Lush green hills, volcanoes, surfing, outstanding beaches, perfect weather and grass skirts galore… Who wouldn’t want to plan a Hawaii getaway? If big dreams on a small budget have kept you away, consider these five ways to visit the Aloha State without breaking the bank, and finally make your budget Hawaii vacation a reality.
Related: 7 original, old-school tiki bars you must visit now.
Travel during (your) off-season
The weather’s awesome year-round in Hawaii, so if you avoid traveling during typical peaks (winter and spring breaks, midsummer) and instead plan a trip for fall or late spring, you’ll find better airfare and hotel rates, fewer crowds, and the same great experience. Also steer clear of Japan’s “Golden Week” in early May, a vacation period that brings a flood of Japanese tourists to the islands and a subsequent spike in prices.
Stay inland
A hotel on the beach is bliss, but those pristine views come at a price. Since you’re never really too far from the water in Hawaii, opt for a non-waterfront hotel for a better deal. Honolulu’s Stay Waikiki is located just a block from the beach and typically has rates that are a fraction of its oceanside counterparts. Or how about sleeping next toa volcano? On the Big Island, Volcano Kilauea Accommodations offer rooms and cottages near the entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (about an hour from the beaches at Hilo) with features such as lava-rock waterfall showers.
Related: 11 beaches that probably aren’t for you.
Eat like a local
Feast on fresh, tropical produce straight from the source at year-round, local farmer’s markets. Sip juice from a whacked-open-on-the-spot coconut and try exotic fruits like rambutan—a spiky, sweeter cousin of the lychee that grows on the islands. Find a list of markets statewide here.
The food truck craze has made it’s way across the Pacific, and it’s a great way to sample local fare on the cheap, from traditionalplate lunches and fresh-squeezed juices to crowd-pleasing barbecue and doughnuts. Go to Eat the Street Hawaii for info on offerings and food truck socials.
DIY it
Many of the places tour outfitters visit are inexpensive or free to the public. Create your own adventure by taking advantage of maps and info online and at visitor’s offices. Admission to Hawaii Volcanoes Park is $10 per vehicle for a week ($5 per pedestrian/cyclist). Kauai’s Waimea Canyon – often called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific—is free, as is admission to most of Hawaii’s state parks. On Maui, a hike on Pipiwai Trail takes you past sweet-smelling guava trees to Waimoku Fall, a 400-foot waterfall. Pick up your own inexpensive snorkel mask and head underwater at Oahu’s Hanauma Bay, a favorite for calm, warm waters with dozens of varieties of colorful fish and reefs. On Oahu, you can even skip a rental car and take “the Bus,” the island’s public transportation system. Rides are $2.50 with two free transfers; a four-day unlimited pass is also available for $35.
Be a culture vulture
The Royal Hawaiian Center, a massive shopping and entertainment complex in Waikiki, offers free classes in hula dancing, lei making, ukulele and more Mondays through Saturdays, and live entertainment Tuesdays through Saturday. The free Koloa Heritage Trail in Kauai is a 10-mile journey into Hawaii’s past comprised of 14 stops and monuments that take you more than five million years back in time.
