Island Hopping in Hawaii: An easy guide
Honolulu International Airport

Island Hopping in Hawaii: An easy guide

If you’re planning on taking a vacation to Hawaii, you might also want to think about visiting a few or more islands and enjoy some island hopping.

I think it’s worth it to consider visiting a few islands and we created this island-hopping guide to Hawaii to give you a quick look at various options, ways of traveling between the islands and other pros and cons to visiting.

Each Hawaiian island is very different, from each other and we explain the differences to each island here for you to check out.

To help you plan your trip better, use this quick guide to island hopping below.

Options for Hawaii Island Hopping

Options for Hawaii Island Hopping:

You have a few options for doing some island hopping in Hawaii. Depending on what islands you are visiting, you can get there by plane, ferry or even take a Hawaii cruise that visits the four main islands of Hawaii.

We also have some guided tours that might be worthwhile to do below.

Here are the options more in-depth:

Flying between Hawaiian islands
Honolulu International Airport

1. Flying between Hawaiian islands

Flying inter island between the Hawaiian Islands is the typical way to travel around the islands, there is only one ferry service left from Maui to Lanai Island that is detailed below.

The main inter – island airlines

There are currently three commercial airlines that offer inter-island travel between the islands.

 

1. Hawaiian Airlines:
The largest operator of flights to and from Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines has the inter-island routes covered. On Hawaiian Airlines, you can find direct flights between Oahu, Kauai, Maui, and the Big Island. Hawaiian Airlines flies into the major airports on each island: Honolulu, Oahu (HNL), Kahului, Maui (OGG), Lihue, Kauai (LIH), Kona, Hawaii (KOA), and Hilo, Hawaii (ITO). 

2. Southwest Airlines:
The newest entrant to inter-island travel, Southwest Airlines operates on similar routes to Hawaiian Airlines. You’ll get direct flights between the four major islands. Known for their low-cost fares, they’re generally your cheapest option for inter-island flying (though Hawaiian Airlines has extremely competitive fares). 

3. Mokulele Airlines:
Mokulele Airlines operates small, turbo-prop planes that fly from the main airports as well as smaller airports on the islands. It is the only airline to fly to both Molokai and Lanai. On the Big Island, it flies out of Hilo (ITO) and Kona (KOA) as well as Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE). And on Maui, it flies out of both Kahului (OGG) as well as Kapalua (JHM). Just like the other airlines, it also flies out of Honolulu (HNL) and Lihue (LIH). 

Things to Consider When Between Southwest and flying Inter-island:

Each airline offers different amenities, seating options and vibe for enjoying your inter-island flight.

Hawaiian airlines has fresh colors of the planes, outfits and a complete colorful vibe and they typically serve drinks for the inter-island flights. They allow for seat selection with early bookings and extra legroom upgrades. They also offer first class and extended legroom in economy.

Southwest offers free checked bags on all their destinations which is a big plus. They allow for cancellations and rebooking with no penalty

Some Southwest planes offer USB charging outlets on their seats.

Related reading: How to eat cheap in Hawaii

Airport Codes in Hawaii
Honolulu International Airport

Airport Codes in Hawaii

There are major and smaller regional airports on each island, you’ll find the airport codes designated for each airport below.

Hawai’i (Big Island):
Hilo International Airport (ITO)
Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA)
Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE)

Kauai:
Lihue Airport (LIH)

Maui:
Kahului Airport (OGG)
Kapalua Airport (JHM)

Molokai:
Molokai Airport (MKK)

Oahu:
Daniel K. Inouye Airport in Honolulu (HNL)

Lana’i:
Lana’i Aiport (LNY)

Flight times between Hawaiian islands:

Inter-island flights are relatively quick from each location, here are just some sample times so you can get a good idea of the time it takes. Usually, the effort to get to the airport and waiting times tend to be longer in comparison.

From Honolulu Airport (HNL) on Oahu to…
AirportFlight Time
Kahului (OGG)40 min
Hilo International Airport (ITO)55 min
Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA)45 min
Lihue Airport (LIH)40 min

Taking a ferry between the Hawaiian islands

2. Taking a ferry between the Hawaiian islands

The only active ferry service left is from Maul to Lanai Island. You can take the Expeditions Lanai operates a ferry service for the 45-minute trip between the two islands. The ferry service departs from Ma’alaea Harbor daily service to Lanai and back.

The ferry service from Maui to Molokai is discontinued since 2016.

Cruising between the Hawaiian Islands

3. Cruising between the Hawaiian Islands

Another option for visiting the various islands is to take a muliple island cruise which typically is a round-trip service originating and ending in Honolulu. The cruise visits the four main islands and different ports on each island, two ports on the Big Island. The dominant cruise carrier is the  Norwegian Cruise Line offers options that depart from and return to Oahu, making stops on the neighbor islands. 

Related reading: Hawaii Travel Tips


These guided tours might also be a better option to book tours on another island to see the highlights you can do for a day or even a few days.

Is it easy to travel between the Hawaiian Islands?
Honolulu International Airport

Is it easy to travel between the Hawaiian Islands?

Traveling between the Hawaiian islands is easy and fast. The only time-consuming part is check-in, TSA and baggage. The flights itself are short and fast lasting only 30 to 45 minutes in the air and eventually landing at the destination.

How much does it cost to travel between the Hawaiian Islands?

Flights between the islands is fairly reasonable with the entry of Southwest offering bargain airfares. You can find inter-island flights as low as $39 each way on both Southwest and Hawaiian Airlines. The average price typically is $50 to $100 for a one way ticket for shorter booking schedules.

Related read: Cheapest time to visit Hawaii

 

Island-hopping in Hawaii: Fast Faqs

Cheapest way to travel between Hawaiian islands

The cheapest way to travel between the Hawaiian Islands is to fly to the outer islands. You can find inter-island flights for as little as $39 each way, depending on when you want to travel and how far in advance you book to get the best rates.

Are there ferries between the Hawaiian Islands?

There is only one ferry running between the Hawaiian Islands from Maui to Lanai. There used to be a ferry between Maui and Molokai, but that ferry service was discontinued in 2016

Easiest way to travel between Hawaiian islands

For most travelers, flying is the easiest way to travel between each islands. You can fly through these commercial airlines: Southwest, Hawaiian Airlines, and Mokulele Airlines. They all operate many flights direct and through the main hub at Honolulu to get to some of the outer islands. 

If you’d prefer to have all of the island-hopping details taken care of for you, then the easiest way to travel between the islands is on a cruise ship. 

Should you visit multiple islands on your trip to Hawaii?

Should you visit multiple islands on your trip to Hawaii?

If you have the time, you should consider visiting multiple islands on your trip to Hawaii. Each island offers something very unique and different. But make sure you’re giving yourself enough time on each island before moving to the next.

We generally recommend that you spend at least 5 days on each island that you visit. Ideally, you’ll be able to spend a little more time on each island to fully experience it as well as relax. 

Related read: Hikes on the Big Island to do

Yes, you can spend less time on an island but your trip will likely feel rushed and you’ll miss out on some of the features that make each island so unique and spectacular. 

Get a good deal on a rental car while island hopping

When you visit the outer islands, it might be feasible to rent a car to get around and not have to depend on public transportation which is spotty and not as frequent compared to Oahu. We love using Discount Hawaii Car Rental when we island hop. By using them, we’ve saved in rental costs. They work with national carriers and you don’t need to pay anything in advance to secure your reservation. 

Trust us, Discount Hawaii Car Rental is really that good.

Check these posts to visiting Hawaii

Fun and interesting facts about Hawaii

Learn some Hawaiian slang or pidgin

Popular Hawaiian dishes you need to try

Traditional Hawaiian food favorite dishes

A Hawaii travel guide primer

Top things to do in Honolulu

Free things to do in Maui

Family friendly visit to the Big Island

Conclusion to Island Hopping in Hawaii

Thanks for visiting today and checking out this post on Island Hopping in Hawaii. I hope you are inspired to plan a visit and enjoy these wonderful attractions. If you enjoyed the images and post, could you please share it with any of the social media buttons located around the post. Thanks for visiting This Hawaii Life today, come and visit again soon!

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Noel Morata this Hawaii Life

Meet Noel Morata

Noel Morata is the creator of This Hawaii Life along with a small team of contributors. Living on the Big Island and traveling regularly to the neighbor islands, Noel and team actively search and share the latest information and updates to Hawaii travel, food, adventure and various lifestyle activities on the islands for your planning and vacation. Aloha and enjoy This Hawaii Life.