Pearl Harbor National Memorial (Oahu)
America's most hallowed WWII site — the USS Arizona Memorial, floating above the sunken battleship, plus the Battleship Missouri, submarine Bowfin, and the Aviation Museum. Oahu's essential history visit.
Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is America's island paradise — four spectacular main islands, each with its own personality.
Oahu pairs Waikiki's energy with Pearl Harbor's history; Maui offers the Road to Hana and sunrise above the clouds at Haleakala; the Big Island holds live volcanoes and the world's best stargazing; Kauai is pure wild beauty, from the Na Pali Coast to Waimea Canyon. Beaches, snorkeling, luaus, volcanoes, and the spirit of aloha — however you build your trip, the islands deliver. Year-round warmth makes any season the right one.
Don't miss
Pearl Harbor National Memorial (Oahu)
America's most hallowed WWII site — the USS Arizona Memorial, floating above the sunken battleship, plus the Battleship Missouri, submarine Bowfin, and the Aviation Museum. Oahu's essential history visit.
Diamond Head State Monument (Oahu)
Oahu's iconic volcanic crater and Hawaii's most famous hike — a short, historic trail up to panoramic views over Waikiki and the Pacific. Reservations required for out-of-state visitors.
Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve (Oahu)
Oahu's legendary snorkeling bay — a protected volcanic cove filled with reef fish and green sea turtles. Limited daily entry by online reservation; book the moment slots open.
Haleakala National Park (Maui)
Maui's 10,023-foot "House of the Sun" — sunrise above the clouds over a vast volcanic crater, otherworldly summit landscapes, and high-altitude hiking. Sunrise entry requires an advance reservation.
Things to do in Hawaii
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
Diamond Head State Monument (Oahu)
Oahu's iconic volcanic crater and Hawaii's most famous hike — a short, historic trail up to panoramic views over Waikiki and the Pacific. Reservations required for out-of-state visitors.
Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve (Oahu)
Oahu's legendary snorkeling bay — a protected volcanic cove filled with reef fish and green sea turtles. Limited daily entry by online reservation; book the moment slots open.
Polynesian Cultural Center (Oahu)
Oahu's immersive celebration of Pacific cultures — six island villages, canoe pageants, hands-on activities, a luau, and the spectacular "HA: Breath of Life" evening show on the North Shore.
Kualoa Ranch (Oahu)
The "Jurassic Park" valley — a 4,000-acre private nature reserve on Oahu's windward coast offering movie-site tours, UTV and zipline adventures, horseback rides, and some of the island's most dramatic scenery.
Haleakala National Park (Maui)
Maui's 10,023-foot "House of the Sun" — sunrise above the clouds over a vast volcanic crater, otherworldly summit landscapes, and high-altitude hiking. Sunrise entry requires an advance reservation.
Road to Hana (Maui)
Maui's legendary coastal drive — 600 curves and 50-plus one-lane bridges through rainforest, past waterfalls, black-sand beaches, and banana-bread stands to the timeless town of Hana and beyond.
Molokini Crater Snorkel Cruise (Maui)
Snorkel inside a sunken volcanic crater — Molokini's crescent shelters some of Hawaii's clearest water (100-foot-plus visibility) and a protected reef, reached by morning boat tours from Maui's south shore.
Old Lahaina Luau (Maui)
Widely regarded as Hawaii's most authentic luau — an oceanfront evening of traditional imu-roasted feast, genuine Hawaiian hula and storytelling, and no gimmicks, on Maui's west shore. Books out weeks ahead.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (Big Island)
Walk on one of Earth's most active volcanoes — Kilauea's summit caldera and crater, steam vents, a walk-through lava tube, and the Chain of Craters Road down to the sea. Eruption viewing when Pele allows.
Mauna Kea Stargazing (Big Island)
Some of the clearest night skies on Earth — sunset above the clouds from Hawaii's highest mountain, then world-class stargazing from the Visitor Information Station at 9,200 feet. Sacred ground; visit respectfully.
Na Pali Coast (Kauai)
Kauai's crown — 17 miles of 3,000-foot emerald sea cliffs, hidden beaches, and waterfalls, seen by boat tour, helicopter, or the famous Kalalau Trail's first miles. The most dramatic coastline in Hawaii.
Where to stay
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$$Halekulani (Oahu)
Waikiki, Oahu
Waikiki's legendary "House Befitting Heaven" — serene five-star luxury on the beach, the famous orchid pool, sunset mai tais at House Without a Key, and service that defines graciousness in the islands.
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$$$$The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort (Oahu)
Waikiki, Oahu
The "Pink Palace of the Pacific" — Waikiki's flamingo-pink 1927 landmark, where Spanish-Moorish grandeur, a coconut grove heritage, and prime beachfront keep old-Hawaii glamour alive.
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$$$$Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina
Ko Olina (West Oahu)
Oahu's west-side luxury escape — Four Seasons polish on a calm Ko Olina lagoon, four pools, standout dining and spa, and resort serenity 40 minutes (and a world) from Waikiki's crowds.
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$$$$Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort (Maui)
Wailea, Maui
Maui's grandest playground — 40 oceanfront acres on Wailea Beach with the legendary nine-pool Wailea Canyon (slides, rapids, water elevator), a 50,000-sq-ft spa, and full Waldorf Astoria luxury.
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$$$$Hotel Wailea, Relais & Chateaux (Maui)
Wailea (hillside), Maui
Maui's adults-only hideaway — an all-suite Relais & Chateaux retreat on a hillside above Wailea, with ocean-view suites, a celebrated treehouse dining experience, and honeymoon-grade tranquility.
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$$$$Four Seasons Resort Hualalai (Big Island)
Kona-Kohala Coast, Big Island
The Big Island's pinnacle — barefoot-luxury bungalows along the Kona-Kohala lava coast, seven pools including the fish-filled King's Pond, a Jack Nicklaus course, and Hawaii's most lauded resort service.
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$$$$Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa (Kauai)
Poipu, Kauai
Poipu's classic grand resort — 50 oceanfront acres of gardens, a famous multi-level pool complex with lagoons and a lazy river, saltwater swimming, Anara Spa, and timeless Hawaiian architecture on Kauai's sunny south shore.
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$$$Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort and Spa
Waikiki Beach, Oahu
The First Lady of Waikiki — Honolulu's first hotel, opened in 1901, with a Victorian veranda, a century-old banyan courtyard on the sand and afternoon tea facing Diamond Head.
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$$$$The Ritz-Carlton Oahu, Turtle Bay
North Shore (Kahuku), Oahu
The North Shore's only full resort — a point of land with ocean on both sides, five miles of coastline and miles of trails, rebranded as a Ritz-Carlton in 2024 and an hour and a world from Waikiki.
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$$$$The Kahala Hotel and Resort
Kahala, Honolulu, Oahu
Honolulu's celebrity hideaway since the 1960s — a quiet private-feeling beach on the far side of Diamond Head, a dolphin lagoon at its center, and Waikiki ten minutes away when you want it.
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$$$$Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort
Wailea, South Maui
Wailea's design-forward beachfront resort on calm Mokapu Beach — cascading infinity pools, a 15-acre footprint that keeps everything close, and a younger, food-focused energy than its grand neighbors.
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$$$$Montage Kapalua Bay
Kapalua, West Maui
An all-suite West Maui sanctuary on 24 acres above Namalu Bay — residential-size suites with full kitchens, an 8,500-square-foot cascading pool and Kapalua Bay's calm snorkeling a short walk away.
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$$$$Hana-Maui Resort, a Destination by Hyatt
Hana, East Maui
The reward at the end of the Road to Hana — 75 tropical acres above Kapueokahi Bay in Maui's most remote town, with bungalows, a spa and no TVs, built for slowing all the way down.
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$$$$Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection
Kohala Coast, Hawaii Island
A Kohala Coast classic reborn by Auberge — 32 oceanfront acres wrapped around ancient royal fishponds, CanoeHouse dining at the water, and two championship golf courses on the lava.
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$$Volcano House
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
The only hotel inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park — 33 rooms on the rim of Kilauea caldera, with a hospitality story dating to 1846 and the volcano outside your window.
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$$$$Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa (Oahu)
Ko Olina, Oahu
Disney's Hawaii resort at Ko Olina: a lazy river and snorkel lagoon, Hawaiian storytelling woven through the property, and a calm west-side beach, all built for families.
Check rates →Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort (Oahu)
Waikiki, Oahu
Waikiki's biggest resort village: a lagoon beach, multiple pools, a Friday-night fireworks show and every restaurant and shop on site, at the quiet western end of the strip.
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$$$$Fairmont Orchid (Big Island)
Kohala Coast, Big Island
An oceanfront Kohala Coast resort with Hawaiian gardens, a calm lagoon, a spa among the lava and a gracious pace beside the Mauna Lani coastline.
Check rates →Fairmont Kea Lani (Maui)
Wailea, Maui
An all-suite beachfront resort on Wailea's Polo Beach with white Mediterranean architecture, a pool and lagoon, and the quiet end of Maui's sunny south shore.
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$$$Sheraton Kauai Resort (Kauai)
Poipu, Kauai
A Poipu-side resort on Kauai's sunny south shore, steps from Poipu Beach, with pools, ocean views and an easy base for Waimea Canyon and the south coast.
Check rates →Hawaii guides
A First-Timer's Guide to Hawaii
Everything you need for a first Hawaii trip — how the islands differ, when to come, island-hopping logistics, costs and reservations to know about, and how to build a trip that actually fits your days.
Which Hawaiian Island Should You Choose?
Oahu, Maui, the Big Island, or Kauai — an honest comparison of the four main islands by travel style, with pairings that work for one- and two-week trips and the classic first-timer verdicts.
Oahu in 3 Days: The Essential Itinerary
A balanced three-day Oahu plan from a Waikiki base — Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay snorkeling, the windward coast and North Shore, with booking windows and local food stops built in.
The Road to Hana, Properly: Stops, Strategy & Reservations
How to do Maui's great drive right — the stops worth your limited hours, the Waianapanapa reservation, bridge etiquette, whether to continue to Oheo, and the mistakes that sour the day.
Volcanoes of the Big Island: Kilauea, Mauna Kea & the Lava Coast
A volcano-lover's plan for the Big Island — Volcanoes National Park's best day, how to chase (or accept missing) active lava, Mauna Kea's sunset and stars, and the black- and green-sand coasts between.
Kauai Outdoors: Na Pali, Waimea Canyon & the Garden Island's Best Days
An outdoor-lover's guide to Kauai — pairing Na Pali boats, hikes, and flights with Waimea Canyon, the north shore's beaches and trails, and the reservations (Haena!) that gate the famous spots.
