Hawai’i is comprised of eight main islands: The Big Island (“Hawai’i”), O’ahu, Maui, Kaua’i, Lānaʻi, Moloka’i, Ni’ihau, and Kaho’olawe. Most tourists only visit one or two per holiday, as each island has plenty to do for the average tourist. For complicated reasons, two Hawaiian islands are prohibited for tourists: Ni’ihau and Kaho’olawe.
- Rent a car — Hawai’i may be a small state, but it’s still recommended to rent a car to see the sites, as ride-sharing and taxis can be very scarce or non-existent and/or extremely expensive over the course of an entire vacation. (More on how to hack this cost below)
- Don’t plan to drive between islands — Okay, this might seem obvious to most, but we do get this question occasionally so we felt it was important to include. There are currently no dedicated bridges between the islands, so driving between them will be… well, impossible unless you somehow get an amphibious vehicle. 😉
- Hop on a plane — If you want to travel between islands, you must take a plane or a boat. Thankfully, flights between the islands are frequent, relatively quick and quite cheap. Getting between the islands is rarely a hassle for locals or visitors. Hawaiian Airlines is our #1 choice for dashing between the different gorgeous Hawaiian islands.