Things to Know

Tuition & Member Discount

Field seminars are presented by the Hawai‘i Volcanoes Institute, a program of the Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, a non-profit organization.  Field seminar tuition is on a per-person basis.  Students (K-12 and college with valid student ID) are half-price.  Field seminars are discounted up to 30% for Friends members.  Non-members are welcome to join the Friends in order to get the member price.

Park Entrance Fees

For all field seminars and private tours, park entrance fees apply for those without passes.  If you are a school group interested in a private tour, you may be eligible for an educational fee waiver.

Cancellation Policy

All cancellations or changes to dates or times of the institute/excursions provided by Friends of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will be charged a fee of $50.00.

If the cancellation is within 48 hours of the start of the institute/excursion, 0% of the entire cost of the institute/excursion will be refunded. All proceeds support Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

We are in a native rain forest at 4000 feet in elevation. We rarely cancel any excursions. There may be a need to do so if volcanic air pollution becomes a problem. Earthquakes, new volcanic activity, extreme weather or fires may also cancel excursions. In the event of a cancellation by Friends of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park or the national park closes, you will be refunded 100% of your excursion cost.

Insurance

We strongly encourage you to obtain trip cancellation insurance through your local travel agent. This insurance protects you against financial loss if you must cancel or interrupt a trip because of illness or injury to yourself, a family member, or traveling companion. In addition, you are responsible for providing your own health, accident, and car insurance.

Liability Release

Before the start of the field seminar, you will be required to sign our Acknowledgement of Risks & Photo Release form.  A parent or legal guardian must co-sign if a participant is under 18 years of age.  If your program includes a volunteer service-learning project hosted by the national park, you will also be required to sign the park’s Volunteer Services Agreement.

Elevation & Weather

Kilauea Summit is located at 4,000 feet (1,220 meters), where temperatures may be 12 to 15 degrees cooler than at sea level.  Please come prepared for the high elevation as well as for variable weather conditions, including sunny, windy, chilly, and/or rainy.

What to Bring

The items listed below are suggested for your comfort and enjoyment:

• Drinking water
• Bag lunch or snacks (depending on length of program)
• Hat
• Raingear
• Warm, layered clothing
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Backpack
• Closed-toe sturdy walking shoes
• Personal items (e.g., backpack, camera, binoculars, walking stick, etc.)

Transportation

You must provide your own transportation to and from the program’s starting location.  For those visiting from off island, we recommend renting a car.

Park Information

For more information on Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, including current weather, air quality, location, directions, maps, hours of operation, entrance fees, etc., please explore our Visit the Park page.

Leave No Trace

Leave No Trace is a national and international program that strives to educate all those who enjoy the outdoors about the nature of their recreational impacts as well as techniques to prevent and minimize such impacts. We invite you to read the Seven Leave No Trace Principles.

Accessibility

Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication or reasonable modification of policies and procedures to participate in this program should contact the Hawai‘i Volcanoes Institute via email or (808) 985-7373 as soon as possible, but no later than 5 days prior to program start.