What to Do in Kona When it Rains to Stay Dry
If you’re wondering what to do in Kona when it rains, you’ve come to the right place!
Living on the Big Island, I saw my fair share of rain. But I never let it stop me from enjoying exploring the island, especially when there were things to do where I could stay dry!
I like defaulting to food and drink in wet weather, so taking a brewery tour or coffee farm sampling is totally my jam. But there are other activities to do as well like visiting historical sites, doing some souvenir shopping, and sitting down for some entertainment.
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14 Rainy Day Activities in Kona
While Kona only gets an average of about 10 inches of rainfall a year, sometimes it can feel like more, especially if a storm comes through.
These things to do will keep you dry and out of the rain so you can still enjoy your time in Kona.
1. Flight of Aloha
Flight of Aloha takes you a virtual helicopter flight over Hawaii in a multi-sensory theater experience with 8K visuals, music, motion, mist, scent, and wind. Enjoy the beautiful landscape of the Hawaiian islands without ever leaving the ground.
Think of this as a mini Soarin’ ride at a Disney park.
2. Kona Glassbottom Boat Tour
It doesn’t rain underwater so taking the Kona Glassbottom Boat Tour on a rainy day doesn’t affect your viewing.
You’ll be staying dry under the covered boat while observing colorful fish and coral, possibly green sea turtles, and if you’re lucky, dolphins!
3. Kona Brewing Co Tour
The fun Kona Brewing Co’s brewery tour takes you on a shuttle from the restaurant to the brewing facility to show you the brewing process, learn the history of the company, and of course, sample four 4oz beer tastings.
4. 808 Escape Rooms
At 808 Escape you have to find your way out of a locked room by solving puzzles and clues within 60 minutes.
You win by finding the key in time, you lose if the time runs out before you find the key.
2-5 players.
Book the Tiki’s Shack Escape Room >>
808 Escape also offers VR escape rooms and games, not suggested for the motionsick-prone like me.
5. Island Breeze Luau
The Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel hosts the Island Breeze Luau and is normally held outside, even it sprinkles a little bit.
But in true performance fashion, the show must always go on! So if the rains become too heavy, they move their show indoors so you don’t miss out on your luau experience.
6. Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation
Thunder Mountain Coffee Plantation offers free Kona coffee tours rain or shine. I actually did take their tour while it was raining (it’s in a cloud forest after all) and stayed dry because they took us from a covered pavilion to inside the coffee storehouse.
I also enjoyed browsing their cute gift shop while warming up on their coffee samples.
7. Hulihe’e Palace
Hulihe’e Palace is set amongst an oceanfront lawn on Ali’i Drive. It is a historical and residential site that has been passed down through the royal Hawaiian families.
Walk through six large well-decorated rooms with artifacts like koa wood furniture, feather work, quilts, and many other items dating back to the late 1800s during the time of King Kalakaua and Queen Kapi’olani.
Reservation Options:
- Book in advance for a guided tour
- Same-day bookings are self-guided
8. Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm
The Ocean Rider SeaHorse Farm is one of the world’s first farm raised seahorse facilities and America’s only seahorse aqua-farm.
Take a 1 hour tour seeing thousands of seahorses from all over the world and learning about the research and conservation of these unique marine animals.
You’ll even get to play with them in the tanks, experiencing their tiny little tails wrap around your fingers.
9. St Benedict’s Painted Church
On the way to/from Pu’uhonua o Honaunau, is the short detour to St Benedict’s Painted Church.
130 years ago Father John Velghe hand-painted all the frescoes on the walls, as well as the decorations on the ceiling and posts. What you see is still all 100% of the original artwork.
The chapel is free to enter and you’re welcome to sit on the wooden pews as you try to recognize the painted Bible stories.
I had an elevated experience when I visited, because I could hear the church choir practicing next door.
10. Hawaiian History Art at Courtyard by Marriott
One of my favorite Kona hidden gems is the beautiful collection of artwork and artifacts portraying the history of the Hawaiian islands. It’s a free display inside the Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel.
The paintings are so vibrant and detailed and there are plaques telling the stories of what you’re looking at.
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11. Trivia Night
I love me a good trivia night, especially when they are themed. Geeks Who Drink hosts a weekly free trivia night at Ola Brewing.
See if you can get your team to have the highest score with your collective trivial knowledge and win some prizes.
It’s free to participate, they just ask that you order drinks and/or food.
12. Kona Kat Cafe
The Kona Kat Cafe is a cat lover’s dream! Drink coffee on a where cute, cuddly (and adoptable!) felines surround you!
Pay to enter a large room, known as the “catio”, where cute, cuddly (and adoptable!) felines surround you. There is different seatings and Instagrammable areas to enjoy your visit with them.
If you don’t want to pay to be with the cats, the catio has viewing windows so you can enjoy watching them from behind the glass.
During the month, Kona Kat Cafe also offers Cat Yoga class and a Purr and Paint watercolor class.
13. Listen to Live Music
Listening to live music is a great activity to stay away from the rain. Restaurants and bars often have live music to entertain diners but it can sometimes be difficult to know when and where they will be playing.
Here are a few places that are known for having live music:
- Kona Brewing Co
- Willies Hot Chicken
- Happiness Kona
- Huggos on the Rocks
- Papa Kona
- Umekes
14. Shopping on Ali’i Drive
Ali’i Drive is the Big Island tourist shopping strip with store complexes like:
- Kona Inn Shopping Village
- Kona Marketplace
- World Square Shopping Plaza.
You’ll find “Made in Hawaii ” souvenirs but you’ll also find a lot of “Made in China ” items as well, which is fine as long as you know it before buying instead of feeling dupped afterwards.
My two favorite “Made in Hawaii” stores are Aloha Toe Rings and Tasty Kona.
💁♀️Tab’s Trip Tip: Parking fees for Ali’i Drive has gotten out of hand. But I’ve got tips on how to navigate around them.
You Might Also Like:
Things to Do on the Drive from Kona to Hilo
Final Thoughts on What to Do on a Rainy Day in Kona
Once again, it’s my belief that if it rains while you are in Kona you don’t cancel your plans, you just go with the flow. Chances are the showers will end as fast as it appeared.
Kona is not the rainy side of the Big Island, it is in fact the dry side. You might encounter a light mist or shower in the mid-afternoon, but it will dissipate quickly.
But if there is a tropical storm happening or the forecast is just not looking dry, these activities will still allow you to enjoy your Hawaiian vacation, making the most of your time on the Big Island.
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