What is the typical cost of a trip to Hawaii in 2024?

Hawaii is often on the shortlist of dream destinations for a relaxing beach vacation. But a possible trip to paradise doesn't happen without first asking the crucial question: How much does a trip to Hawaii cost?

The answer varies depending on where you stay and when you travel. We crunched the numbers to give you an idea of ​​how much you can expect to spend so you're better prepared to budget for your Hawaii vacation.

We looked at the estimated costs of a 10-night trip for a family of four (two adults and two children) during the peak summer season, as well as a seven-night trip for that same family during the shoulder season.

Here are the hypotheses:

• Travel to Honolulu on the island of Oahu, the most popular island for visitors to Hawaii.

• Round-trip flights for four from Los Angeles.

• Peak season travel assumes departure on June 25, 2024, while peak season travel assumes departure on May 8, 2024.

• We used three property types to evaluate price estimates:

  • A four-star beachfront resort: Hilton Hawaiian Village.

  • A three-star hotel: Holiday Inn Express Waikiki.

  • A Condo: Various Waikiki Units on Vrbo.com.

• • $50 per night at the four-star resort.

  • $29.49 per night at the three-star hotel.

  • All management and cleaning fees to the condo units.

• Totals include parking fees of:

  • $68.06 per day at the four-star resort.

  • $45 per day at three-star hotel.

  • Parking is not included in condo totals (varies by building/unit).

• Meals include evening dinners approximately $225, including drinks, tax and gratuity.

  • At a four-star resort, meal estimates include breakfasts and lunches totaling about $100 per day.

  • Rates at a three-star hotel, which include free breakfast, only include lunches totaling about $50 per day.

  • Budget dining involves reducing food costs by 60% through inexpensive meals and/or meal prep.

• Activities for the 10-night trip include a snorkeling excursion, surfing lessons, a tour of Pearl Harbor, and a day at a water park. For the seven-night stay: snorkeling, visit to Pearl Harbor and day at a water park (no surf lessons).

• Economy rental car booked through DiscountHawaiiCarRental.com or Turo.

Based on the information described above, here are our estimated budgets.

• $15,090: Four-star beachfront resort, with rental car for 10 days.

• $10,447: Three-star hotel, 10 minutes walk from the beach and a rental car for five days.

• $7,781 Low-cost condo within walking distance of the beach, low-budget meals, and five-day rental car.

• $9,574: Four-star beachfront resort with seven-day rental car.

• $6,488: Three-star hotel, 10 minutes walk from the beach and a rental car for two days.

• $4,936: Low-cost condo within walking distance of the beach, low-budget meals and two-day rental car.

Can you beat these numbers? Certainly. Here are tips for saving money on your Hawaii vacation.

Is your idea of ​​a great vacation to hit the road to explore every corner of the island? So, don't pay high prices for a hotel on the beach.

On the other hand, if your dream trip involves lots of time lounging on the sand and splashing in the pool, don't pay $55 a day for a rental car plus $68 a day to park it while 'she'll just stay there.

The downside to this strategy is that you may have to wait in line to get your car. So send an adult to collect the vehicle in the morning while the rest of the crew prepares for the day. And don't forget to include airport transfers in your budget. Budget about $37 each way, including tip, for a taxi or rideshare between Waikiki and the Honolulu airport.

If your family of four enjoys a nice dinner at the world-famous Duke's Waikiki, including cocktails for adults, an appetizer and a Hula Pie dessert to share, you will spend around $225, including tax and tip. Sure, the beach views, tiki torches, and aloha spirit might be worth it. But you don't have to spend that much every night.

Move away from the beach and meals become much cheaper. For example, Cheeseburger in Paradise's exceptional burgers cost around $20, compared to $36 for a baked fish at Duke's.

Additionally, pizzerias, very affordable ramen restaurants, authentic Hawaiian restaurants such as Rainbow Drive-In, chains such as Denny's and IHOP, and fast food restaurants like McDonald's, Burger King, and Subway can reduce your dining costs .

Or head to one of the many ABC stores to purchase salads, sandwiches, yogurt, snacks, drinks, or spam musubi (a slice of toasted spam sandwiched between or on top of a block of rice, wrapped in nori) to refuel. at low price.

Even more affordable, you can buy cereal, coffee, milk, cold meats and bread to prepare breakfasts and lunches at your hotel or condo.

You can often find a vacation rental just minutes from the beach for much less than you would pay for a hotel.

For example, we found the condo below on Vrbo for 10 nights for $1,942 plus tax, for a total of $2,260. And it's during the peak summer season.

For a seven-day rental during shoulder season, you can reduce your total lodging expenses by about $500 by choosing a condo over a hotel.

Many condos also have a kitchen, so you can save money by making eggs or pancakes for breakfast, spaghetti for dinner, and making sandwiches for lunch while you're on the go.

The question “How much does a Hawaii vacation cost?” ” has a much more appealing answer if you pay using airline miles, hotel points or credit card points, which can wipe hundreds or even thousands of dollars off the cost of your trip.

For more information on how to maximize your points, be sure to check out these articles:

So, how much does it cost to go to Hawaii? This can be expensive. Hidden costs like resort fees and exorbitant parking prices can easily break a budget. But there are ways to save on the cost of a Hawaii vacation.

Traveling before or after the high summer season can save a considerable amount of money. Also, don't pay extra to stay on the beach if you don't want to take full advantage of that location, and don't pay up to $68 a night to park a car while you splash around the pool for several hours . days.

To save big, consider a condo where you can cook many of your meals and save on meals. With these simple strategies, your answer to the question “How much does a Hawaii vacation cost?” » is the one that fits your budget.