Real flight times from your hub. ESTA, passport, and customs rules in plain English. Currency in something other than US dollars. Pick your country below.
Hawaii Guide is written from an American vantage point by default — distances anchored to mainland US cities, currency in US dollars, tipping and tax built into the cost math. Most of that lands fine for international travellers too. What doesn't is the country-specific stuff: how long the flight actually takes from your airport, whether you need an ESTA, what your provincial / national health card does (and doesn't) cover, what you can bring home through your customs. That's what these pages are for.
Each country guide below is a real resource, not a welcome mat. We update them quarterly as airline routes, customs allowances, and exchange rates shift.
12 country guides8 languagesUpdated quarterlyWritten by humans, not AI
Exchange rates fluctuate — figures above are recent approximations. Each country page links to xe.com for a live rate the week of your trip.
What you'll find
Each country guide covers the same shape
Real flight times
From every major gateway in your country — direct routes, one-stop options, total elapsed time, and which airlines actually fly the route now.
Documents and entry
Passport vs ESTA, validity windows, trusted-traveller perks. The small stuff that's invisible until it stops you at the gate.
Money, cards, and tax
Currency framing, foreign-transaction-fee card recommendations from your country, US tipping culture, and the difference between menu price and final receipt.
Travel insurance — the unmissable one
What your home health coverage actually does (and doesn't) do in the US. Honestly the most important practical takeaway for every country.
Customs on the way home
CBSA / Australian biosecurity / HMRC / Japanese customs — what comes home and what gets seized at the airport.
When to go from your hemisphere
School-holiday windows, seasonal flight pricing from your hub, value windows, and how Hawaii's mild calendar maps onto your home weather.
John & Tori Derrick · Founders
Aloha from the team
We're a small independent team that has been planning, writing about, and visiting Hawaii since 2002. Every recommendation on this site — including the country pages above — comes from someone who has actually driven the road, eaten at the restaurant, or hiked the trail.
Real photos from real trips, not a stock library. Two decades of repeat visits across all four main islands, going back to before Hawaii Guide existed.
Makalawena Beach, Big Island
Kīlauea, Big Island
Waimoku Falls (Pīpīwai Trail), Maui
Garden of Eden, Maui
Nuʻalolo Overlook, Kauaʻi
Sleeping Giant Trail, Kauaʻi
Koko Head Crater Trail, Oʻahu
Moliʻi Pond & Koʻolau Range (Kualoa), Oʻahu
Share yours
Tag @hawaii_guide in your favorite Hawaiʻi photo and we’ll feature the best of them here.
Partly cloudy on the windward side, mostly sunny on the leeward side. Trade winds are strong and will stay that way through Wednesday, bringing passing showers to windward slopes.
Surf builds this weekend—a south swell is coming in and could reach warning levels on south-facing beaches by Saturday and Sunday. Winds ease late Thursday, and you'll see more organized showers Friday through Saturday as a system moves nearby. Small Craft Advisory is up through Wednesday evening, so water's rough if you're thinking about boats.
Stick to leeward beaches and the sunny side through Wednesday. Save your snorkeling for after the weekend swell passes.
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Partly cloudy on the windward side, mostly sunny on the leeward side. Strong trade winds are pushing through, so it won't feel humid today.
Breezy conditions hold through Wednesday with scattered showers on the windward slopes. A bigger south swell starts building Friday and reaches warning levels by Saturday and Sunday on south-facing beaches. Winds ease late Thursday, and more organized showers are possible Friday through Saturday. North and west shores peak today before dropping off. Small Craft Advisory stays in effect through Wednesday evening.
Stick to leeward beaches and the sunny side through Wednesday. Save snorkeling and water activities for after the weekend swell passes.
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Partly cloudy on the windward side, mostly sunny on the leeward side. Strong trade winds are pushing through, bringing scattered showers to the mountains and some afternoon showers to leeward areas. Low to mid 80s today, dropping to the low to mid 70s tonight.
Winds stay breezy through Wednesday. A south swell is building from a distant storm and will reach warning levels by Saturday and Sunday on south-facing beaches. North and west shores peak Wednesday then ease off. Expect more organized showers late Thursday through Saturday as a weather system moves nearby.
Get to the leeward beaches and sunny spots through Wednesday while conditions are stable. Save snorkeling and water activities for after the weekend swell passes.
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Partly cloudy skies on the windward side, mostly sunny on the leeward side. Strong trade winds dominate through Wednesday, keeping the air less humid than usual and pushing temps to the low to mid 80s during the day, dropping to the low to mid 70s at night.
A south swell builds this weekend and reaches warning levels by Saturday and Sunday on south-facing beaches. North and west shores peak at moderate levels Wednesday before easing. Winds ease late Thursday as conditions become more unsettled, with organized showers possible Friday through Saturday. A Small Craft Advisory is in effect through Wednesday evening—boat conditions will be rough.
The leeward beaches and sunny spots stay your best bet through Wednesday. Plan snorkeling and calm-water activities after the weekend swell passes.
For visitors from outside the US
