Traveling Between The Hawaiian Islands

View of Hawaiian Islands from space

Traveling between islands, or ‘island hopping’, is a popular activity for locals and visitors alike. Each of the Hawaiian Islands is very unique and offers a different Hawaii experience. They are ALL worth exploring. You can get between islands either by air or sea.

The fastest and least expensive way to island hop is by air using Hawaiian Airlines or Mokulele Airlines. Hawaiian Airlines has the highest on time record out of all airlines in the USA for the past 12 years straight and interisland travel with Hawaiian takes 20-50 minutes with flights departing for outer islands about every half-hour from approximately 5:30am until 8pm daily. Hawaiian Airlines interisland air fare costs between $90-$125 per person each way.

Mokulele Airlines is a newer airline offering inter island travel using small 9 passenger Cessna planes as opposed to the larger Boeing 737-297   passenger planes that Hawaiian Airlines uses. Mokulele Airlines flights take longer because of the smaller plane engine but the flights cost about the same.  If traveling between the islands of Oahu, Molokai and Maui there is another option, Makani Kai Air, which offers a few flights daily using 9 passenger Cessna planes. When you are on your vacation your time is very valuable. Don’t waste a moment of your limited time in paradise puttsing along in a slow airplane or making a layover or two just to save a few dollars, go with the fastest flight.

Private charter boats and luxury cruise lines allow island hopping by sea between the islands. The only commercial ferry in the Hawaiian Islands runs between Maui and Molokai. If you would like to travel between the Hawaiian islands by sea there are a few inter-island cruise ships available to choose from: Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, and Holland America. Keep in mind when cruising the Islands you get to port on several islands but you do not have the time or freedom to explore and experience as much of what makes each island so unique as you would if you traveled independently to the island by air. Cruising should not just be a means of transportation between islands. Exploring the Hawaiian Islands by cruise is ideal for people who in addition to exploring beautiful ports of call and also love meeting new people, taking part in fun cruise ship activities and eating an abundance of delicious foods.