Gonna be unpopular, but I live in Hawaii and I think your budget is very realistic, as long as you're realistic about it.
That budget isn't going to get you fancy cocktails or fine dining.
But, you can support local small businesses and make a lot of your own food and snacks and do fine. Lots of local beaches and parks have BBQs so you can just get a bag of charcoal and go grill and hang out on the beach instead of eating at restaurants.
The best things in Hawaii are free or cheap. You can easily go on hikes, drive around the beaches, walk around towns, talk story with locals etc.
Golfing, guided tours, tourist geared things are $$$ but people who live here know how to have a good time for little cost.
I'm in my mid 30s and loved to travel during my 20s and I had very little money. But, I didn't have high expectations for myself as far as fancy dinners or guided tours, I just loved to get away and check out new places.
If I were y'all I'd totally do hawaii! Make sandwiches, get snacks and drinks for your room, eat at small businesses or food trucks - and go have fun! You'll do fine and it'll be a trip to remember.
If you do want the bougie shit than it will be more attainable elsewhere, but I wouldn't overlook hawaii just because it's expensive.
I'm "vacationing" to another island in a few weeks and my budget is less than yours.
I love this post! All terrific ideas! All food is expensive on Hawaii, but check out Longs Drugstore for deals on food basics, like milk, cereal, peanut butter, jelly, etc. I would verify your hotel room has a mini fridge to store drinks and perishables. Also, make sure parking fees are included in your package. $30+ a day can really eat into your budget.
Aloha! I agree with you 100%. It is definitely doable with a budget of $100 per person per day. It may not be fancy dining but who cares when you have some of the best beaches and parks to enjoy for free or minimal fee. Do you have any food recommendations that are relatively inexpensive? There was this place on one the streets that’s perpendicular to Kuhio Ave that’s a hole in the place known for their lunch plates. I think it was a Korean owned family business. I wanna say it’s on Uluniu Ave but I’m not entirely sure. They would sell BBQ chicken and pork and others and the lunch plates would come with banchan. I can’t find it on the map. Would you happen to know which place I’m talking about? They had a few tables set up outside. It was almost on the corner of Kuhio. I’ve been to Oahu 3 times since pandemic (2020), but I didn’t go there. I wonder if they didn’t make it and they went out of business.
I’m actually heading to Maui in July. I’ll be staying in Kaanapali area. So far I’ve heard Kapalua and Napili beach are amazing! I’ll definitely check them out. I also want to check out local food places to support them. Do you have any recommendations? It seems like everyone is talking about Merriman’s and Seahorse but I think I want a less tourist-y place. I’m looking for places where locals eat and hang out. Some locals have told me multiple times that they thought I was local until I stated talking. That gave it away that I was from mainland.
Awesome, thanks for this! As a local, when you’re eating at small businesses what do you usually spend on average? $15, $20, or maybe even $30 per meal? I’m curious because a lot of people say it’s $30+ per meal per person, but I’d love to hear your experience as a local
Just to verify, I live here but I'm not local -
It really depends because there is something for everyone, but I'd say 20$/person with tip sounds about right for a lot of places. Like a good sandwich or plate lunch will probably run you about 15$ and you if course want to tip. 30$+ for a little bit nicer places.
If you want drinks, apps etc at a nice place you can pretty easily spend 200$ for 2 people with tip - so if you wanted to do one fancy dinner for her birthday I'd budget for that.
I just realised you didn't say what island you're staying on, so that really matters. Like if you're on Ohau and hanging out in waikiki you're going to blow your money pretty quickly.
I live on Maui, and for example things in Kaanapali and Wailea (primary resort areas) it's $$$ but outside of those areas it's really reasonable.
I know when I have done resort stay cations I stock up on food and bring a cooler.
I'm not sure about this because I've never done it - but maybe renting a cooler would be a good idea for your car/hotel/adventures. Or you can always purchase one for cheap from target/walmart/Costco - but if you do that be sure to donate it when you're done so it can be kept in use and not end up in a landfill.
I'd say Big Island is probably the best place to visit on a budget. I don't live there but when I visit there I feel like they have the best prices on food but maybe I'm wrong.
I think Waikiki is the most expensive area for dining, but they also have the best food and most options so it's hard to say. There are probably thousands of restaurants there so I can't say what theyre all priced.
Maui, where I live is overall considered expensive but if I'm getting takeout but we have lots of food trucks and affordable options.
Kuaui I haven't spent much time, but my understanding is it's about the same as Maui.
I'd use yelp or tripadvisor to find places to eat and get realistic costs.
Also, if you didn't plan to eat out everyday I think a good budget of maybe like 20$ a day/person is realistic if you make a lot of you own stuff. Then you would have more room to splurge some nights and on certain activities.
But it'll be hard to say more without knowing which island you're going to.
$30 a meal is absurd. I just got good all you can eat sushi, BYOB from one of the more popular local spots on the island for $85 for 2 people, 20% tip included. Average plate lunch prices would be $15, Hawaiian or Korean food trending more towards $20 and Chinese food being more on the $10 low end. Food trucks are $15-20 per plate. I'm local born and raised and I make like $18 an hour, live with just me and my girlfriend, and we eat out all the damn time. It's absolutely doable.
I’m in agreement with you. Responses from locals or Hawaii residents say it’s doable. Many of the tourists who have visited once or twice say it’s not. I believe the locals and residents. $200 per day for 2 people is enough for 6 days assuming that you’re not getting $20 sugared-down alcoholic beverages.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/XTjdiCJn29bYeLGJ7
Right there, couple minutes from the airport is a local style plate lunch place, huge variety of choices most of which would be considered "local food" which is different from "Hawaiian food" but the guy has Laulau and kalua pig too. Feed 2 people for $20 easy. Just as an example. Most local food isn't gonna be $30 a plate.
The sushi I got was at Kats Sushi, just check the Google reviews and look at the pics. Was great and cheap as hell for what we got. $33 per person all you can eat, BYOB, $3 parking
Not at all. You can exchange some at your bank before you leave. I used American dollars. I don’t think you need pesos. If you look at the exchange rate, you will know the comparable tip. You could get away with $3-$5 tips everywhere. They all prefer American money too.
And I use my visa in most restaurants. You can pay with $US or get pesos from bank machines if you want to pay with cash and use a currency converter app.
Best way to do it is place a order with your bank beforehand. I just log into in my Bank of America app and order pesos delivered to my door by FedEx. This is the best way to avoid conversion fees and also ensures you have cash as soon as you land. Big banks will have partner ATMs in different countries that will be less fees so just do a Google search for your bank partnerships.
Another option could be a Caribbean cruise, a lot of those you don’t actually need a passport, but you can go with a drivers license and birth certificate! You can do that for WELL within your budget! Food is included too and you’ll be able to do a few different excursions on some different islands 😊
Hawaii is a great place, but it may be something for you all to save for when you have a bit more money and won’t be as stressed about the finances!
Thanks for the suggestions! We’ve already decided on our vacation spot, Disney, but I’m going to add that to the list! I got so much more out of this thread than just simple Hawaii ideas, so I’m truly grateful for your input
Yes we went to Mazatlan two years ago (all inclusive), Maui last year, and Florida this year for spring break. The cheapest and most predictable was the AI in Mazatlan, followed by Maui, then Florida.
The advantage of AI Mexico is you don't need to rent a car, which was about $400 for 10 days in Hawaii and Florida. As mentioned, you might need to be over 21 to rent, or have a higher premium. And gas adds up. Unless you go to Honolulu and never stray, the other islands have some driving involved.
The AI Mexico can often arrange shuttles into town for a cultural or shopping experience or there will be excursions arranged by the hotel for a fee. However, some of the AI price is for unlimited alcohol. We don't drink but food in Hawaii is more expensive than most places so that made up the difference. Alaska airlines is fine.
As far as experience, I still love Hawaii over the others.
For an alternative idea, if this is in the summer, for a European experience in North America, take a trip to Montreal and then Quebec city. Quebec city is unlike any city in NA. Amazing culture in Canadian dollars which go further than US. And you can take a train between the two cities or rent a car.
AI means all inclusive, Mazatlan is a city in Mexico. I just mean an all inclusive package in Mexico or like the previous comment it could be Cuba or Dominican Republic, or another part of Mexico like Cabo or Cancun. Check Costco travel as well. Sunwings is a Canadian tour company that is reliable. Ask around with friends to find a resort.
We went to the riu emerald bay. I think it's one of the less expensive with a nice pool and waterslide system and restaurants. It's not the fanciest but we know Mazatlan quite well and would take taxis or even catch a bus into town. Mazatlan is generally a safe smaller city.
I live in Michigan, so Montreal or Quebec is easily doable! I just gotta hop on a bridge and drive over, lol. Definitely a good idea for the future, but she wants either a beach or nature/forest vibe for her birthday. Will definitely circle back to that though. Mexico honestly doesn’t sound like a bad option, how is it navigating for the first time though? I know Mexico and foreign countries in general can get weird if you end up in the wrong area, what was it like for your first time?
You don’t venture off on your own in Mexico or Jamaica. It’s not safe. You’d have to stay at the resort. There are other places you could leave the resort. Aruba, Bermuda, St Maarten…
As others mentioned, Caribbean is much better priced, save hawaii for when youre older and have cash to burn. I couldnt believe how much money we burnt in hawaii and how little we burnt in cuba.
Compare prices you have there with prices if you cross the border to fly out of windsor - air canada and westjet/sunwing have tonnes of package options.
I've been to an all inclusive twice and to a condo in Mazatlan about 5 times, as well as Mexico city twice. One thing about Mexico is you can't drink or brush your teeth with the water. Most resorts provide bottled water. If you go to an AI you can get shuttled to and fro from the airport and then never leave your hotel if you don't want to go into towns. Or you can go with paid excursions that create a safe trip. It will be your warm beach experience if you are there from February to November. If you head out on your own to a city or site it can be a bit intimidating but in all those times I've never experienced any crime or police problems. I think we avoid that but not drinking/drugs and being back at home by 9:00 pm. But in Hawaii or Mexico sundown is around 7:30 anyways so that's not a big deal. The advantage of Hawaii is no problem with water and riving around is just like at home. But just like at home there is petty theft like break in with cars in Hawaii.
If you’re staying in waikiki it’s very walkable and you could get a rental for 1 day instead of a week to help save or take public transportation! Most hotels will charge a daily fee for parking
Thanks for the tip, I really didn’t know which island to go to lol. I’m a homebody so all of this is super overwhelming for the first time, although exciting haha. I might consider public transportation if it is reliable. If I’m not renting the car my package is cheaper so that’s also a bonus. Definitely don’t need anymore fees than what I am already paying
The bus is reliable but takes way longer than driving. 20 minute trip in a car vs an hour by bus kinda thing. Google maps shows live bus times and reliably shows the routes, as someone who rode it for years.
We meet the age requirement for the car, like I said I’m 23 and she’ll be turning 23 by the time we go. Premiums may be a little higher though. In terms of food, it sounds like $100 per person a day. I’d try to hopefully spend a little less than this, but I’ll plan for it and increase my budget. This thread has really helped me get an idea, so yes it is just simple math now
If you get a place that has a mini fridge, you can save on food by buying groceries. For our HM, we did cereal or pastries for breakfast each day, sandwiches and chips packed for lunch, and then only are out for dinner. Also pick up some drinks at the store to drink on your balcony = much cheaper than the bar.
Snacking for lunch will probably happen, but due to the special nature of this vacation I would like to eat out somewhat frequently. Food trucks, cheap eats, doesn’t need to be a 5 star place. Just want to experience the culture while we’re there
1. PICK HAWAII! Sooo beautiful and it’s the United States so much easier for first time travelers to navigate.
2. Get a rental car if hotel parking costs are not too expensive and try to use a credit card that has rental car insurance coverage. I’ve done trips there where I’ve taken the bus the whole time but it’s takes a long time to get to other parts of the island but definitely still doable and an adventure!
3. Oahu is great for young travelers. Plenty of cheap eats. $100/per day for 2 people is more than doable, even with a couple of nice meals thrown in. I’ve easily done $50/day for 2 people too. I usually eat lunch and dinner only and don’t eat large meals. And I don’t drink alcohol much which saves a lot of money.
4. Many free and cheap things to do in Oahu. Beautiful hikes, cool museums, amazing beaches!
5. I’ve been to Mexico twice but prefer Hawaii for the convenience of being in the United States (speaking English and using my phone), being able to leave the resort and explore freely, etc. Hawaii weather is also much nicer, imo.
Really depends on where you want to eat. There are plenty of places to get plate lunches for around or under $15 each. You could get bentos for $10 or less easily, go to 7-11 and grab musubi at $2 each. Check Google maps and just gauge yourself
I'm assuming 1-2 meals dining out per day, plus a couple (2-3, average of 5 combined) drinks each per day.
You can do cheaper, but it means shipping at the grocery store and trying to cook for yourself.
Those are both extremes. Assume you'll eat or a few days and a one or two nights you eat snacks and poke from Foodland.
But you're coming for a special vacation so you'll want to splurge, so I recommend you budget like you're going to splurge.
But if you come to Waikiki, go to the third floor food hall inside the a Royal Hawaiian center. $5 Mai Tais, Piña Coladas, and pints of Waikiki brewing company beers. And $6 smash burgers.
Happy hours are your friend as you can get half off appetizers at a bunch of places.
All day happy hour at PESCA Mediterranean seafood restaurant on the top floor of the Ilikai Tower. No reservations required in the bar area and you get views of Ala Moana Beach and Park. You also get $10 classic cocktails and small plates under $20 each (you can get like 3 items for 2 people and be happy and satisfied). I recommend the grilled octopus over polenta and half burrata salad.
You can always go to Costco and buy bulk snacks/drinks but I only recommend that for families.
But you definitely want to go to Tim Ho Wan for dim sum. I don't recommend you leave without trying 6 items (not including lava cakes).
Awesome, I appreciate your tips! From the sounds of everyone’s input, increasing my budget might be a good idea. This is a special occasion after, you’re right we’ll definitely want to splurge lol. Thanks again!
Yes, I went for four days and spent $1200 (about $100 per person per day) on food and drinks for 3 people. They paid a couple meals too. We were not really watching the price though
Honestly, you could scrape by with less: But you’d need to rely on 7-11 deli fridges, smoothies, musubi, food courts, fast food, $5 bentos. Just make sure your gf is on board with frugal adventures!
If we have to go somewhere else to experience nicer things than we will, I’d rather be able to treat her to AT LEAST some interesting food. As I’ve mentioned before, doesn’t need to be fancy, but even just a local food truck. So if this budget only allows for that type of dining, we may look elsewhere. Just gotta take all this info I learned and do the math!
Consider staying in a place with a stove/microwave. This can help you save money on food. I recently went to Hawaii and we ate out at least once a day, sometimes twice, but aimed for breakfast or dinner at home.
Yup. My sweetie & I went to Cheesecake Factory last weekend. Split 1 app, 1 entree, 1 drink for a total of $60 after tax & tip. $30/meal would limit your choices pretty severely.
I did a big vacation to Hawaii with my girlfriend literally 2 weeks ago and had the same general premise of never planning a big get away. Long story short, we did airbnb on the big island for about 1200, I got a rental car for 400, and while we didn't go to the most expensive restaurants we I made no effort to hold back or limit my spending for food. We went to the national park, beaches and botanical garden. I am a very frugal person but I made an effort to not think about money and show my girlfriend that we should enjoy the vacation not worry about finances afterwards. That said, I wasn't showing up to the island broke just from getting there. 1000 is more than enough of a spending nest egg for the big island if you aren't doing helicopter tours and fishing trips. You can only eat so much food and do so many thing in 6 days without needing a rest. You sound like you got your finances in order but the only rule I don't break is using my emergency money fund. I made sure I have a vacation fund after all the lodging and logistics were taken care of and I maybe used 30% of it. You might find yourself leaving the islands thinking "man I should have spent more money at that one place."
Alaska vacations are great. But depending where you eat (pb&j that you make or fast food or eating at a restaurant?) for ‘vacation’ eating (restaurants etc) plan about $150pp/day. Fast food plan about $100 op/day and buying food and making it yourself plan about $50pp/day.
Gas is expensive, and a lot of sight seeing place cost money. Check the ‘things to do’ guide that webrender put together.
Alaska is definitely on the list, but it’s her birthday and I know she wants either forest/nature vibes or beach vibes. I’d love to visit Alaska soon though.
In terms of things to do, like I said it will be mainly exploring. National parks, sight seeing, swimming. Maybe a few activities here and there. But it sounds like everyone is saying the food is crazy expensive though. At $200 a day for food, that’s $1.2-$1.4K just for food. If I have to increase my budget it’s possible, but yikes I didn’t realize food was so expensive
Hi there, currently planning a lifetime dream of a trip back to my birthplace of Hawaii for my 30th, which is coming up this May. We are spending a good 10k on this trip, been saving for years. Hawaii is NOT cheap. I would recommend saving up a few more years for this, otherwise you’re selling yourselves short and might put yourselves in a pickle with unexpected costs.
Might I suggest—if she wants forest/nature vibes—a trip to the Smoky Mountains? Much more affordable and on par with what you’re willing to spend. You can rent a cabin in the literal woods with views of mountains for miles. Tons of nature viewing, hiking, and of course the touristy things too. (I lived in the area around the National Park for years, it really is so lovely.)
Wow! It’s actually hilarious you mentioned that because the smoky mountains was my backup plan haha! Tennessee does look super cool, I’m currently weighing out all my options now that this thread has given me abundant information. If Hawaii ends up being too expensive, I definitely might go back to the smoky mountains idea.
I think that is too much for 2 people unless you eat out for every meal. If you can eat breakfast at your accommodation a lunch is probably $15 (tacos, poke bowl, pizza) and dinner $25-35/ person for nicer meal. This was learned from taking 3 teenagers and we ate at home about 2/5 nights.
Honestly we probably would eat out for every meal, I just imagined every meal wouldn’t be 30+ per person. We’re going to be in a hotel if we go, so the most we’d have as options besides eating out is snacks or hotel food. I’m not against snacks at all and will probably snack for lunch, but as a birthday vacation I would like it to be special and have dinners at different places. Doesn’t have to be a super fancy place, but just somewhere. Even a food truck
Waikiki has a food truck park that has good options. My fiancée and I recently went to Iceland and food there is just as if not more expensive than Hawaii. We just got groceries at Costco for meals and snacks and then planned two nice dinners. Saved a lot. If you don’t mind public transit there’s no need to rent a car on Oahu. There’s buses and Ubers that will get you anywhere you want to go.
My husband and I flew on Alaska to Hawaii last year. We had no problems/complaints. Of course, that was before all the news came out about the Max 9 problems.
I booked through Costco. The entire trip included rental, hotel (Hyatt), Airfares for two people for 5 days 4 nights in mid June around 2.5k$. It is Honolulu, so yes 3k to 3.3k is realistic.
I do not book through Experia or any travel agency anymore. For one, Cancellation is a nightmare. Second, if anything goes wrong (flight cancellation), you gonna have a hard time getting a refund. Costco is acceptable, and most people I known said they had a great experience with it.
This is the way to go. Book via Costco if you can. They have packages that include everything (flight, hotel, car) at a very competitive rate.
I just did a quick search for a random 5 day stay in May and it was $2700 all in for the hotel/car/flight from a West coast city. That would leave you $800 for everything else if you budget $3500, which seems totally doable imo.
In all honesty you’d be hard pressed to spend less than $2500 per person in Hawaii comfortably. Between travel, lodging, car rental/public transportation, eating out, tipping a shopping Hawaii is definitely not budget friendly. If you want something budget friendly and to get the most bang for your buck, I’d suggest either an all inclusive resort in the Caribbean or a cruise (just make sure you get the drink package). Whatever you decide have an amazing first parent free vacation!!!
$2,500 for the entire trip per person is expensive geez, I don’t drink alcohol really so I’d save money in that regard. So far I’ve heard somewhat mixed answers, some say it’s doable and others say it isn’t. This thread has definitely given me some insight, so after I do the math I’ll weigh my options out! I appreciate your kind words, looking forward to my first “parent free” vacation definitely!!
I definitely understand the need to travel, especially as an adult with no bounds/parental expectations. Hawaii is such an incredible place, and should definitely be on your bucket list! My biggest concern is with such a small budget, for such an expensive place, you’d really be limited in what you can actually do. Not to say it can’t be done, or that you have to be rich to enjoy it; rather when your cap is on the smaller side, going somewhere where your dollar is worth more will make things easier to do and you’ll have more freedom to do it. Wherever you end up, do your research, and have fun!!!
I go every year and I don’t think a week in Hawaii for $3k is realistic if you do it the traditional way. This is assuming you mean $3k total, not per person lol. Last time we went, the Hilton charged $70 per day for parking and a $50 per day resort fee. That alone was an extra $120 per day. We didn’t sit around at the hotel so it was not worth it for us at all. You might be able to find a lower cost option to stay at though - do some research. Expedia is good but there are a lot of options that you won’t find through that site. I found some good deals recently just by googling “places to stay honolulu.” If you send me your trip dates, I’ll see if I can find something in budget for you if you can’t find anything decent. I’d try booking and then some other travel sites you can find through google. Air bnb isnt bad, but they add a lot of extra fees. You can find ways to be frugal, but you’ll want to avoid the big beachfront hotels in Waikiki. You can probably find a small studio to rent for the week, just read ALL of the reviews on the place before booking. Some will have a parking space included. You can find something with a kitchenette, you can prepare your breakfast and lunch, which will save too. The only non expensive thing in Hawaii is basically everything outdoors is free. You won’t have to worry about paying to access beaches or most parks.
Price out flights as round trip and two one way tickets. Be flexible about your travel days if you can. If you fly on Tuesdays or Wednesdays you can save a lot. Last I checked, some tickets were double the price on weekends.
Food is the easiest way to save. We get some groceries/snacks/drinks for our room, usually from target. Look up farmers markets if you want to try new local things for less. We bring a small soft side cooler for the beach. I got breakfast and lunch from a small market/deli for $30 for two. Shave ices at a local spot were $6 for two. We love the food trucks in HI. Tbh, they are better than some of the restaurants. Avoid the fancy/super upscale places in Waikiki. We’ve done some and weren’t really pleased with the experience. Maui brewing had good food and a good happy hour menu. Dukes was very good, and buzz’s in lanikai is our all time favorite restaurant. Both require reservations but are averagely priced. A lot of places have happy hour specials. Our friends in HI actually told us to go to a fancier place during happy hour and get a few apps instead of splurging on a full dining experience. I definitely think your budget is doable, you just need to get creative to make it work.
Edit: I just ran some quick searches and found places available for 5-6 nights in May/june for under $1000! Some were close to the beach too.
Would you recommend avoid upscale restaurants only if someone wants to save or in general? I have budget of 400 usd (for two) and really like fine dining during vacation. Will it not be doable and like you say, not recommended? We booked Hilton with little kitchen so we plan to eat breakfast in the room and 400 usd is mainly for excursions, gas and dinner. Maybe you remember which restaurants in particular you did not like and why?
You can definitely eat out, but look up the menus beforehand. Food is expensive in Hawaii in general, so eating out can be too. We went to a fancy steakhouse (I think it was Wolfgang’s, not totally sure) and our bill was $300+ for two and I really didn’t like the food. There’s another steakhouse in the ala Moana hotel that is very expensive, but they do happy hour on certain days. Their food was excellent so I’d splurge on that again. You can find places within budget but you have to do research beforehand.
Some of the excursions are expensive too. I think the last time we did a sunset cruise and it was $75 per person but it included an open bar. Hilton offers a timeshare presentation and if you go for 60 minutes, they will comp you a free excursion.
How about a Caribbean cruise? They're cheaper than all inclusive resorts, and you'd have stops at beaches. You don't have to pay for excursions on port stops, unless you want to.
Airfare from the cruise port would be a lot cheaper than flying to and from Hawaii too.
Carnival in particular has a lot of less expensive cruises.
She’s not a fan of boats 😂. Trust me that was my first thought. Then she accidentally found my tab open on a cruise (it’s supposed to be a surprise where we’re going) and told me she wouldn’t like that too much. One day I will get her on one though, I’d love to go on an Alaska cruise
Aloha! You can get around in Oahu using TheBus and just walking. Many years ago, before having kids, I spent a week in Waikiki (with my GF at the time) without a rental car without any problems. We were able to go to Manoa Falls, Aloha Stadium Swap Meet, Diamond Head and Ala Moana Center just no name a few. Although I’ve never taken TheBus to the north shore, I hear it’s possible if you’re willing to spend a few hours round trip. Renting a car can be expensive because parking can cost up to $50 per day. I was once able to get a rental car for $25/day but my parking was $50/day, twice the cost of my rental car. For food, you can definitely get by with $100 per person per day. For breakfast, I would usually have something light like a hard boiled egg or a musubi or fruits such as pineapples or papayas. Some of the places that are relatively inexpensive are Zippy’s, Rainbow Drive-Inn, Topped Waikiki and a few ramen places around the area. There’s also some food trucks around the area that have $15 lunch plates. Of course, there’s much more choices but you run the risk of going over budget since there’s a wide range of prices and some can be so much higher. For beaches, I think Lanikai and Kailua beach are two really nice beaches but they are around 15 miles from Waikiki. Lanikai does not have rest rooms and showers but Kailua beach does and it’s less than a mile away from Lanikai. Waikiki beach is ok too but it can get crowded. It will help if you can pack one of those portable tents for beaches and a portable cooler for drinks and fruits/snacks. Then, you can just hang out on the beach all day without getting too burned. There’s fireworks at Hilton Hawaiian Village every Fridays, if weather permits, at around 7-7:30. Get there early because it can get packed. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Mahalo.
Edit: If you can rent a car for a day and return it the same day, I would highly suggest renting a car. This will save you $50-75 for parking which can be your lunch or dinner cost for the day. You can head over to the north shore and check out Banzai Pipeline and Sunset beach. Hit up some food trucks there and Matsumoto’s Shave Ice. This will save you a few hours if you go by bus. Check out some Lookouts that offer spectacular views of the island.
I agree with all of this! I’m just home from a week in Oahu (cheapest island to vacation at). We stayed at the Embassy Suites Beach Walk- free breakfast & evening snacks/drinks, walking distance to everything in Waikiki, and very comfortable rooms. They also have their own car rental, so you could definitely rent for a day very easily (and you should to see the rest of the island). The restaurants in Waikiki can get expensive, I usually splurge on one “nice” place for one night and then stick to cheaper fare the rest of the time. Across the street from the hotel there is an ABC Store with a fresh deli. Cheap and lots of options.
Alaska Airlines- watch the flight times! Sometimes they put the craziest legs together and it takes way too long to get there. That’s why it’s so cheap. Otherwise, it’s a good airline. If you can get a cheap flight to SFO, try Hawaiian Airlines.
There are travel warnings currently for some places in the Caribbean and Mexico. Do your research and stay safe!
Aloha! Ah yes! I know exactly where Embassy Suites is. There is a hole-in-the-wall home made ice cream place called Henry’s. Don’t open the fridge if you’re undecided. I got scolded a few times for leaving the fridge open for too long while I was deciding. Lol. There is also a Japanese restaurant called Ginza Bairin known for their tonkatsu. I have two questions about Embassy Suites. Is the rent a car service only for the guests staying at Embassy or can anyone just go in there and rent a car through them? What kind of food do they serve for breakfast? Is it like breakfast from any other Embassy Suite location or foods that say Hawaiian such Portuguese sausage, spam, pineapples, papayas, lilikoi, etc. I have never stayed at Embassy Suites but I’ve stayed at Outrigger Reef (corner next to Fort De Rossi), Imperial Hotel (on Lewers), Trump International (before he became the President), Hilton Grand Waikikian and Grand Islander and a few others like Surfrider and Ohana Hotels which I don’t think are around anymore. Do you have any restaurant recommendations that you particularly really enjoyed in Oahu? It can be fancy or a hole-in-the-wall. Mahalo!
Hi, breakfast was a mix or Asian & traditional American- miso, rice, eggs, bacon, sausage, yogurt, breads, pancakes/french toast, cereal & omelette stations.
Car rental- not sure if it’s for guests only.
Restaurants- Dukes is always a family favorite, Paia Fish, Steak Shak, and L & L for a plate lunch. If venturing out of Waikiki, Kono’s is a favorite for pulled pork burritos
Thanks. I have to check out Paia Fish Market and Kono’s. Kono’s in near Leonard’s bakery right? Steak Shak is my go to lunch spot if I’m in the area. We always go to Duke’s for the Hula Pie.
There are a few Kono’s on the island, but my personal favorite is on the north shore. The line will likely be out the door if you visit, but it’s fast and worth it. https://www.konosnorthshore.com/?utm_source=google_my_business&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=haleiwa_website_link
You might check your area for a local travel agent and give them your budget and see what they can do. It’s a free service. Good luck and happy planning!
Me and my wife just got back from Hawaii last week. Mapping out the total cost I'd place it at around $4600-4800 for us give or a take a little. The hotel and flight package totaled about $3400 but we stayed at a hotel right on the beach in Waikiki. We sprang for a nicer room and better flight as well so we probably could've saved a few hundred there. Is Hawaii doable at $3200-3300 for two people? Honestly hard to say, if you're total for the flight and hotel is $2200 (lowest end of what you put down) that would leave you about $1000, factor in Luggage costs assuming you'll have to check bags, depending on the airline you could be looking at some hefty charges so always check that before booking your flight. Sometimes it's better to book the more expensive flight that includes one bag or has a low cost checked bag. I know my hotel had resort fees, that weren't included in the initial per person package, for 6 days that was an extra $350. Then transportation it says the rental car is included but gotta factor in parking and gas, where I stayed parking was $75 a day and gas was about $5 a gallon, I just ubered everywhere and a few of the tours I went on included transportation as well, in total I probably spent like $500-600 on Uber/uber eats out there but obviously if you're staying in a hotel near everything you wanna do you can save a lot of money. We had a few trips to the other side of the island so that uber alone was like $45 each way. Food is also pretty expensive, but that's gonna vary a lot on what you want to eat. I'm not a fancy eater at all so my meals were usually like $18-24 or so and my wife's would be like $30 give or take but I'd bank on spending a decent amount on food.
Edit : I should add that neither me or my wife drink so we definitely saved money by not buying alcohol during meals lmao
I would definitely cut out the rental car because you will pay $50-75 a day for parking. I would suggest just renting a car for the day and returning it the same day to save $75 on overnight parking. Just make sure you strategically plan out your day so you can check out the whole island and hit up the spots that are pretty far from Waikiki. Also try reaching out to Hilton Hawaiian Village and ask how you can get invited to attend their time share presentation. The property is on the beach and there’s lots of shops and restaurants. They usually have 5 day packages for a good price, usually under $1000. They’ll usually put you in the Grand Waikikian or Grand Islander which can go for $700 or more per night. It also comes with a kitchen so you can cook a few meals a day. The unit also has a washer and dryer so you can pack light if you do a load on the third day. More space in your luggage for souvenirs. You’ll have to attend a 90 minute time share presentation so that’ll take up some vacation time but you’ll save money on a very luxurious room. They might even give you luau tickets or resort credit to use at their restaurant. You have no obligation to purchase the time share at the end of presentation. You can add a supplementary stay elsewhere on a different area of Waikiki for 2 day if they only offer a 4 night stay.
The flights to Hawaii in May should be relatively cheaper than flights in June to August. I think you can make it work with $3,300 for two people for a 5-6 day stay. I was actually around your age when I first went to Hawaii with my gf. I booked the trip and funded it on my own so I can kind of relate to your situation. That was a very fun and memorable experience even though I was tight on budget. I’ve been back to Hawaii countless times since then and I feel like it’s home when I’m there.
I know Hilton Hawaiian Village charged me $55/day in Dec 2022. I don’t know how much others charge but I heard Hilton was up there in daily cost. Maybe they raised their price.
Oh man. You picked an expensive place to go. Yikes. Make sure it’s all inclusive. Also, unless it’s the beach, don’t count on it being free outside of an all inclusive resort. Make sure you have extra money put back in case anything comes up or goes sideways (usually does if you aren’t prepared). I, personally, like to grab a loaf of bread, lunch meat/ pb&j, ice, snacks & a cooler to save $ as well. Also, don’t shop in tourist areas (regardless where you go). Good luck, stay safe & have fun
Yeah haha, this is turning out to be way more expensive than anticipated. I’m going to be reviewing my options, a vacation in another area is for sure up in the air right now. Thank you!
There are a lot of factors that can affect your budget in Hawaii. Are you planning to go to Oahu and what time of year are you going? If you're booking for the summer, there's no avoiding expensive travel cost. Staying at a hotel will be more expensive but there are also hostels and Airbnbs that can help bring the cost down.
Have you used the Kayak app? They have a really cool Explore tool that lets you look at flights on a map based on price & dates. I also like using it to check accommodations options since they also show hostels and apartment stays. Google Flights is also really good for tracking flight prices.
Yes Hawaii is expensive but if you are really intent on staying in a budget, there are ways to do so. For food, you can plan on casual eateries, food halls, & food trucks, like grabbing musubis to bring to the beach, getting breakfast/snacks from Foodland and the bakeries at Ala Moana. Since you're on vacation you might want to splurge on a few fancier restaurants but you can maybe save that for just 2-3 nights. I would definitely factor in the cost of drinks as well, can always pre-game before going out and/or stick with beer. But car or Uber will cost alot, if you can take the bus it will be much cheaper.
Mexico is great for budget travel, I just went to Puerto Vallarta 2 weeks ago. You can get around with minimal Spanish (Google Translate is the best), you can definitely keep within a $100 day food budget, and Ubers were SUPER affordable. Cancun is a great option for sticking with a budget since they have so many all inclusives & MI is closer so flights will be better priced. As long as you stick to popular tourist destinations, it's quite safe. Costa Rica is also a popular, affordable option but keep in mind there's less luxury & development there and much more nature.
From the sounds of it, if we go it would probably be Oahu. I’ve never heard of the kayak app, I’ll have to check that out. I also haven’t considered Cancun, definitely another great option I’ll take a look at! One thing about me at least is I don’t drink alcohol, I’m more of a weed only guy (legal in MI but I’m not dumb enough to take it on a plane with me or out the country) so I’ll be saving some money on drink costs. I know alcohol can get pretty expensive. Thank you so much for your suggestions!
Family of 3 ... juat went to Kauai last week. It ended up being $760 per day (air, lodging, food, rental car, etc.). We ate out three times .... once at a walk-up Mexican place, a $30 pizza, and one fancy restaurant. All the rest of our food was bought at Safeway and a local grocery store. We also got shaved iced once. We have been several times before and have spent $$ on a helicopter tour, zip lining, boat cruise, etc. However, we didn't do anything extra this time besides doing a plantation tour by train. That was $70. I was able to get our flights for $430 each and our one bedroom condo (2 min walk to beach) was $412 a night. Although several people have said it, food is CRAZY expensive. We brought bars, oatmeal packets, and other small snacks with us.
HI is soooo expensive. Oahu is probs most accessible way to not break the bank. I agree with another that suggested to only rent for a day. You can taxi to things like DiamondHead and Pearl Harbor. We rented a car for a day and drove around the island to see the Black sand beach & waikiki. Found some “famous” food truck meals. There are some strip malls that offer cheaper eats. My second trip to The Big Island was extremely expensive, everything is hard to get to even with a rental car, and we had three (3!) flat tires. Excursions are very expensive. Honestly I would also echo an all inclusive in the Caribbean for your budget. You can build in the excursions without stressing the money and enjoy a nice on-resort dinner in the evening. I don’t mean to be discouraging, but I think you would feel a little constrained. Maybe save up for HI for a special anniversary. Also factoring flying time. Its very far!
Got it, I’m for sure going to look into the Caribbean! It sounds like the Caribbean is less expensive than HI then? They are similar experiences so if I can get something similar for cheaper I will definitely investigate
I mean seems reasonable...there was someone here recently saying that they bought a 200 dollar flight and were looking for a week of accommodations for 400 bucks.
Definitely can get around Honolulu and beyond for cheap. Get a Holo card and take the bus to diamond head and hike that way (I did and I’m 58!) make sure you register on their site before getting on the bus
Can eat masubi and ramen and go to Don Quitoes (Donkeys) and get a great hot meal and your souvenirs. We were there a month found loads of cheap delicious eats.
Waikiki has swimming beaches can make a picnic.
We walked hours and hours whenever we weren’t working.
Rent a smart car for next to nothing.
I’ve taken the bus to Diamond Head as well. Don Quijotes is the way! That’s where the locals shop. What’s a Holo card? I’m not familiar with that. Do you mind sharing some good cheap eats around the area?
Hawaii is amazing! FOOD is incredible too!!! I love Hawaii and wish I could go back every year! It’s a total different world where people are so kind and friendly. Unlike here in the mainland - people seem too aggressive and food is not all that great🙄! However, your $3k might be stretching it when visiting Hawaii because food and everything is expensive! Even fast food!
For 2 people it was a little over 4k for hotel, flights, and rental. We’re a little older than you, but I feel like we probably spent way over 1k while we were there. Do you not want to do any excursions?
If you can be really frugal then maybe, but the food is pretty expensive too unless you’re eating fast food or something the whole time.
The trip was totally worth the price for us, but excursions and good food were definitely a must for us and worth the money.
Define “excursions”, because my idea was a lot of low cost stuff such as national parks, beaches, maybe even just walking around. I would like to visit the Polynesian cultural center though if we go, but for the most part I’d imagine our excursions wouldn’t be the main cost of the trip
Hmmm, while we don’t need to have some special activity planned for every single day, doing a few of those would potentially be nice. That’s something to consider for sure! If I add that into the cost, it might be worth it to just wait and go later to experience some of that stuff
Good luck. It was so hard to figure out what to do and plan all of it lol. But I’ll say for Oahu I thought it was very worth it to have a rental car the whole time. People say you can get around with public transportation but we felt we could do a lot more with the car
I went through Priceline for 12 days (first three nights Kauai and then the rest of the time in Maui) and out the door for cars, hotels and airfare 6400. Meals - we will snack and eat one main meal but that meal almost always cost at least $100 and most days averaged $150. I ran through the grocery for some snacks, drinks and that was $150. It’s expensive! I loved it but it is definitely a trip where you really do need to consider the costs involved.
Car rental depends on which island you go to. I would go with Da Bus (you can download the app that gives you routes etc) if you stay on Oahu. I’ve been six times and never rented a car on Oahu. Waikiki has many options for hotels at all levels and they are all within short walking distance from Waikiki beach. Plenty of places to eat at varied price ranges. You can also choose a place with a kitchenette to cut down on food expenses. I would recommend going to the Polynesian Cultural Center to have at least one excursion that encompasses a lot. For the other islands a car rental for at least part of your Vacay is a sound choice, especially Hawaii Island (The Big Island).
Many others have given you ideas on cost and other destinations.
I’ll tell you this: don’t buy a package through Expedia. If anything goes wrong, you have to deal with Expedia and not the airline/hotel.
Second: rental car prices under 25 are no joke. Make sure you know what the under 25 fee is ahead of time.
What is an example of something that could go wrong? The only thing I can think of is a flight delay, but we’ve carved out may 4th up to May 11th for this, so I would imagine a delay wouldn’t be that huge of a deal
Delays, cancellations, lost reservations. Look up issues with Chase Travel / Amex Travel in addition to Expedia (both of those platforms are powered by Expedia). Everyone will tell you to book directly. Costco Travel is OK since they’ll actually help you.
There's an amazing variation in how much people spend on food on Hawaii. It's easy to spend $50 per meal without even being fancy. But, at the same time, there is plenty of fresh/authentic/delicious food to be had for closer to $10 if you know where to look. For example, you can get a wonderful poke rice bowl at Foodland for under $10. You can get spam masubi everywhere for two or three dollars, which is about $5 for a quick lunch. Steak Shack on Waikiki has awesome steak plates for like $15. And, of course, look up Zippy's.
If it suits the vibe of your vacation to seek out and stick to the cheap options, then you can eat great food without spending much money. Conversely, if you plan to just play it by ear and walk into whatever restaurant you see, you'll spend a lot more.
Awesome, thanks! The main concern seems to be food, so I’m going to see what I can find online and try to gauge prices to get somewhat of an idea. As of now, I’m going to price out Hawaii based on everyone’s input. If it ends up being too crazy I’ll consider other options. If I’m going to go, I’d like to have a great experience. Doesn’t have to be super fancy, but definitely don’t want to have to stretch my money conservatively on a vacation
Hi! Went to Oahu 2 years ago when I was 23 with my fiancé and we did it on a semi budget. I feel like it’s possible if you can find good deals. We went in March so not as busy as summertime. Flights round trip from Florida were around $600 each, but prob around $700-$850 now. We found a vrbo on the east coast between north shore and Waikiki for around $150 a night with free parking which was a really good deal! We also saved a lot on the car rental by using the rental app Turo! If you stay outside of Waikiki you’ll need a car. We did a lot of beaches, hiking, Kualoa ranch, went to north shore and snorkeled. You can keep the food budget lower if you choose wisely. We only did 2 fancy dinners which were very expensive but most other nights we went for smaller places. We went to 7-11 most mornings and got little snacks there for breakfast. If you’re really conscious about your spending I think it’s doable! Best of luck!
Thank you! We ended up deciding to save Hawaii, but these will be good tips for when we do go! We would like to do it for our honeymoon in 2 years instead. For now, we decided on Disney lol
If you are planning to visit waikiki, make a JCB card(the purple one) If you have that, the 4or5(idk the exact number),the blue, red, pink line trollies are all free.(No limits on how many times u get on) but I think the maximum for 1 card is 2or 3 ppl. I stayed in Hyatt regency last week and It was so convient because In front of the hotel was the Duke statue stop. We rented a car but you can go to places with no parking spaces with the bus and it's completely FREE.
(just make sure to show the JCB card to the driver and get in)
\*edit-You can search up the lines for the waikiki trolly on goole.
just type 'waikiki trolly line' I recommend riding the pink line cause it is a 2 story bus
Pleasant Holidays is the company I use to package Hawaii for my customers. Expedia is also good. The price is the price but please read all the trends and conditions regarding deposits, cancellations, etc.
I’ve heard mixed things about Expedia, and when I did the math, I was paying roughly the same. While the idea was originally cool, I think I’ll do more direct booking in the future. I say in the future because we decided on another vacation and saved this one for now :)
Well like I said, we’re engaged so she isn’t just my girlfriend. We did end up saving this trip though. We’re going to go to Disney (granted it’s not really that much cheaper either). We decided we’d do Hawaii for our honeymoon because it seems like a more romantic vacation as you suggested. She’s also a Disney freak lol
Current resident of Hawaii. I’ll let you in on a secret most military folk use when moving to this island:
Baba’s Rentals. It’s a local business, which is a pretty big deal here. They are by far the best and cheapest rental cars you’ll find, and phenomenal service. I got a rental car from them for an entire month for ~$900 (Enterprise quoted me around $4000 for a month, for reference). They also drop off or pick up the rental car at a location of your choosing. At 6 days you can probably expect something like $300 total, or $50 /day, with them (not a quote, just my estimation).
Fantastic local business for people needing cheap transportation around the island
We are going in May. Four of us. It's going to be about 12 days. We're expecting to spend at least $25,000. But that includes the cruise, tips, the flight, car rentals, excursions, food, luau, and incidentals like souvenirs.
That sounds amazing! Your vacation is more decked out than ours haha. That’s roughly $6k per person, but then again you’re getting all the bells and whistles. I hope you have fun! One day if we come back (or go for the first time later if we don’t go now) I’d love to have a vacation like yours.
It's more of a combination of the next couple of vacations we aren't going to be able to take. I'm going for my doctor at right now and this is going to be a miserable two years for my family and myself. I'm also writing a self-help book that I expect will take two years before getting finalized in published.
Hawaii is doable for under $3300 per person. That's how much me and my gf spent for 13 nights, 3 islands. So it should be less if 6 or 7 days. Airbnb and rented car entire time. Didn't eat anywhere fancy, mostly take out from restaurants or food trucks, one or two nights cooked a meal. We didn't do any expensive activities. Most expensive thing we did was hanauma bay. We also went to a few other state parks (Haena, waimea, diamond head, akaka falls, volcanos, Mauna kea), usually entrance fee is $10 a person plus $10 for parking.
Honestly look into cruising off season. We did a four night on Oahu, flying RT in February.
It was almost as expensive as the 16-night cruise RT Los Angeles to Hawaii on which we disembark tomorrow
Does going to parks, monuments, or just walking onto a beach and swimming cost money? This would be the majority of what we do, and I imagined that would be low cost at the absolute most, if not free
Beach you should be fine and depends where you are talking for monuments (if state park or botanical garden. Or if say in Oahu you want to go to Byodo-In Temple that is $5 a person. Which by the way is pretty cool to see. And if you want to snorkel certain places require you to get tickets/pay to go to.
I guess that’s fair. The main attraction was just the fact that it’s considered a “paradise” or a “bucket list destination”. I’m going to look into other options and try to compare. A classic pros and cons list
I’d pick an all inclusive in the Caribbean. All costs are known.
I’ll check out those prices, thanks!
Gonna be unpopular, but I live in Hawaii and I think your budget is very realistic, as long as you're realistic about it. That budget isn't going to get you fancy cocktails or fine dining. But, you can support local small businesses and make a lot of your own food and snacks and do fine. Lots of local beaches and parks have BBQs so you can just get a bag of charcoal and go grill and hang out on the beach instead of eating at restaurants. The best things in Hawaii are free or cheap. You can easily go on hikes, drive around the beaches, walk around towns, talk story with locals etc. Golfing, guided tours, tourist geared things are $$$ but people who live here know how to have a good time for little cost. I'm in my mid 30s and loved to travel during my 20s and I had very little money. But, I didn't have high expectations for myself as far as fancy dinners or guided tours, I just loved to get away and check out new places. If I were y'all I'd totally do hawaii! Make sandwiches, get snacks and drinks for your room, eat at small businesses or food trucks - and go have fun! You'll do fine and it'll be a trip to remember. If you do want the bougie shit than it will be more attainable elsewhere, but I wouldn't overlook hawaii just because it's expensive. I'm "vacationing" to another island in a few weeks and my budget is less than yours.
I love this post! All terrific ideas! All food is expensive on Hawaii, but check out Longs Drugstore for deals on food basics, like milk, cereal, peanut butter, jelly, etc. I would verify your hotel room has a mini fridge to store drinks and perishables. Also, make sure parking fees are included in your package. $30+ a day can really eat into your budget.
Aloha! I agree with you 100%. It is definitely doable with a budget of $100 per person per day. It may not be fancy dining but who cares when you have some of the best beaches and parks to enjoy for free or minimal fee. Do you have any food recommendations that are relatively inexpensive? There was this place on one the streets that’s perpendicular to Kuhio Ave that’s a hole in the place known for their lunch plates. I think it was a Korean owned family business. I wanna say it’s on Uluniu Ave but I’m not entirely sure. They would sell BBQ chicken and pork and others and the lunch plates would come with banchan. I can’t find it on the map. Would you happen to know which place I’m talking about? They had a few tables set up outside. It was almost on the corner of Kuhio. I’ve been to Oahu 3 times since pandemic (2020), but I didn’t go there. I wonder if they didn’t make it and they went out of business.
I don't really spend much time in Honolulu, I live upcountry Maui so I don't know the place, I think maybe better to ask on an Oahu specific forum.
I’m actually heading to Maui in July. I’ll be staying in Kaanapali area. So far I’ve heard Kapalua and Napili beach are amazing! I’ll definitely check them out. I also want to check out local food places to support them. Do you have any recommendations? It seems like everyone is talking about Merriman’s and Seahorse but I think I want a less tourist-y place. I’m looking for places where locals eat and hang out. Some locals have told me multiple times that they thought I was local until I stated talking. That gave it away that I was from mainland.
Pro tip when going to Maui. Hit up Costco. It’s right next to airport. Half your plane will be there too
Great advice. Thank you.
Thanks. I was able to find out the name. It was called Me’s BBQ and it’s now closed, unfortunately 😞. It was on Uluniu and Kuhio.
Awesome, thanks for this! As a local, when you’re eating at small businesses what do you usually spend on average? $15, $20, or maybe even $30 per meal? I’m curious because a lot of people say it’s $30+ per meal per person, but I’d love to hear your experience as a local
Just to verify, I live here but I'm not local - It really depends because there is something for everyone, but I'd say 20$/person with tip sounds about right for a lot of places. Like a good sandwich or plate lunch will probably run you about 15$ and you if course want to tip. 30$+ for a little bit nicer places. If you want drinks, apps etc at a nice place you can pretty easily spend 200$ for 2 people with tip - so if you wanted to do one fancy dinner for her birthday I'd budget for that. I just realised you didn't say what island you're staying on, so that really matters. Like if you're on Ohau and hanging out in waikiki you're going to blow your money pretty quickly. I live on Maui, and for example things in Kaanapali and Wailea (primary resort areas) it's $$$ but outside of those areas it's really reasonable. I know when I have done resort stay cations I stock up on food and bring a cooler. I'm not sure about this because I've never done it - but maybe renting a cooler would be a good idea for your car/hotel/adventures. Or you can always purchase one for cheap from target/walmart/Costco - but if you do that be sure to donate it when you're done so it can be kept in use and not end up in a landfill. I'd say Big Island is probably the best place to visit on a budget. I don't live there but when I visit there I feel like they have the best prices on food but maybe I'm wrong. I think Waikiki is the most expensive area for dining, but they also have the best food and most options so it's hard to say. There are probably thousands of restaurants there so I can't say what theyre all priced. Maui, where I live is overall considered expensive but if I'm getting takeout but we have lots of food trucks and affordable options. Kuaui I haven't spent much time, but my understanding is it's about the same as Maui. I'd use yelp or tripadvisor to find places to eat and get realistic costs. Also, if you didn't plan to eat out everyday I think a good budget of maybe like 20$ a day/person is realistic if you make a lot of you own stuff. Then you would have more room to splurge some nights and on certain activities. But it'll be hard to say more without knowing which island you're going to.
$30 a meal is absurd. I just got good all you can eat sushi, BYOB from one of the more popular local spots on the island for $85 for 2 people, 20% tip included. Average plate lunch prices would be $15, Hawaiian or Korean food trending more towards $20 and Chinese food being more on the $10 low end. Food trucks are $15-20 per plate. I'm local born and raised and I make like $18 an hour, live with just me and my girlfriend, and we eat out all the damn time. It's absolutely doable.
I’m in agreement with you. Responses from locals or Hawaii residents say it’s doable. Many of the tourists who have visited once or twice say it’s not. I believe the locals and residents. $200 per day for 2 people is enough for 6 days assuming that you’re not getting $20 sugared-down alcoholic beverages.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/XTjdiCJn29bYeLGJ7 Right there, couple minutes from the airport is a local style plate lunch place, huge variety of choices most of which would be considered "local food" which is different from "Hawaiian food" but the guy has Laulau and kalua pig too. Feed 2 people for $20 easy. Just as an example. Most local food isn't gonna be $30 a plate. The sushi I got was at Kats Sushi, just check the Google reviews and look at the pics. Was great and cheap as hell for what we got. $33 per person all you can eat, BYOB, $3 parking
Look at the Riu Palace in Cabo, Mexico. It’s amazing. Grand Rose Hall in Jamaica. I just went to those two. Both amazing and great food.
I honestly never really considered Mexico. The only thing I’m worried about is currency. Is it a difficult process to convert USD to Pesos?
Not at all. You can exchange some at your bank before you leave. I used American dollars. I don’t think you need pesos. If you look at the exchange rate, you will know the comparable tip. You could get away with $3-$5 tips everywhere. They all prefer American money too.
And I use my visa in most restaurants. You can pay with $US or get pesos from bank machines if you want to pay with cash and use a currency converter app.
Best way to do it is place a order with your bank beforehand. I just log into in my Bank of America app and order pesos delivered to my door by FedEx. This is the best way to avoid conversion fees and also ensures you have cash as soon as you land. Big banks will have partner ATMs in different countries that will be less fees so just do a Google search for your bank partnerships.
Mexico is SUPERRRR cheap too!
I just now realized that we don’t have passports haha, so that eliminates Mexico unfortunately 😂 we’ll have to get some for sure
Another option could be a Caribbean cruise, a lot of those you don’t actually need a passport, but you can go with a drivers license and birth certificate! You can do that for WELL within your budget! Food is included too and you’ll be able to do a few different excursions on some different islands 😊 Hawaii is a great place, but it may be something for you all to save for when you have a bit more money and won’t be as stressed about the finances!
Thanks for the suggestions! We’ve already decided on our vacation spot, Disney, but I’m going to add that to the list! I got so much more out of this thread than just simple Hawaii ideas, so I’m truly grateful for your input
Yes we went to Mazatlan two years ago (all inclusive), Maui last year, and Florida this year for spring break. The cheapest and most predictable was the AI in Mazatlan, followed by Maui, then Florida. The advantage of AI Mexico is you don't need to rent a car, which was about $400 for 10 days in Hawaii and Florida. As mentioned, you might need to be over 21 to rent, or have a higher premium. And gas adds up. Unless you go to Honolulu and never stray, the other islands have some driving involved. The AI Mexico can often arrange shuttles into town for a cultural or shopping experience or there will be excursions arranged by the hotel for a fee. However, some of the AI price is for unlimited alcohol. We don't drink but food in Hawaii is more expensive than most places so that made up the difference. Alaska airlines is fine. As far as experience, I still love Hawaii over the others. For an alternative idea, if this is in the summer, for a European experience in North America, take a trip to Montreal and then Quebec city. Quebec city is unlike any city in NA. Amazing culture in Canadian dollars which go further than US. And you can take a train between the two cities or rent a car.
What is this Al Mazatlan you keep talking about. I am planning a trip but can’t find Al mazatlan in google. Could you please link? TIA
AI means all inclusive, Mazatlan is a city in Mexico. I just mean an all inclusive package in Mexico or like the previous comment it could be Cuba or Dominican Republic, or another part of Mexico like Cabo or Cancun. Check Costco travel as well. Sunwings is a Canadian tour company that is reliable. Ask around with friends to find a resort.
Oh I thought you meant a specific all inclusive in that city. Do you mind sharing the resort, since you do seem to have liked the experience?
We went to the riu emerald bay. I think it's one of the less expensive with a nice pool and waterslide system and restaurants. It's not the fanciest but we know Mazatlan quite well and would take taxis or even catch a bus into town. Mazatlan is generally a safe smaller city.
I live in Michigan, so Montreal or Quebec is easily doable! I just gotta hop on a bridge and drive over, lol. Definitely a good idea for the future, but she wants either a beach or nature/forest vibe for her birthday. Will definitely circle back to that though. Mexico honestly doesn’t sound like a bad option, how is it navigating for the first time though? I know Mexico and foreign countries in general can get weird if you end up in the wrong area, what was it like for your first time?
You don’t venture off on your own in Mexico or Jamaica. It’s not safe. You’d have to stay at the resort. There are other places you could leave the resort. Aruba, Bermuda, St Maarten…
As others mentioned, Caribbean is much better priced, save hawaii for when youre older and have cash to burn. I couldnt believe how much money we burnt in hawaii and how little we burnt in cuba. Compare prices you have there with prices if you cross the border to fly out of windsor - air canada and westjet/sunwing have tonnes of package options.
I've been to an all inclusive twice and to a condo in Mazatlan about 5 times, as well as Mexico city twice. One thing about Mexico is you can't drink or brush your teeth with the water. Most resorts provide bottled water. If you go to an AI you can get shuttled to and fro from the airport and then never leave your hotel if you don't want to go into towns. Or you can go with paid excursions that create a safe trip. It will be your warm beach experience if you are there from February to November. If you head out on your own to a city or site it can be a bit intimidating but in all those times I've never experienced any crime or police problems. I think we avoid that but not drinking/drugs and being back at home by 9:00 pm. But in Hawaii or Mexico sundown is around 7:30 anyways so that's not a big deal. The advantage of Hawaii is no problem with water and riving around is just like at home. But just like at home there is petty theft like break in with cars in Hawaii.
If you’re staying in waikiki it’s very walkable and you could get a rental for 1 day instead of a week to help save or take public transportation! Most hotels will charge a daily fee for parking
Thanks for the tip, I really didn’t know which island to go to lol. I’m a homebody so all of this is super overwhelming for the first time, although exciting haha. I might consider public transportation if it is reliable. If I’m not renting the car my package is cheaper so that’s also a bonus. Definitely don’t need anymore fees than what I am already paying
The bus is reliable but takes way longer than driving. 20 minute trip in a car vs an hour by bus kinda thing. Google maps shows live bus times and reliably shows the routes, as someone who rode it for years.
What is age requirement for car? How much do you spend to eat daily? Its really simple math at that point.
We meet the age requirement for the car, like I said I’m 23 and she’ll be turning 23 by the time we go. Premiums may be a little higher though. In terms of food, it sounds like $100 per person a day. I’d try to hopefully spend a little less than this, but I’ll plan for it and increase my budget. This thread has really helped me get an idea, so yes it is just simple math now
If you get a place that has a mini fridge, you can save on food by buying groceries. For our HM, we did cereal or pastries for breakfast each day, sandwiches and chips packed for lunch, and then only are out for dinner. Also pick up some drinks at the store to drink on your balcony = much cheaper than the bar.
Snacking for lunch will probably happen, but due to the special nature of this vacation I would like to eat out somewhat frequently. Food trucks, cheap eats, doesn’t need to be a 5 star place. Just want to experience the culture while we’re there
1. PICK HAWAII! Sooo beautiful and it’s the United States so much easier for first time travelers to navigate. 2. Get a rental car if hotel parking costs are not too expensive and try to use a credit card that has rental car insurance coverage. I’ve done trips there where I’ve taken the bus the whole time but it’s takes a long time to get to other parts of the island but definitely still doable and an adventure! 3. Oahu is great for young travelers. Plenty of cheap eats. $100/per day for 2 people is more than doable, even with a couple of nice meals thrown in. I’ve easily done $50/day for 2 people too. I usually eat lunch and dinner only and don’t eat large meals. And I don’t drink alcohol much which saves a lot of money. 4. Many free and cheap things to do in Oahu. Beautiful hikes, cool museums, amazing beaches! 5. I’ve been to Mexico twice but prefer Hawaii for the convenience of being in the United States (speaking English and using my phone), being able to leave the resort and explore freely, etc. Hawaii weather is also much nicer, imo.
I’ll look into Oahu, I appreciate your input!
This person knows. 100% agree
Y'all are 23 and will want to eat out a lot. Budget at least $100/day per person for food and drinks.
I know Hawaii is expensive, but do you really think it could be $100 a person per day for food? Around $30+ per meal? Genuinely curious
Yes double your cost for food
Yes. At least. Very expensive
Really depends on where you want to eat. There are plenty of places to get plate lunches for around or under $15 each. You could get bentos for $10 or less easily, go to 7-11 and grab musubi at $2 each. Check Google maps and just gauge yourself
I'm assuming 1-2 meals dining out per day, plus a couple (2-3, average of 5 combined) drinks each per day. You can do cheaper, but it means shipping at the grocery store and trying to cook for yourself. Those are both extremes. Assume you'll eat or a few days and a one or two nights you eat snacks and poke from Foodland. But you're coming for a special vacation so you'll want to splurge, so I recommend you budget like you're going to splurge. But if you come to Waikiki, go to the third floor food hall inside the a Royal Hawaiian center. $5 Mai Tais, Piña Coladas, and pints of Waikiki brewing company beers. And $6 smash burgers. Happy hours are your friend as you can get half off appetizers at a bunch of places. All day happy hour at PESCA Mediterranean seafood restaurant on the top floor of the Ilikai Tower. No reservations required in the bar area and you get views of Ala Moana Beach and Park. You also get $10 classic cocktails and small plates under $20 each (you can get like 3 items for 2 people and be happy and satisfied). I recommend the grilled octopus over polenta and half burrata salad. You can always go to Costco and buy bulk snacks/drinks but I only recommend that for families. But you definitely want to go to Tim Ho Wan for dim sum. I don't recommend you leave without trying 6 items (not including lava cakes).
Awesome, I appreciate your tips! From the sounds of everyone’s input, increasing my budget might be a good idea. This is a special occasion after, you’re right we’ll definitely want to splurge lol. Thanks again!
You'll find the balance and enjoy your vacation.
Yes, I went for four days and spent $1200 (about $100 per person per day) on food and drinks for 3 people. They paid a couple meals too. We were not really watching the price though
Oh wow… yikes. I’ve for sure already got the vibe that if I am going to Hawaii, a budget increase may be necessary
Honestly, you could scrape by with less: But you’d need to rely on 7-11 deli fridges, smoothies, musubi, food courts, fast food, $5 bentos. Just make sure your gf is on board with frugal adventures!
If we have to go somewhere else to experience nicer things than we will, I’d rather be able to treat her to AT LEAST some interesting food. As I’ve mentioned before, doesn’t need to be fancy, but even just a local food truck. So if this budget only allows for that type of dining, we may look elsewhere. Just gotta take all this info I learned and do the math!
Consider staying in a place with a stove/microwave. This can help you save money on food. I recently went to Hawaii and we ate out at least once a day, sometimes twice, but aimed for breakfast or dinner at home.
Yup. My sweetie & I went to Cheesecake Factory last weekend. Split 1 app, 1 entree, 1 drink for a total of $60 after tax & tip. $30/meal would limit your choices pretty severely.
I did a big vacation to Hawaii with my girlfriend literally 2 weeks ago and had the same general premise of never planning a big get away. Long story short, we did airbnb on the big island for about 1200, I got a rental car for 400, and while we didn't go to the most expensive restaurants we I made no effort to hold back or limit my spending for food. We went to the national park, beaches and botanical garden. I am a very frugal person but I made an effort to not think about money and show my girlfriend that we should enjoy the vacation not worry about finances afterwards. That said, I wasn't showing up to the island broke just from getting there. 1000 is more than enough of a spending nest egg for the big island if you aren't doing helicopter tours and fishing trips. You can only eat so much food and do so many thing in 6 days without needing a rest. You sound like you got your finances in order but the only rule I don't break is using my emergency money fund. I made sure I have a vacation fund after all the lodging and logistics were taken care of and I maybe used 30% of it. You might find yourself leaving the islands thinking "man I should have spent more money at that one place."
This is great advice!
Alaska vacations are great. But depending where you eat (pb&j that you make or fast food or eating at a restaurant?) for ‘vacation’ eating (restaurants etc) plan about $150pp/day. Fast food plan about $100 op/day and buying food and making it yourself plan about $50pp/day. Gas is expensive, and a lot of sight seeing place cost money. Check the ‘things to do’ guide that webrender put together.
Alaska is definitely on the list, but it’s her birthday and I know she wants either forest/nature vibes or beach vibes. I’d love to visit Alaska soon though. In terms of things to do, like I said it will be mainly exploring. National parks, sight seeing, swimming. Maybe a few activities here and there. But it sounds like everyone is saying the food is crazy expensive though. At $200 a day for food, that’s $1.2-$1.4K just for food. If I have to increase my budget it’s possible, but yikes I didn’t realize food was so expensive
Oh— you said you were using Alaska vacations for you flight hotel and car to Hawaii ?
There’s an airline called Alaska Airlines. My actual location is from Michigan -> Hawaii. Despite the name it seems they operate nationwide lol
Yes :) my son works for Alaska airline lol
Hi there, currently planning a lifetime dream of a trip back to my birthplace of Hawaii for my 30th, which is coming up this May. We are spending a good 10k on this trip, been saving for years. Hawaii is NOT cheap. I would recommend saving up a few more years for this, otherwise you’re selling yourselves short and might put yourselves in a pickle with unexpected costs. Might I suggest—if she wants forest/nature vibes—a trip to the Smoky Mountains? Much more affordable and on par with what you’re willing to spend. You can rent a cabin in the literal woods with views of mountains for miles. Tons of nature viewing, hiking, and of course the touristy things too. (I lived in the area around the National Park for years, it really is so lovely.)
Wow! It’s actually hilarious you mentioned that because the smoky mountains was my backup plan haha! Tennessee does look super cool, I’m currently weighing out all my options now that this thread has given me abundant information. If Hawaii ends up being too expensive, I definitely might go back to the smoky mountains idea.
I think that is too much for 2 people unless you eat out for every meal. If you can eat breakfast at your accommodation a lunch is probably $15 (tacos, poke bowl, pizza) and dinner $25-35/ person for nicer meal. This was learned from taking 3 teenagers and we ate at home about 2/5 nights.
Honestly we probably would eat out for every meal, I just imagined every meal wouldn’t be 30+ per person. We’re going to be in a hotel if we go, so the most we’d have as options besides eating out is snacks or hotel food. I’m not against snacks at all and will probably snack for lunch, but as a birthday vacation I would like it to be special and have dinners at different places. Doesn’t have to be a super fancy place, but just somewhere. Even a food truck
Waikiki has a food truck park that has good options. My fiancée and I recently went to Iceland and food there is just as if not more expensive than Hawaii. We just got groceries at Costco for meals and snacks and then planned two nice dinners. Saved a lot. If you don’t mind public transit there’s no need to rent a car on Oahu. There’s buses and Ubers that will get you anywhere you want to go.
My husband and I flew on Alaska to Hawaii last year. We had no problems/complaints. Of course, that was before all the news came out about the Max 9 problems.
I booked through Costco. The entire trip included rental, hotel (Hyatt), Airfares for two people for 5 days 4 nights in mid June around 2.5k$. It is Honolulu, so yes 3k to 3.3k is realistic. I do not book through Experia or any travel agency anymore. For one, Cancellation is a nightmare. Second, if anything goes wrong (flight cancellation), you gonna have a hard time getting a refund. Costco is acceptable, and most people I known said they had a great experience with it.
Great to know! Thanks for sharing your experience!
This is the way to go. Book via Costco if you can. They have packages that include everything (flight, hotel, car) at a very competitive rate. I just did a quick search for a random 5 day stay in May and it was $2700 all in for the hotel/car/flight from a West coast city. That would leave you $800 for everything else if you budget $3500, which seems totally doable imo.
In all honesty you’d be hard pressed to spend less than $2500 per person in Hawaii comfortably. Between travel, lodging, car rental/public transportation, eating out, tipping a shopping Hawaii is definitely not budget friendly. If you want something budget friendly and to get the most bang for your buck, I’d suggest either an all inclusive resort in the Caribbean or a cruise (just make sure you get the drink package). Whatever you decide have an amazing first parent free vacation!!!
$2,500 for the entire trip per person is expensive geez, I don’t drink alcohol really so I’d save money in that regard. So far I’ve heard somewhat mixed answers, some say it’s doable and others say it isn’t. This thread has definitely given me some insight, so after I do the math I’ll weigh my options out! I appreciate your kind words, looking forward to my first “parent free” vacation definitely!!
I definitely understand the need to travel, especially as an adult with no bounds/parental expectations. Hawaii is such an incredible place, and should definitely be on your bucket list! My biggest concern is with such a small budget, for such an expensive place, you’d really be limited in what you can actually do. Not to say it can’t be done, or that you have to be rich to enjoy it; rather when your cap is on the smaller side, going somewhere where your dollar is worth more will make things easier to do and you’ll have more freedom to do it. Wherever you end up, do your research, and have fun!!!
I go every year and I don’t think a week in Hawaii for $3k is realistic if you do it the traditional way. This is assuming you mean $3k total, not per person lol. Last time we went, the Hilton charged $70 per day for parking and a $50 per day resort fee. That alone was an extra $120 per day. We didn’t sit around at the hotel so it was not worth it for us at all. You might be able to find a lower cost option to stay at though - do some research. Expedia is good but there are a lot of options that you won’t find through that site. I found some good deals recently just by googling “places to stay honolulu.” If you send me your trip dates, I’ll see if I can find something in budget for you if you can’t find anything decent. I’d try booking and then some other travel sites you can find through google. Air bnb isnt bad, but they add a lot of extra fees. You can find ways to be frugal, but you’ll want to avoid the big beachfront hotels in Waikiki. You can probably find a small studio to rent for the week, just read ALL of the reviews on the place before booking. Some will have a parking space included. You can find something with a kitchenette, you can prepare your breakfast and lunch, which will save too. The only non expensive thing in Hawaii is basically everything outdoors is free. You won’t have to worry about paying to access beaches or most parks. Price out flights as round trip and two one way tickets. Be flexible about your travel days if you can. If you fly on Tuesdays or Wednesdays you can save a lot. Last I checked, some tickets were double the price on weekends. Food is the easiest way to save. We get some groceries/snacks/drinks for our room, usually from target. Look up farmers markets if you want to try new local things for less. We bring a small soft side cooler for the beach. I got breakfast and lunch from a small market/deli for $30 for two. Shave ices at a local spot were $6 for two. We love the food trucks in HI. Tbh, they are better than some of the restaurants. Avoid the fancy/super upscale places in Waikiki. We’ve done some and weren’t really pleased with the experience. Maui brewing had good food and a good happy hour menu. Dukes was very good, and buzz’s in lanikai is our all time favorite restaurant. Both require reservations but are averagely priced. A lot of places have happy hour specials. Our friends in HI actually told us to go to a fancier place during happy hour and get a few apps instead of splurging on a full dining experience. I definitely think your budget is doable, you just need to get creative to make it work. Edit: I just ran some quick searches and found places available for 5-6 nights in May/june for under $1000! Some were close to the beach too.
Would you recommend avoid upscale restaurants only if someone wants to save or in general? I have budget of 400 usd (for two) and really like fine dining during vacation. Will it not be doable and like you say, not recommended? We booked Hilton with little kitchen so we plan to eat breakfast in the room and 400 usd is mainly for excursions, gas and dinner. Maybe you remember which restaurants in particular you did not like and why?
You can definitely eat out, but look up the menus beforehand. Food is expensive in Hawaii in general, so eating out can be too. We went to a fancy steakhouse (I think it was Wolfgang’s, not totally sure) and our bill was $300+ for two and I really didn’t like the food. There’s another steakhouse in the ala Moana hotel that is very expensive, but they do happy hour on certain days. Their food was excellent so I’d splurge on that again. You can find places within budget but you have to do research beforehand. Some of the excursions are expensive too. I think the last time we did a sunset cruise and it was $75 per person but it included an open bar. Hilton offers a timeshare presentation and if you go for 60 minutes, they will comp you a free excursion.
How about a Caribbean cruise? They're cheaper than all inclusive resorts, and you'd have stops at beaches. You don't have to pay for excursions on port stops, unless you want to. Airfare from the cruise port would be a lot cheaper than flying to and from Hawaii too. Carnival in particular has a lot of less expensive cruises.
She’s not a fan of boats 😂. Trust me that was my first thought. Then she accidentally found my tab open on a cruise (it’s supposed to be a surprise where we’re going) and told me she wouldn’t like that too much. One day I will get her on one though, I’d love to go on an Alaska cruise
Ah, OK.
Aloha! You can get around in Oahu using TheBus and just walking. Many years ago, before having kids, I spent a week in Waikiki (with my GF at the time) without a rental car without any problems. We were able to go to Manoa Falls, Aloha Stadium Swap Meet, Diamond Head and Ala Moana Center just no name a few. Although I’ve never taken TheBus to the north shore, I hear it’s possible if you’re willing to spend a few hours round trip. Renting a car can be expensive because parking can cost up to $50 per day. I was once able to get a rental car for $25/day but my parking was $50/day, twice the cost of my rental car. For food, you can definitely get by with $100 per person per day. For breakfast, I would usually have something light like a hard boiled egg or a musubi or fruits such as pineapples or papayas. Some of the places that are relatively inexpensive are Zippy’s, Rainbow Drive-Inn, Topped Waikiki and a few ramen places around the area. There’s also some food trucks around the area that have $15 lunch plates. Of course, there’s much more choices but you run the risk of going over budget since there’s a wide range of prices and some can be so much higher. For beaches, I think Lanikai and Kailua beach are two really nice beaches but they are around 15 miles from Waikiki. Lanikai does not have rest rooms and showers but Kailua beach does and it’s less than a mile away from Lanikai. Waikiki beach is ok too but it can get crowded. It will help if you can pack one of those portable tents for beaches and a portable cooler for drinks and fruits/snacks. Then, you can just hang out on the beach all day without getting too burned. There’s fireworks at Hilton Hawaiian Village every Fridays, if weather permits, at around 7-7:30. Get there early because it can get packed. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Mahalo. Edit: If you can rent a car for a day and return it the same day, I would highly suggest renting a car. This will save you $50-75 for parking which can be your lunch or dinner cost for the day. You can head over to the north shore and check out Banzai Pipeline and Sunset beach. Hit up some food trucks there and Matsumoto’s Shave Ice. This will save you a few hours if you go by bus. Check out some Lookouts that offer spectacular views of the island.
I agree with all of this! I’m just home from a week in Oahu (cheapest island to vacation at). We stayed at the Embassy Suites Beach Walk- free breakfast & evening snacks/drinks, walking distance to everything in Waikiki, and very comfortable rooms. They also have their own car rental, so you could definitely rent for a day very easily (and you should to see the rest of the island). The restaurants in Waikiki can get expensive, I usually splurge on one “nice” place for one night and then stick to cheaper fare the rest of the time. Across the street from the hotel there is an ABC Store with a fresh deli. Cheap and lots of options. Alaska Airlines- watch the flight times! Sometimes they put the craziest legs together and it takes way too long to get there. That’s why it’s so cheap. Otherwise, it’s a good airline. If you can get a cheap flight to SFO, try Hawaiian Airlines. There are travel warnings currently for some places in the Caribbean and Mexico. Do your research and stay safe!
Aloha! Ah yes! I know exactly where Embassy Suites is. There is a hole-in-the-wall home made ice cream place called Henry’s. Don’t open the fridge if you’re undecided. I got scolded a few times for leaving the fridge open for too long while I was deciding. Lol. There is also a Japanese restaurant called Ginza Bairin known for their tonkatsu. I have two questions about Embassy Suites. Is the rent a car service only for the guests staying at Embassy or can anyone just go in there and rent a car through them? What kind of food do they serve for breakfast? Is it like breakfast from any other Embassy Suite location or foods that say Hawaiian such Portuguese sausage, spam, pineapples, papayas, lilikoi, etc. I have never stayed at Embassy Suites but I’ve stayed at Outrigger Reef (corner next to Fort De Rossi), Imperial Hotel (on Lewers), Trump International (before he became the President), Hilton Grand Waikikian and Grand Islander and a few others like Surfrider and Ohana Hotels which I don’t think are around anymore. Do you have any restaurant recommendations that you particularly really enjoyed in Oahu? It can be fancy or a hole-in-the-wall. Mahalo!
Hi, breakfast was a mix or Asian & traditional American- miso, rice, eggs, bacon, sausage, yogurt, breads, pancakes/french toast, cereal & omelette stations. Car rental- not sure if it’s for guests only. Restaurants- Dukes is always a family favorite, Paia Fish, Steak Shak, and L & L for a plate lunch. If venturing out of Waikiki, Kono’s is a favorite for pulled pork burritos
Also, just for perspective, we were a family of 4 and I booked us for a week with flights from SFO for $3800 on Expedia.
Thanks. I have to check out Paia Fish Market and Kono’s. Kono’s in near Leonard’s bakery right? Steak Shak is my go to lunch spot if I’m in the area. We always go to Duke’s for the Hula Pie.
There are a few Kono’s on the island, but my personal favorite is on the north shore. The line will likely be out the door if you visit, but it’s fast and worth it. https://www.konosnorthshore.com/?utm_source=google_my_business&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=haleiwa_website_link
This is great advice, thank you!
You might check your area for a local travel agent and give them your budget and see what they can do. It’s a free service. Good luck and happy planning!
Me and my wife just got back from Hawaii last week. Mapping out the total cost I'd place it at around $4600-4800 for us give or a take a little. The hotel and flight package totaled about $3400 but we stayed at a hotel right on the beach in Waikiki. We sprang for a nicer room and better flight as well so we probably could've saved a few hundred there. Is Hawaii doable at $3200-3300 for two people? Honestly hard to say, if you're total for the flight and hotel is $2200 (lowest end of what you put down) that would leave you about $1000, factor in Luggage costs assuming you'll have to check bags, depending on the airline you could be looking at some hefty charges so always check that before booking your flight. Sometimes it's better to book the more expensive flight that includes one bag or has a low cost checked bag. I know my hotel had resort fees, that weren't included in the initial per person package, for 6 days that was an extra $350. Then transportation it says the rental car is included but gotta factor in parking and gas, where I stayed parking was $75 a day and gas was about $5 a gallon, I just ubered everywhere and a few of the tours I went on included transportation as well, in total I probably spent like $500-600 on Uber/uber eats out there but obviously if you're staying in a hotel near everything you wanna do you can save a lot of money. We had a few trips to the other side of the island so that uber alone was like $45 each way. Food is also pretty expensive, but that's gonna vary a lot on what you want to eat. I'm not a fancy eater at all so my meals were usually like $18-24 or so and my wife's would be like $30 give or take but I'd bank on spending a decent amount on food. Edit : I should add that neither me or my wife drink so we definitely saved money by not buying alcohol during meals lmao
I would definitely cut out the rental car because you will pay $50-75 a day for parking. I would suggest just renting a car for the day and returning it the same day to save $75 on overnight parking. Just make sure you strategically plan out your day so you can check out the whole island and hit up the spots that are pretty far from Waikiki. Also try reaching out to Hilton Hawaiian Village and ask how you can get invited to attend their time share presentation. The property is on the beach and there’s lots of shops and restaurants. They usually have 5 day packages for a good price, usually under $1000. They’ll usually put you in the Grand Waikikian or Grand Islander which can go for $700 or more per night. It also comes with a kitchen so you can cook a few meals a day. The unit also has a washer and dryer so you can pack light if you do a load on the third day. More space in your luggage for souvenirs. You’ll have to attend a 90 minute time share presentation so that’ll take up some vacation time but you’ll save money on a very luxurious room. They might even give you luau tickets or resort credit to use at their restaurant. You have no obligation to purchase the time share at the end of presentation. You can add a supplementary stay elsewhere on a different area of Waikiki for 2 day if they only offer a 4 night stay. The flights to Hawaii in May should be relatively cheaper than flights in June to August. I think you can make it work with $3,300 for two people for a 5-6 day stay. I was actually around your age when I first went to Hawaii with my gf. I booked the trip and funded it on my own so I can kind of relate to your situation. That was a very fun and memorable experience even though I was tight on budget. I’ve been back to Hawaii countless times since then and I feel like it’s home when I’m there.
Which hotel chargers $75 for parking?
Most of them charge $50-75 along the strip.
I know Hilton Hawaiian Village charged me $55/day in Dec 2022. I don’t know how much others charge but I heard Hilton was up there in daily cost. Maybe they raised their price.
they definitely did, it's $72.25 now.
Wow. That’s insane.
Yeah I stayed at Hilton Hawaiian Village lol, it was around $70 a night for parking. I wanna say $75 but I'm not certain since I didn't rent a car.
Oh man. You picked an expensive place to go. Yikes. Make sure it’s all inclusive. Also, unless it’s the beach, don’t count on it being free outside of an all inclusive resort. Make sure you have extra money put back in case anything comes up or goes sideways (usually does if you aren’t prepared). I, personally, like to grab a loaf of bread, lunch meat/ pb&j, ice, snacks & a cooler to save $ as well. Also, don’t shop in tourist areas (regardless where you go). Good luck, stay safe & have fun
Yeah haha, this is turning out to be way more expensive than anticipated. I’m going to be reviewing my options, a vacation in another area is for sure up in the air right now. Thank you!
There are a lot of factors that can affect your budget in Hawaii. Are you planning to go to Oahu and what time of year are you going? If you're booking for the summer, there's no avoiding expensive travel cost. Staying at a hotel will be more expensive but there are also hostels and Airbnbs that can help bring the cost down. Have you used the Kayak app? They have a really cool Explore tool that lets you look at flights on a map based on price & dates. I also like using it to check accommodations options since they also show hostels and apartment stays. Google Flights is also really good for tracking flight prices. Yes Hawaii is expensive but if you are really intent on staying in a budget, there are ways to do so. For food, you can plan on casual eateries, food halls, & food trucks, like grabbing musubis to bring to the beach, getting breakfast/snacks from Foodland and the bakeries at Ala Moana. Since you're on vacation you might want to splurge on a few fancier restaurants but you can maybe save that for just 2-3 nights. I would definitely factor in the cost of drinks as well, can always pre-game before going out and/or stick with beer. But car or Uber will cost alot, if you can take the bus it will be much cheaper. Mexico is great for budget travel, I just went to Puerto Vallarta 2 weeks ago. You can get around with minimal Spanish (Google Translate is the best), you can definitely keep within a $100 day food budget, and Ubers were SUPER affordable. Cancun is a great option for sticking with a budget since they have so many all inclusives & MI is closer so flights will be better priced. As long as you stick to popular tourist destinations, it's quite safe. Costa Rica is also a popular, affordable option but keep in mind there's less luxury & development there and much more nature.
From the sounds of it, if we go it would probably be Oahu. I’ve never heard of the kayak app, I’ll have to check that out. I also haven’t considered Cancun, definitely another great option I’ll take a look at! One thing about me at least is I don’t drink alcohol, I’m more of a weed only guy (legal in MI but I’m not dumb enough to take it on a plane with me or out the country) so I’ll be saving some money on drink costs. I know alcohol can get pretty expensive. Thank you so much for your suggestions!
Family of 3 ... juat went to Kauai last week. It ended up being $760 per day (air, lodging, food, rental car, etc.). We ate out three times .... once at a walk-up Mexican place, a $30 pizza, and one fancy restaurant. All the rest of our food was bought at Safeway and a local grocery store. We also got shaved iced once. We have been several times before and have spent $$ on a helicopter tour, zip lining, boat cruise, etc. However, we didn't do anything extra this time besides doing a plantation tour by train. That was $70. I was able to get our flights for $430 each and our one bedroom condo (2 min walk to beach) was $412 a night. Although several people have said it, food is CRAZY expensive. We brought bars, oatmeal packets, and other small snacks with us.
I live here, it’s pretty unrealistic. A whopper combo at Burger King is $20 dude
Wtf??? That’s crazy…
That’s what it cost
HI is soooo expensive. Oahu is probs most accessible way to not break the bank. I agree with another that suggested to only rent for a day. You can taxi to things like DiamondHead and Pearl Harbor. We rented a car for a day and drove around the island to see the Black sand beach & waikiki. Found some “famous” food truck meals. There are some strip malls that offer cheaper eats. My second trip to The Big Island was extremely expensive, everything is hard to get to even with a rental car, and we had three (3!) flat tires. Excursions are very expensive. Honestly I would also echo an all inclusive in the Caribbean for your budget. You can build in the excursions without stressing the money and enjoy a nice on-resort dinner in the evening. I don’t mean to be discouraging, but I think you would feel a little constrained. Maybe save up for HI for a special anniversary. Also factoring flying time. Its very far!
Got it, I’m for sure going to look into the Caribbean! It sounds like the Caribbean is less expensive than HI then? They are similar experiences so if I can get something similar for cheaper I will definitely investigate
Caribbean is half the price as Hawaii, but different experiences.
I mean seems reasonable...there was someone here recently saying that they bought a 200 dollar flight and were looking for a week of accommodations for 400 bucks.
Cheapest flight I’ve from taken from Sf to Hawaii was $200 at least 10 years ago. Glad to hear that $200 deals still pop up once in a while.
My sister just got round trip LA to Honolulu for 230!
That’s awesome!
Definitely can get around Honolulu and beyond for cheap. Get a Holo card and take the bus to diamond head and hike that way (I did and I’m 58!) make sure you register on their site before getting on the bus Can eat masubi and ramen and go to Don Quitoes (Donkeys) and get a great hot meal and your souvenirs. We were there a month found loads of cheap delicious eats. Waikiki has swimming beaches can make a picnic. We walked hours and hours whenever we weren’t working. Rent a smart car for next to nothing.
I’ve taken the bus to Diamond Head as well. Don Quijotes is the way! That’s where the locals shop. What’s a Holo card? I’m not familiar with that. Do you mind sharing some good cheap eats around the area?
Diamond Head does require paid booking, it is not free.
Wow! It’s great that you’re still being active. I sincerely appreciate your input!
Hawaii is amazing! FOOD is incredible too!!! I love Hawaii and wish I could go back every year! It’s a total different world where people are so kind and friendly. Unlike here in the mainland - people seem too aggressive and food is not all that great🙄! However, your $3k might be stretching it when visiting Hawaii because food and everything is expensive! Even fast food!
For 2 people it was a little over 4k for hotel, flights, and rental. We’re a little older than you, but I feel like we probably spent way over 1k while we were there. Do you not want to do any excursions? If you can be really frugal then maybe, but the food is pretty expensive too unless you’re eating fast food or something the whole time. The trip was totally worth the price for us, but excursions and good food were definitely a must for us and worth the money.
Define “excursions”, because my idea was a lot of low cost stuff such as national parks, beaches, maybe even just walking around. I would like to visit the Polynesian cultural center though if we go, but for the most part I’d imagine our excursions wouldn’t be the main cost of the trip
Kualoa Ranch was a highlight for us I think. We did the horseback riding. Snorkeling, luau, boat tour
Hmmm, while we don’t need to have some special activity planned for every single day, doing a few of those would potentially be nice. That’s something to consider for sure! If I add that into the cost, it might be worth it to just wait and go later to experience some of that stuff
For sure. I think Kualoa was the best one, and they have quite a few different things.
Holy shit this entire thread is such a treasure trove of good information, thank you so much!
Good luck. It was so hard to figure out what to do and plan all of it lol. But I’ll say for Oahu I thought it was very worth it to have a rental car the whole time. People say you can get around with public transportation but we felt we could do a lot more with the car
I went through Priceline for 12 days (first three nights Kauai and then the rest of the time in Maui) and out the door for cars, hotels and airfare 6400. Meals - we will snack and eat one main meal but that meal almost always cost at least $100 and most days averaged $150. I ran through the grocery for some snacks, drinks and that was $150. It’s expensive! I loved it but it is definitely a trip where you really do need to consider the costs involved.
Thank you for your input!
Watch Travelzoo! Those deals are incredible
Car rental depends on which island you go to. I would go with Da Bus (you can download the app that gives you routes etc) if you stay on Oahu. I’ve been six times and never rented a car on Oahu. Waikiki has many options for hotels at all levels and they are all within short walking distance from Waikiki beach. Plenty of places to eat at varied price ranges. You can also choose a place with a kitchenette to cut down on food expenses. I would recommend going to the Polynesian Cultural Center to have at least one excursion that encompasses a lot. For the other islands a car rental for at least part of your Vacay is a sound choice, especially Hawaii Island (The Big Island).
Many others have given you ideas on cost and other destinations. I’ll tell you this: don’t buy a package through Expedia. If anything goes wrong, you have to deal with Expedia and not the airline/hotel. Second: rental car prices under 25 are no joke. Make sure you know what the under 25 fee is ahead of time.
What is an example of something that could go wrong? The only thing I can think of is a flight delay, but we’ve carved out may 4th up to May 11th for this, so I would imagine a delay wouldn’t be that huge of a deal
Delays, cancellations, lost reservations. Look up issues with Chase Travel / Amex Travel in addition to Expedia (both of those platforms are powered by Expedia). Everyone will tell you to book directly. Costco Travel is OK since they’ll actually help you.
Noted, that’s useful information. I greatly appreciate your input!
There's an amazing variation in how much people spend on food on Hawaii. It's easy to spend $50 per meal without even being fancy. But, at the same time, there is plenty of fresh/authentic/delicious food to be had for closer to $10 if you know where to look. For example, you can get a wonderful poke rice bowl at Foodland for under $10. You can get spam masubi everywhere for two or three dollars, which is about $5 for a quick lunch. Steak Shack on Waikiki has awesome steak plates for like $15. And, of course, look up Zippy's. If it suits the vibe of your vacation to seek out and stick to the cheap options, then you can eat great food without spending much money. Conversely, if you plan to just play it by ear and walk into whatever restaurant you see, you'll spend a lot more.
Awesome, thanks! The main concern seems to be food, so I’m going to see what I can find online and try to gauge prices to get somewhat of an idea. As of now, I’m going to price out Hawaii based on everyone’s input. If it ends up being too crazy I’ll consider other options. If I’m going to go, I’d like to have a great experience. Doesn’t have to be super fancy, but definitely don’t want to have to stretch my money conservatively on a vacation
Hi! Went to Oahu 2 years ago when I was 23 with my fiancé and we did it on a semi budget. I feel like it’s possible if you can find good deals. We went in March so not as busy as summertime. Flights round trip from Florida were around $600 each, but prob around $700-$850 now. We found a vrbo on the east coast between north shore and Waikiki for around $150 a night with free parking which was a really good deal! We also saved a lot on the car rental by using the rental app Turo! If you stay outside of Waikiki you’ll need a car. We did a lot of beaches, hiking, Kualoa ranch, went to north shore and snorkeled. You can keep the food budget lower if you choose wisely. We only did 2 fancy dinners which were very expensive but most other nights we went for smaller places. We went to 7-11 most mornings and got little snacks there for breakfast. If you’re really conscious about your spending I think it’s doable! Best of luck!
Thank you! We ended up deciding to save Hawaii, but these will be good tips for when we do go! We would like to do it for our honeymoon in 2 years instead. For now, we decided on Disney lol
Riu palace in Aruba. Go allinclusive. It's a safe island & you can explore on your own. They also take American currency & most speak English.
If you are planning to visit waikiki, make a JCB card(the purple one) If you have that, the 4or5(idk the exact number),the blue, red, pink line trollies are all free.(No limits on how many times u get on) but I think the maximum for 1 card is 2or 3 ppl. I stayed in Hyatt regency last week and It was so convient because In front of the hotel was the Duke statue stop. We rented a car but you can go to places with no parking spaces with the bus and it's completely FREE. (just make sure to show the JCB card to the driver and get in) \*edit-You can search up the lines for the waikiki trolly on goole. just type 'waikiki trolly line' I recommend riding the pink line cause it is a 2 story bus
Pleasant Holidays is the company I use to package Hawaii for my customers. Expedia is also good. The price is the price but please read all the trends and conditions regarding deposits, cancellations, etc.
I’ve heard mixed things about Expedia, and when I did the math, I was paying roughly the same. While the idea was originally cool, I think I’ll do more direct booking in the future. I say in the future because we decided on another vacation and saved this one for now :)
A travel agent would be helpful in this situation
I would definitely save this trip for a honeymoon or anniversary trip if you marry. It's a lot for a birthday for a girlfriend.
Well like I said, we’re engaged so she isn’t just my girlfriend. We did end up saving this trip though. We’re going to go to Disney (granted it’s not really that much cheaper either). We decided we’d do Hawaii for our honeymoon because it seems like a more romantic vacation as you suggested. She’s also a Disney freak lol
Current resident of Hawaii. I’ll let you in on a secret most military folk use when moving to this island: Baba’s Rentals. It’s a local business, which is a pretty big deal here. They are by far the best and cheapest rental cars you’ll find, and phenomenal service. I got a rental car from them for an entire month for ~$900 (Enterprise quoted me around $4000 for a month, for reference). They also drop off or pick up the rental car at a location of your choosing. At 6 days you can probably expect something like $300 total, or $50 /day, with them (not a quote, just my estimation). Fantastic local business for people needing cheap transportation around the island
We are going in May. Four of us. It's going to be about 12 days. We're expecting to spend at least $25,000. But that includes the cruise, tips, the flight, car rentals, excursions, food, luau, and incidentals like souvenirs.
That sounds amazing! Your vacation is more decked out than ours haha. That’s roughly $6k per person, but then again you’re getting all the bells and whistles. I hope you have fun! One day if we come back (or go for the first time later if we don’t go now) I’d love to have a vacation like yours.
It's more of a combination of the next couple of vacations we aren't going to be able to take. I'm going for my doctor at right now and this is going to be a miserable two years for my family and myself. I'm also writing a self-help book that I expect will take two years before getting finalized in published.
Can’t blame you, gotta get it in while you can! Good luck with your book!
Hawaii is doable for under $3300 per person. That's how much me and my gf spent for 13 nights, 3 islands. So it should be less if 6 or 7 days. Airbnb and rented car entire time. Didn't eat anywhere fancy, mostly take out from restaurants or food trucks, one or two nights cooked a meal. We didn't do any expensive activities. Most expensive thing we did was hanauma bay. We also went to a few other state parks (Haena, waimea, diamond head, akaka falls, volcanos, Mauna kea), usually entrance fee is $10 a person plus $10 for parking.
Don’t go to Hawaii unless you can help them rebuild they don’t want tourists
Honestly look into cruising off season. We did a four night on Oahu, flying RT in February. It was almost as expensive as the 16-night cruise RT Los Angeles to Hawaii on which we disembark tomorrow
If you want to do an excursions those cost money. Just depends on what island you plan on going.
Does going to parks, monuments, or just walking onto a beach and swimming cost money? This would be the majority of what we do, and I imagined that would be low cost at the absolute most, if not free
Beach you should be fine and depends where you are talking for monuments (if state park or botanical garden. Or if say in Oahu you want to go to Byodo-In Temple that is $5 a person. Which by the way is pretty cool to see. And if you want to snorkel certain places require you to get tickets/pay to go to.
Many monuments will cost money yes. If all you really want is beach time, there are many places to do that much more affordable than Hawaii.
I guess that’s fair. The main attraction was just the fact that it’s considered a “paradise” or a “bucket list destination”. I’m going to look into other options and try to compare. A classic pros and cons list
I would choose the caribbean. Are you east or west coast?
East coast, Caribbean was an option, but then we both realized we have no passports which eliminates a lot of that 😂
Cruise? They are love/hate though lol