Cost per day · United States
Honolulu on $80, $220 or $600 a day
How much does Honolulu cost per day? Budget travellers get by on about $80 a day, mid-range trips run around $220, and luxury starts near $600 — accommodation, food, transport and activities included.
That makes Honolulu the 4th most expensive of 100 cities for a mid-range trip — see all 100 ranked.
Hawaii's capital is a real city on a tropical island: Waikīkī's beach under Diamond Head, the only royal palace on US soil, Pearl Harbor's memorials, and a food culture that mixes Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino and Portuguese. Beyond the towers, the North Shore's big surf is an hour away.
Hawaii is expensive, and rooms dominate any budget. But the beaches, the Diamond Head views, the Pearl Harbor memorial and the hikes cost little or nothing, and plate lunches and poke from a market counter are cheap and excellent.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
The crater-rim trail to the summit bunkers, with an audio guide
Get tickets on Tiqets →Walk the deck where Japan surrendered in 1945, moored at Pearl Harbor
Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
Simple hostel near Kapiʻolani Park and Diamond Head
Hostel two blocks from the sand with surfboard rental
Retro-styled garden hotel a short walk from the beach
Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Pearl Harbor ~$50
Day 2: Diamond Head and Kapahulu ~$45
Day 3: Rainforest and Chinatown ~$40
The USS Arizona Memorial is free — reserve the timed ticket online. TheBus reaches the North Shore for a single fare. Buy poke at a supermarket counter like Foodland; it is as good as the restaurants.
Mid-range buys a Waikīkī hotel near the beach, a surf lesson, Pearl Harbor's ships and museums, a snorkel at Hanauma Bay and a lūʻau with fire dancers.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
Walk the deck where Japan surrendered in 1945, moored at Pearl Harbor
Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
Quiet adults-oriented boutique hotel a block from the beach
Twin towers across the road from the beach
Right on the beach with Duke's restaurant downstairs
Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Pearl Harbor in full ~$230
Day 2: Surf and snorkel ~$300
Day 3: The North Shore ~$250
Hanauma Bay needs a reservation two days ahead and is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Diamond Head also needs a booked slot. Learn to surf at Waikīkī's gentle breaks in the morning.
Luxury Honolulu is an oceanfront suite at the Halekulani, a helicopter over the island's cliffs, a private catamaran with whales in winter and dinner at a starred table.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
A flight over Pearl Harbor, the Nuʻuanu Pali cliffs and windward waterfalls
Get tickets on Tiqets →Snorkelling with green sea turtles off the south shore, with a hula show
Get tickets on Tiqets →Diamond Head and the coast at golden hour from the air
Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
The first hotel on Waikīkī (1901), with a banyan-tree courtyard
The 1927 "Pink Palace of the Pacific" on its own stretch of beach
Waikīkī's most refined hotel, with the orchid mosaic pool and House Without a Key
Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1: From the air ~$1300
Day 2: Private catamaran ~$1500
Day 3: Windward coast ~$1000
The Halekulani and the Royal Hawaiian, the "Pink Palace", are Waikīkī's two great hotels. A doors-off helicopter shows the waterfalls of the windward coast. Book Senia and Michel's early.
About Honolulu
Tropical and steady: 27–31°C by day all year, cooled by trade winds. Short showers are frequent, especially in the hills and from November to March.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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| 23° | 23° | 24° | 24° | 25° | 26° | 27° | 27° | 27° | 26° | 25° | 24° |
| 8d | 7d | 8d | 7d | 6d | 5d | 6d | 6d | 6d | 7d | 8d | 9d |
| high | high | high | mid | mid | high | high | high | mid | mid | mid | high |
TheBus covers the whole island cheaply, and the Skyline rail line is expanding toward downtown. Waikīkī is walkable; a car is useful for the North Shore and east coast.
A travel eSIM gets you online the moment you land in United States — data plans start at $4 — no roaming bill, no queue for a local SIM, and nothing to swap in and out of your phone. Install it before you fly.
The beachfront strip of hotels, shops and restaurants under Diamond Head. Crowded and touristy, but the beach and the surf are right there.
Best for midrangeThe eastern end of Waikīkī and the streets behind it, with Leonard's, Ono Seafood and the park. A little cheaper and calmer.
Best for budgetThe huge open-air mall and Ala Moana Beach Park, where locals swim, between Waikīkī and downtown.
Best for midrangeA warehouse district painted with murals, now full of breweries, restaurants and new towers.
Best for midrangeʻIolani Palace and the state capitol, and next door Chinatown's lei stands, noodle shops and cocktail bars.
Best for budgetBeyond Diamond Head, a quiet enclave of oceanfront estates and one great resort, ten minutes from Waikīkī.
Best for luxury- ✓Take off your shoes when entering a home
- ✓Say "mahalo" for thank you
- ✓Wear reef-safe sunscreen — the others are banned
- ✓Reserve Hanauma Bay, Diamond Head and the Arizona Memorial in advance
- ✓Respect heiau and other sacred sites
- ✓Ask the lifeguards before swimming at an unfamiliar beach
- ✗Touch or approach sea turtles and monk seals; keep three to fifteen metres away
- ✗Take lava rock or sand home
- ✗Turn your back on the ocean
- ✗Leave anything in a parked car
- ✗Call locals "Hawaiians" unless they are Native Hawaiian
- ✗Hike closed or illegal trails like the Haʻikū Stairs
Travel Insurance for Honolulu
Travel insurance is strongly recommended for any trip to Honolulu. Safety is rated Safe for visitors. Car break-ins at beaches and trailheads are the main crime; never leave anything in a parked car. Respect ocean warnings — currents and shore breaks injure visitors every year. — even in safe destinations, unexpected medical emergencies or trip cancellations can be costly. Make sure your policy covers emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation, trip cancellation, and emergency evacuation.
Visa note: Visa Waiver Program: most European, UK and Australian visitors need an approved ESTA before flying; others need a B1/B2 visa.. Some countries require proof of travel insurance as part of the visa application.
Get travel insurance for Honolulu →FAQ: Honolulu Travel Questions
Is Honolulu safe to visit? ▾
Safe for visitors. Car break-ins at beaches and trailheads are the main crime; never leave anything in a parked car. Respect ocean warnings — currents and shore breaks injure visitors every year.
When is the best time to visit Honolulu? ▾
April–May and September–October for fewer crowds and lower prices. Winter brings big waves to the North Shore and humpback whales offshore. Tropical and steady: 27–31°C by day all year, cooled by trade winds. Short showers are frequent, especially in the hills and from November to March.
How much does a trip to Honolulu cost per day? ▾
- budget: $80–$140/day
- midrange: $220–$400/day
- luxury: $600–$1400/day
Do I need a visa to visit United States? ▾
Visa Waiver Program: most European, UK and Australian visitors need an approved ESTA before flying; others need a B1/B2 visa.
How do I get around Honolulu? ▾
TheBus covers the whole island cheaply, and the Skyline rail line is expanding toward downtown. Waikīkī is walkable; a car is useful for the North Shore and east coast. Taxi base fare ~$4. Day pass ~$8.
Is tipping expected in Honolulu? ▾
Tipping is expected as on the mainland: 18–22% in restaurants, $1–2 a drink, and a few dollars a day for housekeeping.
What currency is used in United States? ▾
The local currency is USD, and the official language is English, Hawaiian.