Introduction
Hawaii is the only US state outside North America and the only one made entirely of islands — a chain of volcanic peaks rising from the middle of the Pacific, more than 2,000 miles from the mainland. Six islands welcome visitors, each with its own character: Oahu, the busy heart with Honolulu and Waikiki; Maui, the resort-and-road-trip favourite; Hawaii Island (the "Big Island"), where volcanoes are still building new land; Kauai, the lush and dramatic eldest; and the quieter Molokai and Lanai. For travellers the appeal is the rare combination of tropical beaches, genuinely wild volcanic landscapes, world-class snorkeling and surfing, and a living Native Hawaiian culture — all under the convenience of US infrastructure. The islands reward choosing one or two and going deep rather than hopping every few days.
Overview
Hawaii rewards the traveller who treats each island as a distinct destination rather than trying to see them all in one trip. Oahu is where most visitors land: Honolulu and the high-rise beach of Waikiki, the solemn USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, the hike up Diamond Head, and a North Shore that turns from summer swimming to winter big-wave surfing at Pipeline and Waimea Bay. Maui pairs resort coasts at Kaanapali and Wailea with two unforgettable drives — the hairpin, waterfall-lined Road to Hana and the dawn summit of Haleakala, a dormant volcano just over 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) high, from which you watch the sun rise above the clouds. Hawaii Island, the youngest and largest, is the geological showpiece: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where Kilauea's lava and steam vents make the earth feel new, the snow-capable summit of Mauna Kea with the planet's clearest stargazing, green- and black-sand beaches, and the coffee farms of Kona. Kauai, the oldest and greenest, holds the cathedral cliffs of the Na Pali Coast (seen by boat, helicopter or the strenuous Kalalau Trail) and the red gorge of Waimea Canyon, “the Grand Canyon of the Pacific”. Across all the islands, the underwater life is a headline act — sea turtles, reef fish and, in winter, humpback whales — and the culture is alive in the language, the lei, the hula and the luau, best encountered with respect rather than as spectacle. Hawaii is a year-round destination; the trade winds keep it temperate, and the main seasonal variable is the surf, which is gentle in summer and huge on north-facing shores in winter.
Discover Hawaii
Oahu is the gateway and the most developed island, and it packs an enormous range into a short drive. Honolulu, Waikiki, Diamond Head and the Pearl Harbor memorials sit at its southern end and are covered in the Honolulu city guide. The windward and North Shore coasts are the other Oahu, and the one many visitors never reach: the Nuuanu Pali lookout's wind-blasted cliffs, the snorkeling cove of Hanauma Bay, the Polynesian Cultural Center, and a North Shore that is a sleepy surf town in summer and the world capital of big-wave surfing each winter, when swells light up Pipeline, Sunset and Waimea Bay. Shrimp trucks at Kahuku and shave ice at Haleiwa are the road-trip rituals.
Ways to Experience This Destination
Waikiki and resort coasts, the North Shore's winter big waves, and gentle summer swimming and snorkeling across every island.
Kilauea's living lava in Volcanoes National Park, sunrise on Haleakala, Diamond Head and the cliffs of the Na Pali Coast.
Sea turtles and reef fish at Hanauma Bay and Molokini, Kona's manta rays, and winter humpback whales off Maui.
The language, hula, lei and luau, the Polynesian Cultural Center, and historic sites from Pearl Harbor to Puuhonua o Honaunau.
The waterfall-lined Road to Hana on Maui and the lookouts of Waimea Canyon and Kokee on Kauai.
Frequently asked questions
Cities in Hawaii
Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.