What is the best island to visit in Hawaii?

Irrespective of the place you go in America’s fiftieth state, Hawaii provides all kinds of topographies, accommodations, actions and experiences.

Associated: The best ways to get to Hawaii using points and miles

Every Hawaiian island has its personal distinctive vibe. Six main islands in Hawaii are open to guests, together with Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Hawaii Island. (The opposite two main Hawaiian islands aren’t open to guests: Niihau is privately owned, and the U.S. army used Kahoolawe throughout the many years following World Conflict II for bombing workouts and stays off-limits to the general public.)

How do you select between so many various variations of paradise? This is a information to discovering the most effective island to go to in Hawaii to your subsequent trip.

Oahu is Hawaii’s most bustling and concrete island. It is dwelling to the state’s largest metropolis and business heart, Honolulu. Its airport, Daniel Okay. Inouye Worldwide Airport (HNL), has probably the most air service of any location on the islands, making it the most affordable vacation spot for vacationers from the mainland. It additionally provides probably the most nonstop flights.

Associated: Best ways to redeem points and miles on Hawaiian Airlines

Inside Honolulu metropolis limits, Waikiki Beach is the place to see and be seen, with loads of procuring, eating and facilities to take pleasure in at high-rise resorts.

Oahu’s choices are extra various than simply Honolulu, although. The rising resort space of Ko Olina has a number of upscale lodging, together with Disney’s Aulani Resort and the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina. On the best way to Ko Olina from Honolulu, cease at Pearl Harbor, some of the visited historic websites wherever on the islands.

Day by day E-newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Day by day e-newsletter

Be part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants

By signing up, you’ll obtain newsletters and promotional content material and comply with our Terms of Use and acknowledge the info practices in our Privacy Policy. You could unsubscribe at any time.

Associated: The best time to visit Hawaii this year

Oahu’s North Shore supplies one other vibe that is downright chill with its beach-hopping, food-truck-loving, small-town surfer scene. In 2024, Marriott reflagged the long-lasting North Shore resort — Turtle Bay Resort — right into a Ritz-Carlton resort bookable from 88,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors per night time.

Hikers will discover loads of trails throughout Oahu, from the peaks of Diamond Head to less-traveled spots like Makiki Valley and Waimea Valley. Some well-liked spots do require advance reservations.

The second-most-visited island within the state and likewise the second largest, Maui is dwelling to the famed Road to Hana, Haleakala National Park and the most effective whale watching wherever in Hawaii throughout the winter months.

For a lot of vacationers, a trip to Maui is the most effective of each worlds. The island provides a number of the similar infrastructure, conveniences and actions of Oahu with out the visitors and concrete sprawl. It is attainable to go to a number of sights right here and have an energetic trip or simply take pleasure in some island relaxation and leisure at a resort.

Although a lot of Lahaina stays off limits to tourism following devastating fires in 2023, the remainder of Maui is open for enterprise and is encouraging vacationers to return.

Associated: Maui is still recovering from the devastating wildfires: Here’s why you should go and how to help

Maui is a good decide for households with school-age children due to its many actions. It really works effectively for multigenerational teams as a result of it has experiences that grandparents and grandkids can take pleasure in, such because the Maui Ocean Center or dawn at Haleakala Nationwide Park.

The island of Maui additionally has many amazing hotels and resorts at all kinds of value factors. Most are clustered in two main areas: on the Ka’anapali-Kapalua hall on the northwest facet of the island and in Kihei-Wailea farther south.

Associated: 29 hotels in Maui, Hawaii, you can book with points

For its measurement, Maui provides a powerful number of motels for vacationers to guide with factors. Most main chains have outposts right here, and lots of properties supply apartment lodging that work for households or bigger teams. The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, the Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott, the Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, and the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort have all scored effectively with TPG contributors and readers. Set jetters can verify into the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, which portrayed “The White Lotus” resort within the first season of the hit HBO present.

Hawaii (the Huge Island)

Good for:

• Romantic {couples} getaways
• Luxurious vacationers
• Journey seekers

The island of Hawaii, also known as the Huge Island, is the biggest and latest island within the chain. As a result of it is so large, you want near every week to see all the things. However, it provides many various journey experiences from day after day.

Associated: Delta Air Lines announces new Hawaii route from its Salt Lake City hub and more flights next winter

The overwhelming majority of Huge Island guests follow the western facet of the island close to the town of Kailua-Kona and the Kohala Coast, the place the big resorts are. Luxurious seekers can take pleasure in high-end properties just like the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai; Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort; the Mauna Lani, an Auberge Resort; and the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection.

Households on a average finances can discover ample resort choices, too. The Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa and the Hilton Waikoloa Village notably cater to vacationers with children. Pool complexes are a giant draw.

Associated: Top hotels on the Big Island, Hawaii, for your next vacation

Though it is fully attainable to spend every week on the Huge Island stress-free on a resort seashore, the island will also be an journey traveler’s paradise. On the northern a part of the island, vacationers can zip line, take excursions on all-terrain autos, bounce into waterfalls, scuba dive or snorkel with big manta rays, or flume down historic sugar cane irrigation channels.

Associated: American Airlines adds long-haul Hawaii route once again

On the southern a part of the island, you may go to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park — however earlier than you go, verify which areas are closed attributable to energetic eruptions. The city of Hilo on the jap facet of the island has its personal native vibe that may be an ideal getaway for vacationers in search of an genuine Hawaiian expertise.

Kauai

Good for:

• Romantic getaways and babymoons
• Journey junkies
• Rest seekers

Kauai’s lush greenery makes it, for my part, probably the most stunning of all of the Hawaiian islands. It’s dwelling to waterfalls, mountaineering trails and quite a lot of eco-adventures. Most vacationers search out Kauai to keep away from the hustle and bustle of Oahu and Maui and have a extra unplugged trip expertise.

Sadly, Kauai’s pure magnificence additionally makes it much less dependable as a trip vacation spot. The island’s greenery comes from the substantial rainfall it will get, which makes it attainable that your trip in paradise is a moist one. For that motive, it is in all probability greatest to plan for an extended journey simply in case the climate would not cooperate on a regular basis.

There are ample resort choices on Kauai. For households, the hands-down winner is the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa in Poipu, identified for having among the best waterslides and swimming pools wherever on the island. The Grand Club lounge is sort of particular, too, with easy accessibility to breakfast, drinks, snacks and extra.

Poipu to the south is dwelling to fairly just a few different main resorts, together with the Sheraton Kauai Resort. Princeville to the north has many others, such because the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay and The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas.

Associated: True aloha spirit at the Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort

Smaller islands: Lanai and Molokai

Good for:

• Returning Hawaii guests in search of new experiences

Though the overwhelming majority of vacationers to Hawaii go to Oahu, Maui, the Huge Island and Kauai, there are two smaller islands that vacationers can go to as effectively. Attending to each of them requires a little bit further effort, as neither has air service from the mainland.

Lanai, the island owned by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, is accessible by a ferry experience from Maui that takes simply over an hour. You can even take a 50-minute flight from HNL or a 35-minute flight from Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG) to Lanai Airport (LNY) on regional provider Mokulele Airways. Lanai has two luxurious and dear 4 Seasons resorts on the island — the adults-only Sensai Lenai and the Four Seasons Resort Lanai.

Molokai, against this, has no name-brand lodging, making it a spot of refuge for native residents and vacationers in search of genuine Hawaii journey experiences. Mokulele Airways additionally serves Molokai Airport (MKK) from HNL (45 minutes) and OGG (35 minutes).

I would not suggest that vacationers head to both of those locations till they’ve visited a number of of the bigger Hawaiian islands first. You will probably get extra out of them (and know which one is the precise match for you) upon getting extra context to understand them.

Associated studying: