Why stay on one island if you’re travelling to Hawaii, the world’s most isolated archipelago? Island jumping, here.
Six of the 137 islands that make up the eight main Hawaiian islands are open to visitors:
Island of Hawaii.
Kauai.
Lanai.
Maui.
Molokai. \sOahu.
A more fulfilling experience may be had by choosing two islands that give a pleasant contrast to one another, advises Bruce Fisher, owner and travel coordinator of Hawaii Aloha Tours. Visitors like exploring the diversity of the islands.
Every island has an own atmosphere and things to offer. Oahu has the dynamism of a busy city, but Kauai and Hawaii Island move at a slower pace.
Here is all the information you require on island hopping in Hawaii.
How do you get from island to island in Hawaii?
The primary means of travelling between islands, unless you’re on a cruise exploring the Hawaiian islands, is by commercial aircraft. (A ferry that travels between Lanai and Maui costs $30 for adults one way.)
Typically, it takes less than an hour to fly between the islands, but it can also take as less as 34 minutes, as is the case while travelling from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Lihue, Hawaii. Except for the route between Lihue and Hilo on Hawaii Island, which requires a stop in Honolulu, most are also direct.
There are numerous flights between the four primary island airports:
Honolulu Island (Kona International Airport and Hilo International Airport).
Kauai (Lihue Airport) (Lihue Airport).
Maui (Kahului Airport is the major airport, although there is also Hana Airport) (Kahului Airport is the main airport, although there is also Hana Airport).
Hawaii (Honolulu International Airport) (Honolulu International Airport).
Interisland flights on either Hawaiian Airlines or Southwest Airlines are expected to depart starting at around 5 or 6 a.m. and continuing at least every hour until the final flight, which departs at about 8 or 9 p.m.
•Hawaiian Airlines has the greatest flight options, operating an average of 170 flights daily between the islands on 18 different routes. Also, Hawaiian “eliminated prices to modify tickets on any route in their network, making it a very flexible option for travellers,” a Hawaiian Airlines representative said.
•Southwest operates five interisland routes with up to 60 flights a day, Southwest Airlines spokesperson Brad Hawkins said. 29 of the 40 daily departures from Honolulu go to nearby islands.
Lanai and Molokai are the least accessible and are not serviced by Hawaiian and Southwest flights out of the six islands that can be visited. Moreover, they avoid Hana Airport, a minor airport in the east of Maui. If you don’t want to reserve a private charter, Mokulele Airlines, operated by Southern Airways Express, is your sole choice for those trips. To Honolulu, Lihue, Molokai, Kahului, Hana, Kona, and Lanai, Mokulele offers flights.
When are flights between islands most affordable?
According to Fisher, early-morning or the final flight departing on Hawaiian and Southwest are typically the least expensive options.
Among Fisher’s customers, the Oahu-Maui combination is the most popular. As of March 15, the price breakdown for a Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest Airlines flight from Honolulu to Kahului in economy is as follows:
Regarding the main cabin, Hawaiian Airlines:
The first four flights in the morning, which leave between 5:45 and 7:40 a.m., cost $44.
noon: $44–129.
Evening: $44, with flights starting at 1:30 p.m. and ending at 8:59 p.m.
For a Want Go Away ticket, contact Southwest Airlines:
The first three flights in the morning, which leave between 6:15 and 9:15 a.m., cost $39 each.
noon: $39–$44.
Evening: $39, with flights starting at 2:40 p.m. and ending at 8:20 p.m.
Generally speaking, there isn’t much of a cost difference between flying on a weekday and a weekend. For instance, the aforementioned flight on Hawaiian costs $64 on Friday, April 14, and $54 on Saturday, April 15. A Wanna Go Away ticket on Southwest costs between $64 and $69 and $54 and $59, respectively.
Sadly, Mokulele flights frequently have higher prices than Hawaiian or Southwest. On April 14, the identical one-way trip from Honolulu to Kahului will cost between $116 and $193. It costs between $68 and $128 to go one way from Honolulu to Lanai on the same day.
Do you require a rental car for a day of island hopping?
Depending on what you want to accomplish.
