Kilauea Caverns of Fire

We were interested in seeing lava tubes, but wanted something more adventuresome than the lame and touristy-​sounding Thurston tubes. This place was our second choice after Kula Kai Caverns, which had been recommended to us, but which we couldn’t do because the website said they don’t take anyone under 11 years old due to the sophisticated content of the tour. Kilauea Caverns of Fire is, as far as I can tell, is like the Kula Kai experience on chill pills. It’s another setup where a guide takes you through an entrance on private property, but is a laid back operation all around (although, I would emphasize, not laid back in terms of safety, they seemed fine in that department). They happily signed up our 10 year old, and pitched the information appropriately to him — we were the only people on the tour, which is another advantage of going with this less well known outfit. The entrance to the site was nearly invisible off the dirt road, and the gate was locked when we pulled up – and shortly afterward our guide showed up in a beat-​up pickup, looking for all intents and purposes like a surfer dude who had lost his way to the beach.
But his laconic style ended up being quite enjoyable on the tour, and certainly no impediment to the marvelous experience we had in the caves. They’re like nothing I’ve ever seen. I learned that a lava tube is basically a route by which lava continued to travel as an underground river, after the surface has hardened. So the spectacle is formations that look like a what you’d see on a river in an instant of time — like, for instance, a rock falling in and making ripples and splashes — but frozen in stone for all time. Our guide’s laid back attitude had obviously not prevented him from learning a ton about these tubes, which he shared with us over the course of the hour.
I was curious what we missed by not taking the full 3 hour tour (cue Gilligan’s Island theme), and it sounds like not a whole lot (although he may have been just trying to make me feel better). They take you in a larger tube, which I imagine is incrementally more spectacular.
This is well worth it as a stop on the way to the Park, or a short trip out of it if you’re staying there.

It was a pretty neat tour. We were unfortunately 20 minutes or so late to our 1 hour tour but luckily he had extra time between us and the next tour so we were able to still take the whole hour.
It is really a neat place, not a lot of people can say they have a lava tube in their back yard but these folks do, and they made it accessible for others rather than burying it or ignoring it.
It is well preserved, too.
Try this place! I like their prices.

Caverns of Fire was a last minute decision on a rainy Sunday. However, it was a good one. it takes you into a dormant lava tube near Kilauea Crater. The lava tube is long and dark. There so many types of lava, stalactites and stalagmites down inside. The cavern is actually in the backyard of someones home on the eastern side of Kilauea national park. Steve, our guide was great. He guided via cell the safest and «easiest» way to property of the highway. Half the battle is getting to the location as it is off the main drag and parts of the way is unpaved. You will need 4 wheel drive if their is a down pour to get there. We had a small sedan and lot of luck getting in and out of the area. Once there, we went into something you would see on the Discovery or Travel channels. The walking tour for novice tourists like us is reasonable in price ($ 29) and easy in exertion. It is about half mile in length. For the spelunker in your family, there is a more aggressive tour that will get you in the 52 mile side of the lava tube! We learned a lot from Steve about lava flows, lava types and why tubes are so cool and unique. This is definitely worth going off the beaten path and their «Fodor’s Choice» rating.
Note: if it is raining wear a raincoat in the cavern. Lava is porous so you will be rained on in the cavern. Seriously!