Hilo cruise port map + where do cruise ships dock in Hilo Hawaii?

ALOHA!

Cruise ships dock near (but not in!) downtown Hilo.

If you’re going to Hilo cruise port on the Big Island of Hawaii, your cruise ship will dock at the Port of Hilo which isn’t really in the immediate area of town.

Hilo is on the east side of the Big Island.

 

You can have some classic Hawaii experiences by not venturing too far outside of Hilo town, like seeing a black sand beach, waterfalls, and maybe even seeing some turtles. You can go by uber or a long walk.

This means you can have a perfect day even if you don’t do an excursion or won’t be renting a car.

But, there are also lots of very Big Island experiences to have by tour or by car on your own!

So, Hilo is a Hawaii cruise port that you should very much consider renting a car or doing an excursion.

 

👆 Where do cruise ships dock in Hilo? Cruise ships dock at the Port of Hilo in an area where there is not much within immediate walking distance. See below for an interactive map of things to do from the Hilo cruise port!

 

There are affiliate links included on this blog. I may earn a commission.

 

HAWAII CRUISE TIPS > BIG ISLAND | MAUI | HONOLULU

 

All cruise ships dock at the Port of Hilo (map).

On google maps, you can find this listed as “Port of Hilo” or “Pier 1”.

Just for your information you can see the Hilo cruise port schedule.

 

To plan your day in Hilo from a cruise ship, I’ve created a google map below that includes some of the best things you can do on your own, which is based on my time on the Big Island. I have rented a car on the Big Island to do a bunch of the best things!

You can decide if you want to do any of these things!

 

 

First, quick tips!

Again, Hilo is a port that you should really consider getting a car.

You need a car to go to places like Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Punaluu black sand beach (aka a turtle beach!), and Akaka Falls State Park. These are all among the top things to do on the Big Island.

You may want to download the Shaka guide before you go to be your guide driving through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

If you don’t want to rent a car, then you need to highly consider doing a Hilo shore excursion that goes to the national park, black sand beach, and waterfalls! For that, your ultimate Hilo excursion is the volcano – waterfall – beach – lunch excursion!

Or for something completely different but still a unique experience, try the craft chocolate tasting and farm tour.

If you are on the rare cruise that has an overnight in Hilo, then you must consider the Mauna Kea excursion! (Mauna Kea is considered the tallest mountain in the world… if you measure it from the base of the mountain deep in the ocean! 😁)

 

For more uniquely Hawaii tours, be sure to see the full list of Hilo excursions on viator and Hilo excursions on getyourguide.

 

You’ll rent a car from the Hilo airport (ITO) a 10 minute drive from the cruise port. (So on the map that I created below, you’ll see that I reference drive times from the airport.)

Look for the cheapest car rental prices. I’ve booked a car rental in Hawaii through this website and all was well.

 

 

Hilo cruise port map

Now, here is the interactive google map of Hilo cruise port that I created!

This includes best things to do in Hilo.

 

👆 How to use this map: Click on the top left icon for a list of what’s on the map! Or, just start clicking the icons on the map! Each icon has more details, so click to expand! If the map isn’t loading well for you, you can also open it directly in google maps.

 

For Hilo cruise port tips, click around on the map and read the descriptions!

 

More Hawaii travel ideas:

• Best things to do in Honolulu
• Things to do near Hilton Hawaiian Village
• Honolulu cruise port map
• Best snorkeling in Waikiki (Honolulu)
• How to get from Honolulu cruise port to Waikiki
• Best things to do in Maui
• Kahului cruise port map
• Road to Hana map
• Best waterfalls in Hawaii
• Best beaches in Hawaii
• Best hikes in Hawaii

 

Cruise from west coast:

• Things to do in California
  • One day in San Francisco
  • One day in San Diego
• Things to do in Pago Pago American Samoa (transpacific cruise)
  • Pago Pago cruise port map

 

Happy mapping out your Hilo cruise port visit!