Hawaiian Islands: Honolulu to Maui (Self-Launched Island Hopper)
11 days · Hawaii
Cosmos charges £3,235
No-markup version: ~£1,275 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independent 11-day island-hop across Hawaii's four main islands — Oahu, the Big Island, Kauai and Maui — following the same route as Cosmos's coach tour but booked yourself. You'll fly between islands on Southwest or Hawaiian Airlines, stay in hostels and budget guesthouses (or split an Airbnb with travel mates), and use local buses, shared shuttles and self-drive rental cars instead of a motorcoach. Big-ticket days like Pearl Harbor, Volcanoes National Park, Waimea Canyon and the Road to Hana are all self-bookable in advance via the National Park Service, recreation.gov or GetYourGuide. Costs below assume dorm or shared-room travel; private rooms add roughly £25–40 per night. All figures are approximate and exclude international flights to/from Honolulu and the return flight from Maui.
Day-by-day
Arrive Honolulu, Waikiki orientation
Honolulu, Oahu
Land at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and take TheBus route 20 or 303 (about $3, ~£2.40) or a shared shuttle into Waikiki. Check into a hostel such as Polynesian Hostel Beach Club or Waikiki Beachside Hostel. Spend the afternoon walking Waikiki Beach, watching the sunset from the Duke Kahanamoku statue and stocking up on groceries — Hawaii food and drink is expensive, so self-catering breakfasts save real money.
🚌TheBus route 20 from HNL to Waikiki, ~$3
🛏Hostel dorm in Waikiki (e.g. Polynesian Hostel Beach Club), ~£30/night
- →Waikiki Beach walk
- →Sunset at Duke Kahanamoku statue
- →Grocery shop for breakfast supplies
Pearl Harbor and historic Honolulu
Honolulu, Oahu
Book your USS Arizona Memorial program slot free on recreation.gov up to 8 weeks ahead — it's the only way to guarantee a boat out to the memorial. Follow it with the free-to-enter Pearl Harbor National Memorial grounds, then take TheBus to Punchbowl National Cemetery (free) and downtown for ʻIolani Palace (grounds free; interior tours ~$30/£24 if you want them), the King Kamehameha statue and Chinatown's food stalls for a cheap lunch.
🚌TheBus day pass $5.50 (~£4.40)
🛏Hostel dorm in Waikiki, ~£30/night
- →USS Arizona Memorial (free, book on recreation.gov)
- →Pearl Harbor National Memorial
- →Punchbowl National Cemetery
- →ʻIolani Palace exterior and grounds
- →Chinatown street food
Oahu free day: North Shore or Polynesian Cultural Center
Honolulu / North Shore, Oahu
Two solid options. Budget route: take TheBus 52 or 60 up to Haleʻiwa and the North Shore (about 90 minutes, covered by your $5.50 day pass), swim at Waimea Bay, watch surfers at Banzai Pipeline and grab a shrimp plate from a roadside truck (~$15/£12). Or pre-book the Polynesian Cultural Center full-day package with the Hā: Breath of Life show directly on their site (~$120–150/£95–120 including dinner and transport), which is what the coach tour offers as an optional.
🚌TheBus 52/60 day pass $5.50 (~£4.40)
🛏Hostel dorm in Waikiki, ~£30/night
- →North Shore beaches and Banzai Pipeline
- →Haleʻiwa town
- →Optional: Polynesian Cultural Center with Hā: Breath of Life show
Fly to Hilo and explore Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hilo / Volcano, Big Island
Take an early Southwest or Hawaiian Airlines inter-island flight HNL–ITO (book 6–10 weeks ahead for fares around $60–90/£50–70 each way). Pick up the cheapest rental car you can find at Hilo airport — essential on the Big Island — and drive 45 minutes to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park ($30 per vehicle, valid 7 days). Walk the Crater Rim Trail, look into Kilauea Caldera from Uēkahuna and stay for the glow after dark if the lava lake is active. Sleep in Volcano village or back in Hilo.
🚌Inter-island flight HNL–ITO ~£60; rental car ~£35/day shared
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Hilo/Volcano, ~£30/night
- →Hawaii Volcanoes National Park ($30/vehicle)
- →Kilauea Caldera viewpoints
- →Crater Rim Trail walk
- →Night lava glow viewing
Kona: coffee country and snorkelling
Kailua-Kona, Big Island
Drive south around the island via the Kona coffee belt — stop at a small family farm in Holualoa for a free tasting — then continue to Kailua-Kona. Explore Huliheʻe Palace and Ahuʻena Heiau on the waterfront, then snorkel at Kahaluʻu Beach Park (free, turtles and reef fish) instead of paying for a boat cruise. Return the car in Kona or keep it for tomorrow's drive.
🚌Rental car ~£35/day shared
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Kailua-Kona, ~£32/night
- →Kona coffee farm tasting (free)
- →Huliheʻe Palace and Ahuʻena Heiau
- →Snorkelling at Kahaluʻu Beach Park
Fly to Kauai and drive to Waimea Canyon
Kauai
Fly KOA–LIH (Southwest/Hawaiian, ~$80–110/£65–90). Rent a car at Lihue airport and head west to Waimea Canyon State Park — the 'Grand Canyon of the Pacific' — with stops at the Waimea Canyon overlooks, Hanapepe Valley and the Spouting Horn blowhole, finishing at Poipu Beach for a swim and a possible monk seal sighting. Note that Kauai's public bus (Kauaʻi Bus, $2/ride) doesn't reach the canyon rim, so a car or a shared shuttle tour is needed for this day.
🚌Flight KOA–LIH ~£75; rental car ~£35/day shared
🛏Hostel in Kapaʻa or Lihuʻe (e.g. Kauai Beach Hostel), ~£32/night
- →Waimea Canyon overlooks
- →Hanapepe Valley viewpoint
- →Spouting Horn blowhole
- →Poipu Beach
Kauai free day: Na Pali Coast or helicopter
Kauai
Choose your splurge. Cheapest: hike the first two miles of the Kalalau Trail from Keʻe Beach to Hanakāpīʻai Beach (free, but you need an advance permit/shim pass from the state parks site, ~$20) for dramatic Na Pali Coast views. Mid-range: a Na Pali catamaran snorkel cruise booked via GetYourGuide (~£100–130). Top-end: a doors-off helicopter flightseeing tour over the waterfalls and Na Pali cliffs (~£250–300 pre-booked direct). Otherwise, relax at Hanalei Bay or Poipu for free.
🚌Rental car ~£35/day shared; Kauaʻi Bus $2/ride as backup
🛏Hostel in Kapaʻa or Lihuʻe, ~£32/night
- →Kalalau Trail / Hanakāpīʻai Beach hike (permit required)
- →Optional Na Pali snorkel catamaran cruise
- →Optional helicopter flightseeing
- →Hanalei Bay beach day
Fly to Maui, ʻIao Valley and Maalaea
Maui
Fly LIH–OGG (~$90–120/£70–95) and pick up a car in Kahului. Drive 20 minutes to ʻIao Valley State Monument to see the ʻIao Needle (entry $5 plus $10 parking). Continue down to Maalaea Harbor for lunch and ocean views toward Kahoʻolawe, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi, then settle into a hostel in Wailuku, Paia or Lahaina-side budget lodgings. Maui's public bus is limited, so a car is the practical choice here.
🚌Flight LIH–OGG ~£82; rental car ~£35/day shared
🛏Budget hostel/guesthouse in Wailuku or Paia, ~£35/night
- →ʻIao Valley State Monument and ʻIao Needle
- →Maalaea Harbor
- →Views of Kahoʻolawe, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi
Maui free day: Road to Hana or Kaʻanapali
Maui
Self-drive the Road to Hana — leave by 7am, take the Hana Highway 620 curves slowly, stop at Twin Falls, Waikānapā State Wayside and Wailua Falls, and swim at the Seven Sacred Pools (Kipahulu, inside Haleakalā National Park — one $30 vehicle pass covers both). Alternatively keep it cheap and easy: a free Kaʻanapali Trolley from Whalers Village area, snorkelling at Kaʻanapali Beach, and sunset at Black Rock. Note the trolley is free to ride but parking at Whalers Village is charged.
🚌Rental car ~£35/day shared; fuel ~£10
🛏Budget hostel/guesthouse in Wailuku or Paia, ~£35/night
- →Road to Hana self-drive
- →Twin Falls and Wailua Falls
- →Kipahulu / Seven Sacred Pools ($30 vehicle pass)
- →Alternative: Kaʻanapali Beach and free trolley
Molokini snorkel or Haleakalā sunrise
Maui
Pre-book the Molokini Crater snorkel trip direct with a local operator or through GetYourGuide (~£90–120, includes gear and breakfast) — the same 'premium snorkel cruise' the tour sells as an optional. Budget alternative: drive up Haleakalā for sunrise or sunset (Haleakalā National Park, $30 vehicle, no reservation needed outside the 3am–7am sunrise window), then an evening free at a beach park or a cheap plate-lunch spot in Kahului.
🚌Rental car ~£35/day shared; or operator pickup
🛏Budget hostel/guesthouse in Wailuku or Paia, ~£35/night
- →Molokini Crater snorkel cruise (optional, ~£100)
- →Haleakalā National Park viewpoint drive
- →Plate lunch in Kahului
Last morning on Maui and depart
Maui
Return the rental car, spend a final morning at a nearby beach or the Maui Swap Meet (Saturdays, free entry) for cheap souvenirs and local fruit, then head to Kahului Airport (OGG) for your flight home. Book your international connection separately — the cheapest routing is usually OGG–HNL–UK or OGG–LAX/SFO–UK, roughly £700–950 return from London if booked well ahead.
🚌Rental car drop-off and airport shuttle/fuel ~£15
🛏—
- →Final beach morning
- →Maui Swap Meet (Saturdays)
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Cosmos
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Cosmos | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,275 | £3,235 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,960 per person (61%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Cosmos-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,275
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Hawaiian Islands: Honolulu to Maui (Self-Launched Island Hopper) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,275 per person for 11 days in Hawaii. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Cosmos?+
Yes — Cosmos charges around £3,235 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,275 — a saving of roughly £1,960 (61%) per person.
How long is the Hawaii trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 day-by-day stops through Hawaii.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, beaches trip through Hawaii, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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