Help needed with Hawaii Visit

If you have never been places that are volcanic in origin and especially if you would like to maybe see active lava, I would do the Big Island

I think you’re going to find everywhere expensive. We were on the Big Island last August and 3 fish taco’s from a Kona food truck were $19. IMO and we go to either Kauai or the Big Island frequently, the most economical thing you can do is stay in a condo, hit Costco and if you like fresh fish, pick some up from the Kona Harbor on the Big Island or one of the fish markets in Lihue to barbecue. If this is your only visit to the Islands then I would suggest Kauai because of its more tropical feel and what most people imagine Hawaii to be. The Big Island is more barren and dry on the Kona side where most of the resorts are but if you have the money to spend, some of the big hotels north of Kona are magical.

Kauai is my favorite of the islands, so if I had to choose between the two it would be that. I can recommend "Wings Over Kauai" for a terrific narrated aerial view of the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. The hiking in Waimea Canyon State Park & Koke'e State Park is great, and Polihale Beach is breathtaking. Hanapepe is a charming little village when they have one of their Art Nights with the local vendors. A stop at JoJo's for the shave ice is a must. Spouting Horn and Hanalei Bay are also beautiful.

The Big Island is my second favorite place in Hawaii. You can visit Volcanoes National Park & horseback ride in the rain forest of the Waipi'o Valley. Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park is very interesting and informative. The Punalu's Black Sand Beach is unique with all of the turtles. The Green Sand Beach at Papakolea is another good stop. If you do go there, then I highly recommend you take advantage of the locals "shuttle service" from the parking lot. You will not be permitted to drive a rental car there, and hiking over the volcanic rock is more challenging than you might think. Kayaking across Kealakekua Bay is another fun activity.

Oahu is my least favorite of all the islands, so that would be where I would spend the least amount of time. A visit to Pearl Harbor and The Arizona would be my one "do not miss" place for that island. Enjoy your trip!

For a more Hawaiian "experience" I would choose the big island for its greater variety. I prefer the Hio side because Kona is more touristy, and yes, dryer. You will have more rain in Hilo, but the "lushness" is so impressive. Since you may have a full week on this island (with about 5 days on Oahu), you could spend a full day in the Kona area, then rent a car and drive around the island. We went counterclockwise around the island and found so many wonderfu places to stop along the way ...beaches, inlets and coves, waterfalls. There is the Hawaii Volcanoes Natl. Park, Akaka Falls, Liluokalani Botanical Garden, Hilo town itself, the Hamakua coast, Waimea and Waikaloa. Honestly, a week is the minimum (but I am in love with Hawaii Island, so I am prejudiced).
One extra, in April is the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival...a big deal there. Alas, I haven't been, but maybe someday! This year it is the week after Easter. I imagine hotels will be very full and more expensive that week. It is worth checking out.

P.S. We spent five days on Oahu and didn't run out of things to do. My main recommendations to see are (of course) the Arizona Memorial and the Bishop Museum (wonderful!)

My husband and I spend a month on The Big Island In January-February when we are sick of the wet, windy, grey PNW. It is a Big island so if you’re there for a shorter stay narrow down your area so you aren’t in the car the whole time. We love to stay in Puako which is a dead end street so quite peaceful and easy access to the tide pools where you’ll see lots of Green Turtles feeding and resting. There are several Airbnb’s in the area. It’s just south of Hāpuna Beach and the gorgeous Westin Hotel properties .One is the Hapuna Westin the other the Mauna Kea. In the morning we walk both beaches in front of the hotel, take either the trail or go through the residential road, and get to our turn around point for an espresso at the cafe at the Mauna Kea and sit on the hillside gazebo on a lounge chair to catch up on our texts and world news overlooking the ocean and beach while watching whales swim by…..all for the price of a coffee. If you want to get in the ocean, these are the two best beaches in the island. From Puako you can easily cover Hawi, Pololu Valley, Waimea aka Kamuela, Honoka’a, and Waipio Valley. Two good farmers markets in Waimea Saturday along with good grocery stores.
I could ramble on and on. We absolutely ♥️the Big Island. Would be happy to answer your questions.

I've been to both of those islands twice. I agree with doing both and spending less time in Oahu. Kauai is prettier(and older geologically) but if you've never been to volcanoes, you must go to the Big Island. The zodiac tour to the sea caves on the Na Pali coast of Kauai is not to be missed.

When we were on the Big Island last August, the horseback ride into the Waipio Valley had been stopped. I just checked online again and the Valley is only openly accessible to people that live there. If you want to see it there is one tour group that is authorized to take you in by four wheel drive for a fee.

And Judy, have you been to Hilo lately? They are having a very bad homeless/drug addicts problem. We stopped downtown on our way back from the Hawaiian Volcano NP because Cafe Pesto has been a favorite for years and unfortunately it has become a problem for entering and exiting the restaurant.

There is no 'bad/wrong' choice

Personally I think the Big Island is a bad choice. It’s a disappointing island. For my trip I split 3 islands 7-7-7 days each, and would add to Oahu (more than 7) and short Big Island (5 days is plenty).

margie, I am saddened to hear about Hilo. It always had a special charm for me. Alas!

margie--I hope this makes you feel better, but we were on the big island in late October/early November and had lunch at Cafe Pesto one day. We just wandered the entire area at leisure and there was no problem with homeless or anything. I would never have known, except reading your post, so maybe it has been cleaned up? We were there a few times during our stay.

I spent a few days in Hilo last month, and unfortunately the homeless/drug problem was very much in evidence, particularly in old downtown Hilo, but also along Banyan Drive where the big hotels are.

Here's what should be a gifted article on what to do on Oahu on a budget, including a recommendation for the Queen Kapiolani Hotel where I stayed several years ago (and enjoyed). https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/27/travel/honolulu-budget-travel.html?unlocked_article_code=1.PVA.KTvR.GgxfHU6Ac9dU&smid=url-share. I will add that another free/budget thing to do on Oahu is the Kapiolani Community College Farmers Market on Saturdays as well as dinner at the Kapiolani Community College's culinary cooking school. Most of the island chefs trained there.

I was on the Big Island last month. I stay on the Kona side mostly because I go to Hawaii for the sun and beach. I do go to the Hilo side and there is much to do but as a few others have noted, downtown Hilo is perhaps not as quaint and charming as one might hope. There is an excellent restaurant in Hilo, one worth making reservations for, Lehua, https://lehuarestaurant.com/. Better food and service than anything on the Kona side at a much friendlier price. It's on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Hilo. An additional thing to do on the Big Island which I don't think was mentioned is the visitor center at Mauna Kea, an extinct volcano. It's at about 9,000 feet and free. Go at night and see the stars like you've never seen them before. If you have 4-wheel drive and are good at altitude you can go to the summit at about 14,000 feet.

mikliz, we were there for an early dinner and also chatted with the owner of the shop next door to the Cafe. She said it’s not bad during the day but they have to close at 7 because the homeless are allowed to come camp and sleep in the storefronts starting at that time. Hawaii is not immune from these problems and the locals seem to want people to realize this.

And thank you Trotter for that info on Mauna Kea. We’ve never been up there because rental cars weren’t allowed and the tours are so pricey! I never thought to check to see if they had finally paved the road. Next time!

Yep, the road from the visitor center to the summit is still unpaved, but the drive up to the center (9200 feet) is still worth it for the views (and the restrooms; there aren’t a lot of those along the Saddle Road). If you do get a 4WD rental, you might be able drive it up; check with your rental agency, and be aware that park staff will require you to spend 20+ minutes at the visitor center to acclimate to the altitude, and to warn you about the risks of driving to the summit. Make sure you know how to shift the car into low gear - this will be needed on the downhill run from the center, whether you go to the summit or not.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to share your thoughts. I know others planning a visit will appreciate this thread.

A special thanks to Trotter - the excellent NY Times Article and the comment section confirmed our choice to spend time on Oahu. There is much to see on this island that interests us.

The outdoor options on Kauai are more appealing than the volcanoes of the Big Island so we are leaning more towards Kauai.

Now all we have to do is plan a general itinerary for our visit.

Again, a big thank you for helping us plan our visit.

I second Trotter's rec for the Queen Kapiolani Hotel. It is at the end of Waikiki beach so not slammed with tourists. Across from the zoo, and a nice walk to the Barefoot Beach cafe. We booked the hotel at Booking.com after a long search for a reasonably priced hotel. The price was good for a Honolulu hotel by the beach. I checked a couple weeks later and found the same room at a price of $400.00 cheaper for our five nights, so I booked it and cancelled the first reservation. (Easy to do with Booking.com.) Room was smallish but comfortable, no coffee maker, alas, but the price was really good.
It was a 2 block walk to another hotel to pick up our rental car for the day's drive to the North Shore, and about 2 blocks to the bus stop to get a bus for our exploration of Honolulu and the sights we wanted to see. (Used the Holo card for all day bus use on several days.)

margie--Oh that is too bad! Yes, we were there during the daytime so no issues for us.

Glad you are leaning to Kauai. Big Island is “peculiar” in appeal so not for everyone. There is apparently a single swimmable beach on the BI about 45 minutes north of Kona, else it’s all submerged rock beaches that are fine for sitting on but not good for going in the water.

toby, sad that you feel that there is only one swimmable beach on the Big Island. I'm surprised that you say that you've actually been to the Big Island and yet remain unaware of the dozens of beautiful swimmable beaches on both the Kona and Hilo sides of the island.

The OP may have decided to go to one of the other islands, but I'd like others reading this to be aware that, in addition to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the Big Island does offer a variety of beautiful white, green, and black sand beaches. A little more research will be of great benefit.

There is a series of fantastic travel guidebooks for the major islands of Hawaii, called " Oahu Revealed" and "Kauai Tevealed" by Andrew Doughty. Amazon and Barnes and Noble should have them or check with your local library.

Oahu is my favorite island as there is so much to do there. I have been there so many times that I have lost count. And Kauai is my second favorite, so I think you have made a great choice with your selections.

toby, sad that you feel that there is only one swimmable beach on the Big Island. I'm surprised that you say that you've actually been to the Big Island and yet remain unaware of the dozens of beautiful swimmable beaches on both the Kona and Hilo sides of the island.

I am surprised that you live there and say there are dozens of swimable beaches! I can list at least 15 unswimable beaches (west, north, east island sides) I visited and only hearsay that there might be a swimmable one (but didn’t actually see it).

Google seems to disagree:

Top link:

https://bigislandguide.com/the-complete-guide-to-big-island-beaches

Robert: all 15 beaches I visited are listed in your Google link and are not swimmable.

The guidebook “Big Island Revealed” addresses the beach problem, how the very few swimmable beaches were snapped up by resort developers and privatized decades ago, and person should not visit the Big Island expecting to swim in the ocean. Even snorkeling requires boat access, or a well-timed launch into waves from a rock ledge, or in a few locations a careful placement of feet between rocks for several yards to clear shore.

The beaches are pretty, but anyone expecting that from a public beach on the Big Island a person will be able to walk on sand continuously from the shore to chest deep water will be disappointed.

naalehuretiree, a local, seems to disagree as well. That puts his opinion (tentatively) ahead of yours in my book.

I hate to keep carrying on an argument, but there are some misconceptions being posted here. Resorts cannot privatize any beach in the state of Hawaii. All beaches in Hawaii are public except those on federal land, which includes military bases. The primary Hawaii statutes relating to public beach access include Chapter 115, Public Access to Coastal and Inland Recreational Areas and HRS 205A-2, Coastal zone management program; objectives and policies. Also, Section 46-6.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), requires that the counties, in the subdivision process, ensure public access to "land below the high-water mark on any coastal shoreline." Developers cannot completely block off access to beaches, but sometimes they do make it more difficult -- for example by limiting the number of parking spaces available to the public.

Thank you for the information. The same thing happens here.

I've been to Hawaii at least twice a year for the last five years. My daughter lives on Oahu so that's where we've spent most of our time. There is so much to do on Oahu. I won't list the obvious don't misses, but, one place many seem to not know about is Kaena point. We hike to it from the north side. In March, and probably still in April, there are typically courting and nesting albatross. AMAZING.

We've been to Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. We're going back to Kauai for five days later this month. The Big Island is our favorite, other than Oahu. We are quite active and do a lot of snorkeling and hiking. Hilo and Kona on the Big Island feel more old time Hawaiian than other places. North of Kona on the Big Island tends to be more touristy. I would say the Big Island is much less expensive. Favorite snorkeling spots on the Big Island where we can access from shore are Carlsmith Beach in Hilo, Two Step and Kahalu’u Beach Park, both near Kona.

We found the traffic and construction on Kauai quite frustrating.

We enjoy learning about the culture and history of Hawaii. We have been to most if not all of the historic sites. The Big Island has wonderful historic sites. Also, Volcanoes park is quite special in terms learning and seeing the volcano and seeing some of the unique features. If you are into the night sky and gorgeous views, the summit of Mauna Kea is amazing.

I think people look for different qualities in terms of beach preferences. I think Carlsmith is one of the most beautiful beaches in Hawaii. It's definitely rocky, I guess some might not even consider it a beach, but gorgeous with decent snorkeling, always turtles. Some people like waves, some don't, some want pure sand, which is fabulous on the feet, but not typically great for snorkeling. The east side of Oahu has lovely sandy beaches, but it can rain more over there. A beach that is small, pretty and fun is the "From Here to Eternity" beach near the blow hole.

Twin Cities….thank you for your helpful comments. I recently booked an airbnb condo across from Magic Sands Beach south of Kona. I hope we will find it a good location! Will be taking family for spring break 2027. We have previously been to all the islands. Chose the Big Island for most adventure and love of National Parks. So I found your suggestions affirming! Mahalo!