This web page accommodates affiliate hyperlinks. Please learn our disclosure for more information.
Planning a visit to Hawaii is one thing many individuals dream of. With its gorgeous seashores, dramatic volcanic landscapes, and luxurious inexperienced hills, it’s one of the stunning locations we’ve visited but in addition the costliest.
While we do assume the islands are definitely worth the excessive value, to take advantage of your keep, it’s important to plan upfront.
In this put up, we share our high Hawaii journey tricks to present you the best way to plan a visit to Hawaii that’s excellent for you.
We’ll cowl what number of days you want in Hawaii, which island to go to, the place to remain, the highest actions, what you should e book upfront, and the whole lot else it’s good to know.
Contents
No, since March 2022, the Safe Travels program has ended and there are actually no necessities for getting into Hawaii.
Domestic US guests to Hawaii not must fill out a web-based type or present proof of vaccination or a unfavourable check.
Masks are actually elective, however some companies could require them. Please be respectful.
I like to recommend making reservations for resorts, automobile rent, eating places, and excursions as far upfront as doable resulting from excessive demand. Make certain you enable loads of time at airports as safety strains are lengthy.
International Visitors to Hawaii
All non-US residents should nonetheless present proof of vaccination to enter the US.
Since June 2022, most worldwide guests not must take a Covid check to enter the nation.
The exception as of January 2023 is guests over 2 years outdated travelling to the US from China, Hong Kong, and Macau—a unfavourable check taken inside two days of departure is required.
Travel insurance coverage is all the time important for visiting the US, the place healthcare is so costly, nevertheless it’s much more vital proper now.
An excellent price range coverage that we’ve used is SafetyWing. It’s obtainable worldwide, covers COVID-19, and is superb worth for households as two youngsters beneath 10 are free.
If you want cancellation cowl, Heymondo is one other nice choice that insured our final US journey.
How Long to Stay in Hawaii
The common keep in Hawaii is about 7 days. I believe this can be a good minimal time for a visit, though 10-14 days is healthier if you wish to go to a number of islands.
Some guests do go to Hawaii for 4-5 days, nevertheless it’s a great distance from the US mainland (or anyplace!) for a brief journey, and also you’ll spend the primary few days adjusting to the time zone change. That mentioned, if it’s all you possibly can handle, it’s higher than no time in Hawaii!
If you might have every week to your Hawaii trip, I like to recommend selecting only one island to go to. See under to search out the most effective Hawaiian island for you.
If you might have 10 days in Hawaii, I like to recommend beginning with 3 days in Oahu after which visiting Maui or Kauai for every week.
Best Island to Visit in Hawaii
Choosing the most effective island to go to is likely one of the most difficult components of planning a visit to Hawaii. They are all various with tons to supply, so it simply relies upon what you might be searching for.
Most guests to Hawaii go to one among these 4 islands:
Oahu
Oahu is by far essentially the most visited and developed Hawaiian island. It’s house to the massive metropolis of Honolulu, which incorporates the well-known and really crowded Waikiki Beach (the place most customer lodging is situated).
Oahu affords essentially the most selection of buying, eating, and nightlife, so if you wish to mix metropolis and seashore life, that is the most effective island for you.
It’s additionally by far the simplest place to handle with out renting a automobile (though I nonetheless advocate it). If you keep in Waikiki, you possibly can stroll to the seashore and lots of retailers, eating places, and actions.
You can even take excursions, Ubers, or the Trolley Bus to close by points of interest together with the Pearl Harbour memorial.
Oahu’s North Shore affords a way more relaxed vibe with stunning seashores and large waves for browsing within the winter.
Oahu is straightforward to suit into Hawaii holidays as Honolulu International Airport affords essentially the most flights from the mainland US and worldwide locations.
Our favorite actions in Oahu are:
- Taking a helicopter trip across the island for gorgeous views. We advocate the one hour doorways off tour with Rainbow Helicopters from Honolulu.
- Snorkelling at Hanauma Bay.
- Relaxing on the Windward Coast seashores particularly Waimānalo and Kailua.
See our 7 Day Oahu itinerary for a lot of extra ideas.
Where to remain in Oahu: Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore is our favorite place we’ve stayed in all of Hawaii! It is critically dreamy with unbelievable ocean views, remoted seashores (with turtles!), fashionable rooms, and many to do. It feels a world away from Waikiki.
Maui
Maui is the second most visited island and is a well-liked honeymoon vacation spot.
It has beautiful seashores, world-class whale watching, and the Road to Hana drive the place you possibly can see waterfalls, bamboo forest, and black sand seashores.
You can even watch the solar rise above a volcanic crater and go to wineries and lavender farms in Upcountry.
There’s a variety of resorts, eating, buying, and actions in addition to pure points of interest.
Our favorite actions in Maui are:
- Staying in a single day in Hana (we love Hana Kai Condos) to discover in style sights like Waianapanapa with out the crowds.
- Whale watching from Lahaina. We noticed an unbelievable quantity of humpbacks on our small group boat journey with Makai Adventures.
- Relaxing on the seashores of West Maui (with turtle sightings!).
See our Maui itinerary for extra ideas.
Where to remain in Maui: Kahana Reef has inexpensive, oceanfront condos on the west coast. We noticed whales, turtles, and unbelievable sunsets from our lanai.
Big Island
The Big Island (formally known as Hawaii) is the youngest Hawaiian island, so it’s not as inexperienced as the opposite islands and has extra lava landscapes.
If you need to see an lively volcano, that is the island to go to.
It’s the most important island with various landscapes from white sand seashores to snow-capped volcanoes.
Our favorite actions on the Big Island are:
- Night snorkel with manta rays. We received extremely shut to those magnificent and large creatures on our manta journey with Sea Quest.
- Snorkelling at Kealakekua Bay and Two Step.
- Kilauea Iki Trail – Hiking right into a volcanic caldera in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
See our information to the finest issues to do on the Big Island for extra ideas.
Where to Stay on the Big Island: You’ll need to divide your time between the west and east on this massive island. Our favorite space was Volcano, the place we adored this peaceable cabin within the rainforest. It’s very totally different from the remainder of Hawaii.
Kauai
Known as The Garden Isle, Kauai is essentially the most lush and inexperienced of the islands.
Kauai has develop into extra in style, nevertheless it isn’t as developed as Maui or Oahu.
The jagged inexperienced cliffs of the gorgeous Napali Coast are the massive draw, however there are additionally beautiful seashores, waterfalls, mountain climbing trails, and multi-coloured canyons.
Our favorite actions in Kauai are:
- Admiring Kauai from above – Our Kauai doorways off helicopter trip was spectacular.
- Sailing the Napali Coast – The huge sea cliffs are gorgeous and we noticed whales, dolphins and turtles on the way in which.
- Seeing turtles and seals on Poipu Beach.
See our put up on the finest issues to do on Kauai for a lot of extra.
Where to remain in Kauai: We cherished our condominium at Kiahuna Plantation on an attractive seashore in Poipu.
Less Visited Hawaiian Islands
If you wish to get off the crushed monitor, you would think about visiting one among these smaller, a lot much less visited islands:
- Molokai – Known as The Friendly Isle, on Molokai you’ll discover a gradual tempo of life and extra native Hawaiians, however much less selection of lodging and actions. It’s additionally house to the leper colony of Kalaupapa, which I grew to become fascinated with after studying a few these Hawaii books.
- Lanai – For a few years Lanai was a pineapple plantation and it’s now house to a couple luxurious resorts. If you need to benefit from the secluded seashores with out the excessive price ticket, the ferry from Lahaina on Maui solely takes an hour, so you would go to on a day journey.
Which Side of the Island?
The character of every island additionally is dependent upon which half you go to.
All the islands have a wet aspect the place the surroundings is lush and inexperienced and a dry aspect the place you’ll often get extra solar.
They are each price visiting, which is why we break up our island stays between two or three places.
Where We Visited in Hawaii
We had 3.5 weeks on our first Hawaiian trip and divided our time between Kauai and Maui, with one evening in Honolulu earlier than our onward flight.
There’s a lot to do on every island that we’re glad we didn’t attempt to add in an additional island.
On our second 3 week Hawaii journey, we spent every week on Oahu (however may have stayed longer) and two weeks on the Big Island.
We love all 4 of the key Hawaii islands, however our private favorite is Kauai.
Planning a Trip to Hawaii: Before You Arrive
- Save up – Hawaii is pricey and also you’ll take pleasure in it extra when you aren’t worrying about each penny. We spent $267 per individual per day (travelling as a pair), together with the whole lot besides flights from the mainland US. You may spend much less by travelling within the low season, selecting non-beachfront lodging, and skipping expensive excursions. You may additionally spend much more by staying in luxurious resorts and consuming out for each meal.
- Visit within the winter to see humpback whales – We have been astounded by what number of we noticed in Maui in February. January to March are the most effective months, however you may see a number of from November to May. Winter climate may be cooler and rainier, however we nonetheless had largely sunny days and the ocean is swimmable yr spherical.
- Visit within the low season to economize – In the spring (April and May) and autumn (September to mid-November), the islands are much less crowded, costs are decrease, and the climate is usually good. It may be very wet on Kauai in April, although. We discovered snorkelling higher in October than in February, because the water was clearer and hotter.
- Book your lodging far upfront – Especially if you’re travelling within the excessive season, need an ocean view, or are travelling to locations like Hana or Upcountry on Maui the place lodging is proscribed. You can seek for resorts and resorts on Booking and trip leases on Vrbo.
- Consider a condominium reasonably than a resort – For households, stays of every week or extra, and for these on a price range, renting a condominium with a kitchen is a good way to economize. There are many to select from and a few have resort amenities like swimming pools and beachfront places. We largely keep in condos and Kiahuna Plantation on Poipu Beach in Kauai is one among our favourites. Vrbo is a good way to search out condos.
- Split your keep – If you need the basic Hawaiian resort expertise however can’t afford it to your complete journey, divide your time between a condominium and a resort. We did this in Oahu—staying in a condominium in Waikiki for 4 nights whereas we explored the south, then stress-free at beautiful Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore for the final 3 nights.
- Camp if you’re on a good price range – It’s not for everybody, however when you don’t thoughts roughing it, tenting is the most cost effective solution to expertise Hawaii. There are some stunning campsites at seashores and state parks, though you often must get permits upfront. See this information to tenting in Hawaii for extra ideas.
- Search on Kiwi or Skyscanner for the most effective flight offers – You must get on a aircraft to succeed in Hawaii. The least expensive charges can be from Los Angeles or different West Coast USA cities. Southwest now flies to Hawaii at low charges. You can even get inexpensive flights from Canada and Japan to Honolulu.
- Fly out and in of various islands – Maximise your time on the islands by flying into one island (corresponding to Kauai) and out of one other (corresponding to Maui). I used to be shocked by what number of inexpensive direct flights there are from the US mainland to locations apart from Honolulu.
- Rent a automobile – It’s one of the simplest ways to see Hawaii and sometimes there’s no different solution to attain components of the islands. At busy instances rental vehicles can run out, so e book far upfront. We use Rental Cars to search out the most effective deal and simply e book the most cost effective economic system automobile.
- Travel between islands by aircraft – There aren’t any ferries between islands (besides from Maui to Lanai) so that you’ll must hop on an interisland flight. Most are operated by Hawaiian Airlines and are inexpensive and quick (20 to 50 minutes).
- Consider splitting your time between two or three places on every island – If you need to do a number of exploring, it will assist keep away from lengthy drives to points of interest. We’ve executed this on all 4 fundamental islands and it labored out properly.
- Book Haleakala dawn upfront – If you need to see Maui’s hottest dawn, you should e book as much as 60 days upfront. If you miss out, attempt once more two days earlier than when extra tickets are launched.
- Make reservations for some state parks – Non-Hawaii residents must e book upfront for sure parks and pay an entrance and parking payment. These embody Haena State Park in Kauai, Waianapanapa State Park on the Road to Hana in Maui, and Diamond Head in Oahu. Time slots are launched 30 days upfront. Book as quickly as doable as they do promote out.
- Pack a sweater – While more often than not you’ll solely want summer time garments, it may well get chilly on morning boat journeys or when you go to increased elevations (like Upcountry in Maui or Waimea Canyon on Kauai) particularly within the winter. Sunrise at Haleakala, Maui and sundown at Mauna Kea on the Big Island are freezing and also you’ll recognize as many layers as doable. See the top of this put up for extra recommendations on what to pack for Hawaii.
- Learn a number of Hawaiian phrases – Even if it’s simply Aloha (hey and goodbye but in addition love and compassion) and Mahalo (thanks). I picked up vocabulary by studying the astounding novel Shark Dialogues by Kiana Davenport (which I extremely advocate each customer reads).
- Book eating places upfront – Upscale eating places do replenish, so make reservations for anyplace you undoubtedly need to eat (together with at resorts). A number of weeks upfront needs to be tremendous however locations like Duke’s on Waikiki Beach e book up months forward. People are likely to eat early in Hawaii (round 6pm) so it’s simpler to get later reservations.
- Bring money for tipping – While you possibly can add a tip to your bank card in eating places, it’s vital to have money for tour guides, valets, and resort workers. If you’re not American, familiarise your self with tipping etiquette. We tipped 20% in eating places and sit down bars, $10-20 per individual for excursions (together with for helicopter pilots), $5 for valet attendants (when the automobile was returned), and round $2-3 a day for lodge housekeeping.
- Plan to go to a couple of island per week – You’ll spend an excessive amount of of your valuable Hawaii trip time travelling and there’s a lot to do on every island. While interisland flight instances are quick, airport safety queues may be lengthy (particularly out of Honolulu) or flights delayed.
- Forget hidden charges – The listed value for resorts and resorts is never what you’ll really pay. You’ll have so as to add tax and sometimes a resort payment, cleansing payment (for condos), and parking cost. Check the ultimate whole value when evaluating lodging choices.
- Visit throughout holidays – Try to keep away from the busiest instances of yr, particularly Christmas and New Year when crowds and costs soar. Thanksgiving week is one other busy interval. Avoid particular occasions like Iron Man on the Big Island in October. If you should go to then, e book far upfront.
- Stay on the seashore (perhaps) – If you might be on a good price range, you’ll save by staying a brief stroll or drive from the seashore. That mentioned, we regularly splurge on beachfront lodging and adore it.
When You Are In Hawaii
- Read novels set in Hawaii – Learn extra about Hawaii’s fascinating tradition and turbulent historical past by studying one among these books about Hawaii whilst you loosen up on the seashore.
- Schedule your most vital actions early – Weather can change and cancel actions like boat journeys and helicopter rides, so be sure you’ll have time to reschedule.
- Book Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve on Oahu two days upfront – If you need to snorkel at this in style seashore, you should make a reservation right here at precisely 7am Hawaii Standard Time two days earlier than your go to. Slots promote out in minutes. Tickets are $25. It’s closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
- Use reef-safe sunscreen – Hawaii has banned the sale of sunscreen that makes use of coral-harming chemical compounds (oxybenzone and octinoxate). You want a product that makes use of zinc oxide as a substitute, like this Ethical Zinc sunscreen. Honestly, it’s a ache to use, nevertheless it’s surprisingly water-proof, and it’s price it to guard the reefs. Longs Drugs and ABC Stores are good locations to choose up all of your seashore provides.
- Wear a rashguard – Even higher than sunscreen is to guard your pores and skin by sporting a rashguard within the water, particularly when snorkelling.
- Sign as much as the Snorkel Report on Maui – You’ll get an e-mail each morning with recommendations on the most effective seashores to go to that day. They additionally lease cheap snorkelling and seashore gear.
- Check the Hawaii Beach Safety web site – To discover out which seashores are secure for swimming or finest for browsing.
- Go whale watching – It was one among our favorite experiences in Hawaii. We selected a small boat journey with Makai Adventures from Lahaina in Maui and cherished it a lot we went twice. You can see whales on a lot of the islands—seek for whale watching journeys in Hawaii right here.
- Hike – All the islands have stunning trails from simple coastal walks to difficult multi-day treks. It’s a terrific free solution to take pleasure in the great thing about the islands.
- Rent a Tommy Bahama seashore chair and umbrella – Our condos got here with these, however you possibly can lease them on the islands inexpensively. They have backpack straps for simple carrying and make seashore hopping far more comfy.
- Bring or lease snorkel gear – If you might have house in your baggage, carry your personal snorkel and masks. If not, lease it for the size of your keep from a service like Snorkel Bob’s (as we did on the Big Island). I appreciated having the ability to check out the reef each time we went to the seashore.
- Visit a farmer’s market – The recent produce is often cheaper and higher high quality than the supermarkets and there are many tasty treats and foodie souvenirs to take pleasure in.
- Cool off with shave ice – This scrumptious icy deal with is so a lot better than we anticipated. Add a scoop of macadamia ice cream on the underside for optimum tastiness. Our favourites are Waikomo Shave Ice on Kauai and Original Big Island Shave Ice Co on the Big Island.
- Enjoy a Mai Tai on the seashore – Touristy sure, nevertheless it’s a basic Hawaii expertise and these tasty rum cocktails are available cool Tiki glasses.
- Try Li Hing Mui – This dried plum is nice, salty, and bitter. It’s very talked-about in Hawaii (originating from China), and you’ll find them complete for snacking (a bit a lot for me) or as a flavour for a lot of treats. It’s my new favorite shave ice flavour (particularly mixed with lilikoi/passionfruit and pineapple).
- Drive the Road to Hana on Maui – Most individuals do that in at some point, however we cherished spending a number of nights in Hana to discover with out the crowds.
- Eat in eating places for each meal – Restaurants are costly and by self-catering in our condominium we saved an enormous sum of money. Even when you don’t have a kitchen, you possibly can decide up a pre-made picnic lunch from a grocery store and luxuriate in it on the seashore. Some of our tastiest meals have been from meals vans that are far cheaper than eating places. Hana in Maui and Hanalei in Kauai had the most effective choice of vans.
- Underestimate the ocean – Conditions may be harmful and alter rapidly and drownings do occur. If you’re unsure it’s secure, don’t swim.
- Turn your again on the ocean – Huge waves can come out of nowhere if you end up swimming and even strolling alongside the shore.
- Fight a rip present – If you get caught in a present, maintain calm, float, and wave for assist. Go with the present and preserve your vitality.
- Touch sea turtles or monk seals – You are prone to come throughout wildlife on the seashores, nevertheless it’s unlawful to get too shut or contact them.
- Feed fish or different wild animals.
- Trespass – Please respect personal property. While all seashores are open to the general public, they don’t all have public entry routes.
- Litter – Don’t depart something behind on seashores or mountain climbing trails.
- Park illegally – Respect “no parking” indicators and don’t cease on the aspect of the highway. This has develop into an actual drawback on the Road to Hana in Maui specifically.
- Steal any rocks or sand.
- Touch or step on coral – Be aware of the place your fins are when snorkelling.
- Leave valuables in your automobile – And maintain any baggage hidden out of sight within the trunk. Rent a mid-size automobile reasonably than a compact one (we discovered these didn’t have an enclosed trunk).
- Laugh on the hula – It’s not only a dance for vacationers, however a critical a part of native tradition.
- Refuse a lei (flower garland) – It’s a logo of affection and Aloha so put on it with gratitude and don’t take it off in entrance of the one who gave it to you.
- Wear footwear into somebody’s home.
- Rush – Don’t really feel the stress to do the whole lot. Make certain you enable time simply to loosen up by the pool or on the seashore. Slow down and luxuriate in these stunning islands.
Clothes
The climate is heat year-round in Hawaii so pack light-weight summer time garments—shorts, t-shirts, clothes, a few bathing fits, and a seashore cover-up.
I’m a giant fan of PrAna for summer time clothes and swimwear.
There’s no must pack formal garments as Hawaii could be very informal.
I do advocate packing one set of hotter garments for visiting locations at increased elevations or boat journeys in winter. A pair of denims or leggings plus a light-weight fleece or sweater needs to be tremendous.
If you might be planning on dawn at Haleakala in Maui or stargazing at Mauna Kea on the Big Island, it may be freezing, so add extra layers and maybe a packable down jacket in case you have one.
Shoes
We spend most of our time in Hawaii sporting mountain climbing sandals—they’re excellent for seashores and hikes. Many seashores have tough entry trails so that you’ll recognize one thing greater than flip-flops.
We each love Teva sandals that are very comfy for mountain climbing and most fashions are waterproof so are nice for kayaking. Simon likes the Teva Fi Lite sandals and I’ve the Teva Verra sandals.
I additionally had a pair of ballet flats for a dressier choice for the evenings. My present favourites are the tremendous comfortable Allbirds Tree Breezers—see my Allbirds flats overview for particulars.
For operating, I put on the sunshine, breathable Allbirds Tree Dashers.
Other Useful Items
- Reef-safe sunscreen – Avoid sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate which have been banned in Hawaii.
- Reusable buying luggage – Plastic luggage are banned on the islands.
- Spices – If you might be self-catering, you’ll lower your expenses by bringing a small quantity of spices with you. We purchased some on the bulk-buy part of a grocery store on the mainland.
- Water bottle – Avoid creating plastic waste by packing a reusable water bottle. We just like the Vapur water bottle because it’s mild and packs flat when empty.
- Packable daypack – These backpacks slot in your baggage on the journey over and are helpful for hikes and exploring.
- Packing cubes – We swear by these as they maintain your garments organised and simple to search out in your baggage.
- Quick-dry seashore towel – These light-weight towels dry sooner than conventional towels and sand shakes off them extra simply.
- Compact binoculars – There’s a lot wildlife to see in Hawaii together with whales, dolphins, seals, turtles, and birds. The tiny Olympus 8 x 21 RCII waterproof binoculars have been perfect for getting a better look.
Is Hawaii Worth it?
Yes, I believe Hawaii is properly price visiting! While it’s costly and may be crowded, there’s one thing about that gorgeous surroundings and stress-free vibe that entices many people to go to many times.
I hope this weblog put up helps you with the best way to plan a visit to Hawaii. Let me know in case you have any questions and share your Hawaii journey ideas within the feedback under.
We share extra of our Hawaii ideas in these posts:
Oahu
Maui
Kauai
Big Island
General
Enjoyed this put up? Pin it!
