Itinerary · 6 stops
Plan a multi-day cacao tour across the Big Island of Hawaii
The Big Island grows more cacao than any other Hawaiian island, and its tour scene is split across two coasts — the dry Kona side and the wet Hilo/Hāmākua side. Most farms sit a 90-minute drive apart, so a chocolate-focused trip works best as a multi-day loop rather than a single-day crawl.
This itinerary lays out a three-day route that begins in Kona, crosses the Saddle Road to Hilo, and finishes along the Hāmākua coast. Each stop has been chosen for distinctive cacao or production focus — single-estate fermentation, tree-to-bar processing, or working farm access — and pairs reasonably with the next on driving distance. Reserve tours in advance; most operations run by appointment only.
6 stops in order
The map loads. Every place on it is also in the list.
Day 1 · Morning
Start in Holualoa above Kailua-Kona at one of the state's oldest dedicated cacao farms. The factory tour walks you through fermentation and roasting on the same property where the beans are grown — a useful baseline for everything else you'll taste this trip.
Tip: Book the morning slot — Kona afternoons heat up quickly and the orchard portion is outdoors.
Day 1 · Afternoon
Five minutes from downtown Kailua-Kona at the Kona Brewery block. Sit-down tasting flights compare their single-origin Hawaiian bars side by side. A solid contrast to the morning's farm-focused stop.
Drive: ~25 min from Holualoa down to the coast
Tip: Walk-ins are usually fine for the tasting bar; reserve if you want the guided flight.
Day 2 · Morning
Drive the Saddle Road or southern route to the Hilo side. Mauna Kea Cacao is a small single-estate farm whose 2018 Cocoa of Excellence win still ranks among the strongest international showings for a Hawaiian cacao. The 90-minute tour includes pod-opening and fermentation walk-through.
Drive: ~2 hours from Kona via Saddle Road
Tip: Schedule the tour before checking into Hilo lodging — the farm sits ~15 minutes north of Hilo town.
Day 2 · Afternoon
Lavaloha's one-hour tree-to-chocolate tour fits neatly after Mauna Kea: orchard walk, factory floor, tasting lounge. The shorter format works well as a second-of-the-day stop when your palate is already calibrated.
Drive: ~20 min south to Hilo
Tip: End at the on-site chocolate lounge — it's the most relaxed sit-down spot on the Hilo side.
Day 3 · Morning
The Hāmākua coast north of Hilo is the wettest cacao-growing region in Hawaii and arguably the most beautiful. Hāmākua's hands-on harvest day (last Sunday of the month) lets you do real field work — pick, open pods, taste raw pulp — followed by lunch and a botanical walk.
Drive: ~15 min north of Hilo
Tip: The full harvest party only runs monthly. If your dates don't line up, swap in Honoka'a Chocolate Farm 40 min further north.
Day 3 · Afternoon
Cap the trip at the northernmost cacao tour on the Big Island. Honoka'a's guided bean-to-bar walk through orchard, processing room, and tasting closes the loop on everything you saw earlier in the trip.
Drive: ~40 min along the Hāmākua coast
Tip: From here it's another hour to Waimea or two back to Kona, so plan flights or lodging accordingly.
Nothing to show here.
6 questions
Not realistically. Kona-side cacao is at least 90 minutes from Hilo-side cacao via the Saddle Road, and most tours are 60–90 minutes themselves. Two days lets you do one stop per coast; three days lets you add the Hāmākua coast and gives the trip room to breathe.
Yes, essentially. Every farm on this itinerary runs by appointment, and the smaller estate tours (Mauna Kea Cacao, Hāmākua, Honoka'a) often fill a week or more out. The tasting bars in town (Puna Chocolate, Lavaloha) take walk-ins for the retail side but require reservations for guided tastings.
Split nights — one or two in Kona, one or two in Hilo. Driving back across the island every day burns hours you'd rather spend at farms. If you must pick one base, Hilo gives you closer access to more cacao acreage.
Most are kid-friendly with a few caveats. 21 Degrees on Oahu has explicit family programming; on the Big Island, farms like Puna Gold Estate and Mauna Kea Cacao allow children but the format is closer to an adult-paced walk than a kids' activity. Confirm at booking.
Cacao flowers and ripens year-round in Hawaii, so there is no single 'season' — but October through April is generally cooler and less rain-heavy on the Kona side. The Hilo/Hāmākua side is wet most of the year; pack a rain shell regardless of month.
Every farm on this itinerary sells their own bars at the end of the tour. You'll often find single-origin Big Island bars at retail prices roughly 30–50% lower than the same bars on Oahu or the mainland, so it's a reasonable place to stock up.