Hawaii Travel Podcast: Hawaii Travel Tips & Things to Do in Hawaii for Your Hawaii Vacation Planning | Hawaii’s Best Travel

How Many Days Do You Need in Hawaii?

• Bryan Murphy — Certified Hawaii Travel Expert & Owner of Hawaii’s Best Travel | Hawaii Travel Podcast • Episode 205

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Are you booking enough days in Hawaii, or are you setting yourself up for regret?

Most travelers either cut their trip too short or waste half their vacation in airports trying to see too many islands.

👉 Hit play now to discover the exact formula that matches your vacation days to your travel goals so you stop second-guessing your itinerary.

If you've ever wondered how to choose the right trip length for Hawaii, this episode is for you.

👉 In this episode, you will:

  • Discover why 7 days minimum accounts for travel time, jet lag, and actual beach days without rushing
  • Learn the one-week-per-island rule that prevents you from spending half your trip in airports
  • Match your trip length to each island's unique attractions

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Scroll up ⬆️ and hit play now to stop guessing and start planning your Hawaii trip with confidence.

🤙Resources mentioned:

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🎧Related episodes:

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💻Related blog posts:

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🤓Chapters:

  • 1:16 First Trip to Hawaii: Recommended Duration
  • 1:29 Travel Time and Jet Lag Considerations
  • 3:37 Maximizing Your Time on One Island
  • 4:20 Benefits of a 10-Day Trip
  • 5:14 Exploring Multiple Islands on a Two-Week Trip
  • 8:21 Island-Specific Recommendations
  • 14:57 Budgeting for Your Hawaii Trip
  • 17:57 Additional Resources

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This Hawaii travel podcast is for travelers looking to plan a trip to Hawaii. Discover travel tips, itineraries, and traveling tips & hacks with guides to help you explore Hawaii. Whether you’re planning a Hawaii vacation to the islands, dreaming of a Hawaiian getaway, or visiting Honolulu, Maui, Kauai, Oahu, or Big Island we’ll help you travel with aloha.

Edge of the Ocean, Stick Figure (w/ permission)
Ukulele and Chill, Coby G (w/ permission)
Talk Story, Hawaiian Style Band (w/ permission)

205_How Many Days Do You Need in Hawaii?


[00:00:00] Bryan Murphy: Most people booking a Hawaii trip make a similar mistake. They either don't book enough time and regret it, or they try to see too many islands and spend half of their time in airports. Well, in this episode, you'll discover the exact formula for choosing your Hawaii trip length based on real travel data and personal experience, and why this.

[00:00:21] Bryan Murphy: One Planning decision really determines whether you spend your vacation stressed in airports or actually relaxed on island time.

[00:00:33] Bryan Murphy: Loha.

[00:00:34] Bryan Murphy: Welcome to Hawaii's Best to Podcast, helping you plan an unforgettable trip. To Hawaii. Here you'll discover insider tips, local voices, and everything else you need to confidently plan your trip to Hawaii. Loha. I'm Brian, your guide to Hawaii, and today we're breaking down one of the, I think, most single planning mistakes.

[00:00:54] Bryan Murphy: That can affect both first timers to Hawaii and repeat visitors, and that's choosing your trip length based on what sounds good instead of what actually works. And by the end of this episode, you'll know exactly how many days you need, why most people book it wrong, and the simple formula that matches your vacation days.

[00:01:14] Bryan Murphy: To your travel goals.

[00:01:16] Bryan Murphy: So let's go ahead and get right into it with probably the most common scenario, and that's your first trip to Hawaii for your first trip to Hawaii. I would highly recommend at least seven days as a minimum for your stay.

[00:01:29] Bryan Murphy: And first, it's really about the travel time West Coast flights from.

[00:01:34] Bryan Murphy: Southern California all the way up to the Pacific Northwest takes about six hours. Our trip over this time was about five and a half. That's typically what we get. And on the way back, the fastest I've ever gotten back from Honolulu was four hours and 30 minutes. That was pretty fun. Lot of tailwind, lot of bumps, but got home quick and I think the longest time it took to get over there was probably around six and a half hours.

[00:02:01] Bryan Murphy: So. That's just, that's just from the west coast. Now east coast travelers, you face 11 to 14 hours total, and that's really a full day gone right there on each end of your trip. So you land, you're tired, you pick up your rental car, you get to the hotel resort, you grab. Food. That first day is basically a wash, and then there's jet lag.

[00:02:24] Bryan Murphy: Hawaii is about two to six hours behind the mainland, and so your body really needs that time to adjust. And just to, just to note, Hawaii doesn't do, uh, the daylight savings time thing, so they don't change their time. They're just Hawaii standard time. Most people feel it. For at least a day or two. And right there you've lost another day.

[00:02:46] Bryan Murphy: Just getting your internal clock sorted out. You're gonna be waking up early in Hawaii those first few days. So maybe just a, another tip kind of on top of this section would be if you want to do a sunrise tour or you wanna, you know, get out there and you do Akala sunrise, you wanna book it? That first or second day, because your body's naturally gonna want to get up early, and that's why I usually recommend seven days is the minimum.

[00:03:13] Bryan Murphy: You get about five full days on the ground in Hawaii, depending on the island you're visiting and after, you know, that's kind of after travel and adjustment time. So five days really gives you a space to see everything you wanted to see. See for the most part, you know, hit the beaches, take a trip or two, and still have time to relax because that is important.

[00:03:34] Bryan Murphy: You don't wanna stack all of those days back to back. Really.

[00:03:37] Bryan Murphy: Here's the rule that trips a lot of people up is stick to one island trying to island hop on a short trip. Like a five to seven day is really one of the biggest mistakes you can make. I think especially for your first time, not knowing what to expect.

[00:03:54] Bryan Murphy: Those inner island flights are only, you know, 20 to 50 minutes in the air, but the total process time it takes to get, you know, you got two to three hours when you factor in airports, security, baggage, rental cars. That's right. Really like half your day right there is spent in transit and, and that's really not worth it, especially for your first trip.

[00:04:15] Bryan Murphy: If you're just doing seven days, you wanna maximize your time as much as possible.

[00:04:20] Bryan Murphy: So if you can stretch to 10 days, that's where things can get really good. 10 days on one island really lets you explore the different sides. Um, most islands have a, a wetter side, kind of the, uh, the windward side and the drier side, leeward side, and they feel completely different.

[00:04:38] Bryan Murphy: So if you have 10 days, you're not rushing. You can take a day to rest, be spontaneous when you want to be. That's really the sweet spot for a trip, I would say seven to 10 days. Once you hit that 10 day mark, you can maybe start flirting a little bit with. You know, an island hop, technically you can do island hop if you know, seven day.

[00:04:58] Bryan Murphy: But, uh, if you're traveling with a large family or just a family in general, you got kids, grandparents. That's gonna take up a lot of forethought and a lot of. Energy, not just time in the air, the 20 minutes or so. Now if you have two weeks.

[00:05:14] Bryan Murphy: This is really our sweet spot. We love doing two weeks. I think now that our girls are older, we have three girls, teenagers, and a 10-year-old.

[00:05:23] Bryan Murphy: We usually do like a 10 day. We used to do 14, 16 days, which was awesome, but right now we can kind of get away with, uh, you know, seven to 10 days, which is great. But really, if you have two weeks, this is really where Hawaii really opens up. Then this is where you can really start exploring the neighboring islands.

[00:05:43] Bryan Murphy: If you're on Oahu, maybe this is where you can start doing some island hopping, and the guideline is simple. If you have two weeks pick. One week per island. Two weeks means two islands. Three weeks means three islands. That's kind of a, a simple rule of thumb now, it's not something you have to stick to, but it's something I definitely would recommend.

[00:06:02] Bryan Murphy: If you have 14 days and you wanna do three islands, that's really gonna be pushing it. You can comfortably do two islands in two weeks. The benefits go beyond just seeing more places with this island hopping two week extravaganza. You get weather flexibility. If it's raining on one side, you can shift plans, and if a trail is closed, you're not stressed because you have time to come back when it's maybe open next week.

[00:06:31] Bryan Murphy: You also can discover things that aren't on the typical. Tourist checklist. So you know you got a local coffee shop that everyone loves. Take some time on Yelp and do some digging into finding those local spots. And you're gonna maybe find a beach that's not crowded the food truck locals line up for.

[00:06:49] Bryan Murphy: And you might even get to know some people there as you frequent some of these spots, which can be really cool, especially if you come back over and over next year or in the years to come. Two weeks really gives you permission to slow down. You can take a rest day without feeling like you're wasting your vacation indoors or at the resort, and you can stay up late at a luau and sleep in and not feel guilty about it because you gotta get to the next thing.

[00:07:13] Bryan Murphy: You can also change plans as someone tells you about a spot you've never heard of, which happens frequently, at least when we travel. Talking to locals there and people we know, and people we are, we've meeting for the first time and hearing about a new spot. That's how we. Came across, uh, B Side Kitchen on the island of Ahu, A Grace local spot to eat outside of Waikiki on the east side.

[00:07:37] Bryan Murphy: Now that's really the value of a longer trip. It, it stops being about a checklist and starts feeling like you actually, you know, kinda live there for just a little while. You get it really? I talk about on the podcast a bit, just feeling the vibe and the feel and the pace of the island really. Two weeks gives you that feel and that pace.

[00:07:59] Bryan Murphy: Just a disclaimer though, after two weeks, it's gonna be harder to leave. You're gonna feel this tug, this pull as you, you take off and you see the islands start to disappear. And, uh, that, that's real. So two weeks really gives you, um, that, that sense of Hawaii blues, if you will.

[00:08:21] Bryan Murphy: Now let's get a little bit more specific about each island, because each island I think, requires or warrants different types of amounts of time.

[00:08:30] Bryan Murphy: Oahu, you can do five to seven days. Oahu is the most developed island. Five to seven days is really the sweet spot. Five is, I think, really pushing it. One time my wife and I, we did five days. We actually did five days in Maui, and it was actually perfect because it was just the two of us. We weren't managing.

[00:08:47] Bryan Murphy: Our kids as well. So a five day, couple trip, especially if you live on the west coast of the mainland, that's probably a little bit more doable. But anyway, Pearl Harbor requires advanced reservations. The North Shore has famous surf beaches and food trucks. Waikiki and Honolulu offer. You know you got city life shopping, restaurants, nightlife, all that good stuff.

[00:09:09] Bryan Murphy: You got hikes like Diamond Head and PCC Polynesia Culture Center. Really, it's a great island that you can get a lot done within a week and everything is relatively close together on Oahu. You can stay in one place in day trip without spinning all day in your car. If you're staying in Waikiki, you can do North Shore for the day or even drive up on the east side over.

[00:09:34] Bryan Murphy: And go up, up to, uh, turtle Bay, go up to North Shore that way. Or you could cut through, you know, the center of the island. But everything is relatively close. Seven days really gives you enough time to hit all the major spots and still have time for beach days and relaxation. Now, Maui, I think you need about seven to eight days on Maui.

[00:09:52] Bryan Murphy: Maui really needs a full week, is what I'm trying to say. The road to HA itself takes a full day. You got three hours each wave, you're gonna do the whole thing. Dozens of stops, waterfalls, beaches, scenic lookouts. You can't really rush it. I actually did an episode about whether you should even drive the road to Ha, so I'll link that below it.

[00:10:12] Bryan Murphy: I just kinda lay out some more. Points on that if you want to, if you're considering doing Road Hana. Akala National Park requires reservations up to 60 days in advance, so that's for sunrise. I don't think they require Sunset reservations right now, but for Sunrise they do for sure. And the resort areas are yle.

[00:10:32] Bryan Murphy: That's on the south shore, and then cotton poly on the west side are on opposite sides of the island. And then if you add snorkeling spots and whale watching between usually December, January through March, April, really seven, eight days, nine days full week is when I'm saying let's you experience both adventure and relaxation on Maui.

[00:10:55] Bryan Murphy: The garden aisle, Kauai, I would say it's about seven days. The Nepali coast is really the main attraction. It's those dramatic cliffs that you see really in, in so many Hawaii photos. I think we even have it on our Instagram. The best way to see the cliffs is by catamaran tour helicopter, or a challenging hike, which I necessarily wouldn't recommend.

[00:11:20] Bryan Murphy: So really, you got either by boat or by helicopter and that. Requires most of the day. So if you wanna see Nepali coast, that's one day right there. Y Mea Canyon is another big attraction on the west side of Hawaii. It's the, the nickname is the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. And it's stunning. It, it gives that awe, I remember stepping up to Y Waimea Canyon for the first time and just being in awe.

[00:11:47] Bryan Murphy: I actually saw. Why MEA Canyon before, I believe, before going to the Grand Canyon, and, uh, both gave me that sense of just, ah, and like, wow, this is amazing. But that takes, you know, several hours right there. The island of Kauai definitely has a wet side and a dry side that feel completely different. The roads are slower, a bit windier than you think.

[00:12:11] Bryan Murphy: So seven days really gives you time to see both coasts without feeling rushed. It's a slower paced island. We like Kauai, we like doing a couple days on, like if we're gonna island hop a couple days on Kauai, I'd say. Four, five days for us are pretty good. Just the pace for our family. It starts feeling a little slow, and then we get over to Oahu or wherever.

[00:12:36] Bryan Murphy: Not on the big island of Hawaii. Hawaii island. I would recommend at least seven to 10 days. It's kind of like same as Maui in the full seven. Full week, the big island, it's huge. It's bigger than all of the Hawaiian islands combined. You need at least seven days, but 10 is better. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, that's a full day or more.

[00:12:58] Bryan Murphy: Black sand beaches, green sand, beaches, white sand, beaches. The Kona side is dry and sunny. Typically, that's where a lot of the resorts are in the majority of the resorts in the helo side. It's wet, it's tropical. Uh, Mona has snow. If you want to get up there. It, it's cool. I don't think I could do it more than once.

[00:13:18] Bryan Murphy: But, um, we also did some coffee farm tours, um, on the foothills. There in Kona, epic waterfalls, and really some of the best snorkeling in Hawaii. And you can also swim with Montereys. That's one of the biggest attractions on the big island is night snorkeling with Monterey. So check that out. Um, that's something worth doing.

[00:13:40] Bryan Murphy: And if you are doing that. Snorkeling. Just kind of another side note is you wanna wait at least experts say at least 72 hours after a long flight. And I'll, I'll put that study down in the show notes below and you can read that and make your own decisions as an adult and how you want to, how you want to do that if you're planning on snorkeling after a long flight.

[00:14:02] Bryan Murphy: Really, the distances are real. On the big island, it takes about two and a half hours just to drive from Kona to Hilo side. So a rental car is non-negotiable that you, you pretty much, you need to rent a car on the island of Hawaii. Seven days really gets you the highlights. 10 days really lets you explore, maybe come back to a spot, and if you only have a week, you want to think about what you're after.

[00:14:27] Bryan Murphy: You want to do volcanoes and diverse landscapes. I definitely would recommend the Big Island Beaches Resorts. I would lean towards Maui Nature Hiking. I would lean towards Kauai and really, honestly, Oahu. Has a lot of, of all that, and that's why we, we honestly love Oahu as our main island. We visit. I know it gets a bad rap from Waikiki.

[00:14:50] Bryan Murphy: We hardly ever even go into Waikiki. Oahu can give you a lot of these as well.

[00:14:57] Bryan Murphy: Let's talk a little bit about budget. Now, your flight to Hawaii is a fixed cost, so whether. Stay five days or 10 days, that plane ticket is gonna cost the same regardless of the day. Spreading a thousand dollars flight over 10 days makes a lot more sense than spreading it over five.

[00:15:15] Bryan Murphy: And the average daily cost in Hawaii is around $267 per person, and that's not including your flight. That's hotels, food activities, rental car. So yes, a longer trip costs more total. When you factor in that fixed flight cost, the per day value gets better the longer you stay. I'm not trying to justify it for you, but the math can work if you play around with the math just right.

[00:15:43] Bryan Murphy: So a well placed trip, seven days minimum 10 if you can swing, it really gives you breathing room. You can take a rest day without feeling guilty. You can sleep in, really get your body acclimated to the new. Time you can change plans. Really, that's the difference between stress and an actual vacation.

[00:16:02] Bryan Murphy: So really the three key rules I, I just would love to leave you with in planning your Hawaii trip.

[00:16:07] Bryan Murphy: Rule number one to start with one week for one island. That's really your baseline. It accounts for travel time jet lag, and gives you enough days to actually experience the island. Rule number two, don't island hop on a short trip. If you got less than 10 days, you can maybe do in 10 days, but less than seven days.

[00:16:29] Bryan Murphy: Stay put. That inner island flight eats up a lot more time than you think. Even though it says it's only 20 some minutes from Wahoo to Kauai, it's gonna eat up a lot more time than you think. Rule number three. Match your time to your goals. Seeing multiple islands means one week per island. Going deep on one island means you want to try to shoot for at least 10 days.

[00:16:53] Bryan Murphy: A long weekend means picking Oahu or Maui and focusing on just the highlights. That's what Allie and I did and my wife. But really my final thought on all this is that quality beats quantity every time, is what I'm saying.

[00:17:06] Bryan Murphy: Hawaii is not checking off the list of doing Disney. And trying to make sure you do all the attractions and all the parks.

[00:17:16] Bryan Murphy: Hawaii is so much more than that. It's not a place that you conquer. It's a place you get to experience. The aloha spirit isn't something you just check off the list. It's something you feel when you slow down enough to notice it. When you talk to locals. When you talk to Hawaiians, yes, there's a difference there.

[00:17:34] Bryan Murphy: And when you sit on a beach and just catch the waves or just lay down. On your beach towel and when you take a wrong turn to find something beautiful you weren't looking for, that's really the magic, and that's a lot where memories are made. You can't do it all if you're rushing. So give yourself enough time.

[00:17:53] Bryan Murphy: Plan smart, and let Hawaii be Hawaii.

[00:17:57] Bryan Murphy: So for more detail, guys on planning your trip, or if you want one-on-one consultation with me, you can head on over to hawaii's best travel.com and find that, and I've got a full breakdown of each island packing list and tips to help you plan your trip that's right for you.

[00:18:13] Bryan Murphy: So thanks again for listening, and until next time, as always. Live with Aloha

[00:18:21] Bryan Murphy: Mala for listening to this episode of Hawaii's. Best to stay up to date on future episodes. Hit follow on your podcast app. Hawaii's Best is a production of shore break media group with editing by easy podcast solutions and music courtesy of our friends. Stick figure.


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