Kona Tour: Coffee Plantation, Kealakekua Bay, Kaloko-Honokohau Park, and Bee Farm

Start  with a hotel pickup, either from your Kona or Waikoloa hotel before you travel south down the coast. You’ll first head to the Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, where your guide will point out petroglyph sites that are hidden amongst the black rocks. Passing by sacred Hawaiian temples, and hearing tales of the past, you’ll stroll to the shoreline and make a stop at the white sand Honokohau Beach, where you’ll look for sea turtles surfacing for air, and maybe even spot a Hawaiian monk seal.

Traveling by comfortable minivan, you’ll next arrive in Kona, where you’ll see historic landmarks such as Mokuaikaua Church: the oldest Christian church in Hawaii and an important historical sight. Continuing south along the west facing coast, you’ll stop and look at Kealakekua Bay where Captain Cook met his end, and learn about the ancient village that was here when Captain Cook first arrived. 

Next, make a stop at Big Island Bees, a local farm that has produced organic honey since 1972. You’ll meet with the beekeeper to tour the property, and from the safety of a protected viewing area, see a thriving, open beehive where thousands of bees buzz inside. While sampling the raw, organic honey, learn how vital bees are to keeping a healthy, functioning ecosystem, and learn the tricks and tools of the trade of harvesting jars full of honey.

Even farther south, in Honaunau, enjoy a guided walking tour of Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park, and learn how this site was a city of refuge for those who broke the law. To end the day, drive up the mountain towards the 'coffee belt' to the home of Kona coffee, and explore the orchards of a coffee plantation in the refreshing mountain mists. While here, learn everything there is to know about harvesting Kona coffee, from the growing, harvesting, processing and roasting the beans into famous, world-class coffee. The tour finishes with lunch on the farm — and, of course, some Kona coffee — before you’re transported back to your Kona hotel in the middle of the afternoon.