North Shore. Oahu HI. All photography is ours.
Home/Destinations/United States/Hawaii
Hawaii with Kids
If you’re planning Hawaii with kids and short on time, you can do more than you think. We did Maui, the Big Island, and Oahu in 72 hours, saw both national parks in one very long day, and still had beach time. We wouldn’t recommend that pace, but it proves the point. Pick an island or two and go.
Pearl Harbor, the sunrise at Haleakalā, and the crater at Hawaii Volcanoes are the three things we’d tell any family not to miss. The rest is beaches, shave ice, and the North Shore. The Dole Plantation is fun and, of course, serves Dole Whip, so that’s a non-negotiable for us. #NoDoleWhipLeftBehind
Destination guide · Updated November 2026 · Last visited October 2016
Best months
April–May, Sept–Oct
National parks
2 + 7 NPS sites
Fly into
HNL · OGG · KOA · LIH
How long
7 to 10 days, two islands
Book ahead
Haleakalā sunrise · USS Arizona tickets · Hanauma Bay
Our Hawaii trip was a sprint. We landed on Maui in the afternoon and played on the beach and in the resort pools. At 2:30 the next morning we were up for the Haleakalā sunrise. That afternoon a short flight took us to the Big Island for Hawaii Volcanoes. Oahu was last, with Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial, the Dole Plantation, and the North Shore. It was the start of our Every Kid Outdoors year (it was called Every Kid in a Park back then). The kids got their first passport stamps at the Haleakalā summit. Needles to say, we were exhausted, but it was so fun!
Hawai’i is full of natural beauty, so that should be at the top of your list. Don’t get stuck at a mega resort and miss all that Hawai’i has to offer.
Your Hawaii guide
Enjoy exploring Hawaii with kids!
Keep scrolling for the essentials, three trip itineraries, and where to stay.
Essential Hawaii
Why we love Hawaii
We think you’ll love it too.
Hawaii is where we’d send a family that wants a trip they’ll remember for a long time. Haleakalā, Hawaii Volcanoes, Pearl Harbor, and the North Shore are all places we’ve done ourselves. Hawai’i is also home to some great Asian fusion cuisine, and of course, the shave ice can’t be missed.
Haleakalā National Park Guide
We left the hotel before 3 in the morning and reached the summit at 4:45 for sunrise. It was cold and dark and worth every minute, and the kids got their first park stamps here.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Guide
We flew over from Maui and spent the same afternoon on Crater Rim Drive and at the ranger talks. We finished with sunset over the caldera from the Jaggar overlook.
Pearl Harbor Guide
The USS Arizona Memorial is free, but the reservations book out ahead. It’s a real shift in mood from the parks, and it held our kids’ attention.
The North Shore Guide
We stopped at the Dole Plantation on the way, then saw the Banzai Pipeline and cooled off with shave ice. It was the easy Oahu day that everyone in the family liked.
And the rest we’d cross the state for
Maui’s beaches Guide
We had one evening on Maui and spent it on the beach and in the resort pools. The sunsets live up to the reputation.
Honolulu Guide
We walked Waikiki, ate at the Hard Rock, and had our first shave ice of the trip. Just don’t call it a sno-cone!
Hanauma Bay
Hanauma Bay has the easiest snorkeling in the state, in a flooded volcanic crater on Oahu. Timed entry is required and sells out, and it’s on our list for next time.
The Road to Hana
The Road to Hana is sixty miles and six hundred curves on Maui. Leave early, stop at the waterfalls, and turn around before Hana if the kids are done.
Kauai
Kauai has Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali coast. It’s the island we haven’t been to yet, and it’s a great pick for families who love to hike.
Polynesian Cultural Center
The Polynesian Cultural Center is a full day on Oahu’s windward side. It’s long and expensive, but families rave about the canoe pageant.
Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau
This place of refuge on the Big Island’s Kona coast has temple platforms and tide pools for kids to explore. One of the best snorkel spots on the island is right next door. Are you looking for more national park sites? See our guide to Hawaii national parks.
Browse
Find your next adventure in Hawaii
Tell us what you’re planning and we’ll match it up with some great trip ideas.
-
Visiting Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial with kids
In September 2016, we signed our fourth grader up for her Every Kid Outdoors (it was called Every Kid in…
-
72 Hours in Hawaii with kids
Planning a trip to Hawaii with kids can be an overwhelming task. There are plenty of “must-see” attractions, and many people…
-
Visiting Hawaii’s National Parks in One Epic Day
Disclosure: Please note that this post contains affiliate links, meaning we earn a commission if you click through and make…
Routes
Three Hawaii itineraries
Two islands is the right number for a first trip. We did three in 72 hours, and we’d slow it down next time. See all the best stops on a map.
Start
Maui
Land in the afternoon and hit the beach and pools that evening. Get up at 2:30 for the Haleakalā sunrise, and be at the summit by 4:45.
Then head to
The Big Island
Take a short flight after breakfast. Rent a car and drive to Hawaii Volcanoes for the afternoon and sunset at the crater.
Finish
Oahu
Visit Pearl Harbor in the morning, then the Dole Plantation and the North Shore. Stop in Honolulu for shave ice.
Home base
Waikiki
Three days is enough for Pearl Harbor, Hanauma Bay, and the North Shore.
Then head to
Kihei or Kaanapali, Maui
It’s a forty-minute flight. Book the Haleakalā sunrise reservation sixty days out, then do the beach the rest of the week.
Add on
The Road to Hana
Give it one full day for Twin Falls and the black sand beach at Waianapanapa, and be back before dark.
Home base
Waikiki
Spend the same three days as above. Add the Polynesian Cultural Center if you have a fourth.
Then head to
Kona coast
Fly into KOA. Snorkel at Two Step, visit the place of refuge, and watch manta rays at night if the kids are old enough.
Finish
Hawaii Volcanoes
It’s two hours across the island. Give the park a full day for Thurston Lava Tube, the steam vents, Chain of Craters Road, and the caldera after dark.
When to go
Time your visits with the weather and the region
Hawaii is warm every month. The differences are rain, surf, and price. Winter brings big waves to the north shores and higher hotel rates. Summer is calmer and drier. Haleakalā’s summit is cold at any time of year, so pack a real coat for sunrise.
Swipe the chart sideways to see the full year.
April – May
Spring break crowds are gone, the winter surf has settled, and rates drop before summer. Whales are still around in early April.
June – August
These months are dry, with calm water on every shore and the busiest hotels of the year. Summer is the easiest season for snorkeling with young kids.
September – October
Warm ocean, empty beaches, and the lowest prices of the year once school starts back on the mainland.
November – March
Wetter on the windward sides and big surf on the north shores, which is its own show. Peak whale season on Maui is January through March. Christmas week is the most expensive week in Hawaii.
Where to stay
Pick a good base to start your Hawaii adventure
Pick one base per island and stay put. Hawaii’s hotel prices reward points and punish last-minute bookings.
Oahu trips
Waikiki
Waikiki is walkable, full of chain hotels, and the easiest place in the state to book on points. Aulani in Ko Olina is the splurge for Disney families.
- How we did Oahu in a day
- Hilton Hawaiian Village or the Hyatts for points
- Aulani if the budget allows
Maui trips
Kaanapali & Kihei
We stayed at a resort on Maui for one night and spent every minute we could on the beach and in the pools. Kaanapali is the resort strip. Kihei is cheaper and closer to the Haleakalā road.
- Kaanapali resorts for the beach path and pools
- Kihei condos for a kitchen and a shorter sunrise drive
- Book the sunrise reservation before the room
Big Island trips
Kona & Volcano
Split the stay between the Kona coast for beaches and snorkeling and Volcano village for the park. The drive between them is two hours.
- Waikoloa resorts on points
- Volcano village B&Bs for the park
- Our two-parks-in-a-day guide
Good to know
Questions families ask us about Hawaii
We did. We caught the Haleakalā sunrise on Maui at 4:45 a.m., took a short flight to the Big Island, and reached Hawaii Volcanoes by mid-afternoon with sunset at the crater. It works because the flight is under an hour and the park is forty-five minutes from Hilo. It’s a long day and we’d give each park its own day next time, but if your schedule is tight it can be done. Here’s how we planned it.
They’re free and released on recreation.gov eight weeks ahead, with a smaller batch the day before. They go within minutes. If you miss them, the rest of Pearl Harbor is open without tickets, and the shoreline view of the memorial is still worth it. It’s a serious place and a change of pace from the beach, and our kids handled it well. Our Pearl Harbor post has the details.
Yes, if you plan for it. The reservation opens sixty days ahead, the summit is around forty degrees at dawn, and you’ll leave the hotel around three. We stocked up on breakfast snacks the day before so nobody’s stomach was an issue. The kids slept in the car, woke up for the sunrise, and got their first passport stamps at the visitor center after.
Oahu first. It has the most to do, the calmest beaches, and the shortest drives. Add Maui for the beaches and Haleakalā, or the Big Island for the volcanoes. We haven’t done Kauai yet and would save it for when the kids are ready to hike.
Yes, you do, on every island. Waikiki is walkable and the bus works for Pearl Harbor, but you’ll want a car for the North Shore. On the other islands there’s no alternative.
Book flights and hotels six months ahead for summer and holidays, and even earlier for Christmas week. Award seats on Hawaiian, Alaska, and Southwest are the best value from the mainland, and points are how we plan to get back.
Map
Essential Hawaii, mapped
Keep exploring
Where to go next
California with Kids
California is the other end of the flight, with nine national parks and the theme parks.
Nevada with Kids
Get our of the cities. Hoover Dam, Great Basin NP, and Death Valley are all withing a day’s drive.
