If you are thinking about visiting more than one Hawaiian island during your trip, it’s very easy. Keep scrolling to find out everything you need to know about Hawaii island hopping.
This guide to Hawaii island hopping was written by Marcie Cheung (a Hawaii travel expert) and contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.
I get asked about Hawaii island hopping more than almost anything else. And my answer usually surprises people: most visitors shouldn’t do it.
I’ve visited Hawaii more than 40 times, and some of my favorite trips were the ones where I stayed on a single island the whole time.
Island hopping sounds efficient on paper. In practice, it eats up days you could have spent at the beach.
That kind of on-the-ground Hawaii travel experience is exactly why I push back on island hopping more than people expect.
That said, if you have the time and the right islands in mind, hopping between two or three islands can be one of the best ways to see what makes Hawaii so different from typical vacation spots.
So let’s get into when it makes sense, how to do it, and where people waste money trying.
Quick Take: Should You Island Hop?
- Best for: Trips of 10+ days, or travelers who’ve already done one island and want to see another
- Skip it if: You only have a week or less, or this is your first Hawaii trip
- Cheapest way to hop: Direct interisland flights, usually $100 to $180 each way depending on the route and season
- Only ferry in the state: Maui to Lanai, about $30 each way
- Rental car tip: Book early. Hawaii cars sell out faster than people expect, especially on Maui and Kauai. I always book through Discount Hawaii Car Rental since their rates tend to beat what you’ll find directly through the big companies.
How to Choose Which Islands to Combine
This is where most island-hopping plans fall apart before they even start. People pick islands based on Instagram instead of what pairs well logistically.
Oahu is where most flights land, so it’s a natural first stop. From there, Maui and Kauai are both short, cheap flights away.
The Big Island takes a little more planning since it has two airports, Kona and Hilo, and where you fly into matters a lot depending on what you want to see.
If you’re trying to figure out Maui vs Oahu vs Kauai vs Big Island for your specific trip, that decision matters more than how you get between them.
I break down each island in detail in my Oahu travel guide, Maui travel guide, Kauai travel guide, and Big Island travel guide.
I go even deeper into pairing islands together in my Hawaii island hopping guide.
My general rule: don’t try to do more than two islands unless you have at least two weeks. Three islands in seven days means you’re spending half your vacation in airports and hotel lobbies instead of on the sand.
This is the kind of realistic Hawaii itinerary planning I wish more guides addressed instead of just listing every island like they’re all equally easy to add on.
Flying Between the Islands
Three airlines fly interisland routes right now: Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest, and Mokulele.
Hawaiian Airlines flies the most routes and the most flights per day, connecting Honolulu, Kahului (Maui), Lihue (Kauai), Kona, and Hilo.
Hawaiian merged its operations with Alaska Airlines, and as of April 2026 every flight, interisland included, books under Alaska’s “AS” flight code instead of Hawaiian’s old “HA” code.
Don’t let that throw you off. You’re still boarding a Hawaiian-branded Boeing 717 with the same crews, just ticketed differently than you might remember.
Southwest can have competitive fares and is worth comparing, especially if you’re checking bags.
Just know the free-bag perk mostly applies to Hawaii residents now, not every traveler, so check your specific fare before you count on it.
Mokulele flies small nine-seat planes into airports the bigger carriers skip, like Lanai, Molokai, and Hana on Maui. If your trip includes one of the smaller islands, Mokulele is probably your only option.
Worth knowing if you’re booking a fall trip: Mokulele is bringing back its Kona to Kahului route on October 1, 2026, after dropping it three years ago. Southwest, meanwhile, has said it’s discontinuing that same route next spring.
The route map on this side of the islands is shifting, so double-check your specific airports right before you book rather than trusting whatever route list you find first.
A short-notice interisland flight usually runs somewhere between $100 and $180 each way, though I’ve seen fares as low as $50 when booked well in advance. Flights themselves only take 30 to 50 minutes, but don’t let that fool you.
Between airport check-in, security, and getting your rental car sorted on the other end, plan on losing half a day to any interisland flight.
My take: book direct flights out of Honolulu when possible. It’s the hub with the most departures, so you’ll have more flexibility if your schedule shifts.
One more reason to grab a window seat: I’ve spotted whales from the air on an interisland flight, specifically the short hop from Molokai to Maui during winter. It’s a nice bonus if the timing lines up.
The Maui to Lanai Ferry
Hawaii only has one interisland ferry left, and it runs between Maui and the island of Lanai.
I’ve taken this ferry myself, and one thing has changed that trips people up: it no longer departs from Lahaina. Since the 2023 wildfires, the ferry runs out of Maalaea Harbor instead, about 20 minutes south of where it used to leave.
If you’re using an older guide, including some of my own past posts, double check this before you plan your morning.
It’s about $30 each way, so $60 round trip, and the ride takes just over an hour. There are three departures a day, and heads up, the ferry doesn’t run on the second Thursday of every month because of Coast Guard safety drills.
Sit outside on the upper deck if the weather cooperates. I’ve spotted whales from that ferry before, and it never gets old watching one surface that close to the boat. Winter is your best shot at it.
I’ve got a full breakdown of the ferry, including parking tips that would’ve saved me some stress, over on Hawaii Travel with Kids.
One myth I still hear constantly: people ask about the old Hawaii Superferry, which was supposed to connect all the islands. It ran briefly in the late 2000s and shut down. It doesn’t exist anymore, and there’s no ferry to Oahu, Kauai, the Big Island, or Molokai. Planes are your only option to those.
Guided Island-Hopping Tours
Renting cars and catching flights on multiple islands isn’t for everyone. If that sounds like more logistics than you want to deal with, you can hand it to someone else for a day.
A few of my favorites:
- This small-group Road to Hana tour with hotel pickup on Maui, if you want the highlights without driving yourself
- A Lanai snorkeling tour is a great way to see some scenery
- Boat tours to Niihau, the “Forbidden Island,” which is otherwise closed to visitors entirely
Snorkeling off Lehua Crater near Niihau feels different from anywhere else in Hawaii, since almost nobody gets out there.
These day tours won’t replace a real multi-island trip, but they’re a smart way to get a taste of a second island without booking extra hotel nights.
Taking a Cruise Instead
Norwegian’s Pride of America is the only cruise ship that sails round-trip from Honolulu and stays entirely within Hawaii, year-round.
It’s a 7-night itinerary hitting Maui, the Big Island (Kona and Hilo), and Kauai, with overnight stays on Maui and Kauai so you’re not stuck to a 9-to-5 excursion window.
Heads up if you’re booking a sailing after October 2026: Norwegian rearranged the port order for a chunk of its winter season, so double check your specific departure date against the current itinerary before you plan shore excursions or book independent tours.
Who this is good for: travelers who hate repacking and want a set schedule handled for them.
Who should skip it: anyone who wants to linger on one island. The Big Island stop splits into a single day each in Kona and Hilo, and that’s not enough time to see much of either side.
Multi-Island Vacation Packages
If planning stresses you out more than it excites you, a travel agency that specializes in Hawaii can build your whole multi-island trip for you.
Aloha Hawaiian Vacations has been doing this since 1982 and handles flights, hotels, rental cars, and activities across two or more islands in one package.
You’ll usually pay a bit more than piecing everything together yourself, but you also get someone who’s dealt with Hawaii’s quirks before, like interisland flight timing and rental car shortages, so nothing falls through the cracks.
I help with exactly this kind of planning too. As a Certified Hawaii Destination Expert, I put together realistic, efficient Hawaii itinerary building plans for clients instead of handing over a list of islands and wishing them luck.
Talk through your specific islands and timeline with someone who’s visited all of them repeatedly in my Hawaii travel consultations.
A Few Things That’ll Save You Money and Headaches
Book your rental car early, even if your trip is months away. Cars sell out on Maui and Kauai regularly, especially in summer.
Reserve Pearl Harbor tickets ahead of time if it’s on your list. The visitor center itself is free and doesn’t need a reservation, but the USS Arizona Memorial boat tour does, through recreation.gov, for a $1 fee. Popular dates get booked out weeks in advance.
Pack light if you’re taking Mokulele. Their planes are small, and oversized bags can be a real problem.
If you get seasick on boats, grab some motion sickness bands before your trip. I’ve used both the wristbands and the patch on rough crossings, and either one is worth packing if you’re at all prone to it.
Travel Responsibly Between Islands
A few of Hawaii’s islands, like Niihau, are privately owned or culturally protected and can’t be visited on land at all. Respect those boundaries, and don’t push a boat captain to get closer than they’re comfortable with.
If you’re stopping at beaches or reefs on multiple islands, pack reef-safe sunscreen for all of them. And when you’re island hopping to see less-crowded spots, remember that “less crowded” doesn’t mean “no rules.” Follow posted guidance at every stop, even the quiet ones.
FAQ: Hawaii Island Hopping
Can you island hop in Hawaii?
Yes. It’s done by flying between islands on Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest, or Mokulele, or by taking the one remaining ferry between Maui and Lanai.
Is island hopping in Hawaii worth it?
It’s worth it if you have at least 10 days and want to compare islands, or if you’ve already visited Hawaii once and want to explore somewhere new. For a first trip under a week, I’d pick one island and go deep instead.
How do you get between the Hawaiian Islands?
By plane for nearly all routes. The only exception is the Maui to Lanai ferry. There’s no ferry to Oahu, Kauai, the Big Island, or Molokai, and there hasn’t been a Hawaii Superferry in over a decade.
How many islands should I visit in one trip?
For 5 days, stick to one island. For 7 to 10 days, two islands is comfortable. For two weeks or more, three islands starts to make sense, especially Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island together.
How long should you stay in Hawaii overall?
For a single island, a week gives you enough time without feeling rushed. If you’re island hopping, add at least 3 to 4 extra days on top of that for travel days and adjustment time.
The Bottom Line
Island hopping isn’t the only way to see Hawaii, and for a lot of trips, it’s not even the best way. But when your timeline supports it, seeing two islands properly beats rushing through three.
Want help figuring out which islands make sense for your trip and how to get between them without wasting a vacation day at the airport? That’s exactly what I walk through with clients in my one-on-one Hawaii travel consultations.
Wherever you end up landing first, Hawaii rewards travelers who plan with a little intention. Choose your islands on purpose, and the rest of the trip tends to fall into place.
 | About the author: Marcie Cheung is a Hawaii travel expert who has visited Hawaii more than 40 times. She is the founder of Hawaii Travel Spot and host of Hawaii Travel Made Easy. She plans Hawaii vacations for couples, honeymooners, families, and other travelers. |
