So, you’ve made the decision to book your first vacation to Hawaii! You’re probably wondering how or where to start your planning. You’ve come to right place for advice: Follow our tips and your holiday will be an escape, instead of a disastrous Griswold family vacation!
In this post, we will cover the ins and outs of planning your perfect tropical getaway to the beautiful state of Hawaii, from finding a great deal on airfare to the islands most beautiful beaches. Planning the details of your vacation can make your vacation one you remember.
Decide when to go
Choosing when to go to Hawaii depends on your preferences.
- For the best weather, travel in the shoulder seasons, April/May and September/October.
- If you’re looking for surfing weather, it is best from November until March.
- If you want to experience Hawaii at its warmest, busiest time, visit May through October.
- If you hate crowds, the quietest month for tourists is November.
- Hurricane season lasts from June to November, but don’t worry too much. They rarely get severe storms.
Every Hawaii packing list needs to include both rain gear and a coat. Hawaiian rainfalls are usually just a light drizzle, but even that depends on which island you’re visiting. For example, the island of Kona only gets about five to eight inches of rain a year, while the Isle of Hilo gets about 180 inches.
Hawaii's temperatures can drop to lows of 60° F (15° C) during the winter months and reach highs of 90° F (32° C) in the summer months. If you visit Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii or the Haleakala Crater on the isle of Maui, you should bring a coat. Temperatures can drop down to lows of 25° (-4° C) daily.
Decide where to go
If you ask someone which Hawaiian island is the best to visit, you’ll probably get a different answer every time. Hawaii has eight main islands, and a visitor can choose from six of them so, you have a wide variety of options.
One thing about Hawaii most people don’t realize is that all the islands are different. Each island has its own personality and culture for you to explore.
Therefore, your first goal is to do some research on what the various islands have to offer.
- Adventure – Maui, Hawaii, Kauai, Molokai
- Beaches – Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, Kauai, Lanai, Molokai
- Culture – Oahu, Hawaii, Lanai, Molokai Kauai
- Diving/Snorkeling – Oahu, Hawaii, Maui
- Escape – Lanai, Molokai
- Family – Oahu, Maui, Kauai
- Food – Oahu, Maui
- Golf – Oahu, Hawaii, Kauai, Lanai
- Honeymoon/Relaxation – Maui
- Nightlife – Oahu
- Shopping – Oahu, Hawaii
ⓘ TIP: If you are going to Maui, consider renting a car. Driving the twisting cliff-side “the Road to Hana” is epic – full of thundering waterfalls, unbeatable views and stupendous hiking spots.
You're probably wondering which of Hawaii's two main islands aren't open to tourists. Ni'ihau is privately owned and used for raising livestock. The other, Kaho'olawe, is uninhabited and off-limits. The U.S. military once used it as target practice and it has unexploded artillery shells.
Decide where to stay in Hawaii
Choosing the right accommodations is key to having a successful vacation. No matter what your budget is, Hawaii has countless places for you to stay, from beach bungalows to luxury resorts. Kauai and Maui have dozens of bed and breakfasts if you’re on a budget. Most bed and breakfasts are cottages, and the owner stays in the main house.
Depending on your budget, luxury vacation rentals in Hawaii can vary from resorts to rental homes. Hawaii is full of beautiful resorts and hotels. Put together your budget and pick the perfect lodging for visiting Hawaii for the first time.
Keep an eye out for airfare and hotel lodging packages. Most of the time, travel packages will include airfare for your family and yourself and your hotel or resort reservations. It’s rare to find travel packages that include lodging in bed and breakfast, but it doesn’t hurt to look.
Book your flight
No matter which island you choose, you will find beautiful beaches and plenty to do. You can often find some outstanding package deals that include airfare and hotel costs.
You can save money on transportation by staying on one island. It may be tempting to try to visit as many islands as you can on your vacation, but it may not be wise. If you choose this route, you will be spending a lot more money on travel. You will also lose a lot of time traveling and checking in and out of hotels.
Choose your activities
As you can see, there are eight islands in total, each with their attractions, biodiversity, and local cultures. Make your vacations adventures and explore the tropical island of your choice.
Oahu is the most tourited island. It offers a wider variety of activities than any of the other islands, and many of them are free. Oahu features the most shopping, dining, and historical attractions, such as Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorials.
Oahu isn’t all tourist attractions, though. The island also offers a wealth of natural beauty and some of Hawaii best beaches for swimming. These beaches include Waikiki Beach, which gets over 4 million visitors a year and is one of the best places in the world to learn how to surf. Oahu also has Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, which is a marine sanctuary that lies between two dormant volcanoes, making it a fantastic place to snorkel and view the local tropical and marine life.
ⓘ TIP: A travel guide like this one will give you more ideas than we can cover in this article.
Enjoy the process and plan your dream Hawaiian getaway!
Planning resources
- Hawaii has many useful trip planning resources on their official website, Go Hawaii
- Transportation– This website shows how to get anywhere by plane, train, bus, ferry and car.
- Google Maps offers an aerial view of the area around Hawaii. Zoom, scroll around and explore!
Want a guided tour?
If you'd like to take a helicopter tour of a volcano, sunset catamaran cruise, or any number of experiences, we recommend Get Your Guide. They offer affordable, custom tours to and around the Hawaiian islands. Click here to see the list.
Getting around Oahu
We cover Oahu in this article, but you may like to know that your transportation options include:
- The Bus (public transportation)`
- The Waikiki Hop-on-Hop-Off Trolley
- Taxis
- Uber
- Renting a car
On our adventure to every state capitol in America, we are saving Hawaii for last. It poses a problem though, that I never thought of. Each island is separate and it isn’t easy to hop between them. I think we will end up visiting the capitol first, then taking a plane to the big island to see the volcano’s. Originally I thought you could just hop on a cheap ferry or something, but apparently the only way is to either charter a boat or fly.
We like your idea of beginning in Honolulu. There’s a third option too, if your budget allows – take one of the Hawaii cruises that stop at various islands. You would only need to unpack once, plus all your transportation, lodging and most food would be included.
Such a wonderful information. It’s really a very good blog.
What a beautiful place! Thank you for your sharing!
You’re welcome.
Do you have any suggestion on a budget place to stay on Maui?
Perhaps another reader has a budget hotel they can recommend. A lot of hotels offer excellent promos, but they frequently change. We like to start our hotel searches on Hotels Combined and Booking.com.
Thanks Linda! I think we’ll check out your hotel combined suggestions first. Can’t wait to go to Maui. 🙂
Glad we could help. I hope you have a wonderful time. 🙂
Linda I am so wanting to get to Hawaii so thank you for some suggestions on how to plan our trip.
You’re so welcome! We just found out that AirAsia has plans to fly to Hawaii, so I hope this post will help a lot of people.