A Complete Guide to Hilo, Hawaii

2/1/2023

During our visit to Hawaii, we spent 3 days exploring Hilo! Although we flew into Kona, from there we were able to take the free, 2 hour bus to Hilo to spend the next week exploring the best places to stay, local places to eat, and activities to do while on the Big Island of Hawai'i!

Other posts you might be interested in :

While in Hilo we stayed at SCP Hilo and loved it!

Our Essential Travel Resources :
There are a lot of travel companies out there, but some are better than others. These are our favorite websites and resources to help you plan an incredible trip.

For flights, we recommend using WayAway or Hopper to compare the cheapest dates to travel to your destination.

Car rentals comparisons are best through Discover Cars - just make sure to bring your international driver's permit with you if you're heading somewhere international!

We always use AGODA for hotels. They have an easy-to-use platform where you can compare the best rates.

To keep cell phone service if you're traveling internationally, we always use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required).

For fun things to do, we always recommend Viator to find the best tours in the area, otherwise Klook also does the trick, especially for tours in Asia.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my packing list for your international or domestic travels.

Where to Stay

SCP Hilo is an incredible property right on the waterfront, we LOVED how much they give back to the local community - plus they had an incredible selection of onsite amenities and entertainment (think lion dances, weekly yoga classes, paddle boarding, local live music, bike rentals, the list goes on) while encouraging sustainable practices through their solar panels and refillable water stations. Another property that looked incredible was the Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo.

Book a stay with SCP Hilo here!

Places to Eat

We've got to be 100% honest here - finding a good place to eat in Hilo was pretty difficult. We found that many places had either been permanently closed or had very random hours, with which we struggled to get to without a car to drive. We did however round up a few of our favorites during our stay there, and can't wait to add a few more food spots around the Big Island on our next visit!

Popover - a delicious donut shop
Loved by the Sun - an awesome smoothie and health food shop located in downtown Hilo
Two Ladies Kitchen - a quaint shop (also located in downtown Hilo) that specializes in serving up the best mochi in town!

Zippy's - not a restaurant that would often come recommended, we loved stopping here for the Saimin (and it definitely helped us stay within our budget)
Ken's House of Pancakes - an incredible local diner that serves "sumo size" plates (complete with a bell that's rang every time a sumo plate is served), we 100% recommend their chocolate coconut pancakes!
Sombat's Fresh Thai Cuisine - a great local Thai spot that had the best fried spring rolls

Things to Do

If you haven't visited the Big Island yet (or never made your way to Hilo), then you're in luck because there are so many incredible activities and things to do near Hilo! Not only is it near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, but in recent years Hilo has even become a popular cruise port!

Rainbow Falls - arguably one of the most touristy spots in Hilo, it's for good reason! Seeing the "rainbow falls" depends on recent rainfall and sunlight - but when the conditions are just right you'll see a beautiful spray of colors!
Pink Church - a unique stop we just happened upon when riding our bikes to Rainbow Falls, the picture truly doesn't do this adorable church justice (MUCH more pink in person!)
Hilo Farmer's Market - the cutest spot in Hilo and the best place to support true local artists to grab a souvenir (or fresh coconut or sugar cane!)
Manta Ray Night Dive - we personally weren't able to do this activity during our stay (SCP Hilo had so many amenities we just ran out of time) but this came highly recommended from many of our local friends on the islands - most of whom recommended booking this tour!
Hawaii Volcanos National Park - at $30 per car per entrance for an entire week, we highly recommend exploring the park for at least a day or two! There is so much to do, however our favorites were seeing the Lava Lake from Kilauea Overlook and walking through the Nahuku Lava Tube!