Planning a trip to Hawaii is something many people dream of. With its stunning beaches, dramatic volcanic landscapes, and lush green hills, it’s one of the most beautiful places we’ve visited but also the most expensive.
While we do think the islands are worth the high price, to make the most of your stay, it’s essential to plan in advance.
In this post, we share our top Hawaii travel tips to show you how to plan a trip to Hawaii that’s perfect for you.We’ll cover how many days you need in Hawaii, which island to visit, where to stay, the top activities, what you must book in advance, and everything else you need to know.
Contents
Maui Travel Update 2024
Since November 1, 2023, West Maui has been open for travel again (except most of Lahaina, which will remain closed indefinitely) after the devastating wildfire in Lahaina in August 2023.
Visitors to Maui are now encouraged, but please be mindful and respectful of the tragedy that everyone on the island has been impacted by.
Travel to other islands in Hawaii is unaffected.
If you’d like to donate money to support Maui’s recovery, consider the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund.
How Long to Stay in Hawaii
The average stay in Hawaii is about 7 days. I think this is a good minimum time for a trip, although 10-14 days is better if you want to visit multiple islands.
Some visitors do visit Hawaii for 4-5 days, but it’s a long way from the US mainland (or anywhere!) for a short trip, and you’ll spend the first few days adjusting to the time zone change. That said, if it’s all you can manage, it’s better than no time in Hawaii!
If you have a week for your Hawaii vacation, I recommend choosing just one island to visit. See below to find the best Hawaiian island for you.
If you have 10 days in Hawaii, I recommend starting with 3 days in Oahu and then visiting Maui or Kauai for a week.
Best Island to Visit in Hawaii
Choosing the best island to visit is one of the most challenging parts of planning a trip to Hawaii. They are all diverse with lots to offer, so it just depends what you are looking for.
Most visitors to Hawaii visit one of these four islands:
Oahu
Diamond Head and Honolulu from our Oahu helicopter ride
Oahu is by far the most visited and developed Hawaiian island. It’s home to the large city of Honolulu, which includes the famous and very crowded Waikiki Beach (where most visitor accommodation is located).
Oahu offers the most choice of shopping, dining, and nightlife, so if you want to combine city and beach life, this is the best island for you.
It’s also by far the easiest place to manage without renting a car (although I still recommend it). If you stay in Waikiki, you can walk to the beach and many shops, restaurants, and activities.
You can also take tours, Ubers, or the Trolley Bus to nearby attractions including the Pearl Harbour memorial.
Oahu’s North Shore offers a much more relaxed vibe with beautiful beaches and huge waves for surfing in the winter.
Oahu is easy to fit into Hawaii vacations as Honolulu International Airport offers the most flights from the mainland US and international destinations.
Our favourite activities in Oahu are:
Taking a helicopter ride around the island for stunning views. We recommend the one hour doors off tour with Rainbow Helicopters from Honolulu.
Snorkelling at Hanauma Bay (be sure to book).
Relaxing on the Windward Coast beaches especially Waimānalo and Kailua.
See our 7 Day Oahu itinerary for many more tips.
Where to stay in Oahu: Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore is our favourite place we’ve stayed in all of Hawaii! It is seriously dreamy with incredible ocean views, isolated beaches (with turtles!), stylish rooms, and plenty to do. It feels a world away from Waikiki.
Maui
Maui is the second most visited island and is a popular honeymoon destination.
It has gorgeous beaches, world-class whale watching, and the Road to Hana drive where you can see waterfalls, bamboo forest, and black sand beaches.
You can also watch the sun rise above a volcanic crater and visit wineries and lavender farms in Upcountry.
There’s a wide range of resorts, dining, shopping, and activities as well as natural attractions.
Our favourite activities in Maui are:
Staying overnight in Hana (we love Hana Kai Condos) to explore popular sights like Waianapanapa without the crowds.
Whale watching from Lahaina. We saw an incredible amount of humpbacks on our small group boat trip with Makai Adventures (up and running in a new location).
Relaxing on the beaches of West Maui (with turtle sightings!).
See our Maui itinerary for more tips.
Big Island
The Big Island (officially called Hawaii) is the youngest Hawaiian island, so it’s not as green as the other islands and has more lava landscapes.
If you want to see an active volcano, this is the island to visit.
It’s the largest island with diverse landscapes from white sand beaches to snow-capped volcanoes.
Our favourite activities on the Big Island are:
Night snorkel with manta rays. We got incredibly close to these magnificent and huge creatures on our manta trip with Sea Quest.
Snorkelling at Kealakekua Bay and Two Step.
Kilauea Iki Trail – Hiking into a volcanic caldera in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
See our guide to the best things to do on the Big Island for more tips.
Where to Stay on the Big Island: You’ll want to divide your time between the west and east on this large island. Our favourite area was Volcano, where we adored this peaceful cabin in the rainforest. It’s very different from the rest of Hawaii.
Kauai
Known as The Garden Isle, Kauai is the most lush and green of the islands.
Kauai has become more popular, but it isn’t as developed as Maui or Oahu.
The jagged green cliffs of the stunning Napali Coast are the big draw, but there are also lovely beaches, waterfalls, hiking trails, and multi-coloured canyons.
Our favourite activities in Kauai are:
Admiring Kauai from above – Our Kauai doors off helicopter ride was spectacular.
Sailing the Napali Coast – The massive sea cliffs are stunning and we saw whales, dolphins and turtles on the way.
Seeing turtles and seals on Poipu Beach.
See our post on the best things to do on Kauai for many more.