Excursions

Question

This is going to be a lengthy question…A friend found a tour group and can’t remember the name. Here is the description: Includes staying at various B&B’s hiking, kayaking or maybe biking to your next destination…waterfalls, live volcano, etc. He can’t remember the name, but it was the Big Island. Any help would be appreciated. We will be a group of approximately 8 give or take. Hopefully, he wasn’t dreaming!

Answer

The tour your friend described does exist — he was *not* dreaming! While the Big Island does not have many companies offering multi-day “hike-to-your-next-B&B” expeditions, there are a few well-known adventure outfitters that offer exactly this style: small-group, multi-day, lodge or B&B based, with hiking, kayaking, biking, waterfalls, and volcano experiences.

Below is a detailed explanation of what these tours typically look like, plus the companies that match the description most closely. With a group of around eight people, you would be within the ideal size for these operators.

The Type of Tour You’re Describing

Your friend is describing a multi-day, multi-sport adventure tour on the Big Island, usually including:

Staying in a series of locally owned inns, eco-lodges, or B&Bs
Daily activities such as hiking, kayaking, biking, and swimming
Waterfall visits and rainforest trails
Volcano exploration at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Transportation of luggage between accommodations
Guides who handle logistics, meals, and permits

These are not typical bus tours — they’re curated active-travel itineraries, often customizable for groups.

Big Island Tour Companies That Fit the Description

While not many companies do this exact style, the following are the closest matches and are well known in the adventure-travel space:

Backroads – The most likely match. They offer multi-day “multi-adventure” trips on the Big Island, including hiking, biking, kayaking, and staying in small inns or lodge-style accommodations. They move accommodations every night or two and transport luggage for you. This fits your description extremely well.
Hawaii Forest & Trail (Private Custom Adventures) – While most of their tours are day trips, they also create custom multi-day itineraries for private groups, often using B&Bs, boutique hotels, and including hikes, volcanology experiences, and waterfall access.
Tropical Snorkel or Active Oahu Adventure partners – Occasionally partner with lodging for multi-day custom packages but less common.
Custom outfitter/expedition planners: A few smaller guide companies on the Big Island will piece together exactly this kind of multi-sport, multi-stop trip with support vehicles and arranged lodging for groups of 6–12.

Which Company Best Matches the “Hike/Kayak/Bike to Your Next Destination” Idea?

From your description, the strongest match is:

Backroads Big Island Multi-Adventure Tours – These itineraries often include:

Staying at charming inns, plantation-style lodges, and boutique B&Bs
Hiking in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Kayaking on the Kona Coast
Biking across scenic coastal and lava landscapes
Exploring waterfalls and native forest preserves
Luggage moved for you while you travel under your own power

This structure — a progressive journey with new accommodations — is Backroads’ hallmark. Many travelers specifically recall the “stay at a B&B, bike or hike to the next one” experience from their tours.

Other Possibilities If It Wasn’t Backroads

Your friend might have also seen a custom or specialty tour from a smaller operator. These are often built for groups and can include:

Private guided hikes through lava fields and rainforest
Exclusive access to remote waterfall areas
Kayaking or SUP along calm Big Island coastlines
B&B or eco-lodge overnight stays on multiple parts of the island

Because you have a group of roughly eight, many companies might design a tailored multi-day journey upon request, even if they don’t advertise it publicly.

Bottom Line

Yes — these adventures absolutely exist on the Big Island, and the description your friend gave matches a known style of multi-day, active travel itineraries. The most likely company he saw is Backroads, which is widely recognized for Big Island multi-sport tours that include B&B-style lodging and daily active exploration.

If your group wants hiking, kayaking, waterfalls, and volcano experiences with charming local stays, you should be able to find — or custom-create — exactly what he described. It’s a terrific fit for a group of 8.