How Much Does a Hawaii Trip Cost? A Complete Breakdown

The most common question we get about our Hawaii trip is: “How much does a trip to Hawaii cost?” Let’s be honest—anyone who dreams of visiting Hawaii but hasn’t gone yet usually says the same thing: “It’s just too expensive.”

I totally get it, I used to think the same way before I went. Coming from the East Coast, our flight alone was a big expense, with over 10 hours of travel. But in the spirit of transparency, and to show that a trip to Hawaii is possible, I’ve broken down the full cost of our trip below.

Trip to Hawaii Cost: Overview

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The Flights

As I mentioned earlier, flights to Hawaii can be one of the biggest expenses. We booked a flight from Atlanta to Honolulu with one stop for $627 per person. Of course, flight prices vary depending on where you’re flying from, whether it’s a direct flight, and the time of year you travel. For reference, we booked our tickets during Black Friday, so we got a bit of a discount. We also traveled in March, which tends to be cheaper than peak seasons like summer or the holidays.

If you’re planning to book flights soon, I highly recommend browsing in an incognito window, airlines track your searches with cookies and can raise prices the more you look.

For luggage, we packed light and only checked one bag total, which we shared. We each had a carry-on, and the checked bag cost $30 each way.

Accommodation 

Hotels in Hawaii can range anywhere from $150 to over $1,000 per night, depending on location and amenities. If you want to stay right on the beach, you’ll definitely pay a higher price.

Since we were looking for a more budget-friendly option, we chose Shoreline Waikiki, where rooms start around $199 for a queen bed. We booked during Black Friday and scored a discount, bringing our total to $1,149.52 for 7 nights. Their website also runs occasional deals, including half-off amenity fees, so it’s worth checking for promotions.

While our hotel wasn’t directly on the beach, it was less than a five-minute walk and centrally located near shops and restaurants. The room wasn’t luxurious, but it was cute, clean, and exactly what we needed for our stay. If you’re looking for something more upscale, there are plenty of high-end options. Since we weren’t spending much time in our room, this was the perfect balance of comfort and affordability for us.

Accommodation Options

Groceries/Restaurants

Food in Hawaii can definitely be on the pricier side, depending on where you eat. If you’re looking to keep costs down, I’d recommend sticking to food trucks and local hole-in-the-wall spots. They often have some of the best food at more reasonable prices.

For our seven (and a half) days, we spent a total of $773.55 on food, including meals while traveling. And yes, that includes ice cream or dessert every day—because I do not skimp on sweet treats while traveling!

To save a some money, we grabbed bagels, cream cheese, and fruit from a grocery store for breakfast and bought bread, deli meat, and cheese to pack sandwiches for our hikes. While it didn’t save us hundreds of dollars, it definitely helped cut costs and saved us time searching for breakfast each morning.

Getting Around Hawaii

Many budget travel websites recommend taking the bus since it’s a much cheaper option, but we opted to rent a car for more flexibility. While the bus can work for some things, it takes longer to get around and often won’t drop you off right at your destination.

We rented a car for 5 days and spent $365 total. Since our first and last days weren’t full travel days, we stayed around Waikiki and walked. Plus, on our second day, our tour included transportation, so we didn’t need the car yet.

It’s definitely worth planning your itinerary first to decide when you actually need a rental, rather than assuming you’ll need it the entire trip.

Instead of using a traditional rental company like Hertz, we booked through Getaround and Turo, which was cheaper and included parking—a huge plus in Waikiki, where parking is hard to find and hotel garages usually aren’t free. If you don’t feel comfortable renting from these sights, I recommend checking out Discover Cars, which finds you the best deals in the area across all rental car platforms.

Gas

We drove around the island quite a bit and were surprised to only spend $41.57 on gas. 

Transportation To and From the Airport

For transportation from the airport to our hotel, we used Lyft, which cost $36.82. Traffic was pretty bad, so it took almost an hour, and we also had to wait 20 minutes for our ride to arrive.

For the return trip, I found a shuttle service called Hawaii 23, which was only $23 for two people. Our driver, Mark, was incredible and super friendly, so I tipped $7, bringing the total to $30—still cheaper than Lyft!

I highly recommend booking a shuttle instead of a rideshare, since it’s more affordable and often has shorter wait times. We were able to book the shuttle the same day, but I’d suggest reserving it at least a couple of days in advance just to be safe.

Airport Parking

This might not be an expense for everyone, especially if you have family or friends who can drop you off. But since we often have flights at odd hours, we choose to drive ourselves and park at the airport for convenience.

For this trip, we used The Parking Spot, which cost $68.80 for the week. We’ve used them a few times now and really like it—it’s super convenient! They shuttle you directly from your car to the airport, and you can choose between covered or uncovered parking. Definitely a great option if you prefer to drive yourself.

Excursions/ Activities

This is definitely an area where you can save money, as there are plenty of free things to do in Hawaii—we balanced our trip by doing two paid excursions and spending the rest of our days hiking or exploring free attractions.

Here’s what we spent on activities:

• Zip Lining (for two people): $358.86
• Snorkeling (for two people): $268
• Temple Visit (for two people): $10
• Diamond Head (for two people + parking): $52.56

The hike itself is only $5 per person plus $10 for parking, so the total would normally be just $21 for two people. However, it rained during our reserved time, and since we couldn’t leave Oahu without hiking the famous Diamond Head, we ended up paying again to go later that day when the rain cleared.

This brings out total spent on attractions for the week to $689.42

Souvenirs 

If you’re like me, you can’t go to a new place and not come home with at least a t-shirt. We spent $125.41 on souvenirs, which included a few t-shirts, magnets, stickers, a bag of coffee, and some other small items.

On our last trip, we went overboard on souvenirs, so this time, we were more intentional about what we bought. We focused on meaningful and practical items instead of just grabbing everything in sight!

Trip to Hawaii Cost: How Do We Afford it?

The next question we always get is: How do we afford it?

Honestly, sometimes I don’t know how to answer in the moment—but that’s exactly why I wanted to make this post. Talking about money, how much a trip costs, and how you afford it doesn’t have to be a taboo topic.

My wife and I are very much on the same page about our spending priorities: travel comes first. Exploring new places, hiking different mountains—that’s what we love most, and we structure our spending around it. We live a relatively simple life so that we can take these trips.

For example, my wife recently considered upgrading to a new iPhone. But when she thought about it, she realized: she could either spend $1,000 on a new phone or put that money toward a trip. She picked the trip. And when it comes down to it, 99% of the time, we’ll always choose travel over other big purchases.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t spend money on things that make you happy! Everyone has their thing. Maybe yours is concerts, and that’s where your money goes. Maybe you love going out every weekend, or you’re passionate about fashion and always buy the latest outfits. Whatever it is, when something truly matters to you, your actions align to make it happen.

To wrap this up, I just want to say how grateful I am for every trip we take—whether it’s across the country or just a few hours away. I know not everyone has the ability to travel, and I never take for granted the opportunities we have to explore new places.