above and Beyond Alaska supplies boots, rain gear, paddling equipment, snacks, water, and guides. The outing lasts about 5.5 hours.

“Paddling was hard work so that I got arm muscle pain for next three days. But the guides are very kind and skillful, making sure our safety on glacier. This tour is definitely the highlight of my Alaska trip!”

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11.Mendenhall Glacier Guided Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $234

Hike from Juneau through Tongass rainforest and steep bedrock to a Mendenhall Glacier viewpoint. Your English-speaking guide provides rain gear, a backpack, water, snacks, and permits. This small-group outing covers roughly 7 to 8 miles and does not promise walking on the glacier itself.

“My boyfriend and I got incredibly lucky and this trek turned out to be the highlight of our trip to Alaska, though our experience was a bit unique. We were originally set to hike with 5 other travelers, but when we met the guides in the morning they informed everyone that due to very poor weather conditions, we likely wouldn't make it to the glacier they offered everyone the option to cancel with a full refund. After a pretty convincing you-should-probably-cancel pitch from one of the guides, who we think may have been exaggerating a bit the other 5 travelers canceled and we ended up with a de-facto private tour…”

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12.Helicopter to a Dogsledding Experience with a Glacier Landing

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 60 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $860

Fly from Juneau to Herbert Glacier, where mushers introduce you to their sled dogs before a roughly 40-minute ride across the snow. Then land on exposed glacier ice for a guided walk, cold glacier water, and sweeping Juneau Icefield views. Coastal Helicopters provides transport, boots, and raincoats if needed.

“Excelente experiencia. Muy bien organizados, personal atento y amable, siempre dispuesto a contestar tus preguntas. La experiencia de la corrida en trineo tirado por perros fue completa pero un poco corta, lo que podemos entender porque no quieren explotar a los perros. Los perros estaban llenos de energía y eran muy amigables. El vuelo en helicóptero fue espectacular, las vistas aéreas de los picos nevados y los glaciares fueron de primera. El momento más emocionante fue cuando aterrizamos en un glaciar a caminar.”

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13.Private Shore Excursion Hilo Volcanoes National Park up to 10 PPL

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 36 reviews · 6 hours (approx.)

Travel in a private Mercedes Sprinter with guides such as Rob, Skylar, Jodi, or Dash. See Kīlauea’s Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, steam vents, Thurston Lava Tube, Chain of Craters Road, Rainbow Falls, and Hilo sights in about six hours.

“Skylar drives, photographs, and guides all day! He makes it look easy, but it is a lot of work. After some great photos with our cruise ship and banyan trees in the background, we headed straight up to the national park. During the ride, there's an option to watch a Nova episode about a massive eruption that occurred in 2018 which illustrates how powerful and complex Kīlauea can be and how challenging it can be for the people who coexist with it. Once at the park, Skylar helps you take in so much. The volcanoes are stunning, but there are so many other things to see in the park. There's…”

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