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Hawaii History Timeline

Important dates, events, and milestones in hawaii history.

The first Polynesians arrive by outrigger canoe 300-900AD. The first island inhabitants are the Menehune, who come over 2,000 miles from the Marquesas Islands north of Tahiti. In 1100 more Polynesian migration to the Hawaiian Islands from the Society Islands

17th Century Hawaii History Timeline

1627 - Spanish sailors visit Hawaii, describe volcanic eruption in ship's log

18th Century Hawaii History Timeline

1778 - Englishman James Cook of the British navy discovered Hawaii.

1780's - Other European and US trading ships began to arrive on their way to China. Disease brought from other parts of the world killed many of the Hawaiians.

1794 - Hawaii is placed under the protectorate of Great Britian by Vancouver

1795 - King Kamehameha I unifies Hawaiias.

19th Century Hawaii History Timeline

• All of Hawaii was under Kamehameha control.
• First theatrical performance staged in Hawaii

1815 - Russian soldiers fail attempt to build a fort in Hawaii

1816 - Volcano House opens for tourists on the island of Hawaii, $1 per person for lodging

1819 - Kamehameha I dies, and his son Liholiho became Kamehameha II. He promptly abolished the local religion.

1820 - Protestant missionaries teach Christianity

182 1 - Protestant missionaries arrived the following year and converted many Hawaiians to Christianity.

1826 - James Honnewell establishes C. Brewer & Co. Ltd. trade and service organization

1831 - Catholic missionaries that arrived during the late 1820s were forced to leave or be imprisoned in 1831.

1834 - Honolulu Police Department is founded by King Kamehameha III

1835 - The first sugar plantation is established on Kauai Island

1836 - Organization of the Royal Hawaiian Band

1838 - Ground is broken for the building of the Kawaiahao Church

1839 - Roman Catholics receive religious freedom

1840 - Hawaii adopted its first constitution .

• First House of Representatives is called to order
•  First class begins at Punahou, the new private school

1843 - Lord George Paulet seizes Hawaii in the name of England

1846 - Construction of Washington Place (now governor's residence) is completed

1848 - A law passed that year that divided the land between the king and his chiefs. Most of these men gave their land to the government, which in turn sold land to the Hawaiian people.

1849 - French admiral Legoarant de Tromelin fails in attempted invasion

1852 - First steam-propelled ship is used in interisland service

1853 - Smallpox epidemic takes the lives of over 5,000 Hawaiians

1858 - C. R. Bishop and W. A. Aldrich begin the kingdom's largest financial institution

1859 - Honolulu Gas Company is established

1860 - The Queen's Hospital's first structure's cornerstone is laid in place

1863 - Niihau island purchased by Elizabeth Sinclair, offered by King Kamehameha IV, $10,000

1865 - First immigrant plantation workers depart from Yokohama, Japan for Hawaii

1866 - Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) sails into Honolulu Harbor

1874 - Supreme Court of Hawaii moves into Ali`iolani (where it remains yet today)

1875 - First official regatta held on King Kalakaua's birthday

1877 - King Kalakaua dedicates Kapiolani Park as a focal point of outdoor recreation

1878 - First telephone is in operation, two years after Alexander Graham Bell's patent

1879 - First locomotive-train pulled its first load of sugarcane on Maui

1882 - The king and queen move into Iolani Palace

1883 - Kamehameha Statue is unveiled

1885 - First polo match is played in Hawaii at Kohala on the Big Island

• Electricity arrives as five arc lamps are strung around Iolani Palace
• Great Chinatown Fire; losses exceeded $1,455,000
• During the rule of King Kalakaua, many Hawaiian customs that had been discouraged by earlier rulers became popular again. He became known as the Merry Monarch . To enhance trade with the United States, Kalakaua allowed them exclusive use of Pearl Harbor as a naval base.
• Kamehameha Schools are founded in memory of Puahi by husband Charles Reed Bishop
• Father Damien of Molokai's Kalaupapa leprosy settlement dies
• Queen Liliuokalani wrote her famous song, "Aloha Oe"
• Bishop Museum's original structure is completed
• Robert Louis Stevenson, famous author, arrives in Hawaii

1890's - Several US and European settlers had begun planting pineapples. Sugarcane planting also became an important industry. Thousands of workers were needed for these plantations; many came from China, Japan and the Philippines.

1891 - Hawaii's only ruling queen came to power.

1893 - A revolution brought forth the Republic of Hawaii and the beginning of Sanford B. Dole's "Republic".

1894 - The Republic of Hawaii was established

1896 - Moana Hotel ("Grand Old Lady" of Waikiki/now the Sheraton Moana Surfrider) is planned

1898 - Hawaii's state flag is replaced by the United States' "Stars and Stripes"

20th Century Hawaii History Timeline

• Hawaii becomes a US territory
• One pound of sugar costs 7 cents
• The Hawaiian Pineapple Company, now Dole, is established
• James "Jim" Drummond Dole's first plants pineapple in Wahiawa's countryside
• 1901 - Honolulu Rapid Transit's inaugural run of electric streetcars

1903 - Joint Tourism Committee is created to promote the Territory to the world (now the HVCB)

1905 - Only 80 automobiles are registered on the island of Oahu

1910 - First airplane flight in Hawaii

1912 - Duke Kahanamoku participates at the Olympics in Stockholm

1916 - The brothel "Iwilei Stockade" is shut down

1917 - Charlie Chaplin visits Hawaii and speaks at the Honolulu Ad Club's luncheon

1920 - Prince Edward, Prince of Wales, visits the Islands

1922 - Honolulu Musum of Art is chartered

1923 - Hawaiian Dredging Co. begins dredging of the Ala Wai Canal

1924 - Work begins on the structural foundation of Aloha Tower

• Group of women found the organization "Outdoor Circle" and end billboard advertising
• Inaugural Lei Day
• The Royal Hawaiian Hotel opens for business

1929 - First interisland flight by Stanley C. Kennendy in an amphibious plane

1934 - President Roosevelt was the first US President to visit Hawaii

• First 2,270-mile trans-Pacific flight from San Francisco to Hawaii takes 21 1/2 hours
• 5-year-old Shirley Temple visits Hawaii
• "Hawaii Calls" radio program enters the hearts and living rooms of America
• When World War II began in 1939, the United States chose to stay out of the war. After the historic Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor and Oahu on Dec. 7, 1941, the United States declared war on Japan and entered World War II. Many of the damaged ships and submarines were repaired by armed forces and used in the war. The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific was dedicated in 1949 in Honolulu; thousands are buried there.
• A lone Japanese pilot crash lands on Niihau and is killed after he shoots a Hawaiian
• First land-based interisland flights

1946 - Great tsunami hits Hilo, killing over 100 people and causing $25 million damage

1956 - Financing is settled and Ala Moana Shopping Center opens

1957 - The first telephone cable from the US mainland to Hawaii operated

1959 - Hawaii became the 50 th state on Aug. 21, 1959

1962 - The jet-aircraft terminal in Honolulu was completed

1982 - Hurricane Iwa causes about $312 million in damages

1991 - Carolyn Sapp becomes the first Miss America from Hawaii

1992 - Hurricane Iniki kills four and causes $2 billion in damages

1995 - http://www.Hawaiian.com goes online with the message of Live Aloha!

21st Century Hawaii History Timeline

2000 - The U.S. Supreme Court declares that restricting voting in the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to native Hawaiians violates the 15th Amendment.

• (March) Six weeks of rain results in major damage from flooding on the islands.
• (October 15) A 6.7 magnitude earthquake on the Big Island results in property damage, landslides, tsunamis, power outages, and airport delays. The famous Mauna Kea Beach Hotel's entire south end collapses and it is shut down indefinitely. After a $150-million reconstruction, it reopens in December 2008.

2009 - The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2009 (the Akaka Bill) is introduced in Congress for the sixth time. The bill seeks to allow Native Hawaiians to seek a special status similar to that of Native Americans, but the bill fails to pass

Hawaii - History and Heritage

Smithsonian.com

The Hawaiian Islands were first settled as early as 400 C.E., when Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands, 2000 miles away, traveled to Hawaii’s Big Island in canoes. Highly skilled farmers and fishermen, Hawaiians lived in small communities ruled by chieftains who battled one another for territory.

The first European to set foot in Hawaii was Captain James Cook, who landed on the island of Kauai in 1778. Cook, who named the islands after the Earl of Sandwich, returned to a year later and was killed in a confrontation with Hawaiians at Kealakekua Bay, on Hawaii's Big Island.

Between 1791 and 1810, King Kamehameha conquered other rulers and united the entire archipelago into one kingdom. Hawaii’s first king, who died in 1819, is still feted with floral parades every June 11, King Kamehameha Day.

In 1820, the first Christian missionaries arrived. Shortly afterward, Western traders and whalers came to the islands, bringing with them diseases that devastated the native Hawaiian population. Hawaiians had numbered about 300,000 when Cook arrived. By 1853, the native population was down to 70,000.

In 1893, American colonists controlled Hawaii’s sugar-based economy, and they easily overthrew the kingdom and established the Republic of Hawaii. With the agreement of the mostly American elite, the U.S. annexed Hawaii as a territory in 1898.

In the 1890s, the last Hawaiian ruler, Queen Lili’uokalani was deposed, imprisoned and forced to abdicate. The author of “Aloha Oe,” Hawaii’s signature song, she remains a Hawaiian heroine. Honolulu’s Iolani Palace, where he queen lived during her reign and where she was held captive after the coup, was restored to its late 19th-century appearance in the 1970s and is open to the public for tours and concerts.

December 7, 1941, still lives in infamy as the day more than 2,300 Americans were killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, on the island of Oahu. The U.S.S. Arizona , which sank with 1,100 men aboard, was turned into a memorial in 1962. The attack forced U.S. involvement in World War II, which ended with an unconditional Japanese surrender, signed on September 2, 1945, on the U.S.S. Battleship Missouri . Today, World War II buffs can tour the Missouri, which is still anchored in Pearl Harbor.

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A timeline of significant events in Hawaii’s history

Hawaii timeline, hawaii’s timeline.

This timeline of Hawaii’s history covers a number of events which impacted the islands. Each item links to an article for that period, containing more information on the event.

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Hawaii’s History: From Polynesian Settlement to Modern Day

Understanding the rich history of the Hawaiian Islands is essential when traveling to this beautiful destination. This knowledge allows visitors to appreciate the unique culture, heritage, and natural beauty that have been shaped by key historical events. A deeper understanding of Hawaii’s past provides valuable context for the present-day Aloha State and its people.

Early Polynesian Settlement

Skilled navigators, the early Polynesian settlers arrived in the Hawaiian Islands around 300-500 AD and established a thriving society in this remote archipelago. They brought cultural practices, beliefs, and traditions that still influence Hawaii today, including the concepts of aloha (love, compassion, and kindness) and ohana (family), which are deeply ingrained in the Hawaiian way of life.

European Contact and the Unification of the Hawaiian Kingdom

European contact began with Captain James Cook’s arrival in 1778, introducing new technologies, ideas, and diseases that significantly impacted the Hawaiian people. Amidst these changes, King Kamehameha I unified the Hawaiian Islands under his rule in 1810, forming the Hawaiian Kingdom. This unification allowed for greater political stability and centralized governance, setting the stage for future developments.

Missionaries and Cultural Change

Arriving in the early 19th century, American missionaries introduced Christianity and influenced various aspects of Hawaiian culture. They developed a written form of the Hawaiian language, established schools, and contributed to changes in the social structure. While these changes brought some benefits, they also led to the erosion of traditional Hawaiian customs and values.

Overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy and Annexation to the United States

In the late 19th century, a group of American and European businessmen led the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. The Republic of Hawaii was established, and in 1898, the islands were annexed by the United States. These events profoundly impacted the Hawaiian people and their culture, as they lost their sovereignty and faced increasing pressure to assimilate.

World War II and Statehood

Hawaii played a significant role during World War II, most notably as the site of the attack on Pearl Harbor, which led to the United States’ entry into the war. Following the war, Hawaii embarked on the path to statehood, culminating in its admission as the 50th state in 1959. This milestone marked a new chapter in Hawaii’s history as it became an integral part of the United States.

Modern Hawaii: Tourism, Multiculturalism, and Cultural Preservation

Today, Hawaii is a thriving tourist destination, attracting millions of visitors annually. While tourism has boosted the economy, it has also presented challenges, such as environmental degradation and cultural commodification. Modern Hawaii is a melting pot of diverse cultures, and efforts to preserve and celebrate its unique heritage are ongoing. This includes the revitalization of the Hawaiian language and the perpetuation of traditional arts and practices.

Visiting Historical Sites and Cultural Attractions

Travelers can experience Hawaii’s history firsthand by visiting sites such as Iolani Palace, the only royal palace on US soil, the Polynesian Cultural Center, which showcases the diverse cultures of Polynesia, and the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, a poignant reminder of the events of World War II. Exploring these sites offers visitors a deeper understanding of Hawaii’s past and its connection to the present.

Hawaii’s rich history is a tapestry of diverse cultures, momentous events, and enduring traditions. As travelers explore the islands, they are encouraged to delve into the past to better understand and connect with the unique culture and heritage of the Hawaiian Islands. By doing so, they can truly appreciate the beauty and spirit of the Aloha State.

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Explore More of Hawaii

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Discover your perfect escape – from Oahu’s lively cities, Maui’s picturesque shores, Kauai’s verdant landscapes, to Big Island’s volcanoes.

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Opportunities to mālama maui.

We share this list of opportunities for you to kōkua in ways that are meaningful to you. 

Humble Beginnings Much has changed about the Hawaiʻi visitor industry since May 14, 1902, when W. C. Weedon convinced a group of Honolulu businessmen to pay him to advertise the Territory of Hawaiʻi on the Mainland. But one thing has stayed the same: Throughout the years, the entities which have promoted Hawaiʻi to the world have also had to promote themselves to Hawaiʻi. Despite the grumbling of powerful sugar planters, it was under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce and the Merchants Association that the business of tourism promotion began. Weedon's proposal was to collect $100 per month for six months of lecture tours, and a 'magic lantern' show. Pictures, then as now, could tell Hawaiʻi's story better than anything except the recounted memories of people who had been here. Armed with his stereopticon and some tinted scenes of Hawaiʻi, Weedon boarded the ship for San Francisco with "a realistic and truthful representation of those remarkable people and beautiful lands of Hawaiʻi." There had been some precedence for tourism promotion in 1892, in the Hawaiʻi Bureau of Information. That effort fizzled, but when Hawaiʻi became a territory, it drew adventuresome travelers in a tourism boom around the turn of the century. Hotels blossomed, including Waikīkī's oldest surviving hostelry, the Moana Hotel, in 1901. Then, according to published accounts, the tourists stopped coming--possibly because Honolulu was swept by bubonic plague in 1899 and 1900. There were reports that Los Angeles was anticipating a bumper crop of tourists for the winter of 1902. Competition had already begun. The plan was to persuade California visitors to go "a little farther" when they were out West, and see Hawaiʻi, too. The time was right! Due, in great part to the writings of men like Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson, Weedon drew packed houses on the West Coast, and soon wrote back to the merchants: "At every point I go, I find people ready and eager to learn more of Hawaiʻi." He urged them to provide, "some literature which may bear upon the advantages of our islands for rest and pleasure seekers..." Hawaiʻi had nothing to send, but efforts were already underway to launch systematic tourism advertising. On July 19, 1902, the Merchants Association proposed a permanent tourism promotion bureau. By 1903 a source of funding had been secured--a share of the voluntary tonnage tax shippers levied after the plague to rat-proof the docks and later to create a public health emergency fund and to promote business. That same year, the first Territorial Legislature debated tourism promotion for the first time--and rejected the Joint Tourist Committee's request for $10,000. Then Governor Sanford Dole backed the chamber's plea for reconsideration and $15,000 was approved for what became the Hawaiʻi Promotion Committee. Before the year was out, the new Alexander Young Hotel opened downtown, with the new tourism office in it manned by Edward Boyd, and about 2,000 visitors came to enjoy Hawaiʻi's version of paradise, after advertisements promising perpetual spring and romance appeared in national magazines. An early vest-pocket map and guide described, Honolulu--What to See and How to See It. The guide, one of the promotional pieces distributed with the help of steamship and railway agencies, advised that if taxi fares seemed too high, visitors could collect a refund from the Tourist Bureau. Another early pamphlet contained a bit of pithy prose from a speech by a talented California newspaper columnist, Mark Twain, correspondent for the Sacramento Union. Hawaiʻi tourism promoters and others have used his lines time and again since then: "No alien land in all the world has any deep strong charm for me but that one; no other land could so longingly and beseechingly haunt me sleeping and waking..." Hawaiʻi, he wrote, is "the loveliest fleet of islands anchored in any ocean." Over the decades, promotional efforts grew and so did the number of tourists. The tourism promotion agency acquired another new name, the Hawaiʻi Tourist Bureau in 1919, a new executive secretary, George Armitage in 1920, and a new function of counting visitors (8,000) and rooms in 1921. The governor appointed four members to the bureau to represent all the major islands, and the agency had a vastly expanded budget ($100,000) in 1922. Colorful community events were staged, usually involving flowers and parades. Entertainment flourished to keep the visitors occupied. Wonderfully wacky hapa-haole music was performed to ukulele and steel guitar. The tourist hula show was born, and instantly became controversial. The missionary families still considered the hula to be immoral, but the tourists loved it. The Bureau took part in many promotional activities over the years, but the most enduring and successful was launched in 1935 as the radio program, Hawaiʻi Calls. Originated, produced and narrated by Webley Edwards, it was broadcast for nearly four decades to the Mainland, Canada and Australia every Saturday, usually from the Moana Hotel's lanai on Waikīkī Beach. Listeners grew up with the sounds of Hawaiʻi from that popular show and developed lifelong desires to see and hear the real thing. In 1941, a record year, in which 31,846 visitors arrived, World War II brought an abrupt end to tourism in Hawaiʻi. Three years later, the Chamber of Commerce began bringing it back to life with a Hawaiʻi Travel Bureau, which concerned itself with leaving a friendly Territorial impression on the servicemen who were soon to go home. In 1945, the Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau was launched. Major Mark Egan was named secretary, and a whole new era of Hawaiʻi tourism promotion began. A group of businessmen borrowed $20,000 and launched Aloha Week in 1947 to boost tourism in the otherwise slow fall season. An important priority was to get the ocean liner Lurline back in the passenger business after her wartime duty. It cost Matson $19 million, but in the spring of 1948, with an exuberant welcome by some 150,000 people and an 80 vessel escort arranged by the HVB, she steamed into Honolulu Harbor to reclaim her title as "glamour girl of the Pacific." In 1948, American President Lines resumed plying the Pacific and scheduled air service was inaugurated to Hawaiʻi. A long maritime strike in 1949 cut Hawaiʻi tourism in half, to 25,000 visitors and the Legislature agreed to match private contributions to the tourism promotion budget. That made it a million-dollar proposition over two years: Advertising on the Mainland; transmitting and financing Hawaiʻi Calls; special displays; Mainland offices; movies; publicity; literature; guides; warrior markers; music and hula to greet arriving ships and planes, and an HVB flower lei for every visitor! Special people got special greetings. The Lurline herself got a steamship sized lei, 80 feet of orange crepe paper, during the 1948 reception. Actor Joe E. Brown (and his invisible rabbit co-star) came to play in Harvey in 1950 and was greeted by the HVB with a lei of carrots. In 1953, the HVB held a pretty face contest and selected hula dancer Mae Beimes as the first official HVB Poster Girl. Her sweet smile and proffered plumeria lei adorned a poster that is still a part of Hawaiʻi history. Beimes was succeeded later by Beverly Rivera Noa, and Rose Marie Alvaro, a dancer who posed for four posters, and followed by Liz Logue, Tracy Monsarrat and Zoe Ann Roach, they became Hawaiʻi's best known representatives around the world. Statehood in 1959 brought with it the arrival of the first jet service to Honolulu. Tourism exploded. Waikīkī began to build up (and up). Sheer numbers eroded some of the personal touch like a lei greeting for every arriving visitor. But the Bureau hit the road. Hawaiian entertainers and promotion experts circled the globe to spread the Island word. The HVB metamorphosed again in 1961, when it began doing business under contract to the State Department of Planning and Economic Development. Private contributions had slacked off--industry leaders were spending more on their own advertising--while government funding increased. The 50-50 funding became two-thirds state, and one-third private financing of HVB efforts. In the mid 1960's, for the first time, advertisements circulated at home in Hawaiʻi pointing out the benefits of tourism to the community. At the same time other Pacific Rim nations were sending emissaries to the HVB to get the experts' advice and training on how to set up a tourism bureau. They included Australia, Canada, Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, Taiwan, Korea and Alaska. The HVB diversified to include a Meetings & Conventions department, and later a Visitor Services department. Steadily during the 60's, 70's, and 80's the millions of tourists added up, and the HVB and Hawaiʻi learned to cope with the problems of success. The yearly tourism total reached nearly seven million people in 1990. 1991 was the breakpoint year for Hawaiʻi's visitor industry. The Gulf War raised fuel prices, detoured aircraft and decreased lift capacity to the Islands. Coupled with a downturn in both the U.S. and Japan economies, a drying up in overseas capital investment, and a reticence among eastbound visitors to come to the U.S. amidst threats of terrorism, arrivals and airline seats decreased through 1994. During 1995 & 1996, the organization was shifted from a community/government model to a business model emphasizing public/private partnerships. The organization became leaner, more flexible and proactive. New goals, performance standards and accountability measures were established. New initiatives were conceived, but programs were still hindered by a budget that would never allow Hawaiʻi to compete effectively with other destinations' investments. The Japanese market grew steadily for the next three years, reaching its highest visitor count in 1997. But, the U.S. Mainland market was still relatively stagnant during this time. In July 1996, the name was officially changed to the Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau, to reflect a new emphasis on business/meeting travel and a new responsibility for marketing the world class, state-of-the-art Hawaiʻi Convention Center. The $350 million Center officially opened in June 1998 and represented the first significant tourism-related construction in over five years. The nature of tourism promotion changed to keep pace with the rest of the world. The advertising programs that had sold Hawaiʻi with pretty girls and palm trees began to stress the Islands' diversity, its Hawaiian culture and history, and the wide range of sports, activities, and cuisine. We began to appeal to a wider base of travelers who wanted more of what Hawaiʻi really is. While the competition has intensified, Hawaiʻi remained one of the world's most desired destinations. Unsurpassed natural beauty, pristine physical environment, and diversity of islands, combined with our world-famous spirit of "aloha", continue to be an unbeatable product. Some things don't change all that much! What did change were management, vision and politics. By 1997, it was obvious to everyone, from the Governor and Legislature to the man on the street that if we wanted to compete on a global scale, Hawaiʻi needed to stimulate structural & foundational changes. As James Michener once said, "Nothing that ever prospered on these islands ever did so without a struggle." The Governor convened the "ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION TASK FORCE (ERTF)." This unique coalition of community and government, counties and businesses established several key initiatives. For tourism, Hawaiʻi's number one economic driver and the catalyst for many inter-related industries, a special Tourism Bill was passed by the 1998 Legislature. It established the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) with dedicated funding at a more globally competitive level. Its purpose is to create a strategic vision and direction for tourism and implement the key initiatives for sustainable, social and economic benefits for all of the Islands of Hawaiʻi. By 1999, dedicated funding was a reality and the HVCB was ready for the "new economy" challenges and opportunities. Our marketing mission is to create sustainable, diversified, global, leisure and business travel demand for all of these Islands of Aloha. The Bureau is uniquely qualified to serve the people of Hawaiʻi as a publicly supported, private corporation whose singular goal is to showcase and celebrate Hawaiʻi's diversity and aloha to the world; to encourage people to reawaken their senses and rejuvenate their spirit in Hawaiʻi; and to return again and again. HVCB is a vanguard organization. It is dedicated to creating a new 'Gold Standard' for destination marketing, and its primary product is the world's most-desired destination. Hawaiʻi, The Islands of Aloha.

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First Timers Guide to Hawaii: Plan Your Trip Like A Pro

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You’ve made the excellent decision to take your first trip to Hawaii. Congratulations! Now it’s time to figure out how to plan your trip. While it can feel daunting because there are so many options to choose from and it’s a BIG vacation, we’ve got you covered. We cover all the need-to-know planning advice for your first trip. After reading this guide, you’ll feel much more confident in planning your dream vacation. 

FAQs About Planning Your First Trip to Hawaii

Have some quick questions about your trip? Get them answered here before we dive into the decisions you need to make.

What island is the best for first-time visitors?

All of the islands offer something a little different and special, so picking the right island for your first trip takes a little research to understand just what is unique to each island. 

Our favorite Hawaiian island to suggest to first-time visitors is Maui. Maui has a bit of something for everyone: from beautiful beaches, excellent snorkeling, a wide range of accommodations, and the best whale watching. We give you our 9 reasons why Maui is the best for first time visitors . 

But it’s not the right island for everyone. Here are some reasons why you might want to pick another island: 

• Oahu: Head to Oahu if you’re looking for more of a cosmopolitan feel. You’ll find nightlife, museums, and plenty of history.
• Kauai: Visit Kauai if you’re looking for a quieter trip, a lush landscape (with a bit more rain), and amazing hiking.
• Big Island: Plan a trip to the Big Island if you’re a volcano enthusiast (Volcanoes National Park is amazing), you want a laid back vibe, or you want to snorkel or dive with manta rays .

Want to see a little more about what makes each island special for first time visitors? We’ve created a video to help you out: 

How much will a trip to Hawaii cost?

Going to Hawaii is not a cheap vacation. While there are ways you can save, food, accommodations, rental cars, and activities are all very expensive. In fact, all four of the main Hawaiian islands rank in the top 10 for most expensive average hotel room cost in the world . Maui hotel rooms are the second most expensive in the world, after the Maldives.

So, a trip is going to be expensive. 

To help you get started calculating your own vacation estimate, we went through the work of calculating the cost of a trip for a family of four. The total for 10 days? $12,000. You can check out the full Hawaii vacation cost calculation as well as places you can save and splurge . 

How many days should you spend on your first trip to Hawaii?

We recommend not rushing any trip to Hawaii, so the more time you can spend, the better! Despite it seeming like an easy domestic trip, it still takes nearly six hours to fly there from the west coast. And you’ll likely have a little jet lag to deal with, as Hawaii is two or three hours behind pacific time (they don’t have daylight savings time so in the winter it’s a 2 hour time difference and in the summer it’s a 3 hour time difference). 

If you plan on visiting one island, we recommend a trip of at least 7 days. This will give you time to get settled, explore, and do some amazing activities, and have downtime to relax. If you plan on visiting two islands, plan for at least 10 days. 

We recommend this itinerary combo as part of our first-time to Hawaii itinerary . 

If you know what island you want to visit, you can dive into more details about exactly how many days you should spend: 

• How many days do you need on Oahu?
• How many days do you need on Maui?
• How many days do you need on Kauai?
• How many days do you need on the Big Island?

A good rule of thumb is if you start speaking Hawaiian Pidgin , you have stayed too long.

Do you need to rent a car in Hawaii?

You’ll most likely want to rent a car in Hawaii to maximize how much you can see. If you’re planning a trip to Oahu and you’re staying in Waikiki, there may be days where your rental car is never used. There’s a lot to do within that 2-mile strip! You can save on expensive hotel parking fees by just renting a car on days that you want to explore the rest of the island. Rental car companies have offices in Waikiki which makes it convenient to pick up a car and take it out for the day. 

If you want to get out and explore Oahu without renting a car, you can join a group circle island tour or book your own private island tour . 

There is also a car share company, Drive Hui, that is available in Waikiki.

On the other islands, it’s a bit trickier to go without a car. To see and explore, you’ll probably want to book one. Public transportation isn’t easy and getting a cab or uber can add up and be inconvenient. We love using Discount Hawaii Car Rental to help us get the best price for a rental car on each island.

Is it easy to island hop?

If you’re hoping to visit one or more Hawaiian island on your trip, you’re in luck! Island hopping is easy. While there are no ferries between islands (aside from a ferry between Maui and Lanai), you can fly between the islands using Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines, or Mokulele Airlines. 

While the islands in Hawaii are close together and just a quick 30-45 minute flight, your island hopping travel day will still cut into your vacation. Between packing up, the airport process, and checking into accommodations on your new island, this can easily take up half a day of your vacation.

Related read: Get all the details you need to know about island hopping in Hawaii.  

What is the best time of year to go to Hawaii?

There is truly no bad time to visit Hawaii. With temperatures that are warm year-round, you’ll be in tank tops and shorts 12 months out of the year. But while there is no bad time to visit, we think Hawaii is best experienced during the shoulder seasons: in April/May and September/October. That’s when we find the optimal mix of good costs, good weather, and the smallest crowds. 

Let’s dive into that a bit more or see our Best Time to Visit Hawaii article for details.

Weather: 

While we did say that the temperatures are warm year-round, Hawaii does still get rain. And while you are heading to a beach destination, you probably want to minimize your chances of rain. As you can see from the chart below, Hawaii experiences peak rain from November through March. Though to be fair, rain varies on different sides of each island — we are showing average rainfall for one popular visitor destination on each island.

Visiting when there are fewer crowds can make for a more enjoyable vacation. Boat tours aren’t sold out days or weeks in advance and beach parking is much easier to come by.  Trying to find a time when fewer people visit (or the off season) isn’t difficult to do. The Hawaii Tourism Authority does a wonderful job of tracking visitor arrivals to Hawaii . 

From their data, it’s clear that the peak times for crowds are November – January, March,  and June – August. So if you want to visit while there are fewer people on the islands, plan a trip in February, April , May, September, or October. 

Cost: 

Traveling during the shoulder period could mean the difference between getting a hotel room for $800 or getting that same room for $400. Costs fluctuate widely depending on when you’re going. If you want your travel dollars to stretch as far as possible, avoid the summer, spring break period, and the holiday period (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year). 

Related read: This is the worst time to visit Hawaii (we really try to avoid this period if possible!)

Do you need a travel agent to help you plan your first trip to Hawaii?

We sometimes love enlisting the help of a travel agent for our adventures. But to be honest, we haven’t found great travel agents for Hawaii vacations. Most travel agents don’t specialize in Hawaii (but we do). They have some basic recommendations, but can’t speak in depth about different accommodation options, activity operators, and restaurants. So we don’t recommend using a travel agent and you definitely don’t need one to book your dream vacation. 

If you’re not sure where to start, check out our island guides. They walk you through all the need to know information for each island:

Oahu Guide Maui Guide Big Island Guide Kauai Guide

And if you want even more in-depth information on how to plan your days to sightsee, check out our itineraries :

“I purchased the Kauai itinerary and it is awesome! I had no idea how much work and information you guys really put into it and I am so excited for our trip now!!” – Kayla R.

Are there any special entry requirements to enter Hawaii?

There are no special requirements to enter Hawaii. If you are coming from outside of the US, you will need to show your passport to enter the USA and Hawaii. If you are traveling from within the US (the mainland) you won’t need to show a passport to enter Hawaii.

Currently, there are no COVID restrictions or entry requirements for Hawaii . 

How far in advance should you plan your trip to Hawaii?

If you’re planning a trip to Hawaii, the earlier you plan, the better. While there always might be last-minute deals that pop up, they are few and far between. Booking in advance means you can shop around for the best hotel or vacation rental price. 

We suggest planning six months in advance for your trip. You can usually secure great accommodations at a great price and a good rental car price. And a tip: if you book with Discount Hawaii Car Rental , you can always cancel your reservation and rebook if prices drop. 

When you’re planning activities and restaurant reservations, try to make them a couple of months in advance, so you can book exactly what you want. Be sure to check out our favorite tours and activities to help you narrow down your search .

Is a trip to Hawaii worth it? 

Whether a trip is worth it is certainly up to personal preference, but we think a trip to Hawaii is worth it! With year-round good weather and amazing sights, this isn’t an ordinary trip. Whether you’re coming to experience the year-round humpback whale migration, hike to the top of a volcano, snorkel with Manta Rays, or swim in a waterfall, there is truly so much to do here. 

And learning about Hawaiian culture and history makes this so much more than a beautiful beach vacation. 

First Time to Hawaii Planning Timeline

Now that you’ve gotten some first time to Hawaii FAQs answered, it’s time to dive into booking your trip. Here are the steps to walk through as you’re making your decision:

1. Decide when you’ll go

We love the shoulder season of April/May and September/October for fewer clouds, crows, and cheaper costs. But remember that really anytime is great. So find a time when you can book a long enough chunk of time for your trip and move onto step 2!

2. Decide how long to go for

We meet travelers all the time who are on vacation and frantically trying to figure out how to extend their trip. So if you can swing a few extra days, do it! Plan to spend at least 7 days if you’re visiting one island or at least 10 days if you want to visit two islands. There is so much to see and it’s a long trip out.

3. Choose your island(s)

Now onto the biggest hurdle for most first time visitors: picking the right island for you. This is a big decision and while all of the islands offer something special you need to decide what type of vacation you really want to have. Going to Oahu is going to end up being a very different vacation than a trip to Kauai. 

If you’re struggling to choose an island, see our tips earlier on in the article. 

4. Book your flights

Start your search for flights. All of the major airlines fly to Hawaii, so you should have plenty of options to choose from. The airports (and airport codes) on each island are:

• Oahu: Honolulu Airport (HNL)
• Maui: Kahului Airport (OGG) and Kapalua Airport (JHM), used for inter-island trips
• Island of Hawai’i (Big Island: Hilo International Airport (ITO) and Kona International Airport (KOA)
• Kauai: Lihue Airport (LIH)

If you’re visiting more than one island, check out our inter-island travel article for tips on how to island hop seamlessly.

Consider being greeted upon arrival with a traditional Hawaii lei greeting. It is a fun way to start your Hawaii vacation.

5. Pick a place to stay

Once you’ve picked an island, there are so many options for accommodations. The first decision to make: do you want a vacation rental or a hotel? There are pros and cons to both options. If you’re planning to eat in a lot, a vacation rental can save you money with a kitchen. But you’re likely going to miss out on a great resort pool. 

Check out all of our pros and cons with our Airbnb vs Hotel article . 

6. Figure out whether you want to rent a car

For most vacations, you will probably want to rent a car. If you’re hoping to see a lot of the island that you visit, a car is necessary. Public transportation options aren’t usually very convenient and getting a cab or uber can add up to be quite expensive. 

The exception to this is Oahu. If you’re staying in Waikiki, there are plenty of things to keep you busy for days in a row so renting a car for your entire trip isn’t necessary. And when you do want to head out and explore, there are car rental options available right from Waikiki. 

When you’re ready to book a car, we recommend Discount Hawaii Car Rental . We’ve saved thousands of dollars using them for our car rentals. They work with major carriers and don’t require pre-payment, so it’s a flexible and ideal way to save on your car rental. 

7. Choose some of your can’t-miss activities

There is truly so much to do on each island, and even if you were staying for a month, you wouldn’t be able to do it all. So making a list is important. 

Are you excited to hike a volcano? Snorkel from a boat? Zipline above a canopy of trees? Get an up-close view of humpback whales?

Our Tours & Activities section will help you find our favorite activities on each island. 

To help you get started our cheat sheets will give you a few of the ca n’t-miss experiences on each island. 

Additional Hawaii resources:

• 40 Things to Do on Oahu
• 5 Can’t-Miss Big Island Activities
• 68 Things to Do on Maui with Kids
• 21 Things to Do on Lanai

8. Make some fun dinner reservations

If you’re coming during the peak season, getting a few dinner reservations on the books is important. And even if you’re not, if there’s any place you feel like you need to eat, getting your reservation made early ensures you won’t miss out. Our cheat sheets offer some dining recommendations and our itinerary has a Quick Hits section with all of our favorite restaurants . 

9. Get packing

You don’t need to bring much with you on your beach vacation. But make sure you have the essentials by using our packing list. Yes, you’ll want to pack reef-safe sunscreen and a jacket!

Check out our full packing list here . 

And our favorite item to pack? Our itineraries ! They make your trip planning and experience so much easier. With excursion days to take you around the island and a list of our favorite restaurants and beaches, this is one thing you’ll definitely want with you. 

“I can’t tell you how much we have appreciated your effort with the guidebook.  We saw things this past week we would never have known to look for.  These hidden gems were amazing from the black sand beach all the way up to Pololu lookout and all the small shops along the way.  We leave tomorrow and I wanted to say how much we used and enjoyed your book.  Thank you so much.” – Chris P.

First-Time Visitors Tips While in Hawaii

Once you’ve made it to Hawaii (hooray!) we have some tips to help make your time in the islands even more memorable. 

Understand the geography

While getting to know the geography of the islands might seem a little ridiculous for your vacation, it’s important because it will affect the weather you experience and what you do while on vacation. 

The main thing to know is that each island has a windward and a leeward side. The windward side of each island faces the tradewinds. You’ll get more rain and wind, but you’ll also get lush landscapes (thanks to all of that rain!). On Maui, Hana is a famous spot on the windward side. The landscape is lush and the waterfalls are beautiful. But it also rains a lot and the ocean currents are very strong. 

The leeward side of each island is more protected from the wind and rain and you will have drier, sunnier weather. Most of the famously beautiful beaches you plan on visiting are located on the leeward side of the island.

For example, on Maui, the leeward side of the island includes some great beaches, like Wailea Beach and Ka’anapali Beach. 

When you understand the island’s geography, you can better prepare for what to expect. If you’re looking for a lush, jungle experience, with waterfalls and greenery head east to the windward side. If you’re looking to beat the rain and get some sun, the west or leeward side is your best bet.

Get out and explore

The beaches in Hawaii are incredible. But there’s a lot more to explore on each of the islands. Some things you might want to add to your list include:

• Night snorkeling or diving with Manta Rays on the Big Island
• Seeing the sunrise or sunset from Haleakala Crater on Maui
• Watching the big wave surfers on the north shore of Oahu
• Viewing the stunning cliffs of the NaPali coast on Kauai
• Hanging out with humpback whales during their annual migration to Hawaii

This was just a taste, but there is so much more. If you want to view the highlights of each island, check out our cheat sheets .

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Not only do these island cheat sheets highlight the top 4 can’t miss sights and activities on each island, you’ll also get tips on where to stay, a map of the island with the main sights, towns, and airport locations, the top places for food on each island, and more.

They’re designed to make kicking off your trip planning even easier. Grab them for free and start planning !

Try the local food

One of the treats about visiting a new place is the opportunity to try new, local foods that you might not eat back home. There are a few things you should consider trying while you’re here:

• Fresh, locally caught fish: If you’re a seafood fan, don’t miss out on the fresh fish. You can enjoy it at either a restaurant or from a fish market. You’ll see options like Mahi Mahi, Ono, Opah, Ahi, and more.
• Locally grown produce: Enjoy dragon fruit, coconut, lilikoi, pineapples, locally produced honey and more. We love doing farm tours, but if that’s not part of your vacation itinerary, try a farm-to-table restaurant. You’ll get to sample some island flavors while supporting the agriculture industry here.
• Traditional Hawaiian food: You don’t need to go to a luau to sample some traditional Hawaiian dishes. Look for dishes like poi (taro that has been pounded into a paste), laulau (meat wrapped and cooked in taro leaves), kalua pig (slow-roasted pork cooked in an underground oven), and poke (diced, raw fish that is wonderfully flavored). If you are looking to try traditional Hawaiian food at a luau, check out our list of the best luaus in Hawaii . 
• Shave ice: Not shaved ice. You may think that this is like a snowcone, but it couldn’t be further from it. Soft fluffy ice shavings that are flavored with different syrups and creative flavor combinations. You might also have the add-on of fruit and ice cream. It’s so, so good. Don’t forget to check out our five favorite shave ice spots on Kauai . 

Snorkel (safely!)

Living here, we love spending our days in the ocean. There is nothing like diving into the warm, tropical waters and being greeted by colorful fish, turtles, octopi, and more. But if it’s your first time snorkeling in Hawaii, there are some essential details you should know.

Understand safety risks

Snorkeling may look easy, but water conditions, physical conditions, and more come into play. It’s not always as safe as it looks — drowning is the number one cause of visitor death in Hawaii . Before you go out, review the safety tips to make sure you’re doing what you can to keep yourself safe.

There are a couple ways to check the ocean conditions daily. You can check Hawaii Beach Safety for daily ocean conditions for select beaches on all four main islands. 

If you’re headed to Maui, we love the daily Snorkel Reports from the Snorkel Store. It helps us to see what areas have the best snorkeling conditions for the day and also gives us warnings about large swells that are coming in and affecting safety and visibility. 

Use good gear

Hear me out on this one. You’ll find a number of blogs telling you to pick up a cheap set of fins and a mask from an ABC store or Target once you arrive. There are a few reasons we don’t suggest that.

First, safety. Well fitting gear (fins that stay on and a mask that doesn’t leak) is important to keep you safe.

Second, it’s a significantly more enjoyable experience to snorkel in gear that fits well and is easy to use. This was apparent when we were trying to teach our preschooler to snorkel. The cheap gear didn’t cut it but once we got him in a good mask, he was off!

Third, buying cheap gear just adds to the already full landfill here.

That’s not to say you need to shell out and buy expensive gear. If you plan to snorkel many times, even after this trip to Hawaii, it’s worth it to buy good snorkeling gear. We have sets listed on our recommendations page .

Otherwise, renting snorkeling gear is a great option. The shop staff can help you find gear that is the right fit for you. And if you find that it doesn’t work right, pop in and switch it out for a different rental set.

Go to the best places

All snorkeling spots are not created equal. Some spots on the island naturally have a more vibrant reef and are home to more fish and sea life. Other spots may be more affected by ocean swells at various times of the year.

On our guide pages we list out the best snorkeling spots on each island. You’ll want to check these pages out before hopping in the water:

Oahu Travel Guide Maui Travel Guide Big Island Travel Guide Kauai Travel Guide

And if you’re looking for the best snorkeling spots in Hawaii by month , we have you covered.

Take a snorkeling tour

While we love snorkeling from the beach and we do it often, going on a snorkeling tour is a really special experience. On a good snorkeling tour, you’ll learn about the ocean, the sea life, and be taken to some cool spots that aren’t easily accessible from the beach. Plus, you’ll be able to see the islands from the water, giving you a different perspective and appreciation for their beauty.

We have a full list of our favorite activity providers and tours on each island, but here are a few that are incredibly special:

• Molokini Sunrise Snorkel with Kai Kanani : beat the crowds to Molokini with this special sunrise snorkeling tour leaving directly from the beach in Makena/Wailea.
• Na Pali Coast Snorkeling with Holo Holo Charters : Cruise up the coast of Kaua’i and off the island of Niihau for a full day of snorkeling.
• Power Raft snorkeling at Kealakekua Bay with Captain Zodiac : Head to Kealakekua Bay and the Captain Cook monument for the best snorkeling on the island.

Only use reef-safe sunscreen

Before you throw your favorite brand of sunscreen into your bag, stop. Hawaii has rules in place to help protect the reef and sea life that are so important. One of those rules is around the type of sunscreen you can use. Sunscreens containing chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate are no longer sold in Hawaii. These chemicals have been found to contribute to coral reef bleaching.

You can check out a full list of our favorite reef-safe sunscreens and make sure you’re only using legal sunscreen in Hawaii.

Understand the rules protecting sea life

When you’re snorkeling and enjoying the crystal clear water, it’s important to keep in mind that you want to make as little impact on sea life as possible. Stay at least 10 feet away from turtles while snorkeling. You’re required to stay at least 50 feet away from Monk Seals. And if you see spinner dolphins, you’ll need to give them 50 yards of space.

Learn about the culture

Hawaii is a unique US state for many reasons but one thing that is important to understand is that Hawaii had a long and rich history before becoming part of the US. Learning a little about the culture and the history will enhance your stay and give you new appreciation for these amazing islands.

There are plenty of ways to learn more about Hawai’i while you’re here. Consider visiting museums. On Oahu we love visiting the Bishop Museum and Iolani Palace.

You can also visit heritage sites like Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park on the Big Island. You can find a list of heritage sites to visit on the Hawaii Tourism Authority website .

Let us Help you Visit Hawaii for the First Time

We’ve helped thousands of people plan and experience their best vacation to Hawaii. Make your trip planning that much easier and let us help you have the trip you’ve been dreaming about. 

“My husband and I recently took our very first trip to Hawaii (and first trip without our 3 young children) to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. We stayed in Maui and used your Maui Classic Itinerary. It made planning our trip so easy! We never had to worry about driving directions, finding bathrooms or parking lots, where we were going to eat a meal, the best spots to spend our day, or even details like when to leave to make the Haleakala sunrise and what trails to hit afterwards. Every single day of our trip was just about perfect, and your guide was a big determining factor for that. We even used it up until the last hour of our trip to find a good beach and great food in Paia Town before we had to be at the airport! So we just wanted to say THANK YOU for helping make this a very special trip that we will remember for the rest of our lives!” – Adam and Alyssa

Oahu Wayfinder Itinerary

Maui wayfinder itinerary, kauai wayfinder itinerary.

Cruising Hawaii Guide

Big island wayfinder itinerary.

I'm the co-founder, with my husband Jordan, of The Hawaii Vacation Guide. We have lived on Maui and Oahu and continue to travel, experience, and learn about the Hawaiian Islands. We travel with our kids, Henry and Edith. I am a planner! I love to plan trips from the mainland and island-hopping adventures, excursion days, and everything in-between. I spend a lot of my time in Hawai'i on a SUP and my favorite time of year in Hawai'i is whale season!

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Hawaii Plans For Post-Pandemic Tourism, Starting With Kauai

LIHUE, Kauai — Hawaii has released a new blueprint for redefining tourism in the post-COVID-19 era by mitigating community concerns over traffic and overcrowding on Kauai while maintaining the benefits from the state’s dominant industry.

It could dramatically alter the visitor experience on the Garden Island, but the head of the Kauai Chamber of Commerce stressed the need for airlines to be part of the solution by limiting the number of seats sold on flights.

The  “Kauai Destination Management Action Plan”  is the first in a series of publications published by the Hawaii Tourism Authority that will consider tourism issues on each island in the state individually.

Kauai was first in line because it has had the lowest number of COVID-19 cases among the five counties, and its perceived safety from the disease makes the county’s tourism needs unique, according to the new analysis.

The plan for Maui County was supposed to be completed at the same time as Kauai’s, but the process was delayed by an inability to organize community input meetings on Lanai after a spike in coronavirus cases last year, HTA spokeswoman Marisa Yamane said.

HTA was working to finalize the plan for Maui, including Molokai and Lanai, she said, adding that “the Hawaii island process is well underway, and Oahu’s process is expected to begin in March.”

The study’s stated purpose is to “rebuild, redefine and reset the direction of tourism” in Hawaii as the state begins to emerge from the pandemic, which effectively shut down the tourism industry last spring.

However, many were skeptical that the wide array of goals could be achieved in just three years.

“There’s a lot of ambition in the plans that is not shorter than a 10-year plan. It’s a long road,” said Ben Sullivan, energy and sustainability coordinator for the Kauai Office of Economic Development.

The plan stressed the effects of the pandemic on the tourist industry, which generated $17.75 billion in revenue in 2019 — the year before the pandemic broke out. The boom “put pressure on some of our destinations and communities,” according to the report.

A key objective is developing “regenerative tourism,” which is the idea that visitors leave a place better than it was before.

As vaccines raise hopes the industry can be put on the road to recovery, the report said, “tourism needs to be managed responsibly so that the residents and destination may thrive.” The tone is very different from many previous HTA marketing documents.

Fred Atkins, head of Kauai Kilohana Partners, which operates a well-known restaurant and tourist center here, said the recent arrival of John De Fries as HTA’s new president and CEO has enhanced the agency’s credibility after many years of criticism that it was focused exclusively on marketing travel to the islands.

“We need to keep the lines of communication open and try to find some kind of balance,” Atkins said. “Our tourism numbers are not gonna come back overnight. They’re just not. Kauai is unique. We’re kind of separated from the other islands, so it’s a lot more challenging.”

Kauai has fiercely guarded the health of its residents, opting out of the statewide Safe Travels program that allowed trans-Pacific visitors to bypass a 10-day quarantine if they test negative for the virus within 72 hours of their departure flight.

“As a Hawaiian cultural value, ‘malama’ is a verb and it requires all of us to be mindful in taking responsible action to ensure that the future of Kauai is sustainable,” De Fries said in a prepared statement.

Before COVID-19, Kauai had an average of 27,695 visitors on the island on any given day — a figure that dropped 69.7% to 8,367, the HTA said.

Kauai’s destination management plan calls for action in several general areas: Managing the number of visitors, better enforcement of laws that protect the environment, resolving transportation and infrastructure issues, educating visitors and residents, and improving support for local businesses.

It lists several recommendations:

— Imposing user fees on heavily visited sites, an approach that has proved surprisingly successful in the redevelopment of Haena State Park at the very end of Kuhio Highway on the North Shore.

— Specifying limits on the number of people who can visit tourist sites at one time, setting aside “rest days” for places that may be at risk of environmental damage and piloting an islandwide reservation system for high-profile destinations.

— Improving management of “illegal users” of tourist facilities  and encouraging residents to report violations using a special computer app, as well as increasing ranger presence and enforcement at state and county parks.

— Working with hotels to develop cultural and history classes so guests better understand Kauai’s traditions and practices.

— Working with car rental companies to encourage increased use of electric vehicles and identifying more alternative transportation options, with an emphasis on shuttles and short-term rentals from fleets based at hotels.

— Supporting and preserving Kauai’s agriculture industry with “value-added products and agritourism.”

“There are some really good things in there,” said Sabra Kauka, a prominent Kauai cultural practitioner who served on the plan’s steering committee. “We need, again, to protect our natural resources and emphasize cultural education.”

The report also urged greater efforts to protect “tourism hot spots” like Polihale State Park, Kokee and Waimea Canyon, the North Shore from Hanalei to Kee Beach, Poipu, Queen’s Bath and Wailua River State Park.

Mark Periello, president of the Kauai Chamber of Commerce, praised the HTA for “leading the way in promoting responsible tourism.”

He also called on airlines to follow the agency’s lead by prioritizing “the long-term sustainability of tourism on the island over quick profits and filling seats.”

There have been repeated calls for the Federal Aviation Administration to cap the number of seats sold to Hawaii or for the state to step in, due to concern about the capacity of the islands to absorb past high numbers.

The FAA has responded that state and local governments are precluded under federal law from limiting passenger numbers.

Marie Williams of the Kauai County Planning Department said she was pleased the blueprint was limited in scope.

“We’re looking at what might be done within the next three to five years. These next few years will be a critical period,” she said.

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Hawaii Visitor & Traveler Data

Hawaii Visitors by Island 2022

If it's Hawaii tourism data you're looking for, then you're in the right place. We'll cover the latest tourism trends (within the last 1-3 years) on the Hawaiian islands and provide a series of graphics and summarized data to give you a good idea of what's happening by the numbers.

The adjacent graph shows the  Total ARRIVAL Data in 2022  to each island (including multi-destination/island arrivals). You can also view our historical 2018 data graph ,  2016 data graph , and  2006 data graph  for comparison. A pie chart is not truly the best format to display the visitor totals for the various islands as the number of visitors shown in the chart is greater than the true total, as many visitors go to more than one island. However, for our purposes, it should give you an idea of how many visitors (percentage-wise) are arriving/visiting each island. Just keep in mind the actual arrival numbers are "inflated" a bit. A more accurate way to look at this is 'Visitor Days,' per island, but these percentages seen here provide an accurate overview of each island's visitation.

Latest DBEDT Tourism Updates

Department of business, economic development and tourism - monthly summary.

December 2023 Visitation & Spending

December 2023 Update

In December 2023, Hawaii marked the fifth consecutive month with declining visitor expenditures, experiencing a slight dip in both visitor arrivals (860,831 visitors, -1.3%) and spending ($1.96 billion, -1.2%) compared to December 2022. Despite this, the overall visitor spending for 2023 showed an increase from the previous year.

Visitor Arrivals and Spending : December 2023’s visitor count represented a 90.4% recovery from pre-pandemic levels in December 2019. The majority of visitors arrived by air service from the U.S. West and East, with a notable increase in arrivals by sea.

• U.S. West and East : Visitors from these regions showed a decrease in arrivals and spending compared to the previous year, but an increase from 2019.
• Japan and Canada : There was a significant increase in visitors from Japan compared to 2022, though numbers were still lower than in 2019. Canadian visitor numbers decreased from both 2022 and 2019.

Island-Specific Numbers :

    •     Oahu : Received 514,345 visitors with $885.1 million spent.     •     Maui : 196,402 visitors marked the highest number in five months post-wildfires, with $464.4 million spent.     •     Kauai : Saw 120,290 visitors, with spending reaching $266.0 million.     •     Hawaii Island : Welcomed 163,133 visitors and saw $309.5 million in spending.

The year 2023 concluded with an increase in total visitor spending to $20.78 billion, and total arrivals rose by 4.4% from 2022.

Official Press Release

November 2023 Visitation & Spending

November 2023 Update

Visitor Arrivals and Spending : In November 2023, Hawaii experienced a slight increase in visitor arrivals but continued to see a decrease in spending compared to the previous year. A total of 731,233 visitors represented a modest 0.3 percent increase over November 2022, yet spending decreased to $1.53 billion, down 2.4 percent from the previous year.

Source of Visitors : The majority of visitors came by air service, mainly from the U.S. West and East. There was a small increase in visitors from Canada, and a significant surge from Japan compared to 2022, though numbers remained much lower than in 2019.

Key details from the Island in November 2023 :

    •     Oahu saw a rise in visitors to 440,049 but a drop in spending to $652.9 million.     •     Maui had 161,522 visitors, recovering from wildfire impacts, with spending at $375.5 million.     •     Kauai hosted 106,907 visitors, with spending increasing to $212.7 million.     •     Hawaii Island welcomed 135,645 visitors with spending reaching $262.7 million.

Overall, there was a year-to-date increase in total visitor spending and arrivals, with $18.82 billion in spending and 8,783,688 arrivals, indicating growth from 2022.

October 2023 Visitation & Spending

October 2023 Update

In October 2023, Hawaii continued to see a decline in both visitor arrivals and spending compared to 2022, marking the third consecutive month of downturn following the Lahaina wildfires.

Visitor Arrivals and Spending : October 2023 saw 734,582 visitors, a 3.2% decrease from October 2022, but a 92.3% recovery compared to pre-pandemic October 2019. Total visitor spending was $1.51 billion, down from $1.54 billion in October 2022 but up from $1.33 billion in October 2019​​.

Source of Visitors : The majority of visitors arrived by air service, primarily from the U.S. West and U.S. East. The U.S. West contributed 362,258 visitors, a decrease from 2022 but an increase from 2019. U.S. East saw a decline in arrivals compared to 2022 but an increase from 2019. Visitors from Japan increased significantly from 2022 but were much lower than in 2019. Canadian visitor numbers decreased from both 2022 and 2019​​.

Numbers by Island :

• Oahu : Received 448,096 visitors, a 14.7% increase from October 2022, with spending reaching $673.3 million, slightly up from the previous year​​.
• Maui : After the wildfires, visitation dropped to 132,909, a 42.3% decrease from 2022, and spending fell to $326.2 million, down 25.2% from the previous year​​.
• Kauai : Saw a stable visitor count at 109,337, virtually unchanged from 2022, but spending increased to $233.2 million, a significant rise of 34.1% from the previous year​​.
• Hawaii Island : Had 133,081 visitors, a 6% decrease from October 2022, with spending of $246.1 million, an 8% increase from the prior year​​.

September 2023 Visitation & Spending

September 2023 Update

In September 2023, Hawaii experienced a decrease in both visitor arrivals and spending compared to the same period in 2022, partly due to the aftermath of the Lahaina fires on Maui. The total number of visitors was 651,286, marking a 7.4% decrease from September 2022, yet showing an 88.5% recovery from pre-pandemic levels of September 2019. Total visitor spending was $1.37 billion, a reduction from the $1.52 billion in September 2022 but an increase from September 2019's $1.25 billion.

The majority of visitors arrived by air, predominantly from the U.S. West and East. The U.S. West sent 329,187 visitors, a decrease from 2022 but an increase from 2019. U.S. East saw 153,635 visitors, down from 2022 but up from 2019. Visitors from Japan increased significantly compared to 2022 but were much lower than 2019 numbers. Canadian visitor numbers and spending also decreased compared to 2022 and 2019.

Visitor demographics varied across the islands. Oahu welcomed 433,209 visitors, Maui received 94,221 visitors, significantly impacted by the wildfires, Kauai hosted 115,305 visitors, and Hawaii Island saw 129,444 visitors. Each island exhibited unique trends in visitor arrivals and spending, reflecting diverse attractions and visitor experiences.

August 2023 Visitation & Spending

August 2023 Update

In August 2023, Hawaii's tourism was notably impacted by the Lahaina wildfires, leading to a 7.3% decrease in total visitor arrivals compared to August 2022. This figure represented an 83.0% recovery from the pre-pandemic levels of August 2019. The total number of visitors was 769,163, with a significant decline in arrivals to Maui due to the wildfires. Visitor spending for the month was $1.58 billion, lower than the $1.74 billion spent in August 2022, but still higher than the $1.50 billion from August 2019.

The majority of visitors, 766,023, arrived by air service, mainly from the U.S. West and U.S. East, with an additional 3,140 coming via a single cruise ship. The average length of stay for all visitors was 8.67 days, slightly less than in August 2022. The statewide average daily census was 215,020 visitors.

Visitor arrivals to different islands varied. Oahu saw an increase in visitors, with 507,702 arrivals. Hawaii Island and Kauai also experienced increases in visitor numbers. In contrast, Maui faced a significant drop in visitor arrivals, with only 112,259 visitors, less than half the volume of August 2022, primarily due to the Lahaina wildfires which led to the cancellation of 88 direct transpacific flights to Kahului.

Visitor demographics from different regions showed mixed trends. The U.S. West sent 392,427 visitors, a decrease from both 2022 and 2019. However, their spending, although lower than in 2022, was higher than in 2019. Visitors from the U.S. East also decreased compared to both 2022 and 2019, but their spending increased from 2019 levels. Visitors from Japan increased dramatically from 2022 but were much lower than 2019 figures. Canadian visitor numbers and spending decreased compared to 2022 and 2019.

There were 103,589 visitors from other international markets, including Oceania, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Guam, the Philippines, and the Pacific Islands. This figure was an increase from 2022 but a decrease from 2019.

July 2023 Visitation & Spending

July 2023 Update

In July 2023, Hawaii’s tourism showed a positive trend, with 932,713 visitors marking a 1.5% increase from July 2022 and representing a 93.7% recovery from July 2019. Visitor spending reached $2.05 billion, exceeding the figures from both 2022 and 2019. The majority of visitors, 929,386 in total, arrived by air, primarily from the U.S. West and East. The average length of stay for all visitors was 9.06 days.

From the U.S. West, there were 499,029 visitors, a decrease from 2022 but an increase from 2019, with spending of $972.1 million. Visitors from the U.S. East were comparable to 2022 numbers and higher than in 2019, with spending of $628.4 million. Visitor arrivals from Japan saw a significant increase compared to 2022 but were still lower than 2019 figures, with spending of $83.2 million. Canadian visitors slightly exceeded 2019 levels, with a total spend of $68.2 million.

The visitor count from other international markets, including Oceania, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, was 100,912, showing a modest increase from 2022 but a decrease from 2019. Total trans-Pacific flights servicing the islands were slightly fewer than in 2022 and 2019.

For the first seven months of 2023, total visitor spending amounted to $12.83 billion, showing an increase from both 2022 and 2019. Total arrivals during this period were 5,897,424, higher than in 2022 but lower than in 2019.

Island-specific details reveal that Oahu welcomed 528,585 visitors with a spending of $870.7 million. Maui received 293,681 visitors, with spending of $623.4 million. Kauai had 139,771 visitors and a spend of $264.5 million. Hawaii Island saw 171,957 visitors, with a spending of $263.0 million.

Visitor demographics varied, with a significant portion of U.S. West visitors being repeat visitors, and a majority staying in hotels. The first seven months of 2023 saw 3,110,046 visitors from the U.S. West, spending $6.05 billion. The U.S. East contributed 1,563,393 visitors, spending $4.05 billion. From Japan, there were 267,131 visitors, spending $427.5 million, and from Canada, 284,544 visitors, spending $726.2 million.

These statistics reflect a steady recovery in Hawaii’s tourism industry, with significant contributions from various international markets and a strong showing from U.S. visitors.

The tabular chart shown further below gives the breakdown of visitors in the islands on a month by month basis (color coded per island), based on data from 2019 & 2022 visitor reports.

Visitor Days & Visitor Expenditures

In considering the "health" of the tourism market, one must also put emphasis on the two factors that are the most important: "visitor days" and "visitor expenditures." 

Mahalo for the tip by 'amberloo' at TripAdvisor. In her words, " If there are more visitor days and more money being spent annually over the long-term, the industry is healthy regardless of any other factors; such as mere arrival totals. The goal of many government planners is to increase "days" and "spending" while limiting (or even decreasing) arrival counts. "

Why limit arrival counts you might ask? One has to consider tourism "capacities" of the islands and how that will affect future trends. Maui and O'ahu likely reached their carrying capacity (for visitors) years ago, thus have few remaining competitive development opportunities and will not have the statistical fluctuations or upside growth potentials seen on Kaua'i. In fact, due to growth in recent years, Kaua'i has now about reached its own carrying capacity pending completion of on-going development.

Estimated Hawaii Visitor Arrivals by Month 2019 & 2022

Individual Hawaiian Island Data

These statistics are "arrival" data - meaning visitors who arrived in the islands (either from the mainland US, abroad, or from another island).

When viewing these statistics, we encourage visitors to keep the geographic size of the islands in mind. For example, the Big Island and Kauai have very similar trends in arrivals. However, the Big Island is significantly larger geographically speaking than Kauai (in fact, it is larger than all of the other islands combined) so these visitor numbers alone cannot tell the complete story. Kauai and the Big Island may very well have the exact same number of visitors any given month, but the size of the island will also determine how "crowded" it feels.

Big Island of Hawaii Visitor Data

The largest in the chain typically ranges between 100,000-175,000 arrivals each month. Excluding the summer "hump" felt through all the islands, the number of arrivals fluctuates much less than some other islands in the chain, so visitation is usually about the same in Hawai'i. The events we noted on the  best time to travel to Hawaii  page, that are held each spring and fall, can increase visitor ratios on the island. The volcanic eruption that began in May 2018 is also to have likely affected arrival numbers for this period.

Maui Visitor Data

The second largest island in the chain typically ranges between 210,000-300,000 arrivals each month. The summer "hump" is by far the largest period of arrivals, but there are also significant spikes at other times during the year, most notably around the Christmas holidays.

Kauai Visitor Data

The fourth largest island in the chain typically ranges between 100,000-140,000 visitors each month. Kauai, in general, is a much quieter island (arrival wise) when compared to the likes of the other islands in the chain. But that may be due to its size and "theme" (all things green). The summer "hump" is the only really busy time on the island, though it's not as distinct as the "hump" Maui and Oahu experience. The 2018 winter and spring storms and subsequent closures on Kauai likely affected visitor arrivals after this period.

Oahu Visitor Data

The third largest island in the chain typically ranges between 450,000-570,000 visitors each month. As you can quickly see, that number quickly dwarfs the other islands arrival data. Oahu is widely popular with visitors abroad, and given that 75% of the state's population lives on this single island, the arrival data can skew accordingly.

Typical Hawaii Visitor Timeline

Typical Visitor Planning Timeline

More Information:

Hawaii Weathe r page or Selecting a Hawaiian island to visit

If you want even more detailed tourism specifications, please visit the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism .

Molokai & Lanai Visitor Data

These two islands only make up slightly more than 1% of all visitor arrivals combined. If you're heading to either of these two islands and are curious about this data, we suggest you look at the detailed statistics provided on the  Hawaii Tourism Authority  website.

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Article Published/Updated: 03-18-2024

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TIMELINE: It’s been one year since Hawaii issued its first stay-at-home order

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - One year ago Thursday, a statewide stay-at-home order went into effect, upending daily life in Hawaii.

Businesses and schools were closed. Tens of thousands were laid off. And tourism all but stopped.

Here’s a look at what happened:

• March 23, 2020: Gov. David Ige signs a statewide shutdown order to go into effect two days later. “If you need to get groceries, and necessities, you should go and get groceries and necessities. For any other time, you should be at home,” Ige said, in announcing the order.
• March 26, 2020: State’s 14-day travel quarantine began, shutting down Hawaii’s tourism industry and shattering the state economy.
• March 30, 2020, the first Hawaii resident dies from COVID-19. Verna Onomura, of Pearl City, contracted COVID after a trip to Las Vegas with her sister .
• April 2020: Then-Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell extends the city’s stay-at-home order through May 18, but eases restrictions in some areas, including on retail and outdoor recreation.
• April 14, 2020: The city makes it mandatory to wear masks in public.
• May 5, 2020: Gov. David Ige eases restrictions with his “safer-at-home” order.
• June 16, 2020: An inter-island quarantine is lifted, only to be put in place again when infections skyrocketed in late July and early August.
• Aug. 27, 2020: The city institutes another lockdown for Oahu. It was supposed to last two weeks, but was extended through Sept. 23.
• September 2020: Oahu’s tier system is introduced and goes into effect Sept. 24.
• October 2020: After months with almost no visitors, the state opens its Safe Travels program on Oct. 15, allowing trans-Pacific travelers to skip quarantine if they test negative for COVID.
• Dec. 15, 2020: The first COVID vaccine is administered in Hawaii. The state begins its vaccination rollout shortly after, focusing on healthcare workers and long-term care residents.
• Feb. 25, 2021: As infections decline, the city moves into Tier 3 for the first time, allowing restrictions to ease in many areas.

Today, about 1 in 4 residents on Oahu is vaccinated and the rollout continues.

But health experts stress that Hawaii isn’t out of the woods yet, and that residents should still take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Copyright 2021 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

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Why Hawaii is scrambling to spend last of its federal COVID funds before end of 2024

Hawaii intends to spend $200 million in federal pandemic funds following concerns raised by the U.S. Treasury that the Aloha State had not fully committed to their use.

In 2021, Hawaii received $1.64 billion in federal aid to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 and bolster economic recovery efforts. However, a September report from the feds revealed that only $1.44 billion had been earmarked for expenditure.

Sabrina Nasir, Deputy Director of Hawaii’s Department of Budget and Finance, explained that the state had until the end of the year to allocate the funds or risk returning them to the federal government.

“We are committed to utilizing the full award, and we are grateful to the federal government for this vital support,” Nasir confirmed.

The process involves the Hawaii Department of Budget and Finance submitting requests for Governor Josh Green (D), with subsequent review and approval by the governor’s office.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

“This particular allocation was directed to the governor’s office, and we are managing it on his behalf,” Nasir clarified. “This is standard practice across all states.”

The decision not to spend the remaining funds would have been contentious, particularly given Hawaii’s tourism-dependent economy, which continues to struggle in the aftermath of the devastating wildfires that ravaged Lahaina in August, eight months ago.

More: President Joe Biden's COVID stimulus bill explained in 6 charts

How did Hawaii spend the money? 

According to the Department of Budget and Finance’s master project list, Hawaii’s most substantial project involved allocating $800 million to cover unemployment insurance benefits— a necessity after the state’s unemployment trust fund was depleted during the pandemic.

Other critical projects funded: substantial investments in homeless services, government operations, and operating subsidies for crucial entities such as the Department of Education, the University of Hawaii, and Hawaii State Hospital.

Sabrina Nasir highlighted the versatility afforded by the federal government, stating, “Something really beneficial from the federal government is the flexibility they’ve granted.”

“Many of these funds were already allocated before Governor Green took office, and numerous projects and programs were already in progress,” Nasir explained. “Should there be a need to reallocate funds, we would do so in alignment with statewide priorities determined by the governor.”

A modest $29.1 million was allocated for Maui wildfire recovery efforts, according to the state's Office on Budget and Finance. Although most of the funds were obligated before the wildfires struck Lahaina on Aug. 8, 2023, the state did have some flexibility in re-appropriating them later.

“Those funds can be redirected as needed,” Nasir said. “They do reach a redirect if the funds aren’t being spent promptly.”

The federal timeline required states to commit funds within four years (2024) and spend them within six years (2026).

Jeremy Yurow is a politics reporting fellow based in Hawaii for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach him at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter @JeremyYurow.

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Sofia Richie Celebrates First Wedding Anniversary with Elliot Grainge: 'I Want to Marry You a Million Times Over Again'

The pair tied the knot in April 2023 in a lavish ceremony in the south of France

Charlotte Phillipp is a Weekend Writer-Reporter at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2024, and was previously an entertainment reporter at The Messenger.

Sofia Richie is looking back on a year of wedded bliss!

To mark her first wedding anniversary with husband Elliot Grainge , the model and influencer, 25, shared a post on Instagram featuring a series of throwback photos from her April 2023 nuptials .

"1 year ago today! I want to marry you a million times over again🕊️🕊️," the daughter of Lionel Richie wrote in the April 21 post, tagging her now-husband, 30.

In the photos, Sofia and Grainge can be seen holding hands and smiling as she modeled one of  three custom Chanel bridal gowns  that she wore on her big day. The couple also can be seen walking hand-in-hand through a garden outside the Antibes, France, hotel where they held their ceremony and reception.

Sofia also shared a photo of their reception table spread, complete with colorful fruits and vegetables, green wine glasses and an intricate hand-drawn menu, tied up with a red bow.

Other photos showed the couple posing seaside and walking down a long, winding staircase to the beach.

Following her wedding last year, Sofia told Vogue that she and Grainge sat around after the celebration was all over, eating pasta and discussing the day's details.

"We recapped the night and ordered big bowls of pasta along with every French food you could imagine," she shared. "We just sat around recapping until the morning. It was great!"

Gotham/GC Images

For the massive, star-studded ceremony, Sofia and Grainge took over all of the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Rock's promenade, making the walk from the hotel to the altar over seven minutes long.

"I was watching one by one each bridesmaid and groomsman walk down the aisle, and we were inching closer to the front, and I couldn't believe it was happening," Sofia recalled to Vogue , adding that her dad Lionel, 74, said to her: "You're the love of my life, and I'm so happy for you."

"It was very emotional, and I feel so lucky that I have my parents," she said of the emotional moment. "I'm very grateful."

Sofia also opened up to Vogue about the process of designing her gowns with Chanel , admitting it was a "dream" of hers to wear the designer on her big day.

"Having the opportunity to create this dress and work so closely with Madame Olivia Douchez, première of haute couture salons, and observing their art and immaculate attention to detail was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience," she said of her first of the three custom-made gowns.

"I'm scared to move because I don't want to ruin one bead," Sofia said in a video clip shared by  Vogue  during her final bridal fitting. "This is like a fairy tale. It really is. It's like an art piece. I feel like a princess, I really do!"

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Now, a year after their nuptials, Sofia and Grainge's relationship looks a little different — especially because they're expecting their first baby, as she confirmed in an interview with  Vogue in January.

She revealed to the outlet that she's expecting a girl.

"She’s growing pretty fast, so [the due date] is a bit up in the air," Sofia said. "I love the YouTubes and the TikToks — even before I was talking about getting pregnant — of gender reveals, so we had our OB text my assistant Becca [our baby’s gender], and we bought two party poppers: one blue, one pink."

"She left out the one with the correct color inside, and Elliot and I popped it together," she continued. "We both really thought it was a boy, so it was a true shock. My dream in life is to have a daughter [though], and Elliot is really excited for a girl too."

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