Figuring out getting around Hawaiʻi trips up a lot of first-time visitors. Unlike a single mainland city, Hawaiʻi is a chain of islands, and how you get from place to place depends entirely on whether you're staying on one island or hopping between several.
Flying Between the Islands
There's no bridge or tunnel connecting the Hawaiian Islands — the only way between them is by air (or a long ferry ride on a couple of routes). Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest both run frequent inter-island flights, usually 30–45 minutes long, connecting Honolulu (Oʻahu) with Maui, Kauaʻi, and the Big Island's two airports (Kona and Hilo). Flights are short and relatively affordable if booked in advance, and it's common to fly into Honolulu first before continuing on to a neighbor island.
Renting a Car
On every island except parts of Oʻahu, a rental car is close to essential. Public transit exists but runs infrequently outside of town centers, and many of the best beaches, hikes, and lookouts simply aren't reachable without one. Book your rental well ahead of a trip, especially during peak season, since island fleets are smaller than what you'd find on the mainland and prices rise fast as availability shrinks.
Getting Around Without a Car
Oʻahu is the exception — TheBus covers the entire island affordably, rideshare apps work well in Honolulu and Waikīkī, and many resort areas are walkable. On other islands, resort shuttles, taxis, and rideshare can cover short trips between a hotel and nearby beaches or restaurants, but they're not a practical way to explore an entire island the way a car is.
- Between islands: short inter-island flights (Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest)
- On Oʻahu: rental car optional — TheBus and rideshare cover most needs
- On Maui, Kauaʻi, Big Island: a rental car is strongly recommended
- Book ahead: both flights and rental cars sell out during peak season
Planning Tips
If your trip covers more than one island, build in extra time — inter-island flights rarely run late at night, and a missed connection can cost you half a travel day. Pack light if you're island-hopping with a small regional carrier, since baggage fees and size limits can be stricter than on mainland routes. And if you're torn on where to start, browsing our island-by-island collection is a fun way to get a feel for what makes each one different before you book.
Bring the islands home: Explore our Islands & Places collection — original designs from our Native Hawaiian–owned studio in Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi. Here are a few of the newest additions:
Ohana Family Tee — perfect for a multi-generational island-hopping trip.
Banyan Tree Lahaina Tee — a Maui souvenir worth the detour to Lahaina.
Mauna Kea Stargazing Tee — for the Big Island leg of your itinerary.