Big Island Horseback Riding: Our Paniolo Adventures Experience
Experience Open Range Horseback Riding in the unspoiled upcountry Hawai’i on historic Kohala Mountain. This 11,000 acre working cattle ranch, stretching from the rain forest to the ocean, offers the most spectacular scenery on the Big Island. Choose from morning, afternoon, sunset, private, experienced, and beginner riding experiences. Watch Erica’s video below on her sunset ride!
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Activity Overview
Hawaii horseback riding on the beach may be on your bucket list. Let me convince you why you should head up an extinct volcano for a far better experience.
Plus, Big Island horseback riding doesn’t have a beach experience. I’m afraid you will have to go to Oahu for a horseback ride on the beach.
Let me take you up the mountain for Kohala horseback riding. This is open ranch horseback riding at its best. Home to the first paniolo. You won’t regret this experience.
Erica’s Experience with Paniolo Adventures
When my mom asked to go Big Island horseback riding on our Thanksgiving trip, I knew exactly where to take her. We headed up the mountain of Kohala, just north of Waikoloa Resorts and Kona.
I chose their Sunset Horseback Ride for the sunset views across the open range. Plus, the 1.5-hour duration was perfect for us.
My favorite part of the trip was the
Watch our video below for a scenic overview of what you can expect with Big Island horseback riding tours!
Big Island Horseback Riding Tours: 6 Options
Here are the six signature tours offered by Paniolo Adventures. Click the booking buttons to learn more about the tours. When you click the links below, you will be booking directly with Paniolo Adventures at their best rate.
The duration listed is the time in the saddle. The total tour length is 30 minutes longer for instruction, safety, check-in, and putting on your gear.
Thank you for booking directly with Paniolo Adventures on our website. This helps us write tour reviews of Hawaii for our favorite local operators.
Note: Tour prices are subject to change! I do my best to keep them updated.
What’s Included
- Boots
- Light Jackets
- Australian Duster Jackets
- Helmet
- Bottled Water available for purchase
- Sunscreen
What to Wear
- Long Pants
- Closed-Toe Shoes
- Light Jacket, Sweatshirt, or Coat. It is 10 to 15 degrees cooler up on the mountain.
Remember to pack long pants and closed-toe shoes! We don’t recommend packing these items unless you plan to go horseback riding, hike on lava fields, or visit the tops of volcanoes like Haleakala or Volcanoes National Park.
See our What to Pack for Hawaii for a packing list!
Sunset Horseback Riding: Most Popular
This is the tour I did, and I highly recommend it!
- Price: $175
- Duration: 1.5 hours
- Check-in time is advised upon making the reservation!
- 3,000 feet of elevation on the Ponoholo Ranch
- All experience levels are welcome
- This is where to be for sunset on the Big Island!
Afternoon and Morning Big Island Horseback Rides
Here are two rides that are a bit longer than the sunset horseback ride. While Hawaii is cooler in the morning, don’t worry about the heat during the afternoon ride. As you will be at 3,000 feet, you can expect cooler temperatures.
- Price: 155
- Duration: 2.5 hours
- Check-in: 9:30 AM or 1:00 PM
- Includes views of the ocean, the coastline down to Waikoloa, all the major volcanoes, and Maui.
- Marvel at ancient Hawaiian ruins and see grazing cattle up close!
- These rides include opportunities to trot and canter.
- All experience levels are welcome.
Experience Level Rides
If you’re a bit nervous about Big Island horseback riding on your vacation, consider the City Slicker Ride. Or, if you’re ready to test your experience on the open range, then book the Wrangler Ride.
These two rides are for beginners (walking only) and those with over 50 rides in the past 2.5 years.
The Wrangler Open Range Horseback Ride is a 4-hour ride and starts at $245. Check-in is at 8:30 AM.
The walking-only City Slicker Ride is geared toward folks who want a calm, relaxing tour of paradise from a perspective like no other. The tour is 1 hour and starts at $135; check-in is at 1:30 PM.
Private Kohala Ranch Rides
For those seeking a more intimate experience, try a private Big Island horseback riding experience!
Paniolo Adventures offers private tours for their signature sunset, morning, and afternoon rides. The price is a base rate plus the number of people in the group. More folks in the group means larger savings. Click the booking buttons below to learn more.
Hawaii Horseback Riding Tours
Are you visiting other islands on your trip to Hawaii? Here are our favorite horseback riding tours on Oahu and Maui.
Kohala Horseback Riding
Paniolo translates to cowboy in Hawaiian. The paniolo have a long tradition of working ranches across the islands (mainly Upcountry Maui and the Big Island). Ever since King Kamehameha the Great was gifted cows that quickly went feral and out of control, paniolo have existed in Hawaii.
The Parker Ranch, founded in 1847, was once the largest ranch in America. Sorry, Texas.
Paniolo Adventures operates from the Ponoholo Ranch, one of the most beautiful ranches on the Big Island. This 11,000-acre cattle ranch covers 3 climate zones as it stretches from 4,800 feet to the ocean.
It has the second-largest herd of cattle on the island, with 6,000 to 8,000 head, after the Parker Ranch. The ranch is operated in an environmentally sensitive manner through intensive rotational grazing, which maximizes nutritional opportunities for the cattle and reduces land damage from erosion and overgrazing.
The cattle raised on the Ponoholo Ranch are sent to the mainland in livestock ships after they are weaned from their mothers. They are then trucked to pastures or feedlots, primarily in Texas.
The Ranch offers awe-inspiring views of the Pacific Ocean, the Kohala and Kona coastlines, and the Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Hualalai volcanoes on the Big Island, as well as Haleakala Volcano on Maui.
Have a Wonderful Big Island Horseback Ride!
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