Hawaii Daytrips and Inter-Island Travel Information

So, you're planning a trip to one island and you want to know if it's worth it to go see another? Absolutely! Each Hawaiian Island is different from the others and can stand on its own as a fantastic destination.

• A Hawaii Cruise
  A cruise around the islands will start on Oahu and stop at each of the other major ones (Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island) for one or two days. Not enough time to really delve into what the island has to offer, but usually enought time to see the one biggest thing you wanted to see on each.

• Fly on one of the Major airlines
  You can fly on either Aloha or Hawaiian airlines. Both airlines fly Boeing jets several times a day from and two each major island. You can leave first thing in the morning and come back as late as 7 or 8 at night. They are frightfully expensive these days (rates may be as low as $40 thanks to a fare war started in 2006 by Go!, the newest airline in Hawaii) - best rates are found on their websites or possibly via your mainland carrier when you book your flight to Hawaii. Flights can take from 20 minutes to a little over an hour.
  
  The newest airlines, Go! Airlines started in 2006 and has really brought the flight prices down, so you may find good rates on the other airlines for a bit longer too. I have flown on Go! and recommend them.

• Fly on a smaller airline
  These will normally be propeller planes. Try Paragon Air, Pacific Wings, or Mokulele Airlines. Prices could be better than flying on a major airline, and you will probably get out of having to make a stop in Honolulu, like you would in most other flights.

• Take a Tour
  You could take an airplane or helicopter tour that either lands or just flies you over part of the other island and returns (search for whatever thing you want to see + air tour - ex: Big Island Volcano air tour or you could book with a tour company that would arrange for your flight over and your transportation to a specific spot one you got there: Robert's Hawaii and Polynesian Adventures One Day Tours

• Take a Ferry
  There are day ferries from Maui to Molokai and Maui to Lanai. The Hawaii Superferry started recently but has met with much resistance. Trips are currently suspended. Check the website for updates.

If you are staying in Hawaii for less than a week, I would not recommend trying to stay on more than one island. You'll never see all you want of just one island in just one week and that extra hotel check-in and airline-waiting time can really eat into a vacation. My family and I just returned from a week's trip to Oahu - we've been there dozens of times (my husband actually lived there for several years) and we still didn't have enough time to do all we wanted. We only got one day of hang out at the beach and the pool and do not much of anything time.

If you are staying for a while and you really want to visit another island just booking it all at once is the easiest way. You could book a vacation package for deals and continuity.