Southwest® flights from Honolulu (Oahu) to Hilo (Island of Hawaii) from $69

Then when you’re ready to head inland, choose from a world of options for unforgettable excursions. In Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, you can get up close to two active volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa; you can explore caves carved out by flowing lava; and you can walk beside colorful Sulphur bands and steam vents, where volcanic gases seep out from the ground. Visitors with access to wheels or who are game for the tour bus experience can mosey along either or both of the park’s two scenic drives, Chain of Craters Road and Crater Rim Drive, which offer the chance to peer down into the park’s massive craters and gaze out across its gargantuan calderas.

Nearby, at the base of the island’s other major volcano, Mauna Kea, visitors can just as easily find themselves inside a lush rainforest, which offers a stunning—and stark—contrast to those rocky volcanic landscapes. In Akaka Falls State Park, hikers can wind through the verdant tropical vegetation on a number of trails and catch a glimpse of the park’s multiple towering waterfalls: the park’s namesake, Akaka Falls, stands at 442 feet, while nearby Kahūnā Falls plummets just over 300 feet. Meanwhile, the cozy city of Hilo boats its own famous set of falls. Waianuenue, also known as Rainbow Falls, is surrounded by a grove of ancient banyan trees and is a must-see while you’re in town on the enchanting Island of Hawaii.